{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "cubase",
            "name": "Cubase",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.steinberg.net/cubase/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/cubase",
            "tagline": "Digital audio workstation from Steinberg for Windows and macOS",
            "summary": "Cubase is a digital audio workstation from Steinberg for recording, arranging, editing and mixing audio and MIDI. It runs on Windows and macOS and is sold in Pro, Artist and Elements editions, with a free trial.",
            "developer": "Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos"
            ],
            "pricing": "paid",
            "price_note": "Paid editions from Elements to Pro; free trial",
            "free_to_use": false,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Full composition, recording and mixing workflows",
                "Dolby Atmos support in the Pro edition",
                "Free trial before buying"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Pro costs several times the price of Elements",
                "iPad work uses separate apps, such as Cubasis"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Cubase is a digital audio workstation for recording, arranging, editing and mixing audio and MIDI. Pro 15 is Steinberg's complete edition, with Dolby Atmos support, advanced MIDI editing, a modulation system and a Pro plug-in set. Artist 15 adds VariAudio pitch correction, multitrack AudioWarp and advanced comping, and Elements 15 is the entry edition, with Chord Pads, a scale assistant and more than 20 GB of sounds and loops.\n\nCubase runs on Windows and macOS. The requirements page lists Windows 10 (22H2 or later) and Windows 11 (24H2 or later), and macOS 14 and later for Pro 15. Full versions are paid, with Elements the lowest-priced edition and Pro the highest, and a free trial is offered. iPad work uses separate apps, such as Cubasis, so Cubase suits composers and producers who want one full workstation on a desktop."
        },
        {
            "slug": "reaper",
            "name": "REAPER",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.reaper.fm/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/reaper",
            "tagline": "Affordable, fully featured DAW with a 60-day evaluation",
            "summary": "REAPER is a digital audio workstation from Cockos for recording, editing, mixing and MIDI work on Windows, Linux and macOS. It can be evaluated in full for 60 days, and the license is DRM-free with free updates through REAPER 8.99.",
            "developer": "Cockos Incorporated",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "linux",
                "macos"
            ],
            "pricing": "paid",
            "price_note": "Paid license after a 60-day evaluation; DRM-free",
            "free_to_use": false,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Full evaluation for 60 days",
                "DRM-free license with free updates"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Interface is plain by default",
                "Less guidance for beginners"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "REAPER is a full-featured DAW. The vendor describes its license as affordably priced and DRM-free, and the evaluation runs the full program. The download page offers builds for Windows, Linux and macOS, so the same tool works across the three main desktop systems.\n\nA REAPER 7 license includes free updates through version 8.99, according to the site, so buyers keep receiving bug fixes and feature updates within that range. The interface is plain by default and offers less guidance than consumer DAWs. REAPER suits people who want a complete DAW for a modest outlay."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only REAPER runs on Linux."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "digital-audio-workstations",
            "name": "Digital audio workstations",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/digital-audio-workstations",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "cubase",
                    "rank": 4,
                    "score": 89.5,
                    "verdict": "A full DAW for Windows and macOS in paid editions, with a free trial. Pro costs several times Elements, and iPad work runs in separate apps, so Logic Pro is the closer fit for a single Mac and iPad workflow.",
                    "best_for": "Composing and mixing on Windows or macOS",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Windows, macOS",
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Paid editions, free trial"
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "reaper",
                    "rank": 3,
                    "score": 90.5,
                    "verdict": "A full DAW with a 60-day evaluation, a DRM-free license and builds for Windows, Linux and macOS. The interface is plain by default and offers less guidance than consumer DAWs.",
                    "best_for": "Low-cost recording on every desktop",
                    "spec": {
                        "platforms": "Windows, macOS, Linux",
                        "open_source": false,
                        "cost": "Paid license after 60-day trial"
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "reaper",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/cubase-vs-reaper",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/cubase-vs-reaper.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}