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Audacity vs Steinberg WaveLab: catalog facts
Audacity	Steinberg WaveLab
Free Free and open source under GPLv3. The vendor promotes paid plugins through MuseHub, but…	Paid Commercial software sold by Steinberg.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, macOS
Multi-track recording and editing with a long list of built-in effects Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with the same project format	Purpose-built mastering toolset rather than a general DAW Detailed metering for loudness and phase
Audacity 4 changed the interface, so most existing tutorials show the old one It is a destructive editor at heart; it is not a multi-track DAW for music production	Paid software aimed at mastering engineers Overlaps with metering plugins some users already own
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
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 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

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