All REAPER Reviews
1-25 of 56 Reviews
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Michael
2 - 10 employees
Used more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
Reviewed January 2023
An Highly Underrated Digital Audio Workstation!
Jeremy
Verified reviewer
Media Production, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed December 2022
A DAW That Challenges Standards
I had to learn REAPER for a gaming audio job, and it was very tough to get used to coming from Pro Tools, Cubase, et al., compared to other DAWs. The right-click mouse selection was particularly painful: no other DAW works like this, and it's hard to see what the benefit of this is. I often would summon a right-click menu instead of a selection and you still use the standard left-click selection for most things, causing more confusion. Despite REAPER's customizability, I could never change this to work like other DAWs. But that being said, REAPER is incredibly fast, light, and reliable. Once I dug into Actions, I immediately missed it on other DAWs. But ultimately, REAPER is a bit too much of an odd duck for me. But I would happily recommend it as a fully professional DAW.
PROSREAPER is almost limitless in scope: virtually everything about the app can be customized, with powerful actions (macros) and scripts that can automate complex tasks. The small footprint and low price explains why it has such a large, loyal user base, and the powerful batch tools show why REAPER has wide adoption in the gaming industry. REAPER is definitely a contender for the "best DAW".
CONSREAPER's interface can be very intimidating, with extremely small, hard-to-read fonts, and no included instruments or sounds. Furthermore, there are some very counterintuitive functions, like using right-click to select audio clips (trying to change this in Preferences is a real headache that I could never resolve) that will cause headaches for new users. Experienced users will also come across features they need that are missing, with feature requests dating back years.
Adam
Music, 1 employee
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed October 2023
Absolutely Fantastic DAW for Musicians
It's incredible and versatile. It does everything I need to for my music recording sessions and even video editing!
PROSIt does absolutely everything any other DAW boasts about through the community-driven plugins and scripts. It's a little tricky to get into at first, but with the wealth of tutorials online, it's easy to learn and begin producing music.
CONSThe steep learning curve is a lot to take in at first, but honestly, the available resources online make learning a breeze if you're willing to put in the time and effort to learn the program.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Cubase is incredibly expensive and doesn't offer any special features that Reaper doesn't. Reaper is affordable and easy to install.
Anonymous
1 employee
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
2
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
2
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed November 2021
Reaper of wallet
May if monthly low cost fee I MAY not mind using. Or even a whole selection of overall understanding feature breakdown wouldn't been too bad. I liked certain features, but it was too confusing what and how to use.
PROSI enjoy the hovering over the setting and education of what it would do. As well the sound quality captured is good.
CONSIt surprised me when the app inform me that I would be charged within the 3rd time using it. I hate how money hungry it seem. As well there was no outline to study what or how to use anything.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Looking for a good programming that can help fully explain what and how. As well not losing wasted work.
Kevin
Music, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2024
Better Than Protools!
It does everything I need it to do as a professional producer.
PROSIt’s not a RAM or resource hog, like Protools.
CONSI wish the keyboard commands were easier to program.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Protools has employed annual fees. It also has insane system requirements.
Benjamin
Music, 1 employee
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed January 2021
Great software for independent artists
I started using Reaper when I realized that my version of Cubase was obsolete. A friend recommended it and I tried it, band members started using it as well and now we can teach each other things. I use Reaper on Windows now and have not tried the Linux build but I think that's great! I used to run Reaper on a laptop I found in a dumpster, the Windows build run through WINE in Ubuntu. I didn't have any issues, but I think I only used it for editing, maybe not for recording.
PROSIt was free to try and there are tons of tutorials online and other people using Reaper to learn tips and how to use it. It's similar enough to the other programs I've used (Cubase/Protools) that I could jump in and learn from there. The EQ plugin interface is very nice as well. I find it is very convenient to use the waveform and move/change band points.
CONSThe only problems I've run into have involved things that I overlooked or didn't completely understand. I have been able to fix them, easily though not always quickly. I can't say that I have anything I like least about it. It's great.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
A friend started using Reaper and told me about how cool it is. I realized that my version of Cubase was pretty old and I gave Reaper a try.
Anonymous
201-500 employees
Used weekly for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2022
best workhorse with unlimited possibilities
open to unlimited possibilities and customer centric.
PROSI was a bit hesitant to try out or even think that i could switch to using Reaper as my main DAW. I think i lean more towards mainstream softwares if there is anything like that. Just like many DAW users, the frustrations of freezes and crashes compelled me to look for alternatives. I am indebted to my friend who recommended Reaper. Firstly, Over the years, I have accumulated a lot of 32 bits ‘legacy plugins’ which have given a unique identity to my work. Unfortunately, they could not integrate them well with most DAWs. No problem at all with Reaper. Secondly, I had enough trial period with Reaper both for getting comfortable with it and proving the much hype about it. This thing rarely crashed. I finally decided to buy it at only $60. Lastly, expect updates and more updates. They never stop coming. I am very at home with Reaper.
CONSIt is both the good and the bad. I generally like sort of a mainstream platform without a lot overboard customization. However, i like the ability to customize actions in Reaper. The learning curve can be steep but well worth it.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Reaper is very stable and flexible to work with.
FLAVIO
Music, 1 employee
Used weekly for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed March 2021
Reaper reaped expensive competitors
During this pandemic era, I and friends played remotely and recorded some songs without getting together. Reaper made this much more fun and easier than using traditional heavy softwares such as Sonar and Cubase.
PROSReaper is light, fast, cheap, effective, intuitive, fun to use! I tried last 3 decades many other music production softwares, most of them are huge slow monsters, full of bugs.
CONSThe online help is not as good as the software itself, but most of time I found on YouTube tutorials produced by the users which helped me a lot.
Reason for choosing REAPER
Reaper price is much more attractive and it is faster with much better usability.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Reaper is faster and consume less computer resources. It has also a great stability.
Andy
Information Technology and Services, 1 employee
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed September 2021
Stability is Reaper's Greatest Asset Compared to Leading Competitors.
I would not jump from this music software package to anything else now having seen how far I can reach musically now because I have learned the shortcuts to make music.
PROSReaper's stability is undoubtebly one of it's strongest features compared to other leading competitors. Never in 2 years has it ever crashed! Even the load time and resources used barely affects my RAM.
CONSTo get the best out of Reaper, follow Reaper's video tutorials on Youtube. You will save your self hundreds of hours of setting up and learning all of the features. I didn't do this and learned the hard way.
Reason for choosing REAPER
Reaper's price is totally unbeatable - But well worth the purchase. Support the guys and pay the small amount for the full version, it's totally worth it!
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Pro Tools crashes a lot - How can you make music with such an unreliable piece of music software?
Anonymous
11-50 employees
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed June 2021
Reaper offers great flexibility at an incredible price point
Reaper has opened up several workflow improvements and allows better collaboration with other reaper users. VST support is strong and the stability under load improves productivity.
PROSVery lightweight, bloat free yet fully featured DAW software that installs and loads really quickly. The sheer flexibility and customisation available is almost overwhelming but offers a tailormade solution for most users. It runs well and seems incredibly stable.
CONSInitial options for customisation can appear a little overwhelming and a new, different workflow layout can cause several head scratching moments. The user community is very passionate, knowledgeable and helpful and are happy to guide through the initial acclimatisation process.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
We got fed up with program instability and lack of apparent product development.
Kevin Fabián
Verified reviewer
Retail, 201-500 employees
Used weekly for less than 6 months
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
4
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed March 2024
Very easy to use
The simplicity of its use, its low weight and low requirements to be able to function
CONSThe built-in libraries and effects are very few, which forces you to search from other sources
Anonymous
501-1,000 employees
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed December 2022
Powerful tool for audio manipulation and third party integration.
Reaper is a great software though took a lot of investment in time to learn it. The piano roll can be a powerful tool for editing and arranging midi tracks but can represent some challenges. It allows third party integration and automation in Reaper is perfect!
PROSOne of the standout features of Reaper is its ability to integrate with third-party software and hardware. This includes support for VST plugins, which allow users to add a wide range of virtual of virtual instruments and audio effects to tracks. In itself, Reaper comes with a built-in virtual instrument ReaSynth. Although it is a basic synthesizer, I have been able to use to create a wide range of sounds. This synth offers a number of different parameters that I am able to adjust and create quite unique sounds, control oscillator waveform, filter and envelope settings. Therefore on the side of in built and integrated virtual instruments, Reaper covers all grounds to allow any user to expand capabilities within it. When it comes to audio manipulation, the program allows auto adjustment of volume and panning tracks and ability to align audio clips to a specific grid. Additionally, users can control how the program handles changes to the audio over time like choosing to have the automation changes to be applied smoothly etc.
CONSThe main challenge I encounter with Reaper is that the piano roll can easily become cluttered when working with complex Midi tracks. This can make it difficult to see and edit individual notes especially when there are a large number of notes in a track. Additionally, the piano roll can be difficult to use for editing the timing of individual notes. This is because the piano roll only shows the pitch of each note, not the pricise timing.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Versatile DAW
Cristhian Josue
Verified reviewer
Design, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed August 2021
Reaper, when the community makes a daw great.
Reaper is the daw you always wanted if you are looking for a great community that will welcome you with open arms, in my opinion, the ability of the developers of this daw to listen to the community is undoubtedly the best of this software. despite its visual ineffectiveness, reaper is the right alternative for Linux users, because this daw bets for simplicity and compatibility with any operating system, leaving aside more visual or unnecessary aspects.
CONSReaper can look intimidating, it looks like software from the '00s rather than a current daw, usually, people who want to give a chance to this daw are novices in the field of music production, so they might be overwhelmed by many aspects of this daw, either the poor quality in the visual aspect, the unpopularity of this daw in the mainstream or simply the prejudices that each person may have.
Michael
Music, 2-10 employees
Used monthly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed September 2022
An Highly Underrated Digital Audio Workstation!
Overall I highly recommend giving REAPER a nice long look if you're shopping around for a DAW. The price alone is well worth it for one of the most user friendly audio programs out there. Not a lot of people know about this one when compared to it's competitors, but it's just a good as any of them for audio purposes. If you're reading this just go ahead and give it a shot for yourself and you won't be disappointed!
PROSI love how clean and simple the Reaper interface is! In some ways it's the most simplistic and most intuitive DAW, especially for tracking and editing audio. Pro Tools is still the king DAW, but if you factor in the price then Reaper takes a bit step forward! It really doesn't get much cheaper than Reaper which is a major plus for it.
CONSThe only thing I would say that is lacking with Reaper is it's plug-in integration. While it does have a lot of good plug-ins built into it, it's definitely not as easily integrated with third party plug-ins as other DAWs.
Nina
Fine Art, 1 employee
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
3
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed August 2023
Un DAW qui surpasse Avid
J'ai découvert Reaper en cherchant un DAW gratuit. Après avoir utilisé pendant plusieurs mois sa version gratuite en freemium, j'ai pris une licence, qui est très peu chère. C'est actuellement mon DAW quotidien pour les mix audio de mes montages vidéos.
PROSLe prix, la durée de la licence, la version gratuite "winrar" (aucune durée), les scripts
CONSPrend beaucoup de temps à être configuré, interface un peu austère, complexité de mettre en place des choses simples
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Plus complet et gratuit
Simon
Verified reviewer
Media Production, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed April 2022
The go-to DAW for anyone starting out - even if you have no budget!
After having used REAPER for over a decade, I can proudly say that it was the best investment I've made in terms of time and money. Starting out with a shoestring budget right out of college, REAPER was the only piece of audio production software I could afford. 14+ years later, it still delivers beyond any other DAW I've used before. For anyone starting out reading this, please go ahead with closed eyes. The software is strong and the community is stronger. There is absolutely no place for regrets!
PROSThe relatively inexpensive start up costs is what helped with choosing REAPER. The wide array of included plugins, with industry leading levels of customization - this is why REAPER is one of the best in the industry. To top it all off, the ease of setup and use, regardless of the use case, is what makes this the best software out there. From recording to mixing to mastering, every step of the process can be easily accomplished with REAPER - no third party needed.
CONSTo be honest, REAPER is a little too perfect thanks to its constant update cycle and bug fixes. Add to it a robust community that develops and supports each other, there's nothing left to be desired.
Anonymous
2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed January 2023
Un software professionale e completo
Io utilizzo Reaper per produrre musica e registrare strumenti dal vivo e l'unione con Reason (utilizzato come VST) mi permette di avere un software davvero completo e, grazie alle personalizzazioni, permette un workflow rapido e ottimale
PROSReaper è una DAW potente ma soprattuto flessibile. Mi piace che sia facilmente personalizzabile e che abbia una vasta gamma di strumenti e funzionalità, tra cui la possibilità di utilizzare plug-in di terze parti. Inoltre, ha un prezzo accessibile rispetto ad altre DAW e può essere utilizzato gratuitamente senza limitazioni.
CONSReaper è sicuramente più sbilanciato verso il lato mix e mastering e chi si approccia invece per produrre musica può riscontrare un pò di difficoltà. In generale l'interfaccia utente può essere un po' scomoda da usare se non si è familiarizzati con essa, e alcune funzionalità avanzate richiedono un po' di tempo per essere imparate ma una volta acquisite trasformano Reaper nella DAW più potente e personalizzabile sul mercato.
Kyle
Computer Software, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2022
My favorite DAW
Used daily in my home studio for recording, mixing and mastering.
PROSThis DAW has the same abilities as it's way overpriced counterparts. Its so user friendly it's shocking.
CONSI like everything about ReaperFM. Its cheap easy and fun.
Reason for choosing REAPER
Price, userfriendly. Very powerful
Maciej
Financial Services, 1 employee
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2021
My go to DAW
I am a hobbyist musician and have been using Reaper since 2009 (switched from ProTools). I am a big fan of this DAW as I know it, yet I have so much more to learn and so many features I did not get to know yet.
PROSReaper has the most intuitive workflow for me. Before using Reaper, I tried Pro Tools, Cubase and Cakewalk. Reaper fits my needs the best. I love that the developers are conbstantly updating it and adding new features.
CONSThere is nothing I don't like in Reaper. There is maybe a steep learning curve if you are used to using another DAW, but Reaper is definitely worth it.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Reaper is much cheaper option and at the same time does not lack features.
Nathan
Broadcast Media, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed December 2022
Best audio software
I love the interface and the functionnality. The integration of the plugins is a plus.
CONSI went from Pro Tools and some shortcut are different (but their like shortcut in my video software edit so it's simple to accomodate)
Jon
Music, 1 employee
Used weekly for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed February 2022
Customizable DAW for College Dropout
Reaper is so easy to use and learn with lots of customizability for how you want your layout to look. I've mixed literally thousands of hours in the program and it's the only program I mix with now.
CONSThe only downside of Reaper I can think of is that it doesn't come with a suite of cutting edge plug-ins or have an option to purchase different tiers of the program with elite plugins included.
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Pro Tools is too expensive compared to the amount of functionality Reaper has for much less but still allows it to compete in the field.
Fahmy
Automotive, 11-50 employees
Used daily for less than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed April 2022
Best Daw in the world for Beginner
Overall i like this daw so much, i used it everyday, it easy to install and use, user friendly. It help me a lot as a beginner, thanks reaper. !!!
PROSOverall i like all the features in reaper, i swear to god this apps is very easy to use
CONSThe online support is not good as the other features
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Not easy to understand how to used this app
Jacopo
Marketing and Advertising, 1 employee
Used monthly for less than 12 months
OVERALL RATING:
4
EASE OF USE
4
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
3
FUNCTIONALITY
4
Reviewed February 2023
Software DAW entry level leggero e funzionale, ideale per iniziare
Si è rivelato un software pratico e funzionale per piccole attività di recording e mixaggio audio poco impegnative, permette di lavorare velocemente senza distrazioni. Per progetti più grandi con molte tracce e plug-ins preferisco altri software più completi.
PROSEstrema leggerezza del software, interfaccia semplice e intuitiva, velocità di esecuzione, ideale per muovere i primi passi e per PC poco prestazionali.
CONSDesign minimalista poco personalizzabile, integrazione approssimativa di alcuni plug-ins di terze parti, dotazione di base minima.
Reason for choosing REAPER
Era già utilizzato da alcuni collaboratori e maggiore disponibilità di referenze online
Reasons for switching to REAPER
Necessità di più strumenti e supporto multitraccia avanzato
Délcio
Verified reviewer
Music, 2-10 employees
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
5
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed December 2022
Reaper is a professional sound production tool for everyone. I recommend it.
My experience has been the greatest. I finally found a professional and easy software to produce, mix and master my sounds, and increase my costumers in my studio. Thanks.
PROSOne of the great features, is the easy and intuitive interface, and professional commands to manage sound. Great mixing and much more features. This software changed my life, and my costumers are very happy with the results. Thanks to the developers.
CONSI don't have a thing to complain yet. But sometimes it just has some bugs. But maybe this is a problem with my computer memory. Beside this, I love it.
vitor
Verified reviewer
Music, 1 employee
Used daily for more than 2 years
OVERALL RATING:
5
EASE OF USE
5
VALUE FOR MONEY
5
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
4
FUNCTIONALITY
5
Reviewed May 2021
reaper é bom ?
desenvolvo na minha empresa com o reaper automações ,mixagens e masterizações de clientes insatisfeitos com trabalho mal sucedido de terceiros.
PROSlayout de fácil acesso ,menus ,opções e ajudas tudo muito fácil de encontrar ótimo processamento . desemprenho muito bom. e apesar de tudo não ocupa muito espaço . sem duvidas a melhor DAW ( digital Áudio Workstation) que eu já encontrei durante anos e anos de trabalhos e produções
CONSbom para meu gosto pessoal eu não gosto dos temas default dele . mais nada que uma boa troca de pacote de tema não resolva