# Audacity vs GoldWave

| Attribute | Audacity | GoldWave |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 50.2 (21% (low)) | 48 (40% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 18,360 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A desktop audio editing and recording application available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports multiple audio formats, VST3 plugins, and includes AI-powered audio processing capabilities through optional extensions. It is indexed under Audio Editing.","source":"https://www.audacityteam.org/","question":"What is Audacity?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Audacity offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.audacityteam.org/","question":"Is Audacity free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Audacity supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.audacityteam.org/","question":"What platforms does Audacity support?","confidence":0.6}]` | `[{"answer":"A comprehensive audio editing application for recording, editing, restoration, processing, enhancement, analysis, and file format conversion, refined over 30+ years of development. It is indexed under Audio Editing.","source":"https://www.goldwave.com/","question":"What is GoldWave?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"GoldWave is a paid product; published pricing starts at $19. There is no free tier. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.goldwave.com/","question":"How much does GoldWave cost?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"GoldWave supports the web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.goldwave.com/","question":"What platforms does GoldWave support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. GoldWave can be deployed cloud / SaaS and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.goldwave.com/","question":"Can GoldWave be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A desktop audio editing and recording application available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports multiple audio formats, VST3 plugins, and includes AI-powered audio processing capabilities through optional extensions. | A comprehensive audio editing application for recording, editing, restoration, processing, enhancement, analysis, and file format conversion, refined over 30+ years of development. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"free_open_source","architecture_model":"desktop_local_application"}` | `{"pricing_model":"perpetual_lifetime_license","architecture_model":"desktop_local_application","batch_processing_for_file_conversion_and_fx":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 1 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"freedb.org","native":true,"direction":"inbound"}]` |
| language.primary | C++ | - |
| market.availability | - | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"ios":true,"mac":true,"web":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"free","summary":"Completely free","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.audacityteam.org/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-01T14:52:03.824Z"}` | `{"type":"perpetual","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"GoldWave","summary":"$19 perpetual license","components":[{"kind":"one_time","amount":19,"currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false}],"summary":"$19 one-time purchase","currency":"USD","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://www.goldwave.com/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-01T14:53:00.633Z","startingPrice":{"amount":19,"currency":"USD"}}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | no |
| pricing.model | free | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | mid |
| pricing.starting_price | - | `{"amount":19,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 41 | - |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-4.0.0","date":"2026-09-03T10:19:48Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-4.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.9","date":"2026-09-01T15:05:46Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-4.0.0-beta-4","date":"2026-08-28T15:25:10Z","type":"prerelease","version":"Audacity-4.0.0-beta-4"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.8","date":"2026-06-11T14:32:48Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-4.0.0-beta-2","date":"2026-06-11T14:33:00Z","type":"prerelease","version":"Audacity-4.0.0-beta-2"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.7","date":"2025-12-11T19:48:17Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.6","date":"2025-12-04T18:24:15Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-4.0.0-alpha-2","date":"2025-11-03T11:42:02Z","type":"prerelease","version":"Audacity-4.0.0-alpha-2"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.5","date":"2025-08-05T09:48:55Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.4","date":"2025-06-10T14:31:27Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.3","date":"2025-03-13T13:07:29Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.2","date":"2025-03-10T14:46:20Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.1","date":"2024-12-12T08:42:33Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.7.0","date":"2024-10-30T17:51:16Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.6.4","date":"2024-09-19T10:30:57Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.6.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.6.3","date":"2024-09-09T15:50:44Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.6.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.6.2","date":"2024-09-03T16:31:00Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.6.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.6.1","date":"2024-07-22T08:06:54Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.6.0","date":"2024-07-16T18:01:23Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/audacity/audacity/releases/tag/Audacity-3.5.1","date":"2024-04-24T16:21:57Z","type":"stable","version":"Audacity-3.5.1"}]` | - |
| security.scorecard | 4.6 | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Faudacity%2Faudacity&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | - |

## Capabilities (Audio Editing)

| Capability | Audacity | GoldWave |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Architecture model | Desktop local application | Desktop local application |
| Editing paradigm | - | - |
| Spectral frequency editing and visualization | - | - |
| AI dialogue isolation and background denoising | - | - |
| Batch processing for file conversion and fx | - | ✓ |
| Loudness metering and normalization lufs ebu r128 | - | - |
| Vst3 and audio unit au plugin support | - | - |
| Ara 2 audio random access daw integration | - | - |
| Multi channel surround and ambisonic editing | - | - |
| Cd authoring and ddp export support | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| Gpl or permissive oss license | - | - |
| Pricing model | Free open source | Perpetual lifetime license |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-09-11T23:36:56.195Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*