A solid digital audio workstation (DAW) is one of the most critical tools in an artist’s toolbelt in electronic music production. It’s the command center where all musical ideas find their shape and combine to create a polished final product. 

However, choosing the best DAW can be one of the most headache-inducing challenges for amateurs and pros alike. Never before have there been so many options available, and with dizzying lists of features, it can feel nearly impossible to choose the right one for your studio. 

However, there are two names in DAWs that come up time and time again when producers are looking for a platform to work with: REAPER and Ableton Live. These programs are packed with features perfect for live and electronic music production, but each stands out in different key feature areas.  

We’re putting them head-to-head in this guide to see which one reigns supreme in each of our key categories. So, without further ado, welcome to the REAPER vs. Ableton Live showdown.

What Do REAPER and Ableton Live Do?

REAPER and Ableton Live are both DAWs that allow you to record, edit, and mix digital audio. They both allow you to mix recorded media as well as MIDI inputs for a blend of natural and digital sound. Both platforms work on Macs and PCs.

The Main Differences Between REAPER and Ableton Live

The key differences between REAPER and Ableton Live come down to their workflow and price. REAPER takes a “build your own features” approach by providing users with a very basic interface that allows you to plug-in 3rd party VSTs and create your own scripts for a fully customized workflow experience.

On the other hand, Ableton Live is a traditional closed-source software program where you play by the software designers’ rules. That being said, it’s a clean, well-organized interface that still allows for dozens of plugins that will enable you to customize the platform to fit your needs and workflow. Ableton Live also clocks in at a price point closer to other professional DAWs vs. the much lower entry price of REAPER.

Head to Head Comparison

Ok, here’s what you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to put these programs up against each other and see which ones excel in each of our key categories: 

Ease of Use

• Winner: REAPER
• Why: This is a category that many users will argue over, but “ease of use” in this case will ultimately come down to how comfortable a user is with manipulating open-source software. While REAPER is pretty bare-bones to start, if you have a basic understanding of DAWs and their workflow, you’ll find REAPER pretty easy to start customizing and using.
  
  Ableton requires you to play by its rules a bit more, which means that you’ll have to adapt to its workflow a bit more than the other way around. However, this isn’t a huge dealbreaker, and while REAPER may slightly edge it out in this category, Ableton is still a highly intuitive platform. 
  

Quality of Support

• Winner: REAPER
• Why: Both platforms have excellent support teams, but the REAPER team has gone above and beyond to support their platform and answer any questions or problems that may arise.
  
  This isn’t to say that Ableton doesn’t have high-quality support, but REAPER’s vast array of resources and robust community that are happy to jump in and solve other user’s problems edge it out in this category.
  

Sound Editing Functionality

• Winner: REAPER
• Why: Thanks to REAPER’s robust set of tools and unlimited workspace customizations, it edges out Ableton a bit when it comes to general sound editing functionality. It supports a total number of editing tracks, which is a huge win for anyone who makes complex, multi-layer mixes. Overall, with the addition of plugins and a little customization, REAPER can quickly overtake Ableton in overall sound editing capability for a fraction of the cost. 
  

Recording

• Winner: REAPER
• Why: Again, REAPER’s limitless customization options and powerful studio tools make it the winner in the audio recording category. Its MIDI Overlay feature makes it easy to link keyboard shortcuts to essential commands for live editing during recording sessions. It’s also an impressively stable platform, which is critical when working with live recording.
  
  Overall, REAPER is simply the more robust program for live recording tools, while Ableton has chosen to focus more on the mixing and mastering elements.