REAPER is a full digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and mastering audio and MIDI on Windows, macOS and Linux. What decides whether it suits you is largely its price and licensing: a low one-time cost, DRM-free, with no account needed even to try it.
What is REAPER?
REAPER is made by Cockos Incorporated, based in the United States. It is an installed desktop application for Windows and macOS, also available on Linux, and it requires no registration or personal details to download or evaluate.
Making music in REAPER
REAPER lets you import audio and MIDI, synthesize, sample, compose, arrange, edit, mix and master songs using only the app itself. It ships built-in virtual instruments including ReaSynth, ReaSamplOMatic5000 and ReaSynDr, and hosts VST2, VST3 (with ARA support), LV2, CLAP, DX (Windows only), AU (macOS only) and JSFX plugin formats. Real-time pitch shifting, correction and time stretch run through multiple engines including Elastique 3 Pro, and ReaTune adds automatic and manual pitch correction.
Two multichannel panners, ReaSurround and ReaSurroundPan, handle surround and spatial processing for up to 128 channels per track. REAPER has no AI stem-separation feature, no AI session-player feature and ships no library of loops or samples.
Working with other people
REAPER connects to other software over ReWire for audio and MIDI, and its ReaNINJAM feature connects to independent NINJAM servers for live jamming, while ReaStream streams audio and MIDI to other REAPER instances over a local network. It supports control surfaces including Mackie Control, FaderPort, TranzPort and AlphaTrack, plus OSC and JACK. REAPER is deeply extensible through a documented ReaScript API and Extension SDK, with a built-in development environment for writing and testing scripts. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
REAPER pricing: what each plan gives
A REAPER licence is a one-time purchase, DRM-free, with free updates through the 8.99 version line. The discounted licence is $60 and applies to individuals for personal use, to individuals or businesses grossing under $20,000 a year, and to educational or non-profit organisations; the commercial licence is $225 for other businesses. Prices exclude VAT or local taxes. A 60-day evaluation is offered free, with full functionality and no restrictions.
Privacy and support
REAPER needs no account or registration to download, evaluate or run, and it edits your audio and MIDI locally, so questions about training on your work, SOC 2 and GDPR do not really arise the way they would for a cloud service. Support runs through the built-in user guide and REAPER's community forum, where you can discuss, share and learn.
Who REAPER suits
REAPER suits anyone who wants a full-featured DAW at a low one-time price, DRM-free and with no account required, and who is comfortable scripting their own tools through the ReaScript API or connecting to hardware control surfaces. It also suits anyone who works across Windows, macOS and Linux, since REAPER installs on all three.
It suits less well anyone who wants a shipped library of loops or samples to start building tracks from, since REAPER ships none, or anyone who wants AI stem separation or an AI session player, since REAPER has neither.
How Reaper compares
Reaper scores 5.5 out of 10 among the music production apps (DAWs) we rate. These three do the same job and are the closest to it, compared on what each vendor publishes.
Pro Tools
Reaper is a one-time purchase with free updates through version 8.99, and no free plan beyond a 60-day evaluation. Pro Tools instead sells access by subscription from $9.99 a month, with a separate free Intro download, and a perpetual licence sold only as an upgrade to existing owners. Reaper opens a public scripting API, ReaScript plus an Extension SDK, which Pro Tools lacks. Both mix in surround, Reaper with its own ReaSurround plug-ins, Pro Tools with Dolby Atmos on its Studio and Ultimate tiers.
Pick Pro Tools if if you want Dolby Atmos mixing and a free Intro.
Pick Reaper if if you want a scripting API with a one-time purchase.
Ableton Live
Reaper is a one-time purchase with free updates through version 8.99, and no free plan beyond a 60-day evaluation; Ableton Live also sells one-time purchase editions but has no free tier, only a paid Intro edition. Reaper opens a public scripting API, ReaScript plus an Extension SDK, which Live lacks. Live's Suite edition answers with AI stem splitting and a loop library, both missing from Reaper. Both mix in surround with their own dedicated tools.
Pick Ableton Live if if you want AI stem splitting and a loop library.
Pick Reaper if if you want a scripting API with a one-time purchase.
FL Studio
Reaper is a one-time purchase with free updates through version 8.99, and no free plan beyond a 60-day evaluation. FL Studio also sells one-time purchase editions but adds a free plan, a never-expiring version that will not reopen saved projects until you buy one. Reaper opens a public scripting API, ReaScript plus an Extension SDK, which FL Studio does not offer. FL Studio can split a song into stems with AI from Producer Edition up, a feature Reaper lacks.
Pick FL Studio if if you want a free plan and AI stem splitting.
Pick Reaper if if you want a public scripting API to build tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does REAPER cost?
The discounted licence is $60, for individuals, businesses grossing under $20,000 a year, and educational or non-profit organisations. The commercial licence is $225 for other businesses. A 60-day full-functionality evaluation is free.
Does REAPER open common audio and MIDI files?
Yes. REAPER imports audio and MIDI directly and can write out formats including WAV, MP3, FLAC, OGG and MP4, alongside several others.
Can I script or extend REAPER myself?
Yes. REAPER is deeply extensible through a documented ReaScript API and Extension SDK, with a built-in development environment for composing, editing and testing your own scripts.
Does REAPER require an account or collect my data?
No. No registration or personal details are required to download or evaluate REAPER, and it edits your audio and MIDI locally rather than through any account-based service.
