Nuendo vs Audacity

Nuendo8.8Visit Audacity8.2Visit

Higher score Nuendo #7 in Audio Editing Software 8.8/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Steinberg

vs

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

• Nuendo fits best

  Film, game, and immersive-audio professionals

• Audacity fits best

  Free cross-platform audio editing

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Nuendo 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Audacity 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.2
Ranking	#7 in Audio Editing Software	#13 in Audio Editing Software
Best for	Film, game, and immersive-audio professionals	Free cross-platform audio editing
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Email, Community, Docs
Integrations	9 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Nuendo 5/6 · Audacity 5/6
Multitrack editing	✓	✓
MIDI sequencing	✓ (best)	—
Third-party plugins	✓	✓
Noise reduction	✓	✓
Video synchronization	✓	✓
Cloud collaboration	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux
Our review
Pros	Dialogue, ADR, Foley, and transcription workflows Dolby Atmos, surround, and Ambisonics support Video, loudness, collaboration, and game-audio tools	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 Professional feature depth may exceed simpler editing needs Built-in cloud project collaboration is not verified	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	Nuendo is a paid digital audio workstation for professional audio post-production, film and television sound, dialogue editing, Foley, ADR, immersive mixing, music production, and game audio. It runs on Windows and macOS and combines… 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

• Nuendo — where it wins

  • Dialogue, ADR, Foley, and transcription workflows
  • Dolby Atmos, surround, and Ambisonics support
  • Video, loudness, collaboration, and game-audio tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan
  • Professional feature depth may exceed simpler editing needs
  • Built-in cloud project collaboration is not verified

• 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

• Nuendo8.8/10 · Paid

  A deep Windows and macOS workstation for post-production, immersive audio, and game sound.

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

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

  Visit AudacityFull verdict →