Alternatives to Cubase
Steinberg's commercial digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and producing music. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Cubase
Steinberg's commercial digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and producing music.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Cubase.
Logic Pro
Apple's music production app for Mac and iPad for recording, beat-making, editing and mixing.
Logic Pro is Apple's production app with a large built-in library and a one-time Mac purchase, but it runs only on Apple devices.
Pro Tools
A subscription digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing music and post-production audio.
Pro Tools switches to subscription pricing and a session format common in professional studios, with immersive mixing and video tracks in higher tiers.
Ableton Live
Performance-oriented DAW built around clip launching for electronic music.
Ableton Live centres on clip launching for electronic music and live performance, also on Windows and macOS with tiered paid editions.
FL Studio
Beat-making focused DAW known for its lifetime free update policy.
FL Studio is a beat-making DAW with lifetime free updates after purchase, using a pattern-based workflow rather than a linear timeline.
REAPER
Full digital audio workstation for multitrack recording, editing, mixing and MIDI.
REAPER is a small, fast paid DAW with an unlimited evaluation period that adds Linux support and deep script and extension customisation.
Bitwig Studio
A commercial digital audio workstation with a clip launcher, timeline and modular sound design tools.
Bitwig Studio is a paid DAW with a clip launcher and modular Grid for sound design, and it adds a native Linux build.
Cakewalk Sonar
Windows DAW with a free tier, successor to the discontinued Cakewalk by BandLab.
Cakewalk Sonar is a Windows-only DAW with a free tier, while the full feature set requires a paid membership.
Ardour
A full digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing, with no subscription and no dongle.
Ardour is an open-source GPL DAW for Windows, macOS and Linux with no subscription, though it bundles fewer instruments and loops than commercial suites.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Cubase as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Reason
Modular rack-style DAW with classic virtual synths and samplers.
Cubase is a long-established paid DAW for recording and producing audio and MIDI, with a conventional track layout rather than a cable rack.
Tracktion Waveform Free
Free full-featured DAW with no track limit for music production.
Cubase is Steinberg's paid, long-established DAW for recording and mixing audio and MIDI on Windows and macOS, with no Linux build.
Zrythm
An open-source digital audio workstation with extensive automation, chord tools and broad plugin support.
Cubase is Steinberg's paid, closed-source DAW for Windows and macOS, a long-established environment for recording, editing and mixing audio and MIDI.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Steinberg WaveLab
Mastering suite with phase scope, multimeter and loudness analysis tools.
Steinberg SpectraLayers
Spectral audio editor for noise removal and AI-assisted source separation.
Melodyne
A note-level pitch and timing editor for vocals, samples and other audio recordings.
MuseScore Studio
Free sheet music notation software that plays back what you write and prints it properly.
iZotope RX
An audio repair and restoration suite for removing noise, clicks and other problems from recordings.
FabFilter Pro-Q
Equalize audio in a production host with FabFilter's Pro-Q plug-in.
