The Showdown

Pro Toolsvsardour

Why pay monthly fees for Pro Tools when you can self-host ardour for free? Let's look at the facts.

Pro Tools

The Expensive Option

  • Closed Source (Black box)
  • Expensive monthly fees per user
  • Data stored on their servers
WINNER

ardour

The Freedom Choice

  • 100% Open Source Code
  • Free forever (Self-hosted)
  • You own your data completely
Interactive Calculator

Calculate Your "SaaS Tax"

SaaS pricing is designed to scale with your success. See how much wealth transfers from your bank account to Pro Tools's shareholders.

10 people
150100200+
$

*Estimated standard pricing for Pro Tools. Adjust if needed.

Estimated Annual Waste
$1,440
Monthly Burn Rate$120
5-Year Projection$7,200
Cost with Self-Hosted$0
Start Saving Today

Calculations based on 10 users at $12/mo.

Detailed Breakdown

0
Industry standard
Non-linear editing
1
Proprietary DSP
Jack/ALSA/ASIO
2
Subscription
Copyleft