Cubase

Steinberg's long-running DAW for composing, recording and mixing, with especially strong MIDI tools.

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Alternatives ranked: 6
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About Cubase

Cubase is the flagship DAW from Steinberg, the German company owned by Yamaha that created the VST plugin standard. It has been around since the late 1980s and is widely used by film and game composers, songwriters and producers who work heavily with MIDI and virtual instruments: its key, drum and score editors, expression maps and chord tools are among the most complete available. It also handles audio recording, comping, mixing with channel strips and Dolby Atmos, and integrates with Steinberg's other products such as Dorico for notation and Nuendo for post-production. Cubase comes in three editions, Elements, Artist and Pro, sold as one-off licences with paid upgrades, and a trial is available from Steinberg. Steinberg uses its own licensing app to activate products, which some users find fiddly. The interface is deep and can take time to learn. It runs on Windows and macOS, with Cubasis as a separate mobile app.

Best for: Composers and producers who rely on detailed MIDI editing and virtual instruments.

What works

Some of the most detailed MIDI and scoring tools of any DAW
Three editions let you start cheaply and upgrade
Strong integration with other Steinberg tools

Why people leave

Major version upgrades cost extra
Dense interface with a steep learning curve
Product activation through Steinberg's licensing system

Top Cubase alternatives

See all 6

1
Logic Pro
Mac users get comparable MIDI and scoring tools for a lower one-off price.
66.5
2Re
REAPER
Low-cost, highly customisable DAW with free updates within a version.
59.6
3
Pro Tools
The studio standard if you mainly exchange audio sessions with other engineers.
57.2
4
Bitwig Studio
Modern alternative with modular sound design and Linux support.
55.3
5
Digital Performer
Another veteran DAW with deep MIDI and film-scoring features.
53.6

Why people left Cubase

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Cubase: common questions

Is Cubase free?

No, Cubase is a paid product.

Is Cubase open source?

No, Cubase is not open source.

What platforms does Cubase run on?

Cubase is available for Windows and macOS.

What are the best alternatives to Cubase?

The highest-ranked Cubase alternatives right now are Logic Pro, REAPER and Pro Tools. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 6 Cubase alternatives