Pro Tools 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing

On this page

Overview
Pricing and Plans
Features
User Reviews

Overview

Pro Tools

4.7

(92)

Pricing

Starting at $34.99 per month

About Pro Tools

Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) solution designed for students, teachers, musicians, audio professionals and film industry. It assists with music production, audio recording, editing and mixing. It allows managers to edit soundtracks for producing songs, capture musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) performances, use nudge notes, automate playlist tracking and process vocal sound to compose music. The tool supports various aspects of audio production, from initial recording to final mastering. It is compatible with both macOS and Windows operating systems as well as various audio interfaces, control surfaces and MIDI devices.

The platform offers high-resolution audio recording and lets administrators utilize an editing toolset to trim clips, reshape sounds and optimize soundtracks to manipulate audios. Operators can fix tracks' timing, match audio beats and compile various takes of a recording to create unique sounds. It enables teams to save presets and change plugins in real-time. It also provides multi-track editing and non-destructive editing feature, which allows users to edit multiple tracks simultaneously and make changes to audio tracks without permane...

Pro Tools Screenshots

Pro Tools Pricing and Plans

Starting price: $34.99 per month

Free Trial

Free Version

Pro Tools Intro

$0.00

flat rate

No plan information available

Pro Tools Artist

$99.00

flat rate, per year

No plan information available

Pro Tools Studio

$34.99

flat rate, per month

Plan includes:

Enjoy the Freedom and Flexibility of a Month-to-Month Contract
Get Access to All New Releases
HEAT and Support
The Avid Complete Plugin Bundle

Pro Tools Ultimate

$599.00

flat rate, per year

No plan information available

Pro Tools Features

Popular features found in Audio Editing
Audio Manipulation
Audio Mixing
Audio Recording
Plug-in Integration
Video Editing
More features of Pro Tools
Activity Dashboard
API
Audio Capture
Audio Editor
Collaboration Tools
Compression
Data Capture and Transfer
File Management
Instrument Management
Issue Management
Mastering
Synchronous Editing

Pro Tools User Reviews

Overall Rating

4.7

Ratings Breakdown

78%

17%

Secondary Ratings

Ease of Use

3.8

Value for money

4.0

Customer support

3.9

Functionality

4.6

Daria J.

Verified reviewer

Marketing and Advertising

2-10 employees

Used monthly for less than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed August 2024

Still one of the best

It is still the industry standard software in most studios and offers one of the best audio editing workflows.With Melodyne included it makes it my to-go software for any professional vocals editing work.Also, in terms of composing for film and soundtrack - very good to have it.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Still great for mixing and mastering The go-to for vocal recording and processing Customer service is great Has many courses and educational materials for music production in general yearly Subscription is available for a decent price 64-bit recording and mixing engine

Cons:

The interface is not very approachable and doesn't offer a modern UI Some things are more complicated than in other DAWS You need to spend more time on learning how to use it

Jordan M.

Verified reviewer

Media Production

Self-Employed

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed September 2023

Decade Long Use, Not Changing Any Time Soon

Overall, I enjoy using Pro Tools and will continue to do so. I know how to work it, and am fast and efficient with it. The audio quality I get from it is great.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

I've been using Pro Tools for over 10 years. Firstly to record, edit and mix music and band. Now I use it primarily to edit, mix and normalize podcasts. Over the years, Pro Tools has stayed effectively the same version to version, with some changes integrated. What I like, however, is that they rarely make large, sweeping changes to the fundamental tools of the program. This has allowed me to get straight back to work after updating the software, without need to re-learn different tools or find our where they moved certain features.

Cons:

I personally feel that Pro Tools has always been a bit expensive, and now that they have moved to the subscription based model, the software is not only expensive, but I don't own it. I used my purchased copy of Pro Tool 11 for as long as I could, until it physically wouldn't work any more with the new system i had, lol. The newer versions crash much less, but there has always been a little bit of instability with it. The positive of this, though, is that I've developed a great habit of saving after every keystroke.

Reasons for choosing Pro Tools

I was taught Pro Tools in school, so it is my default DAW. It is considered the "industry standard", so I felt that paying some extra money to get up and running faster was more worth it than spending less and taking the time learn an entire new software.

Devon V.

Verified reviewer

Consumer Goods

1001-5000 employees

Used monthly for less than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed September 2024

A good entry level DAW

I've used this program to record, edit, and make commercial music.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

It has a lot of basic functions that any person using a digital audio workstation would need to be successful with recording and editing music.

Cons:

Doesn't have all the features that may be necessary in terms of mastering and mixing music.

Verified

Reviewer

Music

Self-Employed

Used monthly for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed February 2022

An Essential Program for Mixing and Recording

It allows my business access to a common, ubiquitous, and satisfying language of mixing and recording. Wherever I compose, produce, or write a song, I can be confident that it can be finalized and mixed with stability and predictability in Pro Tools, where a vast user base of studios and mixers also have the ability to contribute.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Its prevalence in studios, its approach to mixing, and its careful, thoughtful, and considered approach to updates. The new features that are added may be added slowly and sparsely, but the program’s lack of prevalent bugs is unparalleled.

Cons:

My only dislike is tied to its strength in mixing and tracking. It is not a DAW that lends itself effortlessly to the initial production of a song, but once it is time to record the vocal and mix the song, it is fantastic. They obviously prioritize this as it is what it’s user base wants. The catch is that you may find yourself making a beat in one program and then mixing it (or in my case, sending it to a mixer) with Pro Tools.

Reasons for choosing Pro Tools

To be clear, I chose Pro Tools in addition to these products, rather than using a product like Studio One or FL Studio exclusively.

Michael P.

Verified reviewer

Music

2-10 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed September 2022

The Industry Standard for A Good Reason!

Simply put, my business and career could not function without Pro Tools. It's the one software I'm using all day every day. If you're an audio professional or working as an audio engineer, using and knowing Pro Tools is basically a requirement. If you're new to the profession and reading this review, I'd highly suggest giving it a try and learning at least the basics!

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

As a Pro Tools user of more than 15 years, there are a lot of things I love about Pro Tools! It continues to be the go to software for audio recording, editing and mixing in recording studios across the globe. While I won't necessarily say that it's the best DAW for creating music (that is up to your taste and style), I will say that for the processes mentioned above, it continues to be the most thorough and in depth software for audio. While it does have a decently high learning curve, it's precisely this features, short cuts and processes that make it such a thorough program that allows the user to take total control of their work. For this reason it's all the features that I would say is my favorite thing about Pro Tools.

Cons:

While there is a well known laundry list of bugs and issues with Pro Tools, to me the pros outweigh the cons. The main problem with Pro Tools does continue to be the often buggy nature of the software, which often crashes unless you have the most updated software and fastest computer available. If you aren't running the best computer system ever, you'll be sure to encounter some of these bugs, and there's a good chance you'll still run into them even if you have the top of the line Mac. Also I'd highly suggest using Pro Tools with a Mac and not a PC, as with a PC these issues may be even more elevated. The other thing I would say I don't like about Pro Tools is their subscription service. While the price has come down recently, I always preferred buying the software outright rather than having to pay monthly.

Reasons for switching to Pro Tools

Many years ago I switched to Pro Tools because I wanted to work in professional recording studios, which all require an in depth knowledge of the software.

Alejandro V.

Verified reviewer

Music

2-10 employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed May 2022

The Real Standard for Audio Recording and Music Production

Pro tools is my audio editor because it's reliable, and includes all plugins, and tools required to deliver my productions. It shines in audio quality, and works pretty well with any audio interface in the market. Absolutely a must for any audio editor/engineer today.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Very accurate for editing. Best sound processing, all the tools you need to deliver a professional audio media are included in the subscription.

Cons:

Requires a lot of memory installed on your system, but once it's ok, it will be running pretty well.

Reasons for choosing Pro Tools

The integration with complex workflows allows me to interact with video editing stations, share media, and get synced digital tape machines.

Reasons for switching to Pro Tools

Pro Tools has a better integration in the audiovisual workflow with video editors

Verified

Reviewer

Construction

501-1000 employees

Used weekly for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed December 2022

Great real time pitch correction features

I think automation and plug-in capabilities could be improved but I am impressed at the real time pitch correction capabilities.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

I have been using Pro Tools for several years now, and I have to say that I am very impressed with the real-time pitch correction features of the software. Elastic Time and Elastic Pitch make it incredibly easy to fix timing and pitch errors in my audio recordings, and I have found that I am able to achieve much better results in a shorter amount of time compared to using other DAWs. I particularly like the way Pro Tools analyses the audio and identifies transients, which allows me to make precise adjustments to the timing of my tracks without affecting the pitch. This has been a huge time-saver for me.

Cons:

While I have found Pro Tools to be very powerful and user-friendly digital audio workstation, one of the biggest drawbacks, in my opinion, is the automation and plug-in capabilities. While Pro Tools does offer a wide range of automation options, I have found that the interface can be a bit clunky and difficult to navigate, especially in instances when working with multiple tracks. This can make it time consuming to set up and edit automation. I have often used other DAWs for serious automation processes.

Reasons for switching to Pro Tools

Versatility and user friendly with great pitch correction capabilities.

Andy S.

Verified reviewer

Entertainment

Self-Employed

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed March 2021

Amazing DAW!

Overall, it's an incredible DAW with unparalleled editing capabilities. It's the industry standard for tracking and mixing so you'll find that most people are familiar with it which makes collaboration easy. For writing and for certain types of production that involve many software instruments, I would work in another DAW but I always prefer Pro Tools for mixing or tracking live instruments or bands.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Pro Tools is a true professional level DAW that offers an incredible array of features and flexibility in addition to it being an industry standard. The recording and especially the editing capabilities are incredible. Detailed editing and comping is the most accurate of any DAW that I've worked with. The built in free plugins are also great and worthy of use in real production situations.

Cons:

It has a decent learning curve compared to other DAW's. It's not technically harder, just a bit more confusing to learn. Once you know key commands and your way around the signal flow, it's just as easy as the others from then on. The midi capabilities are a bit challenging compared to DAW's like Logic Pro as Pro Tools is geared more towards tracking live instruments than writing with software instruments. It's also much more expensive and the new subscription platform makes it even more expensive.

Reasons for choosing Pro Tools

To work in a DAW that is more commonly used amongst top tier mixing engineers.

Reasons for switching to Pro Tools

I switched to be able to work in a DAW that most industry professionals use.

Anthony C.

Verified reviewer

Media Production

Self-Employed

Used daily for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed March 2023

Best of the best

Love Pro Tools. Makes my day better using it and making it work for me.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Easy to use. Easy to navigate. Great workflow options. Ability to learn the software and implement into daily tasks and activities.

Cons:

Video engine needs desperate work. Should be compatible with all video formats.

Reasons for choosing Pro Tools

Easy to use. Easy to navigate. Great workflow options. Studied the course and know if the best.

Mostafa J.

Verified reviewer

Music

Self-Employed

Used weekly for more than 2 years

Review source

Reviewed April 2022

Pro Tools HD OMNI

Satisfactory since 2014

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

I've been using Pro tools since 2010 and since then it improved by a great margin.. and by 2014 I had the most satisfaction out of it when I bought the Pro Tools HD OMNI and integrated it into my studio. that made a great difference in quality, stability and flow of work.

Cons:

To have superior performance you should switch to IOS ( which I did).

Reasons for switching to Pro Tools

Wasn't having the professional feel from the Cubase final result.. I had to use many other softwares for mastering and mixing to get satisfied

Showing 1 - 10 of 92 Reviews

See All Reviews