Ableton Live vs Audacity

Ableton Live9.0Visit Audacity8.2Visit

Higher score Ableton Live #5 in Audio Editing Software 9.0/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Ableton Live

vs

Audacity #13 in Audio Editing Software 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Audacity

• Ableton Live fits best

  Live performers and electronic producers

• Audacity fits best

  Free cross-platform audio editing

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Side by side

Feature	Ableton Live 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Audacity 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.2
Ranking	#5 in Audio Editing Software	#13 in Audio Editing Software
Best for	Live performers and electronic producers	Free cross-platform audio editing
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$31.21/mo	Free
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Tickets, Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Compliance	GDPR	GDPR
Integrations	4 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business
Features Ableton Live 5/6 · Audacity 5/6
Multitrack editing	✓	✓
MIDI sequencing	✓ (best)	—
Third-party plugins	✓	✓
Noise reduction	✓	✓
Video synchronization	✓	✓
Cloud collaboration	—	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Our review
Pros	Combines Session View clips with Arrangement View timeline editing Supports multitrack audio, MIDI, warping, video, and third-party plug-ins Suite includes Max for Live and a complete instrument and effect collection	Free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux Multitrack editing, recording, mixing and built-in restoration effects Supports third-party plugins, cloud projects and local Whisper transcription
Cons	No free plan; access is limited to a 30-day trial Intro limits projects to 16 audio and MIDI tracks Runs only on macOS and Windows	No MIDI sequencing for composing or sequencing instruments No video sync for audiovisual editing workflows Audio.com cloud storage may incur separate charges
Our verdict	Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation for musicians, producers, performers, and sound designers. Its defining structure pairs Session View for clip-based composition and performance with Arrangement View for timeline-based editing.… Read the review →	Audacity is a free, open-source desktop application for recording, editing, mixing and exporting audio. It suits podcasters, musicians, field recorders, educators and other creators who need a capable multitrack editor across Windows,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Ableton Live — where it wins

  • Combines Session View clips with Arrangement View timeline editing
  • Supports multitrack audio, MIDI, warping, video, and third-party plug-ins
  • Suite includes Max for Live and a complete instrument and effect collection

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; access is limited to a 30-day trial
  • Intro limits projects to 16 audio and MIDI tracks
  • Runs only on macOS and Windows

• Audacity — where it wins

  • Free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux
  • Multitrack editing, recording, mixing and built-in restoration effects
  • Supports third-party plugins, cloud projects and local Whisper transcription

  Where it doesn't

  • No MIDI sequencing for composing or sequencing instruments
  • No video sync for audiovisual editing workflows
  • Audio.com cloud storage may incur separate charges

• Ableton Live9.0/10 · 30-day trial

  A deep DAW for performers and producers who need clip-based and timeline workflows.

  Visit Ableton LiveFull verdict →
• Audacity8.2/10 · Free plan

  A capable free editor for multitrack audio, recording, restoration and format conversion.

  Visit AudacityFull verdict →