Audacity vs FL Studio

by Gralio Apr 24, 2025

Audacity and FL Studio serve different audio needs. Audacity excels as a free, easy-to-use tool for fundamental audio recording, editing, and analysis, ideal for tasks like podcasting or simple voiceover work. FL Studio is a powerful, paid music production environment (DAW) favored for beat making and electronic music creation due to its specialized instruments, effects, and workflow features like the piano roll and step sequencer features and workflow features

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 771 reviews and 60 websites, saving 4 hours, 47 minutes of reading.

Logo of Audacity
Logo of FL Studio

About

Audacity is a free audio editing and recording software available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. It's a popular choice for tasks ranging from podcast creation and music production to simple audio editing and format conversion. Audacity supports a wide range of audio formats and offers features like multi-track editing, sound effects, and plugin support. Its open-source nature has fostered a community that contributes to its development and offers a variety of third-party plugins.
FL Studio is a software program for creating music on your computer, also known as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). It lets you record, edit, and mix music using virtual instruments, loops, and effects. Popular with both professionals and hobbyists, FL Studio is known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features.

Summary

Main difference
Audacity is a versatile, free audio editor best suited for general recording and editing tasks, prioritizing simplicity and accessibility. FL Studio is a dedicated, paid Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) focused specifically on music production with extensive specialized tools.

Relative strengths of Audacity (compared to FL Studio)

  • * Cost-Effectiveness: Audacity is completely free and open-source, making it an excellent value proposition for businesses needing basic audio editing capabilities without software expenditure, unlike the paid FL Studio.

  • * Simplicity for Core Editing Tasks: For straightforward audio editing like cutting, noise reduction, and format conversion, Audacity offers a simpler learning curve and interface compared to the comprehensive, music-focused environment of FL Studio.

  • * Wide Audio Format Compatibility: Audacity supports importing and exporting a broad range of common audio file formats (like WAV, MP3, Ogg, FLAC), which is highly beneficial for general audio processing and compatibility needs across different platforms or uses compared to DAWs that might focus more on project-specific formats initially.

Relative weaknesses of Audacity (compared to FL Studio)

  • * Limited Music Production Features: Audacity lacks the extensive built-in virtual instruments, vast sound libraries, pattern sequencers, and advanced MIDI capabilities that are core strengths of FL Studio for music creation.

  • * Basic Mixing and Mastering Environment: Compared to FL Studio's dedicated multi-channel mixer with advanced routing, automation, and effects integration, Audacity's mixing capabilities are much more fundamental, limiting its use for producing professional-sounding music.

  • * Dated User Interface: Audacity's user interface is widely considered less modern and potentially less intuitive for complex workflows compared to the visually distinct and often praised workflow-oriented interface of FL Studio.

Who should use Audacity VS. FL Studio

Audacity is a go-to for many folks just starting with audio editing or those who need a reliable, free tool. We see it used a lot by podcasters, musicians, students, and educators for recording and basic editing tasks. While it might lack some bells and whistles of paid software, users appreciate how easy it is to pick up for essential functions like noise reduction and multi-track editing. It's a solid option if you need fundamental audio capabilities without the cost or complexity of professional studios often require

FL Studio is a popular Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for making music. We see it used a lot by both beginners trying things out and pros, especially in electronic music like EDM and Hip-Hop. People really seem to like its easy-to-use interface and the lifetime free updates are a big plus mentioned often in reviews. It's a solid choice if you're looking for a comprehensive music creation tool, although some find the recording setup tricky initially and stock plugins limited compared to others like Ableton Live or Cubase for certain genres

  • We find that Audacity is a particularly strong choice for individuals and smaller teams, typically up to 100 employees, needing straightforward audio tools.

  • In our experience, Audacity is versatile and used across many industries, especially popular with creators, educators, and small media operations.

  • We find FL Studio works exceptionally well for smaller teams, typically those with 1-100 employees, and it's also a good fit for mid-sized companies.

  • In our experience, FL Studio really shines in the Media and Entertainment industry, helping creators bring their musical ideas to life.

Audacity and FL Studio features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

  • Built-in instruments
    Not supported

    Audacity does not have built-in virtual instruments.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers built-in virtual instruments.

  • Audio plugins
    Supported

    Audacity supports various audio plugins like Nyquist, LV2, VST, and Audio Unit.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers various native plugins and supports VST, AU, and CLAP plugin formats.

  • Deep audio analysis
    Supported

    Audacity supports deep audio analysis with spectrogram visualization, Plot Spectrum, and plugins for extended analysis.

    Partially supported

    FL Studio offers basic spectrum visualization but lacks advanced scientific analyzers.

  • Audio restoration
    Supported

    Audacity offers tools like Repair and Noise Reduction for audio restoration.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers built-in tools and supports third-party plugins for audio restoration.

  • Audio Effects
    Partially supported

    Audacity supports audio effects like distortion, chorus, and flanger via plugins.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers a library of audio effects including distortion, chorus, flanger and many others. It allows up to 10 effects to be added to individual or master tracks. Effects are selected from a list and many come with presets.

  • Track mixing
    Supported

    Audacity allows adjusting track levels and blending them together using the Mixer Board.

    Supported

    FL Studio allows adjusting levels and blending individual tracks together via its mixer.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.6
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    +0.71
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.75
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.6
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    No data
    +0.33
    Rather positive sentiment

Audacity and FL Studio Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Strongly positive
+1
We couldn't find a pricing page for Audacity.
All plans include lifetime free updates and allow users to install FL Studio on all their personally owned devices (Windows and macOS).
Plans

User sentiment

Rather positive
+0.6

See full Pricing page

Audacity and FL Studio review insights

767 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Free and open-source, making it accessible to everyone.
  • Easy to learn and use for basic audio editing tasks.
  • Effective noise reduction capabilities.
  • Supports multi-track recording and editing.
  • Large and helpful online community with numerous tutorials.
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Lifetime free updates.
  • The piano roll is very powerful and easy to use.
  • The step sequencer is a unique and intuitive way to create beats.
  • Extensive third-party plugin support.

Users dislike

  • Difficult to collaborate with others on projects.
  • The user interface is outdated and unattractive.
  • Limited compatibility with certain audio formats, like OGG.
  • Lacks advanced features found in premium software.
  • Occasional bugs and glitches, especially with multi-track projects.
  • The recording process of FL Studio is a little tricky to navigate for beginners.
  • It is not that common in some kind of music genres and this make some problems on professionals collaboration.
  • Stock plug in are not that good and complete at all.
  • It takes a lot of disk space on my HDD and also uses a lot of memory.

Audacity and FL Studio Ratings

  • G2
    4.5/5
    (444)
  • G2
    4.6/5
    (95)
  • Capterra
    4.8/5
    (228)
  • Glassdoor
    3.8/5
    (4)

Company health

Employee growth

No change in the last year
16% increase in the last year

Web traffic

6% increase in the last quarter
2% increase in the last quarter

Financing

No data
August 2019 - $0

How easy is it to learn Audacity versus FL Studio for a beginner?

For a beginner, Audacity is generally considered easier to learn for basic audio editing and recording tasks. Its interface, while sometimes seen as dated, is focused on core editing functions and users frequently praise its ease of use for simple operations like cutting, pasting, and noise reduction. FL Studio, although featuring a user-friendly interface and beginner-friendly tools specifically for music creation, is a more comprehensive Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) with a steeper learning curve due to its extensive features for music production, sequencing, and mixing. While FL Studio aims to be intuitive, beginners might find specific aspects, like its recording workflow, initially challenging compared to Audacity's simpler approach.

Which product offers better support for VST plugins for specialized audio effects?

Based on the provided information, FL Studio appears to offer better support for VST plugins for specialized audio effects. While Audacity supports VST3 plugins, FL Studio users specifically highlight its "Extensive third-party plugin support" as a major advantage. This user sentiment suggests a more robust or seamless integration of VSTs compared to Audacity, where it's listed as a feature but not specifically praised by users in the provided text.

What are the advantages of Audacity?

Audacity's primary advantage is that it is completely free and open-source, making it highly accessible for individuals, educators, and small businesses without a budget for paid software. It offers cross-platform support, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Users find it easy to learn and use for basic audio editing, recording, and format conversion tasks, supported by a large online community and numerous tutorials. Additionally, it provides useful features like multi-track editing, plugin support, effective noise reduction, and deep audio analysis tools.

What are the disadvantages of Audacity?

Audacity users report difficulties with project collaboration. The user interface is considered outdated and unattractive. It has limited compatibility with certain audio formats, such as OGG, and lacks the advanced features found in premium software. Users also experience occasional bugs and glitches, particularly when working with multi-track projects.

Alternatives to Audacity and FL Studio

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audacity vs GarageBand
Make music easily. Learn, play, record, and share. Free.
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audacity vs Nuendo
Professional audio post-production for film, TV, games, immersive experiences.
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Logo of Cubase
audacity vs Cubase
Record, edit, and master music with pro-grade tools.
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Logo of Adobe Audition
audacity vs Adobe Audition
Professional audio editor for pristine podcasts, music, and videos.
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Logo of Reaper
audacity vs Reaper
Powerful and affordable digital audio workstation for recording, editing, and mixing.
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Logo of ACID Pro
ACID Pro
Make loop-based music, remix tracks, and produce studio-quality audio.
Read more
Page co-authored by
MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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