Recording and editing24 of 28
Mixing and control0 of 13
Plugins8 of 11
Systems3 of 6
Licence and updates12 of 22
Price7 of 20
digital audio workstation · Reason Studios
Reason
DAW built around a rack of instruments and effects, sold once at $299 or as a subscription from $169 a year.
In short
- Reason 14 is a one-time purchase at $299; the DAW also comes with a Reason+ subscription at $19.99 a month or $169 a year1.
- The Reason 14 manual says audio recording can be enabled on an unlimited number of tracks, limited only by the computer6.
- Reason 14 includes point updates; upgrading from an earlier version to Reason 14 costs $991.
- It loads 64-bit VST3 and VST2 plug-ins on Windows and Mac, and converts monophonic audio clips to MIDI notes7,8.
- Reason Free is limited to 16 audio or instrument tracks, and the only free trial is 7 days, for Reason+1,4.
Reason suits producers who want a bought-once DAW whose manual states no limit on record-enabled audio tracks or mixer channels, with a built-in comping editor and VST3 hosting6,7,8,9. The one-time price is $299, and Reason+ starts at $169 a year1. The catch: a new major version is a paid upgrade1.
Best for: Producers who like building sounds on a device rack and want a buy-once option.
Where the points come from
Recording and editing 24 of 28 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100 or more tracks | YesManual: recording can be enabled on an unlimited number of audio tracks6; the mixer allows an unlimited number of channels9. | 10 / 10 |
| Take comping | YesManual describes recording several takes and compiling the best segments in the Comp Editor7. | 5 / 5 |
| Built-in time-stretch | YesManual describes stretching audio clips to song tempo and selectable Stretch and Transpose Types7. | 5 / 5 |
| Audio to MIDI | YesManual section 'Bouncing audio to MIDI notes' converts single-take audio clips to note clips, best for monophonic audio7. | 4 / 4 |
| Video track | Not publishedNot published in the vendor's manual chapters on the sequencer and mixer7,9. | 0 / 4 |
Mixing and control 0 of 13 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Surround mixing | Not publishedNot published in the vendor's manual chapter on the main mixer9. | 0 / 5 |
| MPE support | Not publishedNot published in the vendor's manual chapters on VST plug-ins and the sequencer7,8. | 0 / 4 |
| Scripting or extension API | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's pages1. | 0 / 4 |
Plugins 8 of 11 points
Systems 3 of 6 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Other desktop systems | macOSSystem requirements list macOS 11 or later and Windows 10 or later; no Linux build is listed2. | 3 / 6 |
Licence and updates 12 of 22 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Buy once, keep forever | YesReason 14 is listed as 'paid once' at $299, in addition to the subscription1. | 6 / 6 |
| Update policy | periodReason 14 includes point updates; moving to a new major version is sold as a paid upgrade1,3. | 3 / 6 |
| Open source | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's Get Reason page1. | 0 / 4 |
| Works offline after activation | YesManual: runs offline for a month, renewed when online; up to three computers can be authorised offline for a year5. | 3 / 3 |
| Free trial of a paid edition | NoThe only trial is 7 days for new Reason+ subscribers; Demo Mode cannot export audio and opens only demo songs1,5. | 0 / 3 |
Price 7 of 20 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Free edition | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's Reason Free page, which does not say whether songs can be saved4. | 0 / 8 |
| Cheapest edition with no track limit | $169/yrReason+ annual, $169 regular price, includes the DAW with no stated track limit1,4; Reason 14 one-time is $2991. | 7 / 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reason Free1 person | Free4 | $0 | Up to 16 audio or instrument tracks; 15 devices |
| Reason+ monthly1 person | $19.99/month1 | $19.99 | DAW and Rack plugin; 7-day trial for new subscribers |
| Reason+ annual1 person | $169/year1 | $14.08 | A $119 first-year promotional price also appears in the page's price table |
| Reason 141 person | $2991,2 | – | DAW and plug-in; point updates included |
US prices are those shown on the Get Reason page; the shop page shows euros (Reason 14 at 239 euros)1,3.
Strengths
What Reason Studios says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- Reason Studios says Reason Free has no trial period, no expiry date and no watermarks4.
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 - 3
REAPERHome producers who want a one-off price of $60 and no track limit71/100$60/yrcheapest 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
Sources
- Get Reason, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Reason 14 product page, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Reason Studios shop, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Reason Free, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Introduction, Reason 14 manual, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Recording in the Sequencer, Reason 14 manual, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Audio Editing in the Sequencer, Reason 14 manual, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Working with VST Plugins, Reason 14 manual, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- The Main Mixer, Reason 14 manual, Reason Studios. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Website: www.reasonstudios.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Reason Studios.