The Cheapest DAWs with Complete Features: FL Studio, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Cubase

When choosing a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for music production, budget is often a key factor. However, it's important to ensure that the DAW you choose offers the necessary features to meet your needs. In this article, we'll take a detailed look at the pricing and features of FL Studio, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Cubase, to help you make an informed decision.

Pricing Comparison

FL Studio

FL Studio is well-known in the music production community for its powerful and user-friendly interface. Here's a breakdown of its pricing:

Fruity Edition: Starting at around $99.
Producer Edition: Around $199, which includes more features.
Signature Bundle: The complete version costs about $299.

Logic Pro

Logic Pro is designed for macOS users and offers a comprehensive set of music production tools. Pricing for Logic Pro is straightforward:

One-time purchase: $199.99 for a full-featured DAW.

Ableton Live

Ableton Live is synonymous with live performance and composition. Here is the pricing for different versions:

Standard Version: Starts at around $449.
Suite Version: Around $749, which includes all features and instruments.
Intro Version: Cheaper at about $99 but has limited features.

Cubase

Cubase is another robust DAW for professional music production. The pricing tiers are as follows:

Cubase Elements: Starting at around $99.
Cubase Artist: About $329.
Cubase Pro: Around $579.

Features Comparison

FL Studio

FL Studio offers a full suite of tools for music creation, including a powerful piano roll, a wide range of plugins, and a user-friendly interface. The Signature Bundle (around $299) provides complete features and is the cheapest among the complete versions of the DAWs listed.

Logic Pro

Logic Pro includes a comprehensive set of tools for music production, a vast library of sounds and loops, and powerful MIDI capabilities. It's only available for macOS, making it a good fit for Mac users.

Ableton Live

Ableton Live is known for its session view, which allows for flexible live performance and composition. It also includes a wide range of instruments and effects. The Suite version (around $749) is the most comprehensive but also the most expensive.

Cubase

Cubase offers robust MIDI capabilities, audio editing, and a wide range of VST instruments and effects. The Pro version (around $579) is the most feature-rich but also the most expensive.

Conclusion

If you're looking for the lowest entry point with good functionality, the FL Studio Producer Edition (around $199) is a solid choice. Alternatively, the FL Studio Signature Bundle (around $299) offers the most complete features at the best value. For Mac users, Logic Pro (one-time purchase of $199.99) is a great option.

Note: You could also consider Reaper, which offers a very modest subscription fee and is priced modestly for a full-featured DAW. While it is very customizable, it might require some effort to use it effectively.