--- title: Audacity Reviews meta_title: 'Audacity Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 459 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how Audacity works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.5 review_count: 459 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-07-13' parent_category: name: Design url: https://www.g2.com/categories/design --- # Audacity Reviews **Vendor:** Audacity **Category:** [Audio Editing Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/audio-editing) **Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 459 ## About Audacity Audacity is a free, open-source, multi-track audio editor and recorder available for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Since its initial release in 2000, it has become a popular tool among musicians, podcasters, and audio enthusiasts for its comprehensive suite of features and user-friendly interface. Key Features and Functionality: - Recording and Playback: Audacity allows users to record live audio through a microphone or mixer, digitize recordings from other media, and capture streaming audio. - Editing Tools: Users can cut, copy, splice, and mix sounds together. The software supports non-destructive editing, enabling adjustments without altering the original audio file. - Effects and Plugins: Audacity offers a range of built-in effects, including noise reduction, equalization, and reverb. It also supports various plugins like LADSPA, LV2, VST, and Nyquist, allowing for extended functionality. - Import and Export: The software supports a wide array of file formats, including WAV, AIFF, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis. With the addition of the FFmpeg library, users can import and export even more formats, such as M4A (AAC) and WMA. - Analysis Tools: Audacity provides features like spectrogram views and frequency analysis, aiding users in detailed audio examination. - AI-Powered Effects: Recent updates have introduced AI-driven capabilities, including music separation, noise suppression, music generation, transcription, and audio super-resolution, enhancing the editing experience. Primary Value and User Solutions: Audacity's primary value lies in its ability to provide a robust and accessible platform for audio recording and editing without the cost associated with proprietary software. Its cross-platform compatibility ensures that users across different operating systems can utilize its features. The extensive support for plugins and effects allows for a customizable experience tailored to individual project needs. Additionally, the integration of AI-powered tools streamlines complex tasks, such as noise reduction and audio transcription, making high-quality audio production more efficient and accessible to a broader audience. ## Audacity Pros & Cons **What users like:** - Users find Audacity's **ease of use** remarkable, allowing effortless audio editing for both beginners and professionals alike. (7 reviews) - Users praise Audacity for its **easy editing** , allowing anyone to operate it effortlessly and achieve professional results. (5 reviews) - Users admire the **easy recording** feature of Audacity, enabling quick setups for professional-quality audio projects. (4 reviews) - Users praise Audacity for its **professional-quality audio editing** , offering powerful features at an unbeatable free price. (3 reviews) - Users praise Audacity's **powerful audio features** , enabling professional quality recording and editing with a user-friendly interface. (3 reviews) - High Quality (3 reviews) - Users value the **diversity of features** in Audacity, achieving professional results without any cost. (2 reviews) - Free Software (2 reviews) - Users love the **ease of noise reduction** in Audacity, making audio editing accessible for everyone. (2 reviews) - Recording Features (2 reviews) **What users dislike:** - Users feel that the **AI limitations** of Audacity hinder efficiency and make tasks more challenging. (1 reviews) - Users face **audio issues** due to noise interference and quality of input materials affecting sound production. (1 reviews) - Users find **editing difficult** in Audacity, often needing to re-record entire sessions to fix minor mistakes. (1 reviews) - Users note the **feature deficiency** in Audacity, as it lacks advanced options found in high-end audio editing software. (1 reviews) - Users find the **interface dated** , but appreciate the consistent functionality that avoids confusion with updates. (1 reviews) - Users note the **limited customization** in Audacity, as it lacks advanced features offered by premium audio software. (1 reviews) - Performance Issues (1 reviews) - Recording Issues (1 reviews) ## Audacity Reviews ### 1. Audacity Makes Audio Editing Simple, Though Occasional Noise Issues Persist **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** KOSTIANTYN S. | Creative Copywriter, Marketing and Advertising, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 30, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** Audacity changed my understanding of mastering because of the number of its functions. Of course, sound mastering as I knew it had tools and devices that hardly anyone did allow themselves. By the way, the first experiments with mastering and sound producing were in times when there were no computers in every home, but there was a need to record myself as an MC. Since Audacity came, it is easier to make. Its functions include recording when there are sound inputs from the internal source, like a microphone. The first track covers the next ones, consequently, to give a mix. If the project includes additional sound effects, the producer finds it in the library, which contains dozens of filters. The upper drop-down menus are a way that users know to be close with. Audacity suggests operations with soundtracks to create projects: analyze the frequencies, create graphics, cut and merge tracks, use extra effects, and create macros. The complete project is ready to use in podcasts, making sound presents, and accompanying group meetings. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** The production requires extra attention to input materials' quality as well as extra noises, which interfere with the result. In this case, the sound, like from an old gramophone, is guaranteed. Nevertheless, if it is a part of a creative idea, every sound plays its role in the whole. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity is a tool to create sound projects for production enthusiasts. ### 2. Indispensable Tool for Indie Artists **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Raine C. | Raine Carosin, Arts and Crafts, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 26, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I love Audacity. It helps me trim my music to get out rough spots and smooth the production. I love its simplicity—it was easy to start and learn how to use it. It's become an app that I have to have on my computer for any audio trimming. I really value Audacity. Plus, it helps me trim AI music to a suitable size and convert the format of music to a WAV or MP3 and adjust the sample rates. It's actually an all-rounder and a very valuable asset to own. The initial setup was very easy. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** There is nothing that I dislike about Audacity. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Audacity to trim music, remove rough spots, and smooth production. It helps convert music to formats like WAV or MP3 and ensure correct sample rates for platforms. ### 3. Unbeatable Free, Open-Source Audio Editor That Gets the Job Done **Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Music | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 21, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** As a free, open-source audio editor, nothing else on the market really competes with it. Whether I’m editing audio or putting tracks together, it’s a resource-light and effective solution that gets the job done. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** The UI definitely leaves something to be desired, and the menus/UI are a bit clunky and confusing for someone who doesn't know much or work in audio software often. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity is a solution for working with audio and needing to make quick edits or recordings in the field - it is something I can literally download on any computer I work with and know that it will be reliable right off the bat. ### 4. Great for Beginners, But Lacks Speed **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Online Media | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 07, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I use Audacity for producing a podcast (over 300 episodes) and it has worked well to remove noises from my audio files and balance the sound for a professional final output. I like the price point since it is free for the ways I use it, and that is hard to beat. The Noise removal feature is great for eliminating normal background noises like A/C or heater sounds. The Normalize and Compression features have become essential steps in creating a professional-sounding podcast. The initial setup was very simple. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** I would like it if the features I use were a bit quicker while they process my audio files. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use Audacity to remove background noises like A/C sounds and to balance my podcast audio for a professional outcome. I have edited over 300 podcast episodes with ease because of the functionality of Audacity. I have a set routine that allows for consistent audio output for my podcast episodes. ### 5. Effortless Mastery and Crystal-Clear Perfection for Soundboard Recording **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** David L. | Senior Campaign Manager, Marketing and Advertising, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 20, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I was able to master the software completely, even though I had no prior experience. I used it to record scripts for OB marketing calls as part of our older soundboard campaigns. What stood out to me was how clearly the software explained each step as I experimented with the settings, which made it easy to create perfectly recorded soundboard calls for our agents. I write outbound calling scripts for soundboard users. Since its soundboard, I literally record the different prompts in my voice, cut them up, and upload them to our crm. There is nothing to log into in audacity. Its use for us is just hitting record and recording. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** I was disappointed that while recording, if you made a mistake with one of the extra tonation features, you couldn't just fix that part. You had to either keep the recording as it was or re-record the whole script if you wanted to adjust a feature. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** This tool allowed me to record virtually every possible response an agent might need during an outbound call with a prospect. Since my agents were based in India, Belize, and Mexico, having my distinctly American voice pre-recorded for their calls was crucial in keeping leads engaged and on the line. ### 6. Free and Handy for Basic Edits, but the Interface Takes Getting Used To **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Amedee A. | Digital Learning & Process Support, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** April 15, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** I used Audacity some time ago when I needed to edit few audio files. Nothing complicated, just cut parts, clean a bit the sound and export. For this it was ok. Also it is free, so easy to try. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** At first it was a bit confusing. Not very clear where to click and interface looks old. I had to try few times to understand simple things. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** It helped me fix some recordings when I needed it. I didn’t use it often, only from time to time. Now I don’t really use it anymore. ### 7. Great Results without Breaking the Bank! **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Mandy H. | T, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** October 01, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** As a music teacher, I am always looking for innovative ways to keep my middle-schoolers engaged. I had discovered Audacity through a college course years ago, and I had used it for my own personal projects, as well. Naturally, I knew this would be of benefit to my students, so I requested that our IT department add it to my computer (as permission was needed). They complied, and I was able to get started creating units for my students to utilize it! The best part of all of it is that it is free software... but it works! It is easy to create, upload, download, and work through everything. Because it is so easy, neither I nor my students had any difficulties. Implementing it into our music studies routine has been a breeze. While they didn't get to use it extremely frequently, it was great for a project and to keep my students engaged. We use it for one unit, approximately a few days; however, I have new students each marking period. This means it does get used pretty regularly. I cannot attest to customer support, as I have yet to need it. However, the level of care they put into this program makes me believe that customer support would be of great help. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** I cannot say enough good things about Audacity. I don't think that it would be fair to say there is something I dislike. I imagine if I delved deeper into the programming, I could find flaws. However, I'm not interested in finding flaws. It works great. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** This is a quick and easy software program to utilize. I use it personally and professionally. It helps me create my own things, as well as my students. This is a huge win. ### 8. Simple, Straightforward, and It Just Works **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Brian V. | Firmware Team Lead, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 10, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** The simplicity of use. Straightforward, what you need audacity does it simple without flashy stuff. It just works **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Sometimes it's a little hard to find basic stuff around the UI. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity helps me with edition and refining audio files. This is great for my projects and for some stuff at work that needs to be edited out ### 9. The best free audio processing software **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Claudio G. | Consultant, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** March 13, 2026 **What do you like best about Audacity?** It's full of usefull features and it's completely free. **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Its GUI is a bit dated, but that's already being fixed in the next major version. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** Audacity helps me process audio files, especially cleaning them and modifying their speed without altering the pitch. ### 10. Professional-Grade Results from Free Software - Audacity Delivers **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Hans A. | Research and Development Editor, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 02, 2025 **What do you like best about Audacity?** As someone with extensive experience using various professional audio editing programs throughout my career, I can confidently say Audacity holds its own against many paid alternatives. Having worked with industry-standard software, I appreciate Audacity's straightforward approach to audio editing. What I like most: Despite being free, Audacity delivers professional-quality results. The interface is refreshingly clean compared to some bloated commercial programs I've used. It handles multiple audio formats flawlessly - something I've seen expensive software struggle with. The program's stability is exceptional; I've never experienced crashes or data corruption, which unfortunately can't be said for all professional-grade alternatives. Key strengths from a professional perspective: • Reliability: Rock-solid performance that rivals paid software • Format versatility: Seamless import/export across all major audio formats • User interface: Intuitive design that doesn't sacrifice functionality • Price point: Unbeatable value - completely free with professional capabilities • Learning curve: Quick to master, even for complex editing tasks **What do you dislike about Audacity?** Professional limitations: While Audacity excels at core editing functions, it lacks some advanced features found in high-end professional suites. The visual effects library and certain specialized filters aren't as comprehensive as premium alternatives like Pro Tools or Adobe Audition. However, for 90% of professional audio editing tasks, these limitations are negligible. **What problems is Audacity solving and how is that benefiting you?** This results are quick and much easier to use as the time consuming programs that I use professionally. It suffices in it's procedures for tasks that I need immediately. ## Audacity Discussions - [What is Audacity used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-audacity-used-for) - 2 comments, 1 upvote - [no](https://www.g2.com/discussions/33401-no) - 1 comment, 1 upvote - [Audacity noise reduction](https://www.g2.com/discussions/26959-audacity-noise-reduction) - 4 comments, 1 upvote - [Is there a new version more advance than currently available?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-new-version-more-advance-than-currently-available) - 3 comments, 1 upvote - [Is there a website or list of additional third party plugins that I can use or add to Audacity?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-website-or-list-of-additional-third-party-plugins-that-i-can-use-or-add-to-audacity) - 3 comments, 1 upvote - [View Audacity pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/audacity/reviews/audacity-review-8112407?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-07-14+11%3A36%3A15+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=8b56d9ff-b51b-415d-9211-e9b49cb37e64&secure%5Btoken%5D=0cbdcaa13bd43e00a3c2989bb88b162200aba6cc706f274841f17e8a357a0e40&format=llm_user) ## Audacity Integrations - [GarageBand](https://www.g2.com/products/garageband/reviews) ## Top Audacity Alternatives - [Descript](https://www.g2.com/products/descript/reviews) - 4.6/5.0 (897 reviews) - [Adobe Audition](https://www.g2.com/products/adobe-audition/reviews) - 4.4/5.0 (413 reviews) - [GarageBand](https://www.g2.com/products/garageband/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (275 reviews)