# Alternatives to Cubase
Steinberg's veteran full-range DAW.
Cubase ranks #4 of 12 in Digital audio workstations, with an Alt Score of 68. It is proprietary, sold as a one-time purchase and available on Windows and macOS. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cubase/
Category: Digital audio workstations
## Overview
- **Who it's for**: Musicians, composers, producers, and audio engineers who need a professional tool for recording, editing, and mixing music, as well as scoring and post-production sound work.
- **What you get**: A full digital audio workstation with multitrack audio and MIDI recording, a piano-roll MIDI editor, and a mixing console with EQ, dynamics, and effects processing. It includes Steinberg's VST instrument and effects plugin format (which it originated) plus built-in synths, samplers, and a notation/score editor. Higher tiers (Cubase Pro) add advanced features like Chord Track, VariAudio pitch editing, and surround mixing.
- **How it works**: You create a project, add audio and/or MIDI tracks, and record or import material into the arrange window's timeline. Tracks are edited (comping, quantizing, pitch-correcting), routed through the mixer with VST instruments and effects, then the final mix is bounced/exported to an audio file.
## Profile
- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Pricing model**: One-time (verified 2026-07-11)
- **Starts at**: ?
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS
- **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11)
## Ranked alternatives
| # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms |
|---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | [Pro Tools](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/pro-tools.md) | 81 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 2 | [Studio One](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/studio-one.md) | 77 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 3 | [Cakewalk](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cakewalk.md) | 72 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 4 | [Ardour](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ardour.md) | 68 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 5 | [Reaper](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/reaper.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 6 | [Ableton Live](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ableton-live.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 7 | [GarageBand](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/garageband.md) | 63 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS |
| 8 | [Logic Pro](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/logic-pro.md) | 63 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS |
| 9 | [Bitwig Studio](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bitwig-studio.md) | 59 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| 10 | [FL Studio](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/fl-studio.md) | 41 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS |
| 11 | [LMMS](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lmms.md) | 41 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/
## Feature comparison
Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified).
| Digital audio workstations checklist | Cubase | Pro Tools | Studio One | Cakewalk | Ardour | Reaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | One-time | Subscription | Subscription | Freemium | Donationware | One-time |
| Starts at | ? | $9.99/month | $19.99/month | $14.99/month (BandLab Pro membership) | $1 one-time (pay-what-you-want minimum) | $60 one-time (discounted license; $225 commercial license) |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| MIDI editing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Audio comping | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Included instruments & effects | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Third-party plugin support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| One-time purchase option | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier / lite version | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Linux support | No | No | Partial | No | Yes | Yes |
| Notation view | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? |
| Video scoring | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Collaboration | Partial | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? | ? |
## Sources
Sources for Cubase. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
- **License**: Proprietary — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “A single-user license is intended for a single person, so it is not permitted to use the software on more than one computer simultaneously.”
- **Pricing model**: One-time — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Updates will get you from a previous generation of Cubase to the latest generation within the same version. For example, if you want to go from Cubase Pro 14 to Cubase Pro 15, you will need an update.”
- **Platforms**: Windows, macOS — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Note: featureName":"Operating systems (Windows)","featureId":"msp:systemrequirements.windows","value":"64-bit Windows 10 Version 22H2 (or higher), 64-bit Windows 11 Version 24H2 (or higher)"},{"featureName"
- **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “All license activations for Cubase from October 8, 2025 onwards will result in a free license update to Cubase 15.”
- **MIDI editing**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Shape melodies, beats, and arrangements with intuitive editors for MIDI and audio. The Key Editor, Drum Editor, and Sample Editor make editing fast and musical, while real-time AudioWarp lets you st”
- **Audio comping**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Create the perfect version of a recording from multiple takes. Few performers are skilled enough to always get it “right the first time”’ in the recording environment, so comping is a vital part of th”
- **Included instruments & effects**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “With a massive sample content library, in combination with powerful synthesizer engines and effects, HALion Sonic is a versatile sound production tool.”
- **Third-party plugin support**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Initiate Cubase/Nuendo without any third-party plug-ins loaded.”
- **One-time purchase option**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Updates will get you from a previous generation of Cubase to the latest generation within the same version. For example, if you want to go from Cubase Pro 14 to Cubase Pro 15, you will need an update.”
- **Free tier / lite version**: No — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Do you already own a hardware device that comes with a version of Cubase LE? If you do, please download the Steinberg Download Assistant (SDA), create a MySteinberg account, and enter your Download Ac”
- **Linux support**: No — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Note: featureName":"Operating systems (Windows)","featureId":"msp:systemrequirements.windows","value":"64-bit Windows 10 Version 22H2 (or higher), 64-bit Windows 11 Version 24H2 (or higher)"},{"featureName"
- **Notation view**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Based on state-of-the-art Dorico technology, the Score Editor let's you produce performance materials like never before. It provides a powerful notation-based MIDI editor that will allow you to quickl”
- **Video scoring**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “Compatible video files can be imported into a project, creating a video track with a video event.”
- **Collaboration**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-11)
- Quote: “VST Connect is a complete remote recording solution that lets you collaborate with any musician with an Internet connection and a computer, anywhere on the planet.”
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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/