For all you fellow music fans and wannabe music producers who have switched to Mac for its sleek and smooth interface, you might be wondering whether Audacity is still a good fit. Well, while most macOS users search for Windows app alternatives, this is one of those times where you might want to look for an Audacity equivalent for Mac for a more elevated, intuitive experience.

Ready to see how I’ve upgraded my audio editing workflow? I’ll be going over a range of options so you can, too.

What is an Audacity?

Audacity is an audio editing software for mixing, editing, and recording. People love it because of its entirely free and open-source nature and the fact that it offers many useful features like audio effects, multi-track editing, and plenty of support for different file formats. It’s particularly useful for musicians, producers, podcasters, and anyone who needs to play with audio tracks. 

Is there an Audacity for Mac?

Mac does have a compatible Audacity version but doesn’t adapt very well to the macOS system. It can be buggy and look unpolished, as it appears pretty much like a Windows program installed on a Mac interface.

Source: Softonic

The minute I downloaded Audacity onto my Mac, I decided to look for other alternatives for these exact reasons.

If you’re willing to do all the research and testing yourself, you can go through my quick guide table and look at the apps I’ve compiled. In the next section, I round up all the Audacity macOS alternative options that are worth your while, going into much more detail:

Audacity alternative	Features users love
n-Track Studio	Well-rounded multi-track recording and mixing app with a comprehensive tutorial section and a large library of effects.
MixPad	Built-in sound libraries and loops with drag-and-drop simplicity.
Ableton	Live performance and beat-making features ideal for electronic and hip-hop music.
ocenaudio	Lightweight program with real-time preview of effects.
REAPER	Full range of professional editing tools with a highly customizable interface.
Garage Band	Best for beginners — built-in instruments and effects and great integration with Apple hardware and software.

Best Audacity alternatives for Mac

Whether you’re looking for basic editing tools or professional-grade features, I’ve experimented with a variety of alternatives for Audacity for macOS so you can fit a suitable fit for your projects.

n-Track Studio: fully-fledged music studio inside your Mac

n-Track Studio is the total package. Emulating a studio environment, it has all the tools you need to control every aspect of your mix, pick and choose from a variety of presets and loops, and browse through a vast library of effects. And it’s not just the features that are sure to draw you in — it’s the incredible audio engine with a non-memory-hungry audio engine and support for sampling rates up to 192 kHz.

What I like:

✅ Live input music recorder supports third-party VST plugins.

✅ Multi effects for live performance recording.

What I don’t like:

❌ Steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with full-on studio apps.

MixPad Multitrack Recorder: Professional recording and mixing studio on Mac

MixPad's multitrack mixing and recording software caters to both beginners and professionals. It features a built-in music library for royalty-free sound effects and music to give you a head start (or inspiration) if needed, a beat designer section, and all sorts of editing tools like pitch correction and reverb. Rather than being a tool that requires a ton of experimentation to figure out, MixPad makes it easy with an intuitive interface.

What I like:

✅ Ability to upload directly to YouTube, SoundCloud, and other cloud services.

✅ Claims to have more supported formats than any other mixer.

What I don’t like:

❌ Clunky interface for Mac.

Ableton Live: Music performance within one intuitive interface

Ableton Live has long been a favorite for DJs and those in the electronic and hip-hop music genres, thanks to its tools for beat-making and live-looping. If you make music in these niches or often perform live, you can’t miss out on this one. It’s considered a DAW (digital audio workstation) with endless effects, decks, and features that cut right to the chase. Once you add the loops, kits, samples, and other sounds to your deck, you can trigger them with external controllers for easy manipulation.

What I like:

✅ Advanced automation tools and built-in effects.

✅ Flexible workflow that encourages creative exploration.

What I don’t like:

❌ May be overkill if you only need basic audio editing.

ocenaudio: easy and powerful audio editor

ocenaudio is similar to Audacity in that it’s built for Linux, Windows, and Mac, making it a cross-platform software with all the audio editing tools you need. What makes ocenaudio stand out most is its real-time preview feature, which allows you to hear the processed signal while adjusting effects and controls. It also has a one-of-a-kind spectrogram view that lets you take a close look at the spectral content of your audio signal — perfect for sound designers.

What I like:

✅ Multi-selection tool to listen, edit, and apply effects.

✅ Real-time preview and other niche functions to make the editing process easier.

What I don’t like:

❌ Less common interface with sparse toolbars and panels.

REAPER: Complete digital audio production on Mac

REAPER doesn’t exactly have a specialization — it does it all. With such a flexible feature set, it’s suitable for sound design, game development, education, research, and more. The program can support third-party plug-in effects, has hundreds of studio-quality effects, and is practically any advanced audio producer’s dream, thanks to its constantly updating roster of tools.

What I like:

✅ Advanced tools like swipe comping, razor edits, and tracks that support up to 128 channels.

✅ Regular updates with entire changelogs of fixes and changes.

What I don’t like:

❌ Not beginner-friendly

GarageBand: Apple’s music creation studio with complete sound library

Baked into the macOS is GarageBand — the most user-friendly music editing software for Mac users. Once you start up the program, you’ll know exactly how to record your voice or instruments and put together a full-fledged song. The app has a range of easy-to-use pre-made loops, sound effects, and virtual instruments to get you started and inspired without the extra frills of advanced DAWs like Ableton.

What I like:

✅ Integrates smoothly with Apple hardware and software like Logic Pro.

✅ Seamless start for basic recording and mixing projects with the ability to expand into more advanced production.

What I don’t like:

❌ Limited editing features that may be too basic for advanced projects.

How to choose the best Audacity equivalent?

When we’re talking about audio editing software, making a choice depends on more than just what sort of interface you prefer. The main consideration that should sway your decision is the features it offers — are they advanced or basic enough for your liking? Other aspects to look at include:

• Performance: Is the app able to handle large projects without shutting down or becoming overwhelmed?
• Customization: Can you customize your workspace to suit your workflow, or is the program quite rigid in that regard?
• Compatibility: Does it work with the other audio tools and instruments you might be using?
• Price: Is it overly expensive about how much you plan to use the program and what you plan to use it for?
• Software updates: When was the last time the app was updated? Is it supported and backed by a team, or typically left as is?

Whenever possible, test these apps before making the commitment to see if the interface is really as easy to navigate as it claims.

Finding the perfect Audacity on Mac alternative for your needs

Everyone’s audio editing needs are drastically different. Maybe you’re a music producer looking to make it in the big leagues, or perhaps you’re really just looking to make your personal songs or podcast episodes sound a little more polished. That’s why I featured a range of apps that’ll do the trick for any need on the spectrum.

n-Track Studio (Audacity alternative for Mac) is one of those intuitive apps that cater well to most needs. With a detailed and in-depth tutorial section, you won’t get lost trying to figure out how to make it work for you. It’s available on Setapp — a handy subscription service to 250+ iOS and macOS apps. Start your 7-day free trial and explore all the features n-Track Studio has to offer!