Tracktion’s Waveform Free has been updated to v14, remaining our best free DAW for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
The reason we chose Waveform Free as our favorite is that it offers incredible flexibility without the major restrictions that you might expect from a free DAW.
It’s cross-platform (macOS, Windows, and Linux), supports third-party plugins, and works offline, unlike the browser-based alternatives.
Since we’ve covered all things Waveform Free before, we’re just taking a look at what’s new in v14.
One of the most talked-about additions to Waveform Free v14 is the new AI assistant. It seems similar to the Fender Studio Pro assistant, with a few noteworthy differences.
The main difference is that, unlike Fender’s offering, you don’t need to be locked into a subscription tier to access the assistant; it’s entirely available in the free version. It also appears to do a little more than provide information from the user manual, such as offering tips on enhancing elements of your music.
There is a caveat: although the assistant is freely available, there are costs involved. Tracktion runs a BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) system that currently supports OpenAI and Anthropic APIs, which means you have the pay-as-you-go costs of your chosen API to consider.
If you’re not a fan of AI assistance, you can remove the panel from your workspace.
The workspace/interface is another area that has been overhauled for this latest version, and that’s good news because it definitely needed some workflow improvements.
The general refresh is the same across the free and paid versions, though the Pro version offers more customization.
The refresh includes a new browser/tagging system for faster content search and a new folder-based file management system.
In terms of functionality enhancements, all stock plugins have been overhauled; Waveform Free now offers multi-channel audio handling and deeper ARA2 integration.
Waveform Free was already good, and now it’s better, but there’s probably still more to come, and I don’t think the AI Assistant is going to be the feature that tempts potential users off the fence; I think that applies to all DAWs rolling out the AI helper.
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Last Updated on June 29, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
