Ardour

Open-source digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Unclaimed

Pricing: Open source · see prices
Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows
Categories: Audio & music

About Ardour

Ardour is a free and open-source digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and mastering audio and MIDI on Linux, macOS and Windows. It is built around recording real instruments and multitrack sessions, with non-destructive editing, unlimited undo, a flexible mixer with sends, inserts and automation, control-surface support and sample-accurate video sync for soundtrack work. It can import audio and MIDI from disk or the Freesound database. Version 9.8 added initial support for keys and scales. Source code is free under the GPL; ready-to-run builds are offered for a small payment or subscription, with a free demo build.

Good for

Audio engineers, musicians recording live instruments, podcasters and film editors who want a capable open-source DAW, especially on Linux.

Watch out for

The free demo build goes silent periodically (the FAQ mentions after 10 minutes); the full ready-to-run version is a separate paid download. Building from source yourself is free but unsupported on Windows and macOS.

Pricing notes

As of October 2026 the FAQ says you can pay as little as US$1 for a ready-to-run download, or subscribe for ongoing updates; the source code is free. Exact suggested amounts and subscription prices were not read.