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.
DAW software built on the Studio One platform, sold by Fender (formerly PreSonus Studio One Pro 7), with recording, editing, mixing and mastering tools.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, Cubase 16 comes out ahead (8.8). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Cubase 16 | Studio One 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 to $599.99 | $199.99 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.8 | 8.2 |
| Formats | VST3, standalone, macOS, Windows | VST2, VST3, AU (Audio Unit), CLAP, ReWire, ARA / ARA2 |
| Editions | Pro, Artist and Elements, plus Cubase AI and LE bundled with hardware | — |
| License | Perpetual license, no subscription; free 30-day trial | Perpetual license, $199.99 USD; never lose access to the purchased version |
| 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 | — |
| Current product / version | — | PreSonus Studio One Pro 7 has been rebranded to Fender Studio Pro (now v8.1); the PreSonus product URL 301-redirects to fender.com |
| Included content | — | Over 45 native effects and 9 virtual instruments |
| Fender amp/FX content | — | Fender Mustang Guitar and Rumble Bass plug-ins: 39 guitar amps, 39 bass amps, 73 FX pedals, plus presets |
| Audio/AI tools | — | Native stem separation, Audio-to-MIDI (Audio-to-Note) conversion, Chord Assistant, native Vocal Tune, Studio Verb |
| Integrations | — | Splice, Moises Studio, Melodyne, Tonalic, and Dolby Atmos |
| Operating systems | — | macOS and Windows (64-bit); Studio One Pro 7 minimums were macOS 12.4+ and Windows 10/11 22H2+ |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.