MasterForge vs Waves Online Mastering
MasterForge
masterforge.appWaves Online Mastering
waves.comSide by side
| Figure | MasterForge | Waves Online Mastering |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €4.99/mo | $5.97/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 5 |
| Spec score · AI mastering tools | 8.8 (#4) | 6.9 (#47) |
| File retention | Server-job audio is stored in EU Cloudflare R2 and automatically deleted 90 days after the run finishes; managed-mastering files are deleted seven days after the download window closes. | For logged-in users, mastered tracks and originals are saved for up to 180 days, while unmastered originals are saved for up to 90 days; uploads from users who are not logged in are saved for up to 7 days. |
| Headquarters | Finland | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Support | The FAQ directs users with persistent problems to email support and recommends current Chrome or Edge on a desktop or laptop for best performance. | Waves says its customer service can help with product information, subscriptions, promotions, and large accounts. |
| What it does | MasterForge is a browser audio-mastering platform focused on conventional and AI-generated music, podcasts, voice and video. | The service uses AI mastering to turn a mix into a polished, release-ready master. |
Plans
MasterForge
- FreeFree
- Starter€4.99 a month
- Pro€9.99 a month
- One-off mastering€14.99, paid once
- One-off mastering€14.99, paid once
Waves Online Mastering
- 1 Credit$3.99, paid once
- 5 Credits$17.45, paid once
- 15 Credits$44.85, paid once
- Standard$71.64 a year
- Pro$169.99 a year
In their own words
MasterForge
MasterForge is a browser-based audio mastering platform with genre-specific tools and options aimed at AI music artifacts such as shimmer, weak bass, stereo artifacts, and flat dynamics. Its free audio analyzer reports an AI audio health score, streaming readiness, shimmer and fog detection, and a 7-band spectrum without requiring signup. Auto-Master uses credits to repair a track, prepare a mastering plan, and render a release-ready WAV; the run page also provides the prepared FLAC and plan. Pro Master includes a real-time DSP engine, AI tools, multiband compression, M/S EQ, a multi-track stem mixer, and platform preview. Supported formats include WAV, MP3, FLAC, OGG, and M4A/AAC. The Free plan includes five masters, AI cleanup, presets for music, podcasts, voice, and video, and WAV and MP3 export. Starter costs €4.99 a month; Pro costs €9.99 a month. The installable Progressive Web App can work offline after its initial load. Free tools and Pro Master process audio on the user's device; server-based services process uploaded audio, which is deleted 90 days after a run finishes for specified services.
Waves Online Mastering
Waves Online Mastering has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.