Audacity
Free, open-source audio editor that's been the entry point for podcasters for 25 years.
Our take
Audacity is the default answer to 'how do I edit a podcast for $0' and it's still a perfectly reasonable one. Interface looks like Windows XP, the workflow is fiddly next to modern tools, and the recent ownership change rattled the community — but it's free, runs everywhere, and does the basics well. If you're starting out and don't want to commit to a subscription, this is where to begin; you'll outgrow it within a year if you stick with podcasting.
At a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Category
- Editing
- Price
- Free forever, open source
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows
- Best for
- Indie podcasters on a budget
In depth
Audacity has been the on-ramp for new podcasters and amateur audio editors for over two decades, and that durability is the main reason it still gets recommended. It's free, open source, and runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux without phoning home to a subscription server.
The toolkit covers what most beginners need: multitrack editing, format conversion across WAV, MP3, FLAC and Ogg, basic effects, plugin support for VST3 and Nyquist, and recently some AI-powered plugins on Mac for noise suppression and source separation. Recent versions added a cloud companion through Audio.com for collaboration.
The downsides are baked into its age. The interface is distinctly retro, the editing model is destructive in ways modern NLEs abandoned years ago, and there's no text-based editing or filler-word AI of the kind Descript built its brand on.
Workflows for podcast episodes work but feel fiddly — exporting, re-importing, managing levels by hand — and once you've used Hindenburg or Descript, the friction is hard to unsee. The real role of Audacity in 2026 is as a free starting point: ideal for someone publishing their first ten episodes who isn't ready to commit a monthly fee, or for occasional audio cleanup tasks where firing up a heavier tool is overkill.
Compared in our guides
Related research and guides
- Best podcast editing softwareOur researched shortlist of editors, with prices checked.
- Podcast Loudness CheckerMeasure LUFS and true peak in your browser before you publish.
- Best free podcast editing toolsEditors and DAWs you can use without paying.
- Anatomy of a good podcast excerptWhat a clip that gets watched looks like, frame by frame.
Alternatives to Audacity
See all Editing →
Edit podcasts and video by editing the transcript — delete a word, delete the audio.
Spoken-word DAW with automatic voice leveling for journalists.
Featherweight DAW with a generous license and obsessive community.
Audacity FAQ
What is Audacity in one line?
Free, open-source audio editor that's been the entry point for podcasters for 25 years.
Who should pick Audacity?
Audacity is shaped for indie podcasters on a budget. Interface looks like Windows XP, the workflow is fiddly next to modern tools, and the recent ownership change rattled the community — but it's free, runs everywhere, and does the basics well
Is Audacity free?
Yes. Audacity is free to use. What we have on record: Free forever, open source.
What can I use instead of Audacity?
Other tools in the same category: Descript, Hindenburg Pro, Reaper.
Shorts by Slice
From the team behind these free tools
One video. A week of posts.
Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.
- Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
- Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
- Your first video and first 3 clips are free, no card
Maintained by the team behind Podshare. No paid placements, and nobody can buy a listing or a ranking. A few entries are our own products and each one says so.
How we research each tool
Each entry is compiled from the tool’s own homepage and pricing pages, plus public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Editorial copy reflects our independent take — not the vendor’s marketing language.
We refresh the directory monthly to catch pricing changes and discontinued tools. Last full sweep: May 2026.
If we’ve got something wrong, please email mediabyslice@gmail.com and we’ll fix it.
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