Fission vs WaveLab
Fission
rogueamoeba.com
WaveLab
steinberg.netSide by side
| Figure | Fission | WaveLab |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $15/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 3 |
| Spec score · Audio Editing Software | 8.1 (#43) | 9.1 (#4) |
| Spec score · Game Audio Editors | 8.2 (#11) | 8.3 (#9) |
| Spec score · Audio editors | 7.6 (#18) | 8.9 (#2) |
| Editing features | Fission includes fades, gain adjustment, normalization, cue sheet support, and Smart Split, which splits files based on silence. | WaveLab 13 adds marker-ruler range selection, text-path file opening or pasting, plug-in scaling, drag-out plug-in removal and improved high-DPI waveform outlines. |
| Founded | 2002 | 1984 |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Hamburg, Germany |
| Intended users | The maker describes Fission as a lightweight editor for simple audio editing tasks, including trimming recordings and splitting long recordings into shorter files. | Steinberg describes WaveLab LE as suited to hobby musicians, home studio owners, freelancers, and podcasters. |
| Purpose | Fission is a streamlined Mac audio editor for trimming, splitting, joining, and converting audio files. | WaveLab is an audio mastering and editing suite with audio editing, audio montage, batch processing, and spectral editing tools. |
| Support | Fission support is available by email, and the support team says it strives to reply in under 24 hours. | Steinberg’s imprint says technical support is available only to registered users. |
| Supported platforms | macOS | Windows, macOS |
Plans
Fission
- Fission License Key$35 a month
- Fission 2 Upgrade$15 a month
- Fission License Key$35, paid once
WaveLab
- WaveLab LEFree
- WaveLab Elements 13$99.99, paid once
- WaveLab Pro 13$499.99, paid once
In their own words
WaveLab
WaveLab is an audio mastering and editing suite for Windows and macOS. Its tools cover audio editing, audio montage, batch processing, and spectral editing, with multitrack editing, noise reduction, and video synchronization also listed. It supports VST 3 plug-ins from other manufacturers. The edition comparison lists podcasting integrations with SoundCloud, Spreaker, Podbean, Buzzsprout, and Castos, and says Pro and Elements can replace audio in video.
WaveLab Pro 13 includes Dolby Atmos mastering tools for ADM file editing, loudness control, and album assembly. It supports sample rates up to 384 kHz and more than 1,000 audio tracks; Elements 13 supports up to 96 kHz and eight tracks. Downloads are listed for Windows 10 64-bit version 22H2 or newer, Windows 11 version 24H2 or newer, and macOS 14, 15, or 26. The pricing note is From $99.99 · 60-day trial. A free WaveLab LE copy is available with qualifying hardware and a Download Access Code. The Pro trial requires signing in or creating a Steinberg ID.