The best free audio editing software in 2026
The best free audio editing software for most people is Audacity — a free, open-source, multitrack editor for Windows, macOS and Linux with strong built-in noise reduction and support for extra effect plugins. GarageBand is the usual pick on Mac, and ocenaudio suits quick single-file edits.
“Free” covers two very different things, though: software that is genuinely free forever, and free tiers designed to run out. This list separates them, because that distinction matters more than any feature comparison.
Audio editors on MuseHub
Top picks at a glance:
- Best overall: Audacity — free and open source, multitrack, every platform.
- Best for quick single-file edits: ocenaudio.
- Best on Mac: GarageBand.
- Best free full DAW on Windows: Cakewalk.
- Best open-source music maker: LMMS.
- Best browser-based: Riverside’s free tier.
- Best for vocal sketches: Overtune Studio on MuseHub.
- Best on a phone: Lexis Audio Editor or Dolby On.
How we choose: we rank on what each tool actually does well, we mark which are free forever versus free tiers, and we include tools we don’t publish wherever they are the better answer.
What to look for
Multitrack or single-file? This is the real dividing line. A single-file editor opens one recording and lets you cut, fade and process it — fast, simple, ideal for cleaning up an interview. A multitrack editor stacks several recordings on a timeline so you can layer a voice over music, or build a song. Most people who think they need a DAW actually need a good single-file editor, and vice versa.
Free forever, or free tier? Open-source tools stay free with no account, no cap and no upsell. Commercial free tiers are marketing, and they typically limit export length or quality, watermark output, or require a subscription for the feature you eventually need. Neither is dishonest — but you should know which you are adopting before you build a workflow on it.
Which platform? Several of the best options are exclusive. GarageBand is Mac and iOS only; Cakewalk is Windows.
Can you extend it? A free editor that accepts plugins grows with you. One that doesn’t is a fixed ceiling.
The 10 best free audio editors
1. Audacity — best overall
The default recommendation, and it holds up. Audacity is free, open source, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is a multitrack editor with recording, non-destructive editing and a full set of effects, and it is used for everything from podcast production to archive restoration.
Two things keep it at the top. Its noise reduction is unusually good for a free tool — a genuine differentiator on spoken-word material, where cleaning up a recording is most of the work. And it takes plugins, so it grows: the free OpenVINO AI Tools pack adds AI noise suppression, stem separation and speech-to-text transcription that run locally on your machine, no subscription and no upload.
The interface is functional rather than beautiful, and it shows its age in places. That is the trade for a tool with no account, no cap and no catch.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux. Multitrack: yes. Price: free, open source.
2. ocenaudio — best for quick single-file edits
Free, cross-platform, and deliberately narrower than Audacity. ocenaudio provides a streamlined interface for editing and analysing individual audio files, with real-time effect previews.
If your work is “open a file, top and tail it, fix the level, export”, ocenaudio does it with less friction than a multitrack editor. It is the right tool when Audacity feels like more program than the job needs.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux. Multitrack: limited. Price: free.
3. GarageBand — best on Mac
Free with macOS and iOS, and the most approachable music-making tool on any platform. Virtual instruments, a large loop library, guitar amp modelling and a genuinely friendly interface.
The catch is the obvious one: Apple hardware only. There is no Windows version and never has been. If you are on a PC, see GarageBand for Windows alternatives.
Platforms: macOS, iOS. Multitrack: yes. Price: free with the OS.
4. Cakewalk — best free full DAW on Windows
A complete professional DAW at no cost — unlimited tracks, full plugin support, sophisticated effects and a highly customisable interface.
For Windows users who want the full studio rather than an editor, this is the most generous free offer available. The trade is complexity: it is a professional tool with a professional learning curve.
Platforms: Windows. Multitrack: yes. Price: free.
5. LMMS — best open-source music maker
Free and open source, built around pattern sequencing, synthesis and beat making rather than recording live audio. If you want to make electronic music without paying for anything, LMMS is the standard starting point.
Its audio recording features are weaker than its sequencing ones, so pair it with Audacity if you also need to record real instruments.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux. Multitrack: yes, pattern-based. Price: free, open source.
6. Riverside — best browser-based
A free tier of a commercial remote-recording platform. It records up to ten participants’ audio and video on separate tracks, and its AI-assisted editing is aimed at getting a usable episode out quickly.
The browser-based, nothing-to-install model is genuinely useful for remote interviews. Read the free tier’s limits before you rely on it — this is a free tier rather than free software.
Platforms: browser. Multitrack: yes. Price: free tier, paid plans above it.
7. Overtune Studio — best for vocal sketches
Free, and aimed at making music and recording vocals without a full DAW’s apparatus. If you want to sing over something and get an idea down without learning a studio program first, it is a shorter path than anything else on this list.
Platforms: see the product page. Multitrack: some. Price: free.
8. Lexis Audio Editor — best on a phone
A capable mobile editor for recording and editing on the device you already carry. Useful for voice memos, field recordings and quick fixes when you are away from a computer.
Mobile editors trade precision for convenience — fine for trimming, awkward for detailed work.
Platforms: Android, iOS. Multitrack: limited. Price: free version available.
9. Dolby On — best free mobile recorder
A free recording app that applies noise reduction, EQ and levelling automatically as you record. It is not really an editor — it is a recorder that makes phone recordings sound markedly better than the default voice memo app.
For capturing a rehearsal or a songwriting idea, that automatic processing is worth more than editing features you would not use on a phone anyway.
Platforms: Android, iOS. Multitrack: no. Price: free.
10. SoundLab — a mobile alternative
Another free mobile option for basic recording and editing. Worth knowing if the two above don’t fit your device or workflow.
Platforms: mobile. Multitrack: limited. Price: free version available.
Compared
| Editor | Platforms | Multitrack | Standout | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audacity | Win, Mac, Linux | Yes | Noise reduction, plugin support | Free, open source |
| ocenaudio | Win, Mac, Linux | Limited | Fast single-file editing | Free |
| GarageBand | Mac, iOS | Yes | Instruments and loops | Free with OS |
| Cakewalk | Windows | Yes | A full pro DAW for nothing | Free |
| LMMS | Win, Mac, Linux | Yes | Beats and synthesis | Free, open source |
| Riverside | Browser | Yes | Remote multi-person recording | Free tier |
| Overtune Studio | See product page | Some | Vocal-led sketching | Free |
| Lexis Audio Editor | Android, iOS | Limited | Editing on a phone | Free version |
| Dolby On | Android, iOS | No | Automatic cleanup while recording | Free |
| SoundLab | Mobile | Limited | Basic mobile editing | Free version |
What “free” really means
Three patterns, and it is worth knowing which one you are signing up for.
Open source. Audacity, LMMS and ocenaudio cost nothing, have no account requirement, no export cap and no upsell. The software is maintained by communities and organisations rather than sold, so there is no commercial reason for a limit to appear later.
Free with hardware or an OS. GarageBand is free because you bought a Mac. Excellent value, entirely locked to the platform.
Free tier. A commercial product with a limited free level. Common limits: export length caps, reduced quality, watermarks, a required account, or the useful feature sitting one tier up. Nothing wrong with it — but check the limits before you build a workflow that depends on it, because the cost of migrating later is real.
Extending a free editor
The thing most roundups miss: a free editor is a starting point, not a ceiling.
Audacity accepts plugins, and the free OpenVINO AI Tools pack is the clearest example of how far that goes. It adds AI noise suppression, stem separation, Whisper speech-to-text transcription and audio upscaling — the kind of features normally sold as a subscription web service — and it all runs locally on your own computer.
It requires Audacity 3.7.4 or a later 3.x release — it does not support Audacity 4 yet — and it is free. See AI audio editing in Audacity for what each effect does.
Beyond that, Audacity supports standard effect plugins, so a free editor plus a handful of free plugins covers most of what a paid editor offers.
If Audacity isn’t for you
It is the top pick, not the only one, and there are real reasons to look elsewhere.
The interface feels dated. Fair — it is functional over beautiful. ocenaudio is cleaner for simple work; Cakewalk is more modern if you want a full DAW.
You want instruments and loops. Audacity has neither. That is GarageBand on Mac, Cakewalk or LMMS on Windows.
You need remote multi-person recording. Riverside’s free tier is built for it.
You are working on a phone. Lexis Audio Editor or Dolby On.
You are writing music rather than editing audio. Notation software may suit you better — MuseScore Studio is free and plays back with studio-recorded instruments.
How to choose
Answer one question: are you editing one recording, or building something from several?
One recording — a podcast episode, an interview, a voice-over — start with ocenaudio for speed or Audacity for power and noise reduction.
Several tracks layered together — Audacity if it is mostly recorded audio, Cakewalk or LMMS if it is mostly instruments and loops, GarageBand if you are on a Mac.
Not sure — install Audacity. It is free, it covers the widest range of jobs, and nothing is lost if you move on.
FAQ
Is Audacity really free? Yes — free and open source, with no account, no export limits and no paid tier.
Is Audacity safe to download? Download from the official source or through a trusted installer app. As with any popular free software, third-party mirrors sometimes bundle unwanted extras.
Do I need to pay for a good audio editor? No. For editing, cleanup and podcast production, the free tools here are entirely capable. Paid editors buy convenience and specialised features, not a fundamentally different result.
Can free editors handle multitrack? Several can — Audacity, Cakewalk and LMMS all do. ocenaudio and most mobile apps are single-file oriented.
What’s the best free audio editor for podcasts? Audacity, mainly for the noise reduction and the free AI plugin. See mixing your podcast.
Can I use free software commercially? Open-source tools like Audacity and LMMS, yes. Free tiers of commercial products often restrict commercial use — check the terms.
Next steps
If you land on Audacity, start with how to use Audacity, then how to use effects and plugins in Audacity, which shows how to extend it with free plugins from MuseHub (what MuseHub is explains where they come from). Two guides follow directly: removing background noise in Audacity and AI audio editing in Audacity.
On Windows and really after GarageBand? GarageBand for Windows alternatives covers that specific question. Digitising records? Recording a turntable into Audacity. New to the category? What is a DAW.
Get Audacity and its free plugins in one place — download MuseHub free.
