Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which daw to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Steinberg Cubase 16 is a desktop DAW for composing, recording, mixing and scoring, sold as a perpetual license in Pro, Artist and Elements editions.
Logic Pro is Apple's professional digital audio workstation for music production and editing on Mac and iPad.
Editorial analysis
Cubase 16 and Logic Pro are the two heavyweight composition DAWs producers compare when they care about MIDI, scoring, and finished-record stock libraries. Logic is Mac-only value; Cubase is cross-platform depth. Both finish professional work without a third-party suite.
Decisive signal
Logic Pro is the best one-time Mac DAW value: huge stock library, strong instruments, and a polished mixer at a relatively modest price. Cubase is the cross-platform specialist for Expression Maps, advanced MIDI, and Windows/Mac parity. If you are Mac-only and want maximum content per dollar, Logic is hard to beat; if you need Windows or Steinberg’s composition toolset, Cubase is the match.
Choose Cubase 16 if
Choose Cubase 16 if you need Windows support, dual-platform sessions, or Cubase’s Expression Maps and composition workflow.
Open plugin file →Choose Logic Pro if
Choose Logic Pro if you are on Mac and want a deep stock library and pro mixer at Logic’s typical one-time price.
Open plugin file →Buying verdict
Logic Pro is the smarter buy for most Mac producers on value. Cubase 16 is the better fit for Windows users, dual-platform studios, and composers who specifically want Cubase’s MIDI/scoring stack. Neither is a weak choice.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Cubase 16 | Logic Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 to $599.99 | $199.99 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Formats | VST3, standalone, macOS, Windows | Audio Units (AUv2), Audio Unit Extensions (AUv3) |
| Editions | Pro, Artist and Elements, plus Cubase AI and LE bundled with hardware | — |
| License | Perpetual license, no subscription; free 30-day trial | — |
| List prices | Pro $599.99, Artist $299.99, Elements $99.99 | — |
| Tracks | Unlimited in Pro and Artist; limited in Elements | — |
| Instruments and effects | Pro 12 and 98, Artist 12 and 75, Elements 7 and 45 | — |
| New in 16 | Instrument Stacks, Strum and Stretch, piano and guitar stems, Spectral AudioWarp, Ableton Link, 16 sends per track | — |
| System | 64-bit Windows 11 (25H2 or later) or Windows 10 (22H2 or later); macOS 15 Sequoia, 26 Tahoe or 27 Golden Gate; native on Apple silicon | — |
| Processor | 4 or more cores: Intel Core i5 (8th gen), AMD Ryzen 3000 or Windows on Arm; on Mac, Apple silicon or an Intel Core i5 from late 2018 or later | — |
| RAM / storage | 16 GB RAM minimum; 1.5 GB for the core install, 89 GB free with all content | — |
| Plugin support | VST3 instruments and effects | Built-in instruments and effects plus third-party Audio Units (AU) plug-ins |
| Platforms | — | Mac (Apple silicon, macOS 26.1 or later) and iPad (A12 Bionic or later, iPadOS 26 or later) |
| Spatial Audio | — | Integrated Dolby Atmos tools; exports industry-standard ADM files |
| Cross-platform | — | Round-trip project compatibility between Mac and iPad |
| Mac price | — | $199.99 one-time purchase |
| Subscription price | — | $12.99/month or $129/year (Apple Creator Studio) |
| November 2026 update | — | AI assistant (beta, Mac, macOS 27, US English), redesigned Browser with on-device sound tagging and a Splice library, drum-part isolation in Stem Splitter, Liquid Glass design |
Quick reference
Yes. Cubase 16 runs on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 15 Sequoia or later, natively on Apple silicon. Logic Pro is Mac-only (including iPad variants of Logic).
Both are strong. Cubase’s Expression Maps and scoring heritage are a classic choice for sample-library orchestral work; Logic’s stock instruments and articulation systems are excellent for many composers on Mac.
Logic Pro typically wins on content-per-dollar for Mac users. Cubase Pro costs more at full price but remains a perpetual-license alternative to subscription DAWs on both platforms.
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.