Is Cubase or REAPER better?

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

Which is cheaper, Cubase or REAPER?

REAPER has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99.99/one-time for Cubase and Free for REAPER.

Does Cubase or REAPER run on more platforms?

Cubase runs on Windows, macOS. REAPER runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.

Can I use REAPER for free?

Yes. REAPER has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time.

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 REAPER is typically brought in for.

What can Cubase do that REAPER cannot?

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

Music · head to head

Cubase vs REAPER

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

REAPER

Music

Full digital audio workstation with a 60 day evaluation and a USD 60 personal licence

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only REAPER has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
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.; REAPER the USD 60 discounted licence requires that yearly gross revenue does not exceed USD 20,000, above which the commercial licence at USD 225 applies
Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cubase and REAPER actually diverge.

Attributes where Cubase and REAPER differ
Attribute	Cubase	REAPER
Starting price	$99.99/one-time	Free
Pricing model	One-time purchase	one-time
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS, Linux

Identical on both: 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 REAPER

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 REAPER
Driving large orchestral sample libraries, where expression maps turn articulation switching into notation instead of hidden keyswitch lanesnot REAPER
Studios standardised on Steinberg or Yamaha hardware, where control surface integration is already builtnot REAPER
Replacing a dongle based Cubase installation, where the reason to upgrade is removing the USB key as a single point of failurenot REAPER

REAPER

Music productionnot Cubase
Audio recordingnot Cubase
Audio editingnot Cubase
Post productionnot Cubase
Podcast editingnot 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.

REAPER

The USD 60 discounted licence requires that yearly gross revenue does not exceed USD 20,000, above which the commercial licence at USD 225 applies
The commercial licence at USD 225 is nearly four times the discounted one for identical software, since the price is set by who is using it rather than by what it does
The evaluation lasts 60 days, after which continued use requires a purchased licence
Sold as a paid licence with no free tier beyond the evaluation period

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

REAPER

Free

Discounted License$60/one-time
- For individuals using REAPER personally
- For businesses with yearly gross revenue under 20000 USD
- For educational and non-profit organizations
Commercial License$225/one-time
- For commercial use by businesses exceeding revenue threshold
- Includes free upgrades through REAPER version 8.99

Which should you pick?

Choose Cubase if

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

Cubase review

Choose REAPER if

You want to start without paying.
You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.

REAPER review

Questions people ask

Is Cubase or REAPER better?: Neither clearly leads. Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time and REAPER at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cubase or REAPER?: REAPER has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99.99/one-time for Cubase and Free for REAPER.
Does Cubase or REAPER run on more platforms?: Cubase runs on Windows, macOS. REAPER runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Can I use REAPER for free?: Yes. REAPER has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cubase starts at $99.99/one-time.
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 REAPER is typically brought in for.
What can Cubase do that REAPER 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.

REAPER: How much does REAPER cost?

REAPER costs 60 USD for a discounted license (individuals, non-profits, organizations under 20000 USD annual revenue) or 225 USD for commercial use. All licenses include free updates through version 8.99.

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.

REAPER: Can I try REAPER before buying?

Yes, REAPER offers a 60-day full evaluation period with no artificial feature limitations, allowing you to test all capabilities before purchasing.

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.

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.

Cubase vs REAPER

Cubase

REAPER

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Cubase

Only in REAPER

What people use each for

Cubase

REAPER

Where each one falls short

Cubase

REAPER

Pricing, plan by plan

Cubase

REAPER

Which should you pick?

Choose Cubase if

Choose REAPER if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Cubase

More on REAPER

Keep looking

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