Waveform vs REAPER
Two of the top three digital audio workstations, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- Waveform has 85 points and REAPER 71, 14 apart on our digital audio workstations rules.
- Waveform earns more on recording and editing, mixing and control and price; REAPER earns more on plugins and licence and updates.
- Cheapest edition with no track limit: Waveform $0, REAPER $60/yr.
- Only Waveform meets: audio to MIDI, MPE support and free edition.
- Only REAPER meets: CLAP plugins.
Waveform85/100 #1 of 8
Best for: Producers who want a free DAW on Windows, macOS and Linux with a paid upgrade path.
Points by group
| Group | Waveform | REAPER |
|---|---|---|
| Recording and editing of 28 | 28 | 24 |
| Mixing and control of 13 | 13 | 9 |
| Plugins of 11 | 8 | 11 |
| Systems of 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Licence and updates of 22 | 10 | 12 |
| Price of 20 | 20 | 9 |
| Total | 85 | 71 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | Waveform | REAPER |
|---|---|---|
| 100 or more tracks (10) | Yes 10 | Yes 10 |
| Take comping (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Built-in time-stretch (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Audio to MIDI (4) | Yes 4 | Not published 0 |
| Video track (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| Surround mixing (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| MPE support (4) | Yes 4 | Not published 0 |
| Scripting or extension API (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| VST3 plugins (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| CLAP plugins (3) | Not published 0 | Yes 3 |
| Other desktop systems (6) | macOS, Linux 6 | macOS, Linux 6 |
| Buy once, keep forever (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Update policy (6) | paid 1 | period 3 |
| Open source (4) | Not published 0 | No 0 |
| Works offline after activation (3) | Not published 0 | Not published 0 |
| Free trial of a paid edition (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Free edition (8) | Yes 8 | No 0 |
| Cheapest edition with no track limit (12) | $0 12 | $60/yr 9 |
Waveform
Waveform suits people who want a DAW with no track cap at no cost, and who can pay later for the extra instruments, effects and video tools in Pro. Pro is sold for a one-time $249, and the next major version has an upgrade fee. The catch: the vendor pages do not mention CLAP or offline activation.
REAPER
REAPER suits home producers and small studios who want a $60 one-off licence with no track limit. The $60 discounted licence covers personal use and commercial use under $20,000 yearly revenue, and includes upgrades through version 8.99. The catch: the code is closed and the vendor's pages do not document audio-to-MIDI conversion or MPE recording.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score digital audio workstations.