Best free - or nearly free DAWs

[dellboy]

Some of these DAWs can just be downloaded free from the makers website, others come with hardware purchases. Some licenses can be bought cheaply from Ebay. This is just a starter, please add others that I have missed.


1: Bandlab Sonar

2: Tracktion Waveform 7

3: Steinberg Cubase LE 10

4:Ableton Live Lite 10

5:Presonus Prime

[mgw38]

6: Reaper

7: Pro Tools First

8: Ardour

[reusenoise]

Renoise, not free bur really cheap
Reaper same
Mutools free or really cheap with no limitation
Lmms

[SLiC]

9: Bitwig '8 Track' (free on CM Magazine, no hardware purchase required)

10: VCV Rack Modular (Free but $30 module require to host VSTs)

[Zexila]

Some licenses can be bought cheaply from Ebay.

I don't know does it qualify, but Logic Express 9 can be bought for around 20-25 bucks new on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Logic-Express- ... rk:12:pf:0

[lobanov]

Podium free (cool DAW but not developed actively)

[fmr]

Some licenses can be bought cheaply from Ebay.

I don't know does it qualify, but Logic Express 9 can be bought for around 20-25 bucks new on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Logic-Express- ... rk:12:pf:0

Latest OS where it runs is Sierra, AFAIK. Can no longer run in the latest macOS versions.

Anyway, is this thread about "the best", or any DAW, free or almost free?

It seems people are simply listing any DAW they know that's free or almost free, not necessarily considering it can compete as "the best". IMO, most of the listed ones certainly can't.

[Zexila]

Some licenses can be bought cheaply from Ebay.

Latest OS where it runs is Sierra, AFAIK. Can no longer run in the latest macOS versions.

Correct.

[lobanov]

And SoundBridge

https://www.kvraudio.com/product/soundb ... oundbridge

[AsPeeXXXVIII]

6: Reaper

Practically, REAPER isn't free. You can evaluate it for 60 days, after which they recommend you to buy a license. That said, the program still functions as normal once the 60-day evaluation period ends - the only thing you have to put up with is the popup window asking you to buy a license.

It's admirable that the developers don't force you to buy a license by arbitrary means - which they could well do if they wanted to - but at the same time, I do think that any responsible REAPER user will buy a license and support the developers. The same principle applies to anything else that the author doesn't give away for free. After all, piracy is a serious issue, and it's something I'm personally strongly against.

[mgw38]

I would argue $60 is “nearly free” though.

[ghettosynth]

I would argue $60 is “nearly free” though.

Yeah, and IMHO, it beats all of the "lite" versions from any vendor. I don't think that several of the above full versions compete at all, e.g., Mulab.

[SLiC]

I would argue $60 is “nearly free” though.

Yeah, and IMHO, it beats all of the "lite" versions from any vendor. I don't think that several of the above full versions compete at all, e.g., Mulab.

As does 'Bandlab Sonar' (Sonar Platinum) and that is free!

[Psuper]

Of all DAWs worth their salt, Cockos Reaper is the best bang for buck hands down. More importantly, it always has been. Other 'elitist' brands eventually realized they better do something similar after destroying your wallet for years.

[fmr]

I would argue $60 is “nearly free” though.

Yeah, and IMHO, it beats all of the "lite" versions from any vendor. I don't think that several of the above full versions compete at all, e.g., Mulab.

As does 'Bandlab Sonar' (Sonar Platinum) and that is free!

That's why I wrote that simply listing ALL OF THEM doesn't fit the title or the purpose of this thread