You don’t have to spend any money to make quality music on your PC. I’ve put together this list of the best free DAWs for Windows, so you can write, record, and mix music and get outstanding results from them.
The Best Free DAWs for Windows (Updated for 2026)
Why These DAWs?
I wanted to focus on DAWs that have a full set of features that aren’t locked behind a paywall and aren’t just handicapped versions of other platforms. Each DAW on this list includes basic mixing, editing, and MIDI sequencing tools. Plus, they offer unlimited tracks and support external VSTs and plugins. For more details, see how I chose these DAWs below.
1. Cakewalk Sonar
Features:
- Professional-level features for audio editing, mixing and mastering
- Integration with Bandlab’s online platform
- Dozens of FX plugins and ProChannel modules
- Compatible with third-party plugins and instruments
Cakewalk Sonar has been around in some form or another for over 20 years. It’s easily one of the most powerful music production apps ever made, and has been my personal DAW of choice for over a decade.
Previously, Sonar was a premium product sold for up to $500. It’s since been made free under Bandlab’s ownership, giving you access to a complex DAW that rivals other industry-standard programs.
Sonar offers a full suite of audio and MIDI tools to help you record and produce music at a professional level. This includes a console-style audio mixer, a wide range of effects plugins, VST support, unlimited tracks, and much more.
It also includes a handful of virtual instruments. Though to be honest, the selection is pretty sparse. If you primarily want to work with virtual instruments, you may be better off trying out Cakewalk Next or another DAW. But if you do lots of audio recording, mixing, and editing, Sonar has everything you’ll ever need.
While Sonar is free to use, Bandlab aggressively pushes it’s membership program within the app. Every time it starts up, you’ll have to sit through a 10-second splash screen encouraging you to subscribe to Bandlab Pro. Other UI elements are highlighted in orange, reminding you that they’re locked behind a paywall.
All in all, Sonar is still a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a traditional DAW experience on a budget.
2. Cakewalk Next
Features:
- Integration with Bandlab
- Access to Bandlab’s royalty-free sound library
- Over 300 built-in instruments and FX
- Compatible with third-party plugins and instruments
Cakewalk Next is a new entry-level DAW created by Cakewalk and Bandlab. It’s accessible for beginners and hobbyists who are new to music production. At the same time, it offers a surprising amount of tools that’ll satisfy some veteran producers.
If you’re familiar with Bandlab’s browser-based DAW, you’ll be right at home with Next. It’s essentially a desktop version with all the same sounds and features. You can even transfer your Bandlab projects to Next, and vice versa.
One of my favorite things about Next is all the included sounds. For starters, there are over 300 instruments available to play around with, including synths, keyboards, basses, drums, and whatever else you might need. It also has a built-in sound browser, letting you access thousands of sample packs, loops, and one-shots from Bandlab’s online service.
On top of all that, Next has a dozens of creative FX plugins and presets to get you going. All in all, it’s a compelling package for beat makers, EDM producers, and singer-songwriters.
And if the included sounds and effects aren’t enough, Cakewalk Next offers full support for VST and AU plugins.
If you’re new to music production, then Cakewalk Next might be your ideal choice. It’s a really competent DAW that’s easy for beginners to use and understand without much fuss.
Read More: Cakewalk Next First Impressions
3. Waveform Free
Features:
- Full set of audio and MIDI tools
- No major restrictions in place
- Unlimited tracks
- Compatible with third-party plugins
Waveform is an award-winning DAW with all the capabilities you’d expect from any professional-level software.
Tracktion offers two versions of Waveform:
- Waveform Free, which is a fully-functioning DAW with all the basic features you need to make music.
- Waveform PRO, the complete version of this DAW with added features, instruments, and plugins.
Waveform Free doesn’t impose any major restrictions on you. You can work with unlimited tracks and add VST plugins to your heart’s content. While there are some enhanced features and quality-of-life upgrades in the Pro version, the free version of Waveform has all the core features you need in a DAW.
Like Sonar, Waveform Free is a very powerful workstation for mix engineering and sound editing. If you primarily record and mix audio, it’ll have more than enough power to do what you need.
But if you’re looking for virtual instruments, you’ll want to check out another DAW or supplement it with your own VST collection.
4: Reaper
Features:
- Generous 60-day free trial and low price
- Fully-featured DAW with professional features
- Includes suite of plugins and effects
- Compatible with third-party plugins
- Unlimited tracks
Reaper makes this list on a technicality, but it’s absolutely worth mentioning here. It has a very generous 60-day free trial with no strings attached. In other words, you have complete access to all features without any limitations or paywalls.
And even when your trial ends, Reaper is dirt-cheap compared to most other DAWs of its caliber. An individual license starts at $60, which is a screaming bargain compared to other DAWs on the market.
As for features, Reaper is a fully-realized DAW that’s comparable to industry-standard programs like ProTools, Cubase, and Logic. It gives you everything you need to record, edit, automate, and process audio and MIDI data. It also supports third-party plugins and instruments, giving you endless possibilities.
How We Chose These DAWs
There are loads of DAWs that claim to be free. To narrow down our list, I wanted to find software that met these standards:
- Is it actually free?
- Does it have a full set of features?
- Do people actually use them?
Free vs. “Free”
Some mainstream DAWs have free versions available, but only on a trial basis. That, or they’re locked behind a hardware purchase.
Sonar, Next, and Waveform Free are 100% free to use. That said, you might see some nagging ads and splash screens telling you to upgrade.
The one exception is Reaper, which has a 60-day trial. But in my opinion, it’s a very generous amount of time to try it out. Plus, an individual license is very cheap compared to other DAWs like it. Reaper’s arguably the most cost-effective DAW available relative to all the features it offers.
Full Set of Features
When picking DAWs for this list, they needed to include the following features:
- Basic mixing & editing tools
- MIDI sequencing
- Unlimited tracks
- Third-party VST support
Some popular free DAWs lack some of these features. For example, Audacity doesn’t include any MIDI sequencing tools or VST support.
Others lock key features behind a paywall. Case in point, Cubase LE limits you to 16 audio tracks and 24 MIDI tracks.
Without a full set of features, it’s hard to recommend some of the other free DAWs on the market.
Community and Support
Each of the DAWs on this list has a loyal following of users who provide community support. On top of that, their developers also actively update and maintain them. So you can trust that you’re getting a solid product regardless of your choice.
Get the Most Out of Your DAW With These Resources
Now that you have your free DAW, you’ll want to pimp it out with additional plugins and gear. For that, we’ve put together these guides for building your budget studio:
- Learn how to build a cheap home studio for under $200.
- Supplement your DAW with free orchestral VSTs and free FX plugins.
- Pair your free DAW with one of these beginner audio interfaces.