Recording and editing28 of 28
Mixing and control13 of 13
Plugins8 of 11
Systems6 of 6
Licence and updates10 of 22
Price20 of 20
digital audio workstation · Tracktion
Waveform
Cross-platform music-production program with a free edition that has no track limit and a one-time-price Pro edition.
In short
- Waveform Free has no limit on the number of tracks and loads third-party plugins like Pro does3.
- Waveform Pro costs $249 as a one-time payment; upgrading from the previous version costs $1491.
- Pro offers a free 30-day trial10.
- It runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 or later, and Linux9,10.
- The Free edition loads VST, VST3 and AU plugins; CLAP is not mentioned9,11.
Waveform suits people who want a DAW with no track cap at no cost, and who can pay later for the extra instruments, effects and video tools in Pro3,2,12. Pro is sold for a one-time $249, and the next major version has an upgrade fee1. The catch: the vendor pages do not mention CLAP or offline activation9,11.
Best for: Producers who want a free DAW on Windows, macOS and Linux with a paid upgrade path.
Where the points come from
Recording and editing 28 of 28 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 100 or more tracks | YesThe manual says the Free edition has no limitation on the number of tracks3. | 10 / 10 |
| Take comping | YesThe manual builds a composite take from several takes recorded in Loop mode4. | 5 / 5 |
| Built-in time-stretch | YesWith Auto-Tempo on, the manual stretches an audio clip to the song tempo using Elastique13. | 5 / 5 |
| Audio to MIDI | YesWith an ARA plugin, a button converts an audio clip to a MIDI clip; Melodyne Essential comes with Waveform6. | 4 / 4 |
| Video track | YesVideo import and playback window are in Free, OEM and Pro; the manual covers scoring to picture12. | 4 / 4 |
Mixing and control 13 of 13 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Surround mixing | YesMulti-channel audio with 5.1 and 7.1 tracks is marked Waveform Pro, and the mixdown renders to 5.1 or 7.15,14. | 5 / 5 |
| MPE support | YesSettings record MPE as per-note expression, and the 4OSC synth supports MPE controllers11,7. | 4 / 4 |
| Scripting or extension API | YesThe manual documents JavaScript macros for Waveform actions8. | 4 / 4 |
Plugins 8 of 11 points
Systems 6 of 6 points
Licence and updates 10 of 22 points
| Rule | What is published | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Buy once, keep forever | YesWaveform Pro is priced as a one-time payment of $2491. | 6 / 6 |
| Update policy | paidA new major version needs a $149 upgrade from the previous one; no free-update policy is stated1. | 1 / 6 |
| Open source | Not publishedTracktion offers Tracktion Engine as open source, but not the Waveform program10. | 0 / 4 |
| Works offline after activation | Not publishedNot published on the vendor's purchase and download pages1,10. | 0 / 3 |
| Free trial of a paid edition | YesWaveform Pro has a free 30-day trial10. | 3 / 3 |
Price 20 of 20 points
The rule behind each line: how we score digital audio workstations.
Plans and prices
As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.
| Plan | Price as listed | Per month | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waveform Free1 person | Free3,2 | $0 | No limit on tracks; 4 instruments and 14 audio effects |
| Waveform Pro1 person | $249 one-time1,10 | – | Upgrade from the previous version $149; 30-day free trial |
Waveform Pro is $249 for a new licence and $149 as an upgrade from Waveform 13; larger bundles cost $349 to $9991.
Strengths
- Free edition has no limit on tracks and takes third-party plugins3.
- The manual documents take comping and recording MPE as per-note expression4,11.
- Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription1.
- Video playback in every edition and a JavaScript macro system are documented12,8.
- Windows, macOS and Linux versions are available9,10.
What Tracktion says
Vendor claims. We show them, but they earn no points.
- Tracktion says Waveform Free is a fully featured, completely unlimited free DAW9.
Other digital audio workstations
- 2
ArdourPeople who want an open-source DAW with Lua scripting and a video timeline75/100$0cheapest edition with no track limit - 3
REAPERHome producers who want a one-off price of $60 and no track limit71/100$60/yrcheapest edition with no track limit - 4
Bitwig StudioProducers who want a one-time licence, CLAP and MPE support, and a Linux build64/100$110.74/yrcheapest edition with no track limit - 5
FL StudioProducers who want to pay once and keep every future update63/100$179/yrcheapest edition with no track limit
Waveform vs Ardour · Waveform vs REAPER · All 8 digital audio workstations
Sources
- Waveform Pro, Buy & Upgrade, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform edition comparison, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Introduction, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Comping, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: What's New, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Audio Clips and Editing Audio, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: 4OSC Synthesizer, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Macros, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform Free, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform Pro, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Reference Settings, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Working With Video, Tracktion. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Working With Loops, Tracktion. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
- Waveform User Manual: Mixing Down, Tracktion. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
Website: www.tracktion.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with Tracktion.