REAPER icon
REAPER icon

REAPER

Digital audio workstation for Windows, macOS, and Linux offering multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, mixing, mastering, powerful automation, plugin support, scriptable customization, portable installs, frequent updates, and a comprehensive feature set.

Default theme

Cost / License

  • Pay once
  • Proprietary

Application type

Platforms

  • Mac
  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Flathub
  • Flatpak
Full screen in Linux with inline MIDI editor using REA Evolution theme
Analog Default theme
+3
Dark_Side_Imperial theme
REAPER alternatives  
266likes
97alternatives
2articles

Features

Properties

  1.  Customizable
  2.  Lightweight

Features

  1.  Audio Recording
  2.  Digital Audio Workstation
  3.  Support for VST Plugins
  4.  Support for scripting
  5.  MultiTrack
  6.  Support for MIDI
  7.  Extensive customisability
  8.  Portable
  9.  Ad-free
  10.  Spectral editing
  11.  Multi Channel
  12.  Convert audio to MIDI
  13.  Built-in routing
  14.  Works Offline
  15.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
  16.  Lossless Audio
  17.  Piano Roll
  18.  Virtual Instrument
  19.  Music Sequencer
  20.  Patch Management
  21.  Music Recording
  22.  Dark Mode
  23.  Hardware Accelerated
  24.  Mix Music

 Tags

REAPER News & Activities

Highlights All activities

Recent News

Recent activities

Comments and Reviews

   
Comment summary: Reaper is praised for its affordability, extensive features, and customizability, making it suitable for various audio needs including podcasting and professional dubbing. Users appreciate its low CPU usage, stability, and generous license policy. While there is a learning curve due to its numerous preferences, its extensive customization options and supportive community make it a highly recommended digital audio workstation.
Top Positive Comment
thefirered
5

I would recommend it over Audition because it is much easier to use, it has got a plethora of features that most users will find useful, and it's really cheap compared to most audio production software. I use it for professional dubbing sessions in a home studio and sound editing for video. Yes, you can set up ffmpeg and preview MKV files and most video containers with it. My mind was blown when I found out.

There is a unlimited trial period for you to test (imagine a WinRAR trial), but this software is so good that a buying a licence for it is just a bless. It is really worth the money.

beingchimerian
1

One of the best DAW !!!

Félix Gomaye
1

Reaper is an amazing tool for podcast production. It has a lot of features and options that let you customize your workflow and optimize your audio quality. I use it to record, edit, and export my podcasts with ease and efficiency. Reaper rocks!

hced
2

Fires up in a cinch. Ultra-customizable. Dirt-cheap. Expandable (loads and loads of plugins, most of them free). Snappy and buttery smooth. And ... PORTABLE (should you want to). Also constantly updated and well-maintained. And ... an excellent community where there's a lot of fellow users around that can help out.

podcastingguru
1

It's perfect for podcast recording. I've got a number of scripts setup to automatically normalize volume after a recording and split files up, etc. Love how customizable and powerful Reaper is!

Sunil Klo
1

affordable, free if you want, and great performance.

João Lourenço

free if you want?

David Woronka
2

Compared to other DAWs, this is easier to learn and make it work. Never looked back since I started using it.

7 of 18 comments

Featured in Lists

Create without Adobe (free n' paid) 2025

There is no doubt that Adobe Suite is great, even in some case it's probably the best. But you can be mad...

List by Darlene Sonalder with 72 apps, updated

Academia & Skills

A list with 422 apps by AmileyaRyver without a description.

List by AmileyaRyver with 422 apps, updated

xenmaster's game building software

This list includes tools used by novice and professional game designers, particularly in the Indie Game realm. It...

List by Alex Ruiz with 20 apps, updated

Official Links

AppStores & Other Links

What is REAPER?

REAPER is a complete digital audio production application for computers, offering a full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering toolset.REAPER supports a vast range of hardware, digital formats and plugins, and can be comprehensively extended, scripted and modified. Do Anything REAPER's full, flexible feature set and renowned stability have found a home wherever digital audio is used: commercial and home studios, broadcast, location recording, education, science and research, sound design, game development, and more.

From mission-critical professional environments to students' laptops, there is a single version of REAPER, fully featured with no artificial limitations. You can evaluate REAPER in full for 60 days. A REAPER license is affordably priced and DRM-free.

Constant Evolution A new REAPER 7 license includes unlimited free updates through REAPER version 8.99. Frequency varies, but updates are typically released every few weeks.

These updates include bug fixes, feature improvements, and significant new features, all of which are free. Updates only take a minute or so. All preferences and configurations are preserved, and forward and backward compatibility are maintained.

Feature Highlights Efficient, fast to load, and tightly coded. Can be installed and run from a portable or network drive. Powerful audio and MIDI routing with multichannel support throughout. 64-bit internal audio processing. Import, record to, and render to many media formats, at almost any bit depth and sample rate. Thorough MIDI hardware and software support. Support for thousands of third-party plug-in effects and virtual instruments, including VST, VST3, LV2, AU, CLAP, DX, and JS. Hundreds of studio-quality effects for processing audio and MIDI, and built-in tools for creating new effects. Automation, modulation, grouping, VCA, surround, macros, OSC, scripting, control surfaces, custom skins and layouts. A whole lot more.

REAPER Videos

REAPER information

  • Developed by

    US flagCockos

  • Licensing

    Proprietary and Commercial product.

  • Pricing

    One time purchase (perpetual license) ranging between $60 and $225.

  • Rating

    Average rating of 4.9 (14 ratings)

  • Alternatives

    97 alternatives listed

  • Badge

    Get an embeddable badge for REAPER

  • Supported Languages

    • English

AlternativeTo Categories

Audio & Music, System & Hardware

Popular alternatives

View all

Our users have written 18 comments and reviews about REAPER, and it has gotten 266 likes

REAPER was added to AlternativeTo by jab9417 on and this page was last updated .