Best for
Best for composers and producers who write with MIDI and virtual instruments and want notation and mixing in the same DAW.
Audio Editing & Mastering Comparison
Cubase vs. Digital Performer
At a glance
At a glance
Best for
Best for composers and engineers who score to picture or mix for Dolby Atmos and want it all in one DAW.
Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.
Full Comparison
| Criterion | Cubase | Digital Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | lower value From $99.99 Full version of Cubase Elements 15 in the US Steinberg Online Shop. Cubase Artist 15 is $329.00 and Cubase Pro 15 is $579.99; upgrades, crossgrades and education versions are priced separately. | $499 Full version of Digital Performer 12 as a download in the MOTU store. Upgrade from a previous version $195, competitive upgrade from another sequencer $395. |
| Free trial | Free 60-day trial of Cubase Pro 15 and Cubase Elements 15, no credit card needed | Not stated |
| Output | Composed, recorded, edited, mixed and mastered music and audio, including Dolby Atmos mixes in Cubase Pro | Recorded, edited and mixed music and audio, including Dolby Atmos ADM files |
| Hosting | Desktop app for Windows 10 (22H2 or later), Windows 11 (24H2 or later) and macOS 14, 15 and 26 | Desktop app for macOS 12.7 or later (Apple Silicon recommended) and Windows 11 (24H2) or later |
| What it does | Digital audio workstation for composing, recording, editing, mixing and producing music, with sections for audio post, game sound and scoring | Digital audio workstation for recording, writing and mixing, aimed at studio production, songwriting, film scoring, live performance, remixing, post production and surround mixing |
| Multitrack or two-track | Unlimited audio, MIDI and VST instrument tracks in Pro and Artist; Elements allows 48 audio, 64 MIDI and 24 instrument tracks | Multitrack with unlimited tracks and unlimited audio voices |
| Noise removal and repair | SpectraLayers Go spectral editing and VariAudio 3 pitch editing in Pro and Artist, plus AI-powered stem separation in Pro | De-Esser plug-in for sibilance, which can also gate narrow-band noise, plus AI-powered stem separation into drums, bass, vocals, guitar, strings and brass |
| Mastering and loudness | Limiter, Brickwall Limiter and Maximizer in every edition, WaveLab Go in Pro and Artist, and a Loudness Meter with a multi-channel true peak master meter in Pro | Dozens of mixing and mastering plug-ins, including the MasterWorks Series, Dynamic Equalizer and Spatial Maximizer |
| Formats and resolution | 64-bit audio engine at up to 192 kHz, ADM authoring and a renderer for Dolby Atmos in Pro, AAF and OMF exchange in Pro, and DAWproject and MusicXML exchange | Sample rates from 44.1 to 192 kHz at 16-bit, 24-bit or 32-bit float; channel formats from mono to 9.1.6; import and export of Dolby Atmos ADM BWF, OMF/AAF, MusicXML, Final Cut Pro XML and Standard MIDI files |
| Where it runs | Desktop app for Windows and macOS hosting VST 3 plug-ins, with ARA 2 in Pro and Artist; VST 2 plug-ins can be loaded but are not officially supported | Desktop app for macOS and Windows hosting Audio Units (Mac only), VST2, VST3, MAS and ARA plug-ins, with support for OSC and EuCon control surfaces |
| Licence and pricing model | Three editions, Pro, Artist and Elements, sold through resellers and the Steinberg Online Shop and activated with account-based Steinberg Licensing; upgrades, crossgrades and education versions are sold in the shop | Perpetual licence sold as a download in the MOTU store, with upgrades from previous versions, from Performer and from Performer Lite/AudioDesk, and a competitive upgrade for owners of other sequencers |
| Also included | In Cubase Pro: 11 virtual instruments and libraries with over 3,000 sounds, 96 effects and over 20 GB of samples and loops, plus the Score Editor, Drum Machine, Pattern Sequencer and video import and export | Built-in Dolby Atmos renderer with a 3D Panner for up to 128 channels, an Arrangement Strip, MusicXML round trips with notation software, QuickTime and AVI video playback, and included virtual instruments such as MX4 with the MOTU Instruments Soundbank |
| API | No hosted API. The MIDI Remote API connects MIDI controllers to Cubase through scripts in ES5 JavaScript that define the surface layout and its mappings to the host; MIDI Remote is part of every edition | No API or SDK is named on MOTU's product and tech specs pages. Outside control runs through any Open Sound Control (OSC) surface, EuCon-enabled surfaces and MCU-compatible surfaces |
| AI features | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | On-premise | On-premise |
| Support | Community forum | Email helpdesk |
| Onboarding | Documentation and knowledge base | more entries Documentation and knowledge base, Video tutorials |
| Integrations | Not stated | Dolby Atmos Renderer, Dorico, Sibelius, MuseScore |
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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 Cubase From $99.99 Digital Performer $499
- Hosting Cubase Desktop app for Windows 10 (22H2 or later), Windows 11 (24H2 or later) and macOS 14, 15 and 26 Digital Performer Desktop app for macOS 12.7 or later (Apple Silicon recommended) and Windows 11 (24H2) or later
- Support Cubase Community forum Digital Performer Email helpdesk
- Output Cubase Composed, recorded, edited, mixed and mastered music and audio, including Dolby Atmos mixes in Cubase Pro Digital Performer Recorded, edited and mixed music and audio, including Dolby Atmos ADM files
- What it does Cubase Digital audio workstation for composing, recording, editing, mixing and producing music, with sections for audio post, game sound and scoring Digital Performer Digital audio workstation for recording, writing and mixing, aimed at studio production, songwriting, film scoring, live performance, remixing, post production and surround mixing
Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.
The trade-offs
Strengths and Limitations
Cubase
Strengths
- Unlimited audio, MIDI and instrument tracks in Pro and Artist
- SpectraLayers Go and WaveLab Go are included in Pro and Artist
- DAWproject shares sessions across all Cubase editions, Cubasis and other supported DAWs
- Score Editor and MusicXML exchange are part of every edition
Limitations
- Stem separation, Dolby Atmos authoring and the Loudness Meter are reserved for Cubase Pro
- Cubase Elements is capped at 48 audio and 24 instrument tracks
- VST 2 plug-ins are not officially supported
Digital Performer
Strengths
- Unlimited tracks and audio voices
- Dolby Atmos renderer and ADM BWF export are built in
- AI stem separation developed in-house by MOTU
- Runs on both macOS and Windows and hosts AU, VST2, VST3, MAS and ARA plug-ins
Limitations
- Upgrade and competitive upgrade prices require a login to check eligibility
- Windows support starts at Windows 11 (24H2) on AMD or Intel only
Plans
Pricing
Cubase
- Cubase Pro $579.99 Full version of Cubase Pro 15. Unlimited tracks, stem separation, Dolby Atmos authoring and 96 effects.
- Cubase Artist $329.00 Full version of Cubase Artist 15. Unlimited tracks, 73 effects, SpectraLayers Go and WaveLab Go, without the Pro-only mixing and Atmos tools.
- Cubase Elements $99.99 Full version of Cubase Elements 15. Entry edition with 48 audio, 64 MIDI and 24 instrument tracks and 45 effects.
Digital Performer
- Digital Performer 12 $499 Full version, download.
- Competitive upgrade $395 For owners of a competing audio sequencer, download.
- Upgrade from previous version $195 For owners of an earlier Digital Performer version, download. Login required to check eligibility.
What users say
Review Scores · opens after launch
Cubase
- 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
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Digital Performer
- 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. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.
How we check reviews
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Where this comes from
Where this comes from
Cubase https://www.steinberg.net/cubase/ · checked against the official source on 2026-10-17
Digital Performer https://www.motu.com/en-us/products/software/dp/ · checked against the official source on 2026-10-20
This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.