Praat

Free#25 of 43 in Audio Analysis Software

Praat: Free, open-source desktop software for detailed speech analysis and annotation. Ranked #25 of 43 in Audio Analysis Software by our editors (5.9/10); pricing: Free plan; best for speech researchers analyzing pitch and formants.

5.9/10★★★☆☆Editor score

Visit Praat

Praat5.9 Visit Praat

At a glance

• Editor score
  5.9 / 10
• Pricing
  Free plan
• Best for
  Speech researchers analyzing pitch and formants
• Free plan
  Yes
• Paid from
  Free
• Facts checked
  24 Sep 2026

• Where it wins

  • Analyzes pitch, formants, and intensity in recorded sound
  • Combines waveform and spectrogram displays with sound editing
  • Supports speech annotation, synthesis, and manipulation

• Where it doesn't

  • Desktop-only deployment may not fit browser-based workflows
  • No AI features for buyers seeking AI-assisted analysis
  • Its focus on speech and phonetic research may not suit general audio editing

Our verdict on Praat

Praat is free, open-source desktop software for analyzing and synthesizing speech. Its tools are aimed at researchers, educators, and students working in phonetics and speech research, as well as people studying other sounds. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The combination of sound inspection, measurement, annotation, and manipulation gives speech-focused users a single environment for several kinds of analysis.

For analysis, Praat offers waveform and spectrogram displays alongside pitch, formant, and intensity analysis. Users can edit sounds, annotate recordings with text grids, and create or manipulate speech sounds. That breadth is useful when a project moves between inspecting a recording, measuring speech properties, and marking spoken material. Its feature set is centered on speech and phonetic work rather than general-purpose audio production, so buyers looking primarily for a broad editing environment should consider whether that focus fits their needs.

Praat is distributed without charge and is open source, making it an option for individual researchers and organizations that want desktop speech-analysis tools without a paid plan. Its desktop deployment means the workflow is based on software for Windows, macOS, or Linux rather than a browser. The published feature set does not include AI capabilities, so buyers looking for AI-assisted analysis should look elsewhere. Praat is a strong fit for speech researchers who need pitch and formant analysis together with annotation; it is less suited to users prioritizing browser access, AI features, or general audio editing.

Your product? Our editors can test Praat in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

Praat pricing

Praat fact sheet

Alternatives to Praat

• Insight 2A focused metering plug-in for loudness compliance and multichannel audio analysis.9.1
• WLM Plus Loudness MeterA standards-focused loudness plugin for production across major DAWs.9.0
• SmaartA broad measurement suite for live sound, acoustics, and SPL monitoring.8.9

See all Praat alternatives →

Featured on iTechGuides

Praat is listed in our Audio Analysis Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/praat/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/praat.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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.

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update