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FLAC vs qaac: catalog facts
FLAC	qaac
Free Free and open source; libraries under BSD-3-Clause and tools under the GPL.	Free Free to download, with source published on GitHub.
Windows, Command line	Windows, Command line
Reference implementation of an open, patent-free format Lossless compression with bit-exact decoding	Uses Apple's AAC encoder on Windows Encodes both AAC and ALAC
Command-line only; needs a separate front end for a GUI Lossless files remain larger than MP3 or AAC	Command line only, no graphical interface Windows only
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause, GPL-3.0-or-later	License: Public Domain
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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