Best 25 Audio Editing Applications (2025) – Compare DAWs, Free Tools & Podcast Editors 

🧠 Explore the Best Audio Editing Tools for Creators, Musicians, and Podcasters

From powerful DAWs like Pro Tools and FL Studio to free editors like Audacity and Ocenaudio, this list ranks the top 25 audio editing applications of 2025. Whether you're mixing music, mastering audio, producing a podcast, or editing field recordings, you’ll find the right software here — no matter your experience level or budget. 

1-20: Mainstream and Industry-Standard Audio Editing Tools

1. Adobe Audition 

 A professional audio editing and mixing software.
https://www.adobe.com/audition

2. Audacity 

 A free, open-source audio editing software.
https://www.audacityteam.org

3. Pro Tools 

 A professional digital audio workstation (DAW) for music and post-production.
https://www.avid.com/pro-tools

4. Logic Pro 

A professional DAW for macOS.
https://www.apple.com/logic-pro

5. FL Studio 

 A professional DAW for music production.
https://www.image-line.com

6. Ableton Live 

 A professional DAW for live performance and music production.
https://www.ableton.com

7. GarageBand 

 A free DAW for macOS and iOS.
https://www.apple.com/garageband

8. Cubase 

 A professional DAW for music production.
https://www.steinberg.net/cubase

9. Reaper 

 A professional DAW with a customizable interface.
https://www.reaper.fm

10. Studio One 

 A professional DAW for music production.
https://www.presonus.com/studio-one

11. Sound Forge 

 A professional audio editing software.
https://www.magix.com/sound-forge

12. WavePad 

 A professional audio editing software.
https://www.nchsoftware.com/wavepad

13. Ocenaudio 

 A free, cross-platform audio editing software.
https://www.ocenaudio.com

14. Hindenburg Journalist 

 An audio editing software for podcasters and journalists.
https://hindenburg.com

15. Ardour 

 A free, open-source DAW for music production.
https://ardour.org

16. LMMS 

 A free, open-source DAW for music production.
https://lmms.io

17. Bitwig Studio 

 A professional DAW for music production.
https://www.bitwig.com

18. Mixcraft 

 A professional DAW for music production.
https://acoustica.com/mixcraft

19. Nuendo 

 A professional DAW for post-production.
https://www.steinberg.net/nuendo

20. Reason 

 A professional DAW for music production.
https://www.reasonstudios.com

21: Open-Source and Free Audio Editing Tool

21. Ableton Live 

 A professional DAW for live performance and music production.
https://www.ableton.com

Looking for tools beyond audio editing? Check out our full Productivity Software Index to explore more categories for creators, teams, and digital professionals.