# Audacity Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Audacity Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other Audio Editing products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/214605/Audacity --- # Audacity Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on April 23, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. 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. 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[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/resources/how-we-ensure-transparency/) [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Audacity ## What is Audacity? Audacity is an easy-to-use, open-source multi-track audio editor that is used to record and edit audio. ## What is Audacity used for? [Audio Editing](https://www.capterra.com/audio-editing-software/) Overall rating Based on 465 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 90% Neutral 8% Negative 2% Pros & cons Versatile audio editing features Completely free audio solution Outdated and confusing interface Contact vendor for pricing Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products...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 Audacity?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.audacityteam.org/&name=Audacity) ## 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. ### Audacity 4.5 (465) VS. [### Logic Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/) [4.8 (149)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214597/Logic-Pro/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Starting Price $199.99 Per Feature Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.3 (465) Ease Of Use 4.4 (149) Value For Money 4.8 (330) Value For Money 4.5 (129) Customer Service 4.1 (237) Customer Service 4.3 (102) ## Audacity alternatives [Adobe Audition](https://www.capterra.com/p/214606/Adobe-Audition/) [4.7 (244)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214606/Adobe-Audition/reviews/) Starting price $33.99 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 94% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/214606/Adobe-Audition/) [Adobe Premiere Pro](https://www.capterra.com/p/233456/Adobe-Premiere-Pro/) [4.7 (566)](https://www.capterra.com/p/233456/Adobe-Premiere-Pro/reviews/) Starting price $20.99 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/233456/Adobe-Premiere-Pro/) [Pro Tools](https://www.capterra.com/p/214607/Pro-Tools/) [4.7 (92)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214607/Pro-Tools/reviews/) Starting price $34.99 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 96% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/214607/Pro-Tools/) [Cubase](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/) [4.6 (106)](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/reviews/) Starting price $121.38 Per User, Per Month Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version User Rating 95% of reviewers rated it above 4 stars [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/214601/Cubase/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/214605/Audacity/alternatives/) ## Who uses Audacity? Based on Capterra reviews from the past 3 years ## Pros and Cons Versatile audio editing features 93% positive reviews out of 254 Most reviewers indicate audio editing is robust, offering a wide range of tools for recording, cutting, enhancing, and exporting audio, suitable for both beginners and advanced users across various formats. Armando R Graphic desing, 1 employee. "It is a very useful and popular tool for audio editing, especially in the field of music production and podcast creation." Outdated and confusing interface 44% negative reviews out of 101 Some reviewers describe user interface as old-fashioned, cluttered, and difficult for newcomers to navigate, making initial use less intuitive and visually unappealing. Rilwan B Product Designer, 11 - 50 employees. "The interface of the software feels a bit outdated and it can be hard to navigate sometimes, especially for a new user." Completely free audio solution 94% positive reviews out of 80 Most reviewers describe pricing as a major advantage, highlighting Audacity’s full functionality at no cost, making it accessible for budget-conscious users and students without sacrificing essential features. Community-driven open source platform 93% positive reviews out of 27 Most reviewers appreciate open source status, noting frequent updates, cross-platform compatibility, and a supportive community that continually improves the software without subscription fees. Durgesh K Founder and President , 1 employee. "Audacity is a free open source pro tool which provides all of the functionality that is present in a paid pro tool." ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Audio Editor 4.6 (265) 71.32% of 265 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Audacity provides robust editing tools, letting you cut, trim, add effects, and clean up audio. Reviewers indicate it's versatile for both beginners and professionals, with advanced options like spectral editing, though some mention a learning curve for new users. Audio Mixing 4.4 (216) 65.28% of 216 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important This capability allows you to mix multiple tracks, adjust levels, and add effects like reverb and fade. Some reviewers find the process intuitive and helpful for layering audio, while others note it's less advanced than dedicated mixing software but sufficient for most needs. Audio Capture 4.5 (204) 67.16% of 204 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Audacity offers flexible audio capture from microphones, line inputs, and computer audio. Users think it's easy to set up and delivers high sound quality, though some mention occasional noise issues and the need for extra tools like Soundflower on some systems. Media Library 4.1 (135) 51.85% of 135 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Audacity helps you organize and access your audio files for editing, though users say it lacks a built-in media library with samples or sounds. Some appreciate the ability to manage files and plugins, but others wish for more integrated library options. Data Import/Export 4.6 (125) 69.60% of 125 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With Audacity, you can easily import and export a wide range of audio formats, including MP3, WAV, and OGG. Reviewers appreciate the simple drag-and-drop process, batch exporting, and the absence of paywalls, though some mention reliance on external tools for certain formats. Instrument Management 4.0 (126) 50.00% of 126 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Store & track information about musical or laboratory instruments including their calibration history, certificates, images, and more Audacity 21 features Audacity offers flexible audio capture from microphones, line inputs, and computer audio. Users think it's easy to set up and delivers high sound quality, though some mention occasional noise issues and the need for extra tools like Soundflower on some systems. Audacity provides robust editing tools, letting you cut, trim, add effects, and clean up audio. Reviewers indicate it's versatile for both beginners and professionals, with advanced options like spectral editing, though some mention a learning curve for new users. Edit audio tracks with effects, filters, modulation techniques, etc. This capability allows you to mix multiple tracks, adjust levels, and add effects like reverb and fade. Some reviewers find the process intuitive and helpful for layering audio, while others note it's less advanced than dedicated mixing software but sufficient for most needs. Record and edit recorded audio and/or video Software's ability to perform similar action on multiple similar files simultaneously Configure existing workflows to meet your organization's needs Centralized repository to store content and assets With Audacity, you can easily import and export a wide range of audio formats, including MP3, WAV, and OGG. Reviewers appreciate the simple drag-and-drop process, batch exporting, and the absence of paywalls, though some mention reliance on external tools for certain formats. Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components Store & track information about musical or laboratory instruments including their calibration history, certificates, images, and more Allow the audience to interact or engage with the content Identify and respond to unexpected problems or failures (ie. "negative events") Audacity helps you organize and access your audio files for editing, though users say it lacks a built-in media library with samples or sounds. Some appreciate the ability to manage files and plugins, but others wish for more integrated library options. Includes a variety of messaging formats including industry-specific (EDIFACT, HL7, X12) Record the audio of phone conversations for quality assurance purposes Preview materials before finalizing projects 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. Manage user accounts, profiles, roles, permissions, and other details across applications, devices or networks Features 4.4 (465) 4.4 Based on 465 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.8 (330) ### Starting price Contact vendor for pricing Free trial available Value for money 4.8 (330) 4.8 Based on 330 reviews ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.1 (237) 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 4.1 (237) 4.1 Based on 237 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.5 Based on 465 reviews Filter by rating 5(290) 4(129) 3(39) 2(7) 1(0) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent AH Anne H. Senior Learning Designer and Developer Insurance ### "Audacity - Free High Quality Audio Editing Tool" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 April 23, 2026 It creates high quality audio. It is easy to edit and costs way less than its competitors. It has a good variety of audio tools to enhance your audio. Pros Audacity is affordable and provides great value for free. The audio editing tools are incredible and produce high quality, professional recordings. Cons It took a few minutes to find the tool and download it, but once it was installed it was pretty straight forward. 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. RD Ruth D. Designer Publishing ### "Record yourself or convert audio with the best! " 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 March 22, 2026 I have used Audacity for many years to record/narrate audio and convert from wav to mp3. It is easy to trim audio from different clips to put together. It’s great to use! Pros Great tool for recording audio for promotion, commercials and audiobooks. Easy to use and is updated frequently with new features. Cons Sometimes the settings aren’t set for the best sound and should have more tutorials available to use. 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. AU Anonymous User Voice Actor Motion Pictures and Film ### "Great lightweight choice for sound editing." 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 March 14, 2026 Never had any issues installing Audacity or running it, be it on an old laptop or a brand-new PC. It just works. Pros I really appreciate how lightweight Audacity is. You don't get bogged down with needless updates every time you launch. The interface is clean and intuitive, and it has a suite useful of features. Cons There's honestly not much to dislike about Audacity for basic sound editing and design. I've used it for years. 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. CG Carly G. Curriculum designer and trainer Food & Beverages ### "Free quick and simple audio editing tool" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 December 5, 2025 Overall my experience with audacity is quite positive because what I needed was just a simple, basic, straightforward, audio, editing, tool that also allowed me to record. It didn’t have all extra knickknacks and bells and whistles, but it’s a powerful audio editing software that I recommend other people who are looking for something simple. Pros I used audacity as a free tool for editing and creating audio. It’s an amazing free tool that allows you to do the basics of audio editing and recording. What I like is it does allow you to pinpoint exactly where you want to edit certain things without having to constantly stop and play to find where you want to edit. It was also really easy to install and quickly edit what I needed. Cons It is just a basic editing software so the features are quite simple and straightforward which some people may not like because they want some more editing features. So if you’re looking for something basic to edit, audio, audacity is for you. But if you are looking for something with a lot more flair to it, then audacity wouldn’t be your choice. 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. Shaun D. Producer Entertainment ### "A Solid Piece of Free Audio Editing Software" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 2.0 2.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 11, 2025 I have been using Audacity for 15 years to produce the same podcast. For what I need, Audacity is virtually flawless (especially once you dial in the settings for built-in effects). In the last few years, it has offered a robust list of audio processing effects, which has reduced my reliance on third party plugins or third party software/apps. Overall, I have found Audacity reliable and powerful enough for my needs such that I'm unlikely to switch to an alternative platform. Pros 1) It is robust and, once you know how to use it, relatively easy to use, especially if your needs involve small, audio-focused projects like multi-track podcasts, etc. In my case, I use it to process multiple tracks of audio for a commentary podcast in both audio and video format. At this stage in development, Audacity does basically everything I need it to do. 2) The interface is fairly simple and intuitive, and hotkeys are easy to learn. This all makes learning the platform and editing audio a breeze once you know what you're doing. 3) The latest editions of Audacity have moved to a format with fewer individual files, which makes it easier for managing backups. I personally value this because the old format was rather cumbersome. 4) It works with multiple audio formats, stereo and mono tracks, etc. If, like me, you sometimes get audio tracks in a variety of formats because the people you record with aren't necessarily using the same software, this saves a lot of time should I need to convert formats to mp3 or wav. Cons 1) While I have no personally experienced, many of my colleagues in the Apple ecosystem have run into periodic trouble with recording reliably. Occasionally, the solution involves reverting to an older edition, which isn't that big of a deal. Other times, however, it simply won't work. This leads to 2. 2) Since it is primarily free software, support is primarily community based. The community is great, but it has all the weaknesses of any support system reliant on individuals volunteering their time. There is SOME help documentation, but I found that I rely more on 3rd party tutorials than within the existing help documentation (which is sometimes out of date) or Audacity-focused forums. In the grand scheme, I see this as a "you get what you pay for" thing. 3) I've found it unreliable for recording multiple tracks via digital tools such as Skype, Discord, etc. We've found workarounds for this, so I don't see it as a major problem, but it may be a deal breaker for others looking to use Audacity as their primary recording software. 4) If you don't know much about audio editing, the learning curve is a tad steep. However, there are plenty of online tutorials by other users to help work through this. I'm not sure the developers can fix this issue, though. If you're doing the kind of work Audacity is good for, you just have to work through the initial learning curve to get the desired results. 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. PR Peter R. Program Director Hospitality ### "Best value audio tools" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 July 2, 2025 Pros Audacity is such a powerful tool for the price! it has a toolset that is more than capable for most amateur audio editing. Cons The vocal isolation tools are limited, and there is no included media library. The interface is maybe a little plain looking. 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 ### "Audactity is free?! Awesome! " 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 June 17, 2025 I would say I use Audacity 2-3 times a week and for what I use it for, it makes my tasks easy and quick. Great product! Pros The fact that Audacity is still a freeware is crazy to me. There are so many features and functions that can only be found in paid versions of software. Cons Sometimes, editing can be a bit tricky if you are not familiar with music editing software. For the most part, everything is laid out nicely and labeled to make finding effects pretty straight forward. 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. AB Angela B. Voice Actor E-Learning ### "Its OK but I DON'T Recommend" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 0/10 June 10, 2025 It is great if you can not afford to purchase other software. It is a good DAW when it works properly. Pros It is free and it works, most of the time. The audio is professional quality. The tools are much more basic than other paid programs making it easier to learn. Cons The bugs were a frequent issue. This caused reliability issues when planning to record while working with others under time crunches. 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. Steven Craig W. Boss Computer Software ### "Audacity Of The Audacious Music Makers!" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 May 28, 2025 Using audacity I can isolate vocals and music and separate them which is useful for two things: Extracting vocals only, or creating instrumentals. Pretty neat! Pros This is the best music editing program I've ever used to transform my beats easier with uploading the beats .mp3 file into audacity and mastering there! Cons Audacity can only record locally. You cannot record audio remotely using it, which means you'll need a separate tool like Riverside or Squadcast for remote recording if you need that functionality. 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. TD Thia D. Customer Represantative Insurance ### "For begginners" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 8/10 April 8, 2025 My experience was good not much mental work. Pros That it is easy to to use and user friendly and it is free. Cons It is limited in features and it is not the best for someone who wants to edit something professionally 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. [View all Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/214605/Audacity/reviews/) Popular comparisons [Logic Pro vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214597-214605/Logic-Pro-vs-Audacity)[Adobe Audition vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-214606/Audacity-vs-Adobe-Audition)[Adobe Premiere Pro vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-233456/Audacity-vs-Adobe-Premiere-Pro)[Pro Tools vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-214607/Audacity-vs-Pro-Tools)[Cubase vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214601-214605/Cubase-vs-Audacity)[Studio One vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214600-214605/Studio-One-vs-Audacity)[Live vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/186429-214605/Live-vs-Audacity)[Riverside vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-10004414/Audacity-vs-Riverside)[SOUND FORGE vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214599-214605/SOUND-FORGE-vs-Audacity) [FL Studio vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214598-214605/FL-Studio-vs-Audacity)[REAPER vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214602-214605/Reaper-vs-Audacity)[ReMasterMedia vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-216442/Audacity-vs-ReMasterMedia)[Adobe Creative Cloud vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/48969-214605/Adobe-Creative-Cloud-vs-Audacity)[WavePad vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-214609/Audacity-vs-WavePad)[VEGAS Pro vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/196011-214605/VEGAS-Pro-vs-Audacity)[Descript vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-230702/Audacity-vs-Descript)[BandLab vs Audacity](https://www.capterra.com/compare/214605-10004016/Audacity-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. 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