What is REAPER used for?

REAPER is a customizable digital audio workstation for multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, mixing and mastering, with a low-cost, DRM-free license. It is a good fit for home studios recording and mixing music, sound designers building custom workflows, and students learning audio production.

How much does REAPER cost?

REAPER is a paid product with no free plan. Fully functional 60-day evaluation; the paid license is DRM-free and includes free updates through version 8.99.

Is REAPER open source?

No. REAPER is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to REAPER include Ardour and LMMS.

What are some alternatives to REAPER?

REAPER competes with Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase and Logic Pro. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source REAPER alternatives.

REAPER: features, pricing and alternatives

About REAPER

REAPER is a complete digital audio production application for computers. It covers multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, processing, mixing and mastering, and supports a wide range of hardware, digital formats and plugins.

A defining trait is extensibility: REAPER can be scripted, modified and extended, and the community maintains language packs, themes, the SWS extension, the ReaPack package manager and an unofficial blog. The vendor says there is a single, fully featured version with no artificial limitations, and updates are released frequently. It is used in home and commercial studios, broadcast, education, sound design and game development.

REAPER is commercial software with a full 60-day evaluation period and an affordably priced, DRM-free license. A REAPER 7 license includes free updates through version 8.99. It suits musicians and engineers who want deep customization without a large upfront cost.

Key features

Multitrack audio and MIDI recording
Editing, mixing and mastering tools
Scripting and extension support
Themes, language packs and ReaPack packages
Wide hardware and plugin format support
Frequent free updates

Good fit for

→Home studios recording and mixing music
→Sound designers building custom workflows
→Students learning audio production

Tags: daw; audio-recording; mixing; mastering; scripting; midi; customizable

REAPER: questions and answers

What is REAPER used for?: REAPER is a customizable digital audio workstation for multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, mixing and mastering, with a low-cost, DRM-free license. It is a good fit for home studios recording and mixing music, sound designers building custom workflows, and students learning audio production.
How much does REAPER cost?: REAPER is a paid product with no free plan. Fully functional 60-day evaluation; the paid license is DRM-free and includes free updates through version 8.99.
Is REAPER open source?: No. REAPER is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to REAPER include Ardour and LMMS.
What are some alternatives to REAPER?: REAPER competes with Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase and Logic Pro. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source REAPER alternatives.