Quick comparison
| # | App | Pricing | Verified price | Open source | Platforms | Verified facts | Score |
|---|
| 1 |  MusicBrainz Picard | Open source | — | Yes | Windows, macOS, Linux | 4 of 4 | 68.8 |
| 2 |  Kid3 | Open source | — | Yes | Linux, Windows, macOS +1 | 5 of 5 | 64.8 |
| 3 |  puddletag | Open source | — | Yes | Linux | 5 of 5 | 61.8 |
1Best for: Collectors who want albums tagged accurately from a large open music database
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux
Why switch from Yate
Free, open source and cross-platform, with acoustic fingerprinting to match files to MusicBrainz releases.
Pros
- Matches files by audio fingerprint even when they have no tags
- Uses the large, open MusicBrainz database and Cover Art Archive
- Scripting for custom file naming and folder layouts
- Free, open source and cross-platform
Cons
- Album-centred workflow has a learning curve
- Less suited to manual bulk edits than Mp3tag
- Results depend on the release being in MusicBrainz
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
2Best for: Linux and cross-platform users who want detailed, free control over music tags
Open sourceLinux, Windows, macOS, Android
Why switch from Yate
Free and open-source tag editor that also runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, with a simpler interface.
Pros
- Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and Android
- Fine-grained editing of every ID3v2 frame, plus synced lyrics
- Command-line and scripting options for automation
- Free and open source
Cons
- No audio fingerprint matching for untagged files
- Busy interface with many panels
- Smaller user community than Mp3tag or Picard
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified- Platforms
- Linux, Windows, macOS, Android
- Checked Nov 8, 2026kid3.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
- Online lookups
- gnudb, MusicBrainz, Discogs and more
- Checked Nov 8, 2026kid3.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
- Synced lyrics
- Edit and import/export LRC
- Checked Nov 8, 2026kid3.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
- Automation
- CLI, QML/JavaScript, D-Bus
- Checked Nov 8, 2026kid3.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
3Best for: Linux users who want Mp3tag-style bulk tag editing in a table view.
Open sourceLinux
Why switch from Yate
Free spreadsheet-style tagger for people who prefer editing many files in a grid.
Pros
- Spreadsheet layout makes bulk edits across albums quick
- Tag-from-filename, rename-from-tag and reusable actions
- MusicBrainz and Discogs lookups with cover art
- Free, GPL-3.0 and in most Linux repositories
Cons
- Linux only; no Windows or macOS build
- Interface takes time to learn, much like Mp3tag
- Official website and docs are updated rarely
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.377
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified- Layout
- Spreadsheet-style table
- Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
- Web lookups
- Discogs, MusicBrainz, FreeDB
- Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
- Formats
- ID3, MP4, Vorbis comments, APEv2, WMA
- Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
- Install
- PyPI and Linux distribution packages
- Checked Nov 8, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)