iZotope RX vs Waves Restoration

iZotope RX9.4Visit Waves Restoration8.3Visit

Higher score iZotope RX #1 in Audio Restoration Software 9.4/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 6 features Visit iZotope RX

vs

Waves Restoration #3 in Audio Restoration Software 8.3/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 6 features Visit Waves

• iZotope RX fits best

  Professional editors needing a mature restoration suite

• Waves Restoration fits best

  Plugin users needing basic noise and artifact removal

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Side by side

Feature	iZotope RX 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Waves Restoration 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.3
Ranking	#1 in Audio Restoration Software	#3 in Audio Restoration Software
Best for	Professional editors needing a mature restoration suite	Plugin users needing basic noise and artifact removal
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	$99 one-time	—
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS
Features iZotope RX 0/6 · Waves Restoration 3/6
Noise reduction	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Click and crackle removal	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Hum removal	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Declip repair	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Spectral repair	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Batch processing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Workflow format	Not checked yet	Plugin
Our review
Pros	Standalone spectral editor plus extensive restoration tools Integrates with major DAWs and video editors Perpetual tiers offer progressively deeper repair capabilities	Covers noise, hum, clicks, crackle, DC offset, and rumble Learn modes, spectral displays, meters, and removed-audio monitoring Supports mono and stereo processing on Windows and macOS
Cons	No free plan is available Standard costs $399 one-time and Advanced costs $1,399 Features and module availability vary by edition	No verified declipping or spectral repair tools No batch-processing capability is specified Available as a paid bundle without a free plan
Our verdict	iZotope RX is an audio repair and restoration suite for music producers, dialogue editors, re-recording mixers, broadcasters, and audio post-production teams. It combines a standalone spectral audio editor with plugin versions for DAWs and… Read the review →	Waves Restoration is a five-plug-in audio restoration bundle for repairing damaged recordings and reducing common audio artifacts. It is aimed at users working with old vinyl and shellac discs, archives, film and television soundtracks,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• iZotope RX — where it wins

  • Standalone spectral editor plus extensive restoration tools
  • Integrates with major DAWs and video editors
  • Perpetual tiers offer progressively deeper repair capabilities

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Standard costs $399 one-time and Advanced costs $1,399
  • Features and module availability vary by edition

• Waves Restoration — where it wins

  • Covers noise, hum, clicks, crackle, DC offset, and rumble
  • Learn modes, spectral displays, meters, and removed-audio monitoring
  • Supports mono and stereo processing on Windows and macOS

  Where it doesn't

  • No verified declipping or spectral repair tools
  • No batch-processing capability is specified
  • Available as a paid bundle without a free plan

• iZotope RX9.4/10 · Paid

  A mature restoration suite with broad repair tools, DAW integrations, and costly higher tiers.

  Visit iZotope RXFull verdict →
• Waves Restoration8.3/10 · Paid

  A focused restoration bundle for basic noise, hum, click, and crackle removal.

  Visit WavesFull verdict →