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    Audacity reviews

    Audacity is a free, open-source multi-track audio editor for recording, cleaning up and exporting podcasts and voice recordings.

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    ToolTrim verdict3.8/ 5Great

    No cost threshold: the tool is free, so the only cost is the time spent learning the interface.

    Audacity, preview 1
    About

    In practice. What you can do with Audacity.

    Audacity is a desktop multi-track audio recorder and non-destructive editor with built-in effects (noise reduction, EQ, reverb, echo) and spectrogram analysis. It imports, exports and converts common formats like MP3, WAV, FLAC and AIFF, and supports VST3 and Nyquist plugins, with LV2 on Linux and Audio Units on macOS.

    It is entirely free and open source, with no paid tier or feature gating. It fits a solo podcaster or content creator recording and cleaning up voice audio on a desktop, though it lacks MIDI editing or virtual instruments, and has no official mobile app.

    Practical uses

    • Clean upRecord a podcast episode, apply noise reduction and EQ, then export as MP3 for publishing.
    • Multi-trackLayer voiceover, music and sound effects on separate tracks before mixing down to a final WAV file.

    Features & use cases

    Debruitage audio
    Enregistrement multipistes
    Montage audio

    Pros and cons. What Audacity does well, and what to expect.

    Pros

    • Completely free with no feature restrictions or paid tier.
    • Wide format support and VST3/Nyquist plugin compatibility across platforms.
    • Exports to open standard formats, keeping projects portable.

    Cons

    • No MIDI editing or virtual instruments, so it can't replace a full DAW for music production.
    • Desktop-only, with no official iOS or Android app for editing on the go.

    When it makes sense. Keep Audacity, or challenge it?

    Keep if

    • You record and edit voice or podcast audio on a desktop and don't need MIDI or virtual instruments.

    Challenge if

    • You need music production with MIDI and virtual instruments, or mobile editing.

    Our verdict. What to know about Audacity.

    Why this verdict

    Great

    Added value

    Free and open source with multi-track editing, built-in effects and wide format support, no equivalent free desktop editor this complete.

    Simplicity

    Getting a usable edit takes some learning of the interface and effects; some formats need a separate FFmpeg install first.

    Fit for purpose

    Records, edits and exports audio in common formats as promised, with plugin support extending it further.

    Performance

    Strong for recording and editing, but explicitly not a full DAW: no MIDI editing or virtual instruments.

    Reversibility

    Exports to open, standard formats (WAV, FLAC, MP3) and is open source itself, reducing lock-in.

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