Best for
Best for producers and engineers who master their own tracks and want to keep control of the chain.
- Freelancers
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
AI Sound & Audio Comparison
iZotope Ozone vs. SpectraLayers
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for post-production and music editors who need to pull a finished recording apart layer by layer.
- Small and mid-sized
- Enterprise
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | iZotope Ozone | SpectraLayers |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value Elements $55 Standard $219, Advanced $499. | From $89.99 one-time A perpetual licence rather than a subscription. SpectraLayers Elements 13 is $89.99 (EUR 89.99) and SpectraLayers Pro 13 $359.99 (EUR 359) in Steinberg's own shop; moving up from an earlier version costs less. |
| Free trial | 10-day free trial | 60-day trial with all features and no restrictions |
| Commercial use | Yes | Yes |
| Output | Mastered audio | Repaired, unmixed and separated audio |
| Languages | Not stated | Program in English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese; documentation in English |
| Hosting | Not stated | Desktop application for 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and for macOS Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe |
| Made in | Not stated | Germany, Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH in Hamburg |
| What it does | Mastering suite that finishes a mix, with an AI assistant that builds the chain and modules you can then edit | Spectral editing: unmixing a recording into layers and repairing them |
| Noise removal and repair | No, there is no de-noise, de-click or de-hum module; iZotope puts repair and restoration in RX | Yes, DeNoise, DeHum, DeClick, Voice Denoise, Voice DeReverb and DePlosive, plus Unmix Noisy Speech and Unmix Crowd Noise |
| Mastering and loudness | Yes, this is the core: Master Assistant with genre targets, LUFS loudness targets and adjustable processing strength, plus Maximizer with the IRC 5 algorithm | Limited: Normalize and Gain in every edition, plus Ambience Match, Reverb Match and EQ Match in Pro |
| Where it runs | Plugin in a DAW, as AAX, AU or VST3 on 64-bit systems | Standalone desktop editor, plus an ARA plugin for hosts including Cubase, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Reaper, or as an external editor |
| Also included | 20 modules in Advanced including Stem EQ, Bass Control, Unlimiter, Stabilizer, Master Rebalance and four Vintage processors, plus Stem Focus, Track Referencing, Codec Preview and Assistive Vocal Balance | Unmix modules for song, drums, instrument, chorus, soundtrack, multiple voices, components, levels, mid/side and transcription; lasso, magic wand, frequency, harmonics and transient selection; clone stamp and transfer tools; VST3 effects and batch processing in Pro |
| API | N/A | No developer API is documented; automation is batch processing, and that is in Pro only |
| Deployment | On-premise | On-premise |
| Support | Not stated | Community forum |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | Documentation and knowledge base |
| Company size | more entries Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise | Small and mid-sized, Enterprise |
| Integrations | Not stated | Cubase, Nuendo, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Reaper |
Add a tool
Adds a column to the table, from the tools in this category.
Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.
The short version
Key Differences
- Starting price iZotope Ozone Elements $55 SpectraLayers From $89.99 one-time
- Free trial iZotope Ozone 10-day free trial SpectraLayers 60-day trial with all features and no restrictions
- Company size iZotope Ozone Freelancers, Small and mid-sized, Enterprise SpectraLayers Small and mid-sized, Enterprise
- Output iZotope Ozone Mastered audio SpectraLayers Repaired, unmixed and separated audio
- What it does iZotope Ozone Mastering suite that finishes a mix, with an AI assistant that builds the chain and modules you can then edit SpectraLayers Spectral editing: unmixing a recording into layers and repairing them
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
iZotope Ozone
Strengths
- Master Assistant builds a chain from the audio and leaves every step editable
- Twenty mastering modules in Advanced, usable inside Ozone or as individual plugins
- Genre targets, LUFS loudness targets and Codec Preview for checking streaming delivery
Limitations
- Advanced at $499 is a professional-level price
- Elements gives the assistant but no access to the individual modules
- Desktop plugin for a DAW, not a browser service
SpectraLayers
Strengths
- Every unmix and restoration module is in Pro, from song parts to crowd noise
- Runs as an ARA plugin inside a DAW as well as standalone
- Three editions, so the entry level is not the full price
Limitations
- A spectral, layer-based workflow to learn, not a one-tap cleanup
- Go and Elements are held to 2 channels, 96 kHz and 8 undo levels
- Desktop software rather than a service, so it runs over a file
Plans
Pricing
iZotope Ozone
- Ozone 12 Elements $55 Master Assistant with Assistant View and Custom flow, plus Assistive Vocal Balance. Individual modules not accessible.
- Ozone 12 Standard $219 14 mastering tools and a range of AI-powered features.
- Ozone 12 Advanced $499 The complete 20-module suite, usable inside Ozone or as individual plugins.
SpectraLayers
- SpectraLayers Go Not stated Vocals-only unmix, one VST3 effect slot, 2 channels, up to 96 kHz and 8 undo levels. Steinberg's shop carries no separate price for it.
- SpectraLayers Elements 13 $89.99 One-time, perpetual licence. Unmix of song vocals plus DeNoise, DeHum and DeClick, 2 channels, up to 96 kHz and 8 undo levels. Updating from Elements 9 to 12 costs $34.99.
- SpectraLayers Pro 13 $359.99 One-time, perpetual licence. Every unmix and restoration module, batch processing, up to 8 channels, 384 kHz and 64 undo levels. Upgrading from Elements 9 to 12 costs $289.99.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
iZotope Ozone
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
SpectraLayers
- Ease of use
- Not rated yet
- User interface
- Not rated yet
- Onboarding
- Not rated yet
- Support and service
- Not rated yet
- Value for money
- Not rated yet
- Features
- Not rated yet
No reviews yet. Be the first to review this tool. Every review is checked for fairness before it appears, and the vendor cannot have one removed.
Where this comes from
Where this comes from
iZotope Ozone https://www.izotope.com/en/products/ozone.html · no check date recorded yet
SpectraLayers https://www.steinberg.net/spectralayers/ · checked against the official source on 2026-09-11
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.