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Ardour vs Helio: catalog facts
Ardour	Helio
Freemium The source is free software and Linux distributions package ready-made builds at no cost…	Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, Linux, Android, iOS
A complete DAW with unlimited tracks, unlimited undo and a genuinely flexible mixer Floating-point processing and support for hardware control surfaces	Support for exotic scales and microtonal temperaments Minimal, distraction-free interface
Official prebuilt binaries are paid, though the price is up to you A steep learning curve if you have not used a DAW before	Less conventional workflow than mainstream DAWs Focused on sequencing rather than audio recording
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-3.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.