Audacity
Photopea
| Feature | Audacity | Photopea |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $5/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | podcasters, students, hobbyists, audio-editors | designers, students, photo-editors, budget-conscious-creatives |
| Founded | 2000 | 2013 |
| Recording | ✓ | ✗ |
| Editing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Effects | ✓ | ✗ |
| Noise Reduction | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi Track | ✓ | ✗ |
| Plugin Support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Photo Editing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Psd Support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Layers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Filters | ✗ | ✓ |
| Batch Processing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Vector Tools | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Audacity Pros
- Completely free
- Cross-platform
- Good for editing
- Extensive effects
✗ Audacity Cons
- Dated interface
- Not for production
- Destructive editing
✓ Photopea Pros
- Free and browser-based
- Opens PSD files perfectly
- No installation needed
- Full editing capabilities
✗ Photopea Cons
- Ads on free version
- Can be slow with large files
- Limited batch processing
The Verdict
Audacity is built for podcasters and students, with a focus on recording and editing. Photopea targets designers and students and leads with photo-editing and psd-support.
Audacity uses custom enterprise pricing, while Photopea starts at $5/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for students — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Photopea has a slight overall edge — but if completely free matters most to you, Audacity may still be the right call.