12 Audacity Alternatives for Mac, Windows, Android, and More

Audacity is a powerful audio editor that suits a wide range of people, from YouTubers to podcasters to audiobook creators and many more. It helps them record and edit multitrack audio on most of the popular operating systems. It’s completely free, but it trumps a lot of paid tools. However, it is not the best audio editor. There are other audio editing tools with features and interfaces that are better and more convenient to use, depending on the tasks you handle.

To help you find a suitable Audacity alternative quickly, I made this list for you.

What Does Audacity Offer?

For a free tool, Audacity is excellent. It’s also open source. But as with several open-source software applications, it’s plagued with obstacles such as bugs, limited features, and no direct support. It’s a good solution for amateur creators on a tight budget.

Pros

• Completely free to use.
• Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• Simple and doesn’t require much of a learning curve.
• Convenient to execute simple tasks such as trimming, splitting, fade-ins, fade-outs, and joining.
• Good audio analysis features.
• Plugins to improve functionalities.

Limitations

• It’s not a full-fledged DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). You can only use it for simple tasks.
• Support only available via Wiki, FAQ, documentation, and forum. There’s no email, social media, or phone support.
• Several bugs affect workflow and productivity.

Best Suited for: Creators and solopreneurs who want a free audio editing tool.

Pricing: Free.

12 Audacity Alternatives You Must Try

Here’s a list of the best Audacity alternatives, along with a quick overview, to help you pick the ideal solution.

1. BounceCast 

Source: BounceCast

Are you a podcaster or video creator who wants to improve audio quality? Then BounceCast is the best tool for you. It’s a freemium audio recording and editing app with AI features that speed video editing.

Pros

• Record podcasts and video audio on mobile devices and desktops.
• Preview audio and trim it.
• Conducts automatic data-driven analysis and applies resonance and EQ control to boost clarity.
• Automate removal of unwanted disturbances such as clicks, pops, and hums.

Limitations

• It’s very simple and lacks the advanced features of a complete audio editor.
• Chiefly meant for podcasters and video content creators.

Best Suited for: Podcasters and entrepreneurs creating video content such as video courses and explainer videos.

Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plan costs $9.99 per month or $99 per year. But you can get the annual plan on AppSumo for just $59.

2. Adobe Audition

If a simple audio editor won’t suffice and you want a powerful DAW for creating professional quality audio, you should get Adobe Audition. It can execute almost all audio editing tasks. But you need to dedicate plenty of time to grasp how to use it.

Pros

• Edits both plain audio and video audio.
• Includes recorder to capture audio content such as podcasts.
• Has a wide array of features and shortcuts to easily apply them.
• 12,000 free sound effects available in the library.
• Works well with other Adobe tools such as Premiere Pro, Premier Rush, After Effects, Animate, Stock, and Spark.

Limitations

• Requires a big learning curve.
• It’s expensive. Not only do you need to purchase the app, but also a powerful computer to ensure the software functions fast. It requires a lot of bandwidth.
• To access all the other Adobe tools, you will need to pay more.

Best Suited for: Podcasters, video creators, audio editors, and existing Creative Cloud users.

Pricing: Seven-day free trial available. Costs $31.49 per month or $239.88 per year. To access it, along with the other apps, you can subscribe to Creative Cloud. It costs $79.49 per month or $599.88 per year.

3. WavePad

WavePad, from NCH Software, is a freemium video editor with affordable paid options. You will like it if you want a premium tool for making simple edits.

Pros

• Offers a free plan and affordable paid plans.
• Split, cut, copy, trim and join audio files.
• Apply effects such as normalize, reverb, envelope and echo to enhance videos.
• Supports numerous formats such as WAV, MP3, VOX, FLAC, and AMR.
• Royalty-free music clips and sound effects available in the library.
• Works on Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone, and Chromebook.

Limitations

• A simple tool.
• There’s no multitrack editing, but NCH’s MixPad does offer this (and is available at a discount if you purchase both products).

Best Suited for: Solopreneurs and amateur editors who want premium yet affordable audio editing software.

Pricing: Free plan available. $3.88 per month. Standard Edition license costs $60 and Masters Edition costs $99. You can bundle it with other software such as MixPad and VideoPad at a discounted rate.

4. Ableton Live 

Are you creating music? Do you find that most of the audio editing tools don’t match your requirements? Then you should check out Ableton Live. You can not only record and edit audio with it but also create it.

Pros

• Instruments, effects, and sounds help create any kind of music.
• Software instruments include DrumSynths, Drum Rack, Collision, Base, and Poli.
• You can edit the music you create with the software or record or import music.
• Has a lot of features, but the interface is easy to navigate.
• Ableton also offers hardware that integrates well with Live.

Limitations

• Starting price is affordable, but to get the most features, you need expensive Standard or Suite editions.
• Heavy-duty software that requires a top-performing computer.

Best Suited for: Musicians, DJs, and music editors.

Pricing: 90-day free trial available. Intro, Standard, and Suite editions cost $99, $449, and $749. Packs, which are downloadable effects, instruments, and sounds, cost extra. There are also some free packs.

5. Apple Logic Pro

If you’ve ever been through a MacBook checkout process, you might have noticed that Apple tries to upsell you with software offers. One such application is Logic Pro, for recording and editing audio.

Pros

• Includes software instruments for recording music. You will need a MIDI controller, such as a USB keyboard.
• Record instruments, vocals, and other sounds with a microphone.
• Live loops make creating and arranging music easier.
• Control Logic Pro on your Mac with iPhone or iPad; akin to a remote control.
• Plugins and sounds help enhance videos.

Limitations

• Only works on the MacBook.
• You can control Logic Pro on your Mac, with iPhone and iPad, but you can’t directly use it on the devices.

Best Suited for: Mac users.

Pricing: 90-day free trial available. Costs $199.99.

6. GarageBand

GarageBand is a free alternative to Logic Pro, and is also from Apple. It’s an excellent solution for creating and editing music.

Pros

• Works on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
• Record, create, edit, and share music with one tool.
• Equipped with a sound library that has presets for voice and instruments.
• Very easy-to-use editor.
• iCloud makes it easy to move recordings and edit them across multiple devices.

Limitations

• Not as advanced as premium audio editors like Logic Pro.

Best Suited for: Amateur musicians and editors using Apple products like Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Pricing: Free

7. Auphonic

Are you a Windows or Android user? Do Logic Pro and GarageBand make you feel left out? Then you must check out Auphonic. It works on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. It’s perfect for editing content such as podcasts, radio shows, and screencasts.

Pros

• Intelligent leveler helps balance levels.
• Automatically filters and reduces hums, noises, and unwanted low frequencies.
• Can recognize speech in many languages.
• Has a transcript editor, where the names of speakers appear.
• Easily import your audio to YouTube, Facebook, SoundCloud, Podlove, and several others.

Limitations

• It’s not an advanced audio editor. Mainly meant for making simple edits to audio content such as podcasts.

Best Suited for: Editing audio for podcasts, broadcasts, radio shows, and screencasts.

Pricing: You can process up to 2 hours of audio with the free plan. You can purchase credits starting at $12 for 5 hours. It’s cheaper when you purchase more hours. You can also buy recurring credits starting at $11 per month for 9 hours. They refresh every month.

8. Studio One

Studio One is a pretty advanced DAW. Using this one tool, you can record, mix, master, and produce your audio.

Pros

• It has a generous free plan, and paid versions start at affordable rates.
• Drag-and-drop workflow makes it easy to execute editing tasks.
• Includes instrument software, audio loops, and presets to create and edit audio quickly.

Limitations

• Too many features. Requires a steep learning curve.
• User interface can seem crowded.

Best Suited for: Artists and editors who want to make advanced edits.

Pricing: Free plan available. Costs $99.95 and $399.95.

9. Pro Tools 

Pro Tools is a powerful audio editor for recording, mixing, and editing audio. It’s ideal for making music.

Pros

• Multitrack editor for creating clean and clear music.
• Cloud collaboration makes it easy for bandmates, musicians, and producers to team up.
• Includes 768 voices and audio tracks for enhancing audio.
• Plugins help simplify audio editing.
• Templates can also help simplify editing. You can use the ones offered by it or create your own.

Limitations

• Very advanced. Will take you months to master.
• It’s a little expensive.
• You have to pay extra for some plugins.

Best Suited for: Musicians, music editors, and producers.

Pricing: Free version available. Costs $34.99 per month or $299 per year. There’s a Pro Tools Ultimate version that costs $89.99 per month or $799 per year. Add-ons and plugins cost extra, but some plugins are free. Generous discounts are available for students and teachers.

10. AVS Audio Editor 

AVS Audio Editor is an editor for Windows. It’s a simple software you can use to edit various kinds of audio.

Pros

• Record audio with the microphone, vinyl records, or other input lines.
• Export audio from video files.
• Text to speech feature converts written text into voice.
• Edits MP3, WMA, FLAC, and various other formats.
• Includes 20 built-in effects and filters.
• Quickly remove noises and other annoying sounds.

Limitations

• Can’t make very advanced edits.
• Voice logo applied to files made with unactivated/free version.
• Only available as part of a software bundle.
• You can activate a license on one computer only. If you buy a new computer, you can’t activate the same license again but must buy a new one.

Best Suited for: People looking for straightforward software to edit various kinds of audio.

Pricing: Free plan available. $69 per year or $199 for life. This license provides access to AVS Audio Editor and four other tools.

11. Sound Forge Audio Studio

Sound Forge Audio Studio is professional and affordable audio editing software. It’s a complete tool for editing various kinds of audio.

Pros

• Record audio, or import it.
• Digitize old vinyl and tapes into audio files.
• Restoration and mastering tools help produce professional and clean audio.
• Simple workflow makes it easy to move, cut, and edit files with a few clicks.
• Instant action window to quickly execute frequently used functions.
• Audio visualization tools for analyzing sounds.

Limitations

• Takes time to open and save large files.
• Requires a good computer to run without crashing.
• Can take you a while to master it.

Best Suited for: Artists, producers, podcasters, audiobook creators, and engineers in the audio editing sector.

Pricing: Free trial available. Costs $59.99 or $4.99 per month.

12. FL Studio

FL Studio is a popular audio editor. It’s a tremendous first DAW for musicians and music editors as it’s beginner friendly.

Pros

• You can either record audio or make it with software instruments and sounds.
• Effects help enhance existing sounds.
• Samples, loops, and presets quicken audio creation and editing.
• Works on Windows and Mac. Mobile versions are available for Android, iOS, and Windows.

Limitations

• It’s easy to get started with, but understanding advanced editing features requires a learning curve.
• User interface is a bit cluttered.

Best Suited for: Musicians looking for an affordable and beginner-friendly DAW.

Pricing: Free trial available. Licenses cost $99, $199, $299 and $499. Plugins, FLEX Packs, Presets, and Samples cost extra.

Which Audacity Alternative is Your Favorite?

Audacity is an easy-to-use editor for people just starting out. Plus, it is free and open source. But as with many free tools, it is limited in features and direct support. Also, it is a more general audio editor. But fortunately, there are several premium audio editors that specialize in editing specific types of audio content such as music, podcasts, and video audio.

If you’re looking for an upgrade to create high-quality audio quickly, you should consider one or a few of the above-listed Audacity alternatives. Many of them have free plans and trials. But it’s best to get a paid plan after you try them out and find one you like.

If you want premium audio and video editing tools at a fraction of the price, you should check out the AppSumo store as we have lifetime and annual deals for some of the top tools. One of them is Notetracks Pro. It helps audio and video content creators collaborate on audio and video projects in real-time.