Download REAPER — Complete Multitrack DAW with 60-Day Evaluation for Windows PC v7.83 for Windows PC

A complete multitrack digital audio workstation in an 18 MB download, with deep customisation, ReaPlugs effects and powerful scripting — commercial software...

Features

• It is a genuinely complete DAW for recording, editing, mixing and mastering, handling audio and MIDI with flexible routing that few rivals match at any price.
• The installer is only about 18 MB, the program launches quickly, and it runs smoothly on modest hardware that struggles with heavier workstations.
• Deep customisation covers actions, shortcuts, menus, toolbars and themes, while JSFX and other scripting let advanced users build their own effects and workflows.
• The included ReaPlugs effects are capable and efficient, covering EQ, compression, reverb, delay and tuning without needing third-party plugins to start mixing.
• Pricing is transparent and fair, with a fully functional 60-day evaluation and a one-off $60 personal licence instead of a subscription.

Considerations

• REAPER is not free software: after the 60-day evaluation you must buy a licence, and the start-up reminder screen appears until you do.
• The default theme and long menus look dated and can overwhelm new users before they discover how customisable everything is.
• No instrument, loop or sample library is bundled, so producers must bring their own virtual instruments and content to make music.

REAPER 7.83 from Cockos is a full multitrack digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and mastering audio and MIDI, delivered in an installer of only about 18 MB. That small size is not a sign of missing features. It reflects a design that loads fast, runs well on modest hardware, and leaves out bundled content rather than engineering.

The defining mechanism is routing. Tracks can send audio or MIDI almost anywhere, which makes parallel compression, sidechaining, submix buses and complex templates straightforward once the logic clicks. Automation, extensive editing tools and the included ReaPlugs suite, covering EQ, compression, reverb, delay and tuning, handle the everyday mixing work without third-party plug-ins. VST and VST3 plug-ins from outside fit into the same ecosystem.

Customisation goes deeper than themes. Actions, shortcuts, menus and toolbars can be reshaped around your own workflow, and scripting, including JSFX for building your own effects and ReaScript, lets technical users create tools other DAWs would sell separately. REAPER can also run as a portable install from a single folder or USB drive, carrying the same setup between machines. It is paid software: a fully functional 60-day evaluation, then a one-off $60 personal licence or $225 commercial licence.

REAPER suits people who record and mix real audio and value control over presentation. Home studios get a complete DAW without a subscription. Podcasters get multitrack recording, editing and efficient effects in a program that stays fast on ordinary laptops. Sound designers and working engineers get the routing depth and scripting that make repetitive or complex work automatable. Anyone with an older or modest PC is also well served, because REAPER handles large track counts where heavier workstations stutter.

Be clear about the price first: REAPER is not free. The 60-day evaluation is the full program with only a start-up reminder screen, and projects are not locked afterwards, but continued legitimate use requires the $60 personal or $225 commercial licence. Anyone looking for permanently free software should look at a free DAW instead.

It is also not ideal for producers starting from zero who expect a bundled library. No instruments, loops or samples are included, so you must bring your own virtual instruments and content. Beginners may also find the default theme dated and the long menus overwhelming before they learn how customisable everything is. If you want polished looks and ready-made sounds on day one, another DAW will feel friendlier, even if it costs more and does less.

A podcaster records a 40-minute interview with two voices on separate tracks and a short music intro. She drags the files into REAPER 7.83, trims the false starts, and cuts the long pauses, working quickly because the program stays responsive even with many edits. Each voice gets its own chain built from ReaPlugs: ReaEQ to roll off low rumble, ReaComp to even out the level when one speaker leans away from the microphone, and a small amount of de-essing-style automation where sibilance spikes.

Routing does the tidy work. Both voice tracks feed a single voice bus, so one fader controls the dialogue against the music. The intro track is routed so its volume ducks slightly under the opening words, then returns. She adds markers for chapter points, checks the loudest sections so nothing clips, and listens through the whole episode once while watching the meters.

She then renders a finished MP3 and a WAV master from the same session, with the project saved so future episodes can reuse the template exactly. The concrete outcome is a publish-ready episode with balanced voices and consistent levels, mixed in one sitting on a modest laptop, using no third-party plug-ins at all.

Download reaper783_x64-install.exe, the roughly 18 MB installer for REAPER version 7.83, from the official source linked on this page.

Double-click reaper783_x64-install.exe and either complete the standard install of version 7.83 or tick the portable install option to run REAPER 7.83 from a single folder.

Launch REAPER, select your audio interface or Windows audio device under Preferences, and begin the free 60-day evaluation. Buy the $60 or $225 licence from Cockos when you are ready to continue.

Is REAPER free after the 60-day evaluation ends?

No. REAPER is commercial software. The 60-day evaluation is fully functional with only a start-up reminder, but continued use requires a licence: $60 for personal and small-business use, or $225 for commercial use, as a one-off purchase.

Does REAPER stop working or lock my projects when the evaluation expires?

No. Cockos does not cripple the program when the evaluation period ends; it keeps running with the reminder screen. Your projects are not locked, but you are expected to buy the appropriate licence to keep using it legitimately.

Can I run REAPER from a USB drive without installing it?

Yes. The installer offers a portable install option that puts the whole program in a single folder. You can carry that folder on a USB drive and run the same setup, preferences and projects on different Windows PCs.

Does REAPER work with VST plugins and audio interfaces?

Yes. REAPER supports VST, VST3, AU-style workflows on other platforms, JSFX and its own ReaPlugs, and it works with ASIO and standard Windows audio drivers, so most interfaces, MIDI controllers and plugin collections work as expected.