Recording and editing24 of 28
Mixing and control9 of 13
Plugins11 of 11
Systems6 of 6
Licence and updates12 of 22
Price9 of 20
digital audio workstation · Cockos Incorporated
REAPER
DAW for Windows, macOS and Linux with no track limit, a 60-day evaluation and a $60 discounted licence.
In short
- The discounted licence costs $60 and the commercial licence $225, before tax2.
- A new licence includes free upgrades through REAPER version 8.992.
- You can evaluate the full program for 60 days, with no registration1,2,3.
- Cockos says there are no limits on track counts, sends or effects1.
- Official builds exist for Windows, macOS and Linux, and it loads VST3 and CLAP plugins1,3.
REAPER suits home producers and small studios who want a $60 one-off licence with no track limit1,2. The $60 discounted licence covers personal use and commercial use under $20,000 yearly revenue, and includes upgrades through version 8.992. The catch: the code is closed and the vendor's pages do not document audio-to-MIDI conversion or MPE recording4,6.
Best for: Home producers who want a one-off price of $60 and no track limit.
Where the points come from
Recording and editing 24 of 28 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100 or more tracks | YesCockos says there are no limits on track counts; the single version has no artificial limitations1. | 10 / 10 |
| Take comping | YesLanes let you pick the best parts of several takes and build one composite take1. | 5 / 5 |
| Built-in time-stretch | YesThe features page lists real-time pitch shifting and time stretch; release notes describe stretching imported media to project tempo4,7. | 5 / 5 |
| Audio to MIDI | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's pages1,4,7. Dynamic split and pitch detection are listed, but no audio-to-MIDI conversion. | 0 / 4 |
| Video track | YesThe home page lists native video support; release notes cover video decoding and encoding with FFmpeg1,4. | 4 / 4 |
Mixing and control 9 of 13 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Surround mixing | YesRelease notes list the ReaSurroundPan panner with a 7.1 layout; the features page lists built-in multichannel/surround panners and surround recording4,7. | 5 / 5 |
| MPE support | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's pages1,4,7. Release notes mention only MIDI editor options that help MPE editing. | 0 / 4 |
| Scripting or extension API | YesReaScript supports EEL2 and Lua built in, and Python if installed separately5. | 4 / 4 |
Plugins 11 of 11 points
Systems 6 of 6 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Other desktop systems | macOS, LinuxThe download page lists macOS and Linux builds as well as Windows3. | 6 / 6 |
Licence and updates 12 of 22 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Buy once, keep forever | YesThe store shows a single payment per licence with no subscription; the licence covers versions through 8.992,6. | 6 / 6 |
| Update policy | periodA new licence includes free upgrades through version 8.992. | 3 / 6 |
| Open source | NoThe licence calls the code a trade secret; only third-party libraries are open source6. | 0 / 4 |
| Works offline after activation | Not publishedNot published on the download, purchase or licence pages, which do not mention activation or offline use2,3,6. | 0 / 3 |
| Free trial of a paid edition | YesThe full program can be evaluated for 60 days with full functionality2. | 3 / 3 |
Price 9 of 20 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free edition | NoThe licence allows free use for 60 days only and requires a purchase after that; there is one version and no free edition1,6. | 0 / 8 |
| Cheapest edition with no track limit | $60/yrDiscounted licence, $60 one-time; open to personal use. There is no track limit in any edition1,2. | 9 / 12 |
The rule behind each line: how we score digital audio workstations.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discounted licencePersonal use, or commercial use up to $20,000 yearly revenue, or education and non-profit | $602 | – | Upgrades through version 8.99 |
| Commercial licenceCommercial use; the discounted licence covers up to $20,000 yearly revenue | $2252,6 | – | Upgrades through version 8.99 |
Prices exclude VAT and local taxes. One licence key can be installed on several computers if only one is in use at a time2.
Strengths
- Discounted licence is $60, available for personal use or businesses earning up to $20,000 a year2.
- Cockos describes a single version with no artificial limits, and no limit on track counts1.
- Builds for Windows, macOS and Linux, and loads VST3 and CLAP plugins1,3.
- Scripting in EEL2, Lua and Python comes with the program through ReaScript5.
- 60-day full evaluation with no registration required2,3.
Limits
- There is no free edition; after the 60-day evaluation you must buy a licence6.
- Upgrades are included only through version 8.99, and the page says nothing about later versions2.
- The source code is not public; the licence calls it a trade secret6.
- Cockos's pages do not document audio-to-MIDI conversion or recording of MPE data1,4.
- All licence purchases are final2.
What Cockos Incorporated says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- Cockos says it is a single fully featured version with no artificial limitations1.
Other digital audio workstations
- 1
WaveformProducers who want a free DAW on Windows, macOS and Linux with a paid upgrade path85/100$0cheapest edition with no track limit - 2
ArdourPeople who want an open-source DAW with Lua scripting and a video timeline75/100$0cheapest edition with no track limit - 4
Bitwig StudioProducers who want a one-time licence, CLAP and MPE support, and a Linux build64/100$110.74/yrcheapest edition with no track limit - 5
FL StudioProducers who want to pay once and keep every future update63/100$179/yrcheapest edition with no track limit
REAPER vs Waveform · REAPER vs Ardour · All 8 digital audio workstations
Sources
- REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits, Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- REAPER | Purchase, Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- REAPER | Download, Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- REAPER release notes (whatsnew.txt), Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- ReaScript documentation, Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- REAPER licence agreement, Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- REAPER | About, Cockos. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
Website: www.reaper.fm · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Cockos Incorporated.