Audacity
Free, open-source audio editor for recording, editing, and mixing
What it does well
- Completely free and open-source with no hidden costs
- Supports multi-track recording and editing
- Extensive built-in effects and audio restoration tools
- Cross-platform availability (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Where it falls short
- User interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives
- Occasional crashes or stability issues with large files
- Steep learning curve for advanced features
Core Features
| Multi-track Audio Editing | Yes |
| Audio Recording | Yes |
| Supported Audio Formats | WAV, AIFF, MP3, OGG, FLAC, M4A |
| Built-in Effects | 40+ |
| Spectral Editing | Yes |
| Noise Reduction | Yes |
| Time Stretch & Pitch Shifting | Yes |
| Undo/Redo History | Unlimited |
| Plugin Support | VST, LADSPA, AU |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Cross-platform | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Cost | Free |
Free
Free
- Audio recording and playback
- Multi-track editing
- Built-in effects and filters
- Support for multiple audio formats (WAV, AIFF, MP3, OGG, FLAC)
- Spectrogram view
- Noise reduction and removal tools
- Equalization and compression
- Time stretching and pitch shifting
- Unlimited undo/redo
- Cross-platform availability (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Open-source code
- Community support
Comparisons with Audacity
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