Side by side

Bidule vs SuperCollider

Both stand on sound design software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Bidule

Free trial MacWindows

Bidule brings modular patching together with spectral, multichannel, MIDI, and OSC workflows. Check the system and host requirements, and note that the current standalone trial has ended.

Visit Bidule

SuperCollider combines a programmable audio server, language and development environment with options for client integrations and third-party plugins. It is free, though platform requirements vary by download.

Visit SuperCollider

The facts

	Bidule	SuperCollider
Free plan	A free trial	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Mac, Windows	Linux, Mac, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Bidule: $95, paid once	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	plogue.com	supercollider.github.io
On sound design software	#9 of 32	#5 of 32

Bidule: what it does well

Standalone app and plug-in formats are available.
Processes multichannel files with up to 64 channels.
Can render ambisonic files offline.
Reusable groups can be saved or downloaded.
Supports MIDI mapping and OSC control.

What to know first

Costs 95.00 USD as a one-time purchase.
The current standalone trial period has ended.
Plug-in versions require standalone installation and registration.
Windows requires Windows 10 x64 or higher.

SuperCollider: what it does well

Real-time server includes hundreds of audio unit generators.
Multiple clients can control the audio server.
Client implementations include Python, JavaScript, Haskell and Scala.
Quarks manages packages, documentation and UGens.
Free software under version 3 of the GNU General Public License.

What to know first

Linux builds require gcc version 9 or later.
macOS universal binary requires macOS 11 or later.
Windows support is listed for Windows 10 and 11.

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