PD Cleaner vs VinylRest
PD Cleaner
visemannen.github.ioVinylRest
vinylrest.comSide by side
| Figure | PD Cleaner | VinylRest |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Audio Restoration Software | 8.0 (#5) | 8.4 (#2) |
| File formats | Built-in formats are WAV, FLAC, AIFF, Ogg, MP3, and Opus; AAC and more are available through a free optional add-on. | VinylRest File supports mono or stereo WAV, AIFF, FLAC, and ALAC up to 192 kHz while preserving source format and timeline. |
| Support | The maker directs questions, bug reports and ideas to a Discord community. | ABC Player support asks users to provide version, macOS, hardware, error text and audio-file characteristics without sending copyrighted audio. |
| What it does | PD Cleaner removes clicks, crackle, hiss and hum from historical recordings, especially public-domain material made before 1926. | VinylRest is a suite for real-time vinyl restoration, offline restoration of digitized records and synchronized audio comparison. |
Plans
VinylRest
- VinylRest ABC PlayerFree
- VinylRest FileFree
- VinylRest File BetaFree
- VinylRest LiveFree
- VinylRest Live BetaFree
In their own words
PD Cleaner
PD Cleaner is a free Windows app for reducing clicks, crackle, hiss, and hum in old recordings, particularly public-domain recordings made before 1926. Drop in a file and it analyzes its era, noise, and clicks; a Clean dial lets you adjust the cleaning. Its voicings cover cylinders, acoustic 78s, and early electric recordings, alongside an uncoloured transfer option. A live before-and-after spectrum analyzer can show a curve, waterfall, or both, and users can solo noise being removed. The app works as a VST3 insert in a DAW or as a standalone program. Folder-based batch processing with one preset is limited to the standalone version. Built-in formats are WAV, FLAC, AIFF, Ogg, MP3, and Opus; a free optional add-on provides AAC and more. It supports 24-bit archival exports and says it does not overwrite the original file. The maker describes it as offline software. The Windows release is open source under AGPLv3, and its build may show an unknown publisher warning when first run.
VinylRest
VinylRest offers tools for restoring vinyl recordings and comparing audio, including real-time processing, file restoration, and synchronized playback. VinylRest Live processes stereo audio with DeClick and DeCrackle, plus optional NRNG surface-noise reduction. It supports 16-bit or 24-bit audio from 32 to 192 kHz when input and output formats are compatible. Its browser WebApp controls and monitors a session from a device on the same network, without an account or cloud synchronization. The WebApp uses unencrypted HTTP without a password, so VinylRest advises limiting it to a private, trusted LAN. VinylRest File restores recordings or folders while preserving source files and saving restored audio and reports as new files. It supports mono or stereo WAV, AIFF, FLAC, and ALAC up to 192 kHz. ABC Player synchronizes compatible files and switches among Source, Cleaned, and live Difference monitoring. The tools are listed for Linux, macOS, and web. Live and File are free public Betas requiring free licenses for processing; ABC Player is free on the Mac App Store.