# Cubase Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Cubase Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Audio Editing products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase --- # Cubase Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Cubase ## What is Cubase? Cubase is a digital audio workstation software for music production that provides professional tools for composing, recording, editing, and mastering music. Cubase offers versatile workflows suitable for all genres and skill levels. The program has advanced MIDI and audio editing capabilities, built-in virtual instruments and effects, and customizable MixConsole channel strips for mixing and routing audio. Cubase comes in three versions: Cubase Pro, Cubase Artist, and Cubase Elements. ## What is Cubase used for? [Audio Editing](https://www.capterra.com/audio-editing-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 106 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 95% Neutral 4% Negative 1% Starting price $121.38 Per User, Per Month Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Cubase?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.steinberg.net/en/home.html&name=Cubase) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Cubase 4.6 (106) VS. [4.7 (83)](https://www.capterra.com/p/10004414/Riverside/reviews/) Starting Price $121.38 Per Feature Starting Price Contact vendor Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.1 (106) Ease Of Use 4.7 (464) Value For Money 4.3 (96) Value For Money 4.7 (329) Customer Service 4.0 (82) Customer Service 4.5 (236) ## Cubase alternatives [4.7 (86)](https://www.capterra.com/p/216442/ReMasterMedia/reviews/) Starting price $6.50 Per User, Per Month [Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/p/214605/Audacity/) [4.5 (464)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214605/Audacity/reviews/) Starting price Contact vendor for pricing [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/214605/Audacity/) Highest Rated [Logic Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/) [4.8 (149)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/reviews/) Starting price $199.99 Per User, Per Month [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/) [Adobe Audition](https://www.capterra.com/p/214606/Adobe-Audition/) [4.6 (241)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214606/Adobe-Audition/reviews/) Starting price $33.99 Per User, Per Month [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/214606/Adobe-Audition/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/alternatives/) ## Who uses Cubase? Based on Capterra reviews from the past 6 years ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Audio Editor 4.6 (68) 73.53% of 68 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Cubase offers versatile editing tools for cutting, rearranging, and enhancing audio. Some reviewers find the editor precise and easy to use, with effective noise removal and non-destructive editing, though a few mention the interface could be less cluttered. Audio Recording 4.6 (67) 68.66% of 67 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With Cubase, you can easily record audio from microphones or instruments, set input sources, and monitor recordings. Users think the interface is intuitive, hardware integration is reliable, and low-latency recording is smooth, though a few mention occasional setup delays. Audio Mixing 4.7 (62) 70.97% of 62 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Cubase gives you a comprehensive mixing environment with intuitive controls for levels, panning, and effects. Reviewers appreciate its high-quality built-in plugins, smooth workflow, and compatibility with real mixing consoles, though some say advanced mixing may require external software. Plug-in Integration 4.4 (60) 70.00% of 60 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Cubase lets you install and use a wide range of VST3 and VST2 plugins, including Waves and Omnisphere. Reviewers indicate integration is seamless for well-known plugins, sound libraries work flawlessly, and adding plugins is easy, but lower-end plugins may impact performance. Audio Manipulation 4.3 (61) 65.57% of 61 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Edit audio tracks with effects, filters, modulation techniques, etc. Audio Capture 4.6 (55) 65.45% of 55 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Record audio or import/upload audio files Cubase 27 features Record audio or import/upload audio files Cubase offers versatile editing tools for cutting, rearranging, and enhancing audio. Some reviewers find the editor precise and easy to use, with effective noise removal and non-destructive editing, though a few mention the interface could be less cluttered. Edit audio tracks with effects, filters, modulation techniques, etc. Cubase gives you a comprehensive mixing environment with intuitive controls for levels, panning, and effects. Reviewers appreciate its high-quality built-in plugins, smooth workflow, and compatibility with real mixing consoles, though some say advanced mixing may require external software. With Cubase, you can easily record audio from microphones or instruments, set input sources, and monitor recordings. Users think the interface is intuitive, hardware integration is reliable, and low-latency recording is smooth, though a few mention occasional setup delays. Provides a channel for team members to share media files, communicate, and work together Reduction in the number of bits needed to represent data Configure existing workflows to meet your organization's needs Import and export data to and from software applications Create, save, and store files Store & track information about musical or laboratory instruments including their calibration history, certificates, images, and more Transfer recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device or third-party website Collection of images, videos and other digital content that can be used Observe and track the demand, usage, progress or quality of a system, product, or user Supports various file formats Ability to handle several projects simultaneously Cubase lets you install and use a wide range of VST3 and VST2 plugins, including Waves and Omnisphere. Reviewers indicate integration is seamless for well-known plugins, sound libraries work flawlessly, and adding plugins is easy, but lower-end plugins may impact performance. Plan and coordinate all the resources, costs and time needed to execute assignments Monitor the progress of projects from start to finish Create, manage, or update project workflows. Estimate or forecast of a future scenario based on the study of present trends Music notation tool for creating and editing sheet music. Manage user accounts, profiles, roles, permissions, and other details across applications, devices or networks Create professional looking videos by manipulating video footage with filters, special effects, trimming, filters and transitions Store and manage online video content Supports various video file formats Create, design and manage workflows for repetitive tasks Features 4.5 (106) 4.5 Based on 106 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.3 (96) Basic $121.38 Per Feature, Value for money 4.3 (96) 4.3 Based on 96 reviews ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.0 (82) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.0 (82) 4.0 Based on 82 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.6 Based on 106 reviews Filter by rating 5(74) 4(27) 3(4) 2(1) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent SS Sylvain S. CEO Music ### "Un DAW complet et professionnel pour tous projets musicaux" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 October 19, 2025 Mon expérience avec Cubase est très positive. C’est un outil complet et professionnel qui permet de réaliser des projets musicaux de manière efficace et créative. Je le recommande à tous les musiciens et producteurs qui veulent un DAW fiable et puissant. Pros J’apprécie la richesse des fonctionnalités : instruments virtuels, effets, édition audio et MIDI très précise. L’interface est claire Cons Le prix peut être élevé pour certains utilisateurs, et la courbe d’apprentissage est un peu longue pour maîtriser toutes les fonctionnalités avancées. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Armin E. Musician Music ### "A powerful, practical, yet very simple software with a friendly and comfortable interface." 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 8, 2025 My experience in my work is clear. I've been working with Cubase for nearly 15 years, and I've recorded, mixed, mastered, and released over 40 music tracks using this software. Pros As a composer who's worked with all sorts of music recording software for the past 15 years, I can confidently say that Cubase is one of the most efficient, simplest, yet powerful, and by far the most flexible music recording software out there. The music I create isn't very complex; some of my pieces are made with twelve or thirteen layers. But for me, someone who makes simple music, it's really important that the software environment is straightforward and understandable. I avoid unnecessarily complicated software and view any exaggerated attempts to make tools seem more important with suspicion. In my opinion, Cubase makes it easy to move and mix the different layers I've recorded, including guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, and vocals. It lets me easily adjust their volumes, maintain balance, and generally gives me a clear overall picture of the software. Cons There's nothing I dislike about this software. I think they could strengthen their plugin support, but it's excellent as is. Switched from [FL Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/214598/FL-Studio/) I thought the previous software's interface was very complex and difficult. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. TB Travis B. Solutions Engineer Telecommunications ### "Studio production at its finest! " 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 June 17, 2025 It's a great product that I would recommend to anyone looking to get into music production. The features and plugins are limitless! Pros There are so many features and plugins available, even someone like myself can put together professional sounding tracks Cons The program is so massive, it requires a lot of reading to master. I've had the product for years and still barely scraped the surface on what it can really do. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SK Sean K. Technician Computer Hardware ### "Good, but better options out there now" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 June 2, 2025 Cubase is good, I will use it, for my projects created in them years back, but for newer projects, I tend to use Studio One or Logic Pro now. Pros Cubase has always had a familiar workflow since I started using it in 1997, so it will always have an easy to use feel for me. Cons The newer versions of Cubase have kind of lost their way a bit with competitors, such as Studio One. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. SB Simone B. Priest Religious Institutions ### "First CUBE Love" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 February 20, 2025 I started my first music works with CUBASE at the time was the 5 version and was just awesome. After a while I realized I can do better integrating that software with other VST-2 plugins as Ampire (for I started as a guitar player at that time) Pros The capacity to do something unique and special as the pitch shifting and loop working better than other DAW Cons The main view that is not truly engaging and simple as in other DAW Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. XS Xolani Simphiwe Z. Music Producer Entertainment ### "Cubase - The King of Vocals" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 20, 2024 Great software, especially Cubase 5, it is the best when rewired. Pros Recording voices and mastering a song feels great on good monitors. Cons It's a mission and a half to program a beat there... Switched from [FL Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/214598/FL-Studio/) Quality of the sound and the twicking of sound. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. TO Trevor O. Composer Producer Engineer Music ### "Best value for a Pro Result" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 October 24, 2024 I’ve been using Cubase since version 4 and have continues to upgrade every couple of years. Pros Cost to performance ratio by the far the most competitive. You can spend more but you wouldn’t end up with better end result. Cons They change around some of the ‘quick keys’ from one version to the next. Requires a little relearning. Alternatives considered [Live](https://www.capterra.com/p/186429/Live/) [Logic Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/) Reasons for choosing Cubase Cost as well as previous experience with Cubase. Cubans has always delivered so there’s been no need to change. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Daria J. Marketing Associate Marketing and Advertising ### "Promising at first, but couldn't keep up with the competition." 3.0 Overall Rating 3.0 3.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 4/10 August 29, 2024 Primarily a solid DAW for beginners at a reasonable price. However, if you're transitioning from basic production to professional studio work and live performances, you may encounter some features that don't function as expected. Pros The pricing, nice MIDI editor, note expression and expression maps Cons It crashes often Interface is too chaotic for me Can't zoom with trackpad on my laptop Sampler is very limited in terms of options for sound design Lack of automation for most parameters Not really good live performances compared to other competitors Doesn't recognize Audio interface and microphone Not too many instruments to choose from as well as Reverbs are not great Switched from [Pro Tools](https://www.capterra.com/p/214607/Pro-Tools/) Price and amount of options available in home studio recording environment Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. LB Lucky B. Music producer Media Production ### "Cubase best music production" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 22, 2024 Cubase is one the topping digital audio workstation for both professional,beginners,composers, producers I love cubase Pros Cubase is easy to navigate and operate it's not difficult to use like other programs Cons A new version of cubase can be a little confusing if you are used to the old ones Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. PS Priensly S. Producer and musician Music ### "Best recording audio additing app" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 22, 2024 All in all I feel like everyone who is in the sound engineering industry should be familiar with cubase for is the best in the world Pros Cubase is the best software to use terms of audio additing and recording Cons I did not like making instrumentals in cubase it was very difficult even though the sound is high quality. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/reviews/) Popular comparisons [Audacity vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-214605/Cubase-vs-Audacity)[Logic Pro vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214597-214601/Logic-Pro-vs-Cubase)[Adobe Audition vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-214606/Cubase-vs-Adobe-Audition)[Adobe Premiere Pro vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-233456/Cubase-vs-Adobe-Premiere-Pro)[Pro Tools vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-214607/Cubase-vs-Pro-Tools)[Live vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/186429-214601/Live-vs-Cubase)[Studio One vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214600-214601/Studio-One-vs-Cubase) [FL Studio vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214598-214601/FL-Studio-vs-Cubase)[REAPER vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-214602/Cubase-vs-Reaper)[Adobe Creative Cloud vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/48969-214601/Adobe-Creative-Cloud-vs-Cubase)[VEGAS Pro vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/196011-214601/VEGAS-Pro-vs-Cubase)[Descript vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-230702/Cubase-vs-Descript)[BandLab vs Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-10004016/Cubase-vs-BandLab)  Independent research methodology Capterra's researchers use a mix of verified reviews, independent research and objective methodologies to bring you selection and ranking information you can trust. While we may earn a referral fee when you visit a provider through our links or speak to an advisor, this has no influence on our research or methodology. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/proprietary-data-research/) How Capterra verifies reviews Capterra carefully verified over 2.5 million+ reviews to bring you authentic software experiences from real users. Our human moderators verify that reviewers are real people and that reviews are authentic. They use leading tech to analyze text quality and to detect plagiarism and generative AI. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-verify-reviews/) How Capterra ensures transparency Capterra lists all providers across its website—not just those that pay us—so that users can make informed purchase decisions. Capterra is free for users. Software providers pay us for sponsored profiles to receive web traffic and sales opportunities. Sponsored profiles include a link-out icon that takes users to the provider's website. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/)