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Music · head to head

Soundtrap vs Studio One

Soundtrap logo

Soundtrap

Music

Spotify-owned browser-based DAW and podcast studio, sold on separate Music Maker and Storytellers subscription tracks

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Studio One logo

Studio One

Music

Single-window workstation with album mastering built into the same project, now owned by Fender

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Soundtrap has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Soundtrap the free tier limits export quality and recording time enough that any real, publishable project needs a paid plan.; Studio One the bundled Melodyne is the Essential tier, which corrects monophonic pitch only; polyphonic editing and the tools most people actually want are a paid upgrade from Celemony on top of the workstation licence.
  • They diverge on capability: Soundtrap covers Browser-based multitrack editor, Studio One covers Project page.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Soundtrap and Studio One actually diverge.

Attributes where Soundtrap and Studio One differ
AttributeSoundtrapStudio One
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer user per monthquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, macOS

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 Soundtrap

  • Browser-based multitrack editor
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Podcast-specific tools
  • Loop and instrument library
  • Spotify Premium bundle
  • Direct publishing

Only in Studio One

  • Project page
  • Single window drag and drop
  • ARA2 with Melodyne
  • Scratch Pad
  • Chord Track
  • Show page
  • Impact XT and Sample One
  • Faderport integration

What people use each for

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

Soundtrap

  • A podcaster wanting browser-based multi-track voice recording with automatic leveling and noise reductionnot Studio One
  • A musician collaborating remotely with bandmates in real time without sharing large project files manuallynot Studio One
  • A Spotify Premium subscriber taking advantage of the bundled discount on a Soundtrap plannot Studio One
  • A creator who wants access to both music and podcast production tools and picks the Complete tiernot Studio One

Studio One

  • Delivering an album or EP where mastering must stay linked to the mixes, so a late vocal fix does not mean rebuilding the masternot Soundtrap
  • Project studios already on PreSonus interfaces and Faderport surfaces, where the control mapping is done for younot Soundtrap
  • Songwriters who want pitch editing in the timeline without buying Melodyne separatelynot Soundtrap
  • Running the same session live from the Show page rather than rebuilding the set in a separate performance toolnot Soundtrap

Where each one falls short

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

Soundtrap

  • The free tier limits export quality and recording time enough that any real, publishable project needs a paid plan.
  • Music Maker and Storytellers are marketed as distinct products despite sharing the same underlying editor, which can lead a buyer to pay for the wrong track or duplicate features across two subscriptions.
  • Production depth, plugin support and mixing precision remain behind desktop DAWs such as Pro Tools or Logic Pro, limiting it for professional mastering work.
  • As a Spotify-owned product, roadmap priorities are set by a streaming company, and features that primarily benefit Spotify’s ecosystem (like direct publishing) get more attention than deep audio engineering tools.
  • Reliance on a stable internet connection for cloud-based recording and collaboration makes it a poor fit for fieldwork or unreliable-connectivity environments compared with a local desktop DAW.

Studio One

  • The bundled Melodyne is the Essential tier, which corrects monophonic pitch only; polyphonic editing and the tools most people actually want are a paid upgrade from Celemony on top of the workstation licence.
  • PreSonus now sells a subscription alongside the perpetual licence and the two are easy to confuse at checkout; the subscription stops working when payment stops, which is a very different asset for a studio planning in decades.
  • Fender acquired PreSonus in 2022, so the roadmap sits inside a guitar hardware company, and long-term investment in the workstation is now a bet on that parent rather than on the original software team.
  • There is no Linux build, and the MIDI editing tool set is shallower than Cubase, so composers doing rule based MIDI transformation or serious notation work will hit limits quickly.
  • The plugin scanner has a long history of struggling with large third-party plugin collections, producing slow startup and occasional missing plugins when sessions move between machines.

Pricing, plan by plan

Soundtrap

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic recording and editing
    • Limited export quality and recording time
  • Music Maker Premium$9.99/month
    • Full-quality export
    • Extended recording time and loop library access
  • Music Maker Supreme$14.99/month
    • Expanded instrument and loop library
    • Higher-tier collaboration limits
  • Storytellers$14.99/month
    • Podcast-specific auto-leveling and noise reduction tools

Studio One

On request
  • Studio One Pro (perpetual licence)$undefined/one-time
    • Bought outright and keeps working indefinitely
    • Next major version is a separate paid upgrade
    • Melodyne Essential included
  • Studio One Pro+ (subscription)$undefined/month
    • Workstation plus sound content and cloud storage
    • Stops working when the subscription lapses
    • Billed monthly or annually

Which should you pick?

Choose Soundtrap if

  • You need browser-based multitrack editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Soundtrap review

Choose Studio One if

  • You need project page.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want single window drag and drop.
Studio One review

Questions people ask

Is Soundtrap or Studio One better?
Neither clearly leads. Soundtrap starts at Free and Studio One at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Soundtrap or Studio One?
Soundtrap has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Soundtrap and On request for Studio One.
Does Soundtrap or Studio One run on more platforms?
Soundtrap runs on Web, iOS, Android. Studio One runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Soundtrap for free?
Yes. Soundtrap has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Studio One starts at On request.
What is Soundtrap best used for?
Soundtrap is most often used for a podcaster wanting browser-based multi-track voice recording with automatic leveling and noise reduction, a musician collaborating remotely with bandmates in real time without sharing large project files manually, a spotify premium subscriber taking advantage of the bundled discount on a soundtrap plan, a creator who wants access to both music and podcast production tools and picks the complete tier. Of those, a podcaster wanting browser-based multi-track voice recording with automatic leveling and noise reduction and a musician collaborating remotely with bandmates in real time without sharing large project files manually are not what Studio One is typically brought in for.
What can Soundtrap do that Studio One cannot?
Soundtrap covers Browser-based multitrack editor, Real-time collaboration, Podcast-specific tools, Loop and instrument library. Studio One covers Project page, Single window drag and drop, ARA2 with Melodyne, Scratch Pad.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Soundtrap: Is Soundtrap free to use?

A free tier exists but with limited export quality and recording time; most real projects require a paid Music Maker, Storytellers or Complete plan.

Studio One: Who owns PreSonus?

Fender acquired PreSonus in 2022. Development continues, but the roadmap now sits inside a guitar hardware company rather than an independent software vendor.

Soundtrap: What is the difference between Music Maker and Storytellers?

Music Maker is aimed at musicians with a loop and instrument library; Storytellers focuses on podcast tools like auto-leveling and noise reduction, though both run on the same core editor.

Studio One: Is Studio One a subscription?

Both are sold. Studio One Pro is a perpetual licence you keep; Studio One Pro+ is a subscription bundling sound content and cloud storage that stops working when you stop paying.

Soundtrap: Who owns Soundtrap?

Spotify, which acquired it in 2017 and now bundles it with Spotify Premium subscriptions at a discount.

Studio One: Why is no price listed here?

PreSonus publishes current pricing, but the tier structure has been restructured across recent versions, so this entry points at the vendor page rather than quoting a figure that may already be wrong.

Studio One: What does the Project page actually do?

It sequences and masters a whole album inside the same file as the songs and stays linked to them, so changing a mix updates the master without a manual export and reimport.

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