1. Ableton Live
Ableton · Berlin · Audio, podcast & music tools · 4.5/5
Music production and performance.
₹8,000/mo
Free trial
Audio, podcast & music tools · Alternatives
Best Cubase alternatives in India (2026)
Cubase is an audio, podcast & music tools product from Steinberg, Hamburg, priced at ₹8,000/mo. We compared 20 alternatives on published price, free plan, platforms and made-in-India support: 2 have a free plan, 0 are built in India, and 12 start cheaper or free.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Cubase are Ableton Live (₹8,000/mo), FL Studio (₹8,000/mo), Studio One (₹8,000/mo), Reaper (₹5,000/mo) and Logic Pro (₹20,000/mo). Audacity is the top-ranked option with a free plan. Published prices in this list start at ₹199/month.
Why businesses look for a Cubase alternative
There is no free plan
Cubase has no free tier. 2 alternatives do, which lets you test with real data before you pay.
Cost
Cubase starts at ₹8,000/mo. 12 alternatives start lower or have a free plan.
Cubase alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Cubase's category, pricing model, platforms and business size, then by rating. Prices exclude GST.
| # | Software | Starting price | Free plan | Platforms | Made in India | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Cubase (current) | ₹8,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | — |
| 1 | Ableton Live | ₹8,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 2 |  FL Studio | ₹8,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 3 |  Studio One | ₹8,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 4 |  Reaper | ₹5,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 5 |  Logic Pro | ₹20,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 6 |  iZotope | ₹10,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 7 |  Transistor | ₹1,600/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 8 |  Captivate | ₹1,500/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 9 |  Artlist | ₹1,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 10 |  Splice Sounds | ₹1,000/mo | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 11 |  Epidemic Sound | ₹800/mo | No | Web | No | 4.3/5 | |
| 12 |  Libsyn | ₹400/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 13 |  Audible | ₹199/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 14 |  Storytel | ₹300/mo | No | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 15 |  Amazon Polly | Pay as you go | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 16 |  Google Text-to-Speech | Pay as you go | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 17 |  Azure Neural TTS | Pay as you go | No | Web | No | 4.2/5 | |
| 18 |  Adobe Audition | ₹1,700/mo | No | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 19 |  Audacity | Free | Yes | Web | No | 4.7/5 | |
| 20 |  GarageBand | Free | Yes | Web | No | 4.7/5 |
Top 10 Cubase alternatives in detail
₹8,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹3,000/mo cheaper (₹5,000/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
₹20,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹12,000/mo higher (₹20,000/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
6. iZotope
Native Instruments · Cambridge · Audio, podcast & music tools · 4.2/5
Audio repair and mastering.
₹10,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹2,000/mo higher (₹10,000/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
₹1,600/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹6,400/mo cheaper (₹1,600/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
₹1,500/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹6,500/mo cheaper (₹1,500/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
₹1,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹7,000/mo cheaper (₹1,000/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
₹1,000/mo
Free trial
Compared with Cubase
- Starts ₹7,000/mo cheaper (₹1,000/mo vs ₹8,000/mo)
Cubase alternatives by what you need
Cheaper than Cubase
Free Cubase alternatives
How to choose a Cubase alternative
- Podcasters need hosting plus an editor; a bundled tool saves time.
- Check AI voice quality in Indian languages if you localise.
- Musicians should choose a DAW by workflow, not price.
Cubase alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Cubase in 2026?+
The closest matches to Cubase on App Advisor are Ableton Live (₹8,000/mo), FL Studio (₹8,000/mo), Studio One (₹8,000/mo). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Cubase, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Cubase?+
Yes. 2 of the 20 alternatives listed have a free plan or are free: Audacity (Free), GarageBand (Free). Free plans usually cap users, records or transactions, so check the limits against your monthly volume.
What is the cheapest alternative to Cubase?+
Among alternatives that publish a price, Audible starts lowest at ₹199/mo, compared with ₹8,000/mo for Cubase. Audacity also has a free plan. Prices are read from each vendor's website and exclude GST.
Cubase vs Ableton Live: which is better?+
Ableton Live is the closest match to Cubase in our catalogue. Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Cubase alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in audio, podcast & music tools or a category Cubase also covers, and Steinberg's own products are excluded. Prices, free plans and platforms come from each vendor's official website. App Advisor does not sell any of this software.
Free shortlist
Not sure which Cubase alternative fits?
Tell us your team size and budget and we'll send a shortlist of three.
Related alternatives
Ableton Live alternativesFL Studio alternativesStudio One alternativesReaper alternativesLogic Pro alternativesiZotope alternativesTransistor alternativesCaptivate alternativesArtlist alternativesSplice Sounds alternativesEpidemic Sound alternativesLibsyn alternativesAll audio, podcast & music tools alternativesBrowse all alternatives