Head-to-head
Audacity vs GarageBand
2 tools, 6 differing data points, mostly pricing and positioning.
The verdict
Audacity or GarageBand?
Section 01
Pricing, plan by plan
Every plan each vendor publishes, monthly and yearly where both are offered.
AAudacity
Free
Free
Free, open-source software with no paid tier
GGarageBand
Free
Free
Free from Apple on Mac, iPhone and iPad
Section 02
Pros and cons
From each tool's full review, written from the same checked facts.
AAudacity
Pros
- Free forever, open source, and needs no account to run.
- Multitrack editing, spectral editing, noise reduction and loudness normalization all built in.
- Whisper AI powers local, on-device transcription of speech to text.
- Supports VST, LV2, LADSPA and Audio Unit plugins plus scripting through Macros and Nyquist.
Cons
- Pulls the audio track out of a video file but cannot display, edit or export back into the video picture.
- Has no dedicated surround panner or monitoring workflow for mixing in 5.1 or 7.1.
- AI stem separation and dialogue isolation are separate plugins distributed through MuseHub, not part of the default install.
GGarageBand
Pros
- Entirely free on Mac, iPhone and iPad, with no paid tier or in-app purchase of any kind.
- Drummer, an AI session drummer, plays along with your song across 28 drummers and three percussionists in six genres.
- A Piano Roll Editor for MIDI, a Score Editor for notation, and pitch correction for audio regions.
- Hosts third-party Audio Unit plugins alongside its built-in Sound Library and Apple Loops.
Cons
- Has no surround or Atmos mixing.
- Has no stem-separation feature.
- Has no real-time collaboration for co-editing a project with other people.
Side by side
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2000 | — |
| HQ | — | United States |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Linux | Mac, iPhone, iPad |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes, the whole app | Yes, the whole app |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| All plans | Free — Free | Free — Free |
| Positioning | ||
| Best for | Podcasters and anyone editing recordings who want a free, open-source audio editor | Beginners on Mac, iPhone or iPad who want to start making music for free |
| Differentiator | Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor with multitrack and spectral editing and plugin support. | GarageBand is Apple's free music studio with an AI session drummer, loops and a score view. |
| Competitors | Adobe Audition, Sound Forge, GarageBand | Logic Pro, FL Studio, Ableton Live |
Section 03
Audacity vs GarageBand: common questions
Is Audacity or GarageBand cheaper?
Audacity's cheapest paid plan is Free and GarageBand's is Free. Compare what each plan includes below before going on price alone.
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