Adobe Audition vs Audacity
Pick Audacity for free recording and editing; pick Audition if you need its multitrack, podcast and restoration tools and will pay for a subscription.
Pick Adobe Audition if…
Pick Audition if you mix multitrack audio or podcasts, want spectral and restoration tools, or work alongside Premiere and other Adobe apps.
Pick Audacity if…
Pick Audacity if you want to record, trim, clean up and convert audio for free, or you use Linux.
Price
- Paid
- Free
- Open source
Starting price
Free plan
Open source
Works on
| Feature | Adobe's audio workstation for multitrack mixing, editing, podcast production and audio restoration. | Free, open source app for recording and editing audio on Windows, macOS and Linux. |
|---|---|---|
| Price |
|
|
| Starting price | US$22.99/mo, annual plan billed monthly | — |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Works on | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Try Adobe Audition (opens the Adobe Audition website in a new tab) | Try Audacity (opens the Audacity website in a new tab) |
Price: Audition has no free plan. The single-app plan is US$22.99/mo on an annual plan billed monthly (US storefront), and a free trial is offered. Audacity is free, and its site says it will always remain free for everyone.
Features: Audition lists multitrack, waveform and spectral display, an Essential Sound panel, podcast tools, Remix, audio restoration with a Diagnostics panel, and Premiere integration. Audacity lists import, export and conversion of WAV, MP3, FLAC and Ogg, VST3 and Nyquist plugin support, and a spectrogram view.
Platforms and openness: Audacity runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and its source code is published under the GNU General Public License version 3. Audition's desktop app is listed for Windows and macOS only and is closed software sold by subscription.
Who each suits: Audacity fits most basic recording and editing jobs without cost. Audition fits people who need its extra mixing and restoration tools and are fine paying monthly.
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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money