Ableton Live vs. Reaper

Comparison of Ableton Live and Reaper
Real cost
	Ableton Live A favourite for electronic music and live sets, with a fast creative workflow. The full edition is pricey. Swap this Tool Use MindNode instead	Reaper A light, flexible and low-priced workstation. It looks plain and needs some setup. Swap this Tool Use MindNode instead
Price	449 € One-time payment	60 € One-time payment
Payment	One-time payment	One-time payment
Trial	90-day trial	60-day trial
Free Tier	No free tier	No free tier
Open Source	No	No
Features and limits
Main Features	Session view for live performance Powerful audio and MIDI editing Included instruments and effects Warping and time stretching Max for Live on the top edition	Multitrack recording and editing Very low system load Highly customisable Supports many plugin formats Scripting
Limits	Higher price for the full edition	Looks plain and needs setup Few included instruments
Compatibility and trust
Supported Operating Systems	WindowsmacOS	WindowsmacOS
Verified on	13 Sep 2026	29 Aug 2026
Where to buy
Vendor	Go to vendor’s site: Ableton Live (opens in a new tab) One-time payment for the standard edition. Approximate list price in euros, check the vendor.	Go to vendor’s site: Reaper (opens in a new tab) One-time payment for personal use. Approximate list price in euros, check the vendor.

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