REAPER is a full digital audio workstation with an unlimited evaluation period and a personal licence that undercuts everything comparable by an order of magnitude. It handles huge track counts on modest hardware, the routing is effectively unlimited, and the community theme and script ecosystem is enormous.
Who it is for
A podcaster or producer mixing many tracks on a laptop who wants to avoid a subscription.
Key features
- Unlimited tracks and routing
- Scriptable with ReaScript and Lua
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Extensive theme and extension ecosystem
- Bundled plugins, no instruments
- 60-day unlimited evaluation
Where it falls short
It ships with almost no instruments or loops, the interface looks like 2006 until you install a theme, and the learning curve assumes you already understand signal flow.
Pricing
Unlimited 60-day evaluation, then a discounted personal license around $60 and a commercial license around $225, both one-time with two major versions of updates.
Prices move; the tier structure is the part that stays true. Check current pricing on REAPER.
Alternatives to REAPER
Frequently asked
How much does REAPER cost?
REAPER is paid software. Unlimited 60-day evaluation, then a discounted personal license around $60 and a commercial license around $225, both one-time with two major versions of updates.
What is REAPER best for?
A podcaster or producer mixing many tracks on a laptop who wants to avoid a subscription.
What are the best alternatives to REAPER?
The closest substitutes we list are Audacity. They sit in a similar price bracket but make a different trade-off, so read the weaknesses section of each review before switching.
Which platforms does REAPER run on?
REAPER is available on macOS, Windows and Linux.