Is Cubase or FL Studio better?

Neither clearly leads. Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time and FL Studio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Cubase or FL Studio?

Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time and FL Studio at On request.

Does Cubase or FL Studio run on more platforms?

Both run on Windows, macOS, so platform support will not decide this one for you.

What is Cubase best used for?

Cubase is most often used for writing to picture where the deliverable includes printed parts as well as a mix, because the score comes from the same project rather than a midi export, driving large orchestral sample libraries, where expression maps turn articulation switching into notation instead of hidden keyswitch lanes, studios standardised on steinberg or yamaha hardware, where control surface integration is already built, replacing a dongle based cubase installation, where the reason to upgrade is removing the usb key as a single point of failure. Of those, writing to picture where the deliverable includes printed parts as well as a mix, because the score comes from the same project rather than a midi export and driving large orchestral sample libraries, where expression maps turn articulation switching into notation instead of hidden keyswitch lanes are not what FL Studio is typically brought in for.

What can Cubase do that FL Studio cannot?

Cubase covers Score editor, Expression maps, VariAudio, Chord Track and Chord Pads.

Music · head to head

Cubase vs FL Studio

Cubase

Music

Steinberg workstation with the strongest score editor of any DAW, now licensed without a USB dongle

From: $99.99/one-time
Rated: -

Full review Website

FL Studio

Music

Digital audio workstation sold with free updates to your edition for life

From: On request
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Cubase steinberg Licensing ties activations to an account across up to three machines, so an isolated or air-gapped studio computer needs the offline activation procedure rather than a carried dongle, and that procedure must be repeated whenever the hardware is rebuilt.; FL Studio fruity Edition has no audio recording at all, so recording a vocal or an instrument requires Producer Edition or higher
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cubase and FL Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Cubase and FL Studio differ
Attribute	Cubase	FL Studio
Starting price	$99.99/one-time	On request
Pricing model	One-time purchase	one-time

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Windows, macOS), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Cubase

Score editor
Expression maps
VariAudio
Chord Track and Chord Pads
Logical Editor
Video track
Steinberg Licensing
MixConsole

Only in FL Studio

Nothing recorded that Cubase does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Cubase

Writing to picture where the deliverable includes printed parts as well as a mix, because the score comes from the same project rather than a MIDI exportnot FL Studio
Driving large orchestral sample libraries, where expression maps turn articulation switching into notation instead of hidden keyswitch lanesnot FL Studio
Studios standardised on Steinberg or Yamaha hardware, where control surface integration is already builtnot FL Studio
Replacing a dongle based Cubase installation, where the reason to upgrade is removing the USB key as a single point of failurenot FL Studio

FL Studio

Music productionnot Cubase
Beat makingnot Cubase
Audio recordingnot Cubase
Electronic musicnot Cubase
Sound designnot Cubase

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Cubase

Steinberg Licensing ties activations to an account across up to three machines, so an isolated or air-gapped studio computer needs the offline activation procedure rather than a carried dongle, and that procedure must be repeated whenever the hardware is rebuilt.
Elements and Artist withhold features most buyers eventually need, including the top VariAudio tier and full surround work, so the realistic price is the Pro edition rather than the entry figure.
Projects saved in a newer version cannot be opened in an older one, so studios collaborating with clients on mixed versions have to standardise, and paid upgrades arrive roughly once a year.
There is no Linux build and no stated plan for one, so the platform choice is Windows or macOS only and a Linux studio is excluded outright.
The interface carries three decades of accumulated windows and dialogs spread across the Project window, MixConsole, Key Editor and Score Editor, so the learning curve is considerably longer than Live or Logic for a new user.

FL Studio

Fruity Edition has no audio recording at all, so recording a vocal or an instrument requires Producer Edition or higher
Edison and Newtime, the audio editing tools, are listed from Producer Edition upward and are absent from Fruity
Bundled effects run from 53 in Fruity to 71 in All Plugins Edition, so the cheapest edition is missing 18 of them
Bundled instruments run from 23 in Fruity to 39 in All Plugins Edition
Sold as a paid licence with no free tier, listed from USD 99

Pricing, plan by plan

Cubase

$99.99/one-time

Cubase Elements$99.99/one-time
- Perpetual licence
- Capped audio, MIDI and instrument track counts
- Reduced editing and mixing tool set
Cubase Artist$329.99/one-time
- Perpetual licence
- Higher track limits than Elements
- Score editor included
Cubase Pro$579.99/one-time
- Perpetual licence
- Unlimited tracks
- Full score editor, expression maps and surround

FL Studio

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the FL Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cubase if

You need score editor.
You work on Windows, macOS.
You also want expression maps.

Cubase review

Choose FL Studio if

You work on Windows, macOS.

FL Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Cubase or FL Studio better?: Neither clearly leads. Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time and FL Studio at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cubase or FL Studio?: Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time and FL Studio at On request.
Does Cubase or FL Studio run on more platforms?: Both run on Windows, macOS, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Cubase best used for?: Cubase is most often used for writing to picture where the deliverable includes printed parts as well as a mix, because the score comes from the same project rather than a midi export, driving large orchestral sample libraries, where expression maps turn articulation switching into notation instead of hidden keyswitch lanes, studios standardised on steinberg or yamaha hardware, where control surface integration is already built, replacing a dongle based cubase installation, where the reason to upgrade is removing the usb key as a single point of failure. Of those, writing to picture where the deliverable includes printed parts as well as a mix, because the score comes from the same project rather than a midi export and driving large orchestral sample libraries, where expression maps turn articulation switching into notation instead of hidden keyswitch lanes are not what FL Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Cubase do that FL Studio cannot?: Cubase covers Score editor, Expression maps, VariAudio, Chord Track and Chord Pads.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cubase: Does Cubase still need a USB dongle?

No. From Cubase 12 onwards Steinberg Licensing replaced the eLicenser. Activation runs through the Steinberg Activation Manager on up to three computers.

FL Studio: Is FL Studio a subscription or one-time purchase?

FL Studio is a one-time purchase model, not a subscription. You pay once for an edition and receive all future updates for free with no update fees or additional charges.

Source

Cubase: Can I run Cubase on a computer with no internet access?

Yes, but through the offline activation path in the Activation Manager rather than a normal sign in, and you repeat it if the machine is rebuilt. Test it before committing an isolated scoring rig.

FL Studio: What are the four edition options and can I upgrade between them?

The four editions are Fruity Edition, Producer Edition, Signature Bundle, and All Plugins Edition. You can upgrade anytime with pro-rated pricing, paying only the difference between editions.

Source

Cubase: Is Cubase a subscription?

No. Editions are bought outright and keep working. Steinberg charges separately for version upgrades, which appear roughly once a year.

FL Studio: Is a trial version available and what are its limitations?

A free trial is available with no time limit and no watermark on exports. The limitation is that you cannot reopen saved projects until you purchase a license.

Source

Cubase: Which edition do I need for scoring work?

Pro. Artist includes a score editor, but Pro is the edition with the full engraving, expression map and surround feature set that media work assumes.

FL Studio: Does FL Studio offer a rent-to-own payment option?

Yes, a rent-to-own option is available in select regions where after 12 payments, FL Studio is yours forever with lifetime free updates. FL Cloud continues until cancelled.

Source

FL Studio: Is FL Cloud subscription required to use FL Studio?

No, FL Cloud is optional. FL Studio works fully without it. FL Cloud offers royalty-free samples, premium plugins, AI mastering, cloud backup, and distribution features but is not mandatory.

Source

Cubase vs FL Studio

Cubase

FL Studio

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Cubase

Only in FL Studio

What people use each for

Cubase

FL Studio

Where each one falls short

Cubase

FL Studio

Pricing, plan by plan

Cubase

FL Studio

Which should you pick?

Choose Cubase if

Choose FL Studio if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Cubase

More on FL Studio

Keep looking

Other head to heads