PRO TOOLS DETAILED COMPARISON

Compare Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio, and Pro Tools Ultimate subscriptions to see which one is right for you.

Pro Tools Artist

The essentials for music recording and MIDI creation

$99 USD/year
or
$9.99 USD/month

Buy now

Pro Tools Studio

The complete toolset for professional music production

$299 USD/year
or
$29.99 USD/month

Buy now

Pro Tools Ultimate

The advanced suite for audio post and high-end music

$599 USD/year
or
$99.00 USD/month

Buy now

Pro Tools is always getting better with new features and improvements. And with your active plan, you get them as soon as we release them. See what's new in Pro Tools.

Key features

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Key features

Included software and plugins Pro Tools Intro Pro Tools Artist Pro Tools Studio Pro Tools Ultimate
Included third-party software - Celemony Melodyne 5 essential Celemony Melodyne 5 essential, SoundFlow Cloud Avid Edition* Celemony Melodyne 5 essential, SoundFlow Cloud Avid Edition*
Sonic Drop content - Included with monthly and annual subscriptions Included with monthly and annual subscriptions and Software Updates + Support Plans for perpetual licenses Included with monthly and annual subscriptions and Software Updates + Support Plans for perpetual licenses
Inner Circle rewards - Included with annual subscriptions only Included with annual subscriptions and Software Updates + Support Plans for perpetual licenses only Included with annual subscriptions and Software Updates + Support Plans for perpetual licenses only
Sketch Window + + + +
Internal Dolby Atmos® renderer - - + +
Simultaneous recording inputs 4 16 64 256 (Core Audio, ASIO), 192 (HDX Hybrid Engine, HDX Classic), 64 (HD Native)
Audio tracks 8 32 (mono/stereo) 512 (mono/stereo/surround) 2,048 (mono/stereo/surround)
Voices n/a n/a n/a 2,048 (non-HDX)
2,048 (HDX Hybrid Engine)
256 per card (HDX Classic)
MIDI tracks 8 64 1,024 1,024
Instrument tracks 8 32 512 512
Aux I/O inputs and outputs n/a 4/4 unlimited/32** unlimited/unlimited
Aux Input tracks 4 32 128 1,024
Routing Folder tracks 4 32 128 1,024
Basic Folder tracks 2,000 2,000 2,000 2,000
Video tracks n/a n/a 1 64
Busses unlimited unlimited unlimited unlimited
Included plugins 36 100+ 120+ 120+
Bit depth, sample rate 32-bit floating point, 192 kHz 32-bit floating point, 192 kHz 32-bit floating point, 192 kHz 32-bit floating point, 192 kHz

* Included with annual subscriptions and Upgrade plans for Pro Tools Artist, Pro Tools Studio, and Pro Tools Ultimate perpetual licenses only
** Dolby Audio Bridge allows 130 outputs with an active connection to the optional external Dolby Atmos Renderer application 

Create, edit, produce

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Create, edit, produce

Automatic plugin delay compensation + + + +
Elastic audio + + + +
ARA 2 Melodyne support +* + + +
Soundbase/Workspace + + + +
Retrospective MIDI recording + + + +
Track Presets + + + +
Time signature changes + + + +
MIDI Editor + + + +

Audio-to-MIDI

Watch the video

Learn more

+* + + +
Sibelius Score Editor + + + +

Track comping

Watch the video

+ + + +
Beat Detective + + + +
In-the-box dubbing +
(Requires HDX)
TrackPunch / DestructivePunch +
Field recorder workflows +

* Requires a version of Celemony Melodyne (not included)

Mix, master, deliver

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Mix, master, deliver

Supported plugin formats AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite; supports AAX DSP when used with Pro Tools | Carbon AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite; supports AAX DSP when used with Pro Tools | Carbon or Pro Tools | HDX
Track Freeze and Commit + + + +
Clip FX Playback only Playback only + +
Clip Gain + + + +
Advanced metering with gain reduction + +
Timecode ruler + + +
VCA mixing + +
Solo bus AFL/PFL + +
Surround mixing + +
Dolby Atmos mixing* + +

ADM Export

Learn more

+ +
Ambisonics VR mixing** + +
Advanced automation + +
Export selected range + +
Single file multi-stem bounce + +

* Pro Tools Studio supports up to 7.1.6; Pro Tools Ultimate supports up to 9.1.6

** Pro Tools Studio supports up to third-order Ambisonics; Pro Tools Ultimate supports up to seventh-order Ambisonics

Usability

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Usability

Ableton Link support + + + +
MIDI Keyboard + + + +
Folder Tracks + + + +

Space Clips

Learn more

+ + + +
AAC encode decode support + + +
AAF/OMF/MXF file interchange + +
Batch renaming + +
Extended RAM/Disk Cache + +
Satellite Link Remote 1 per Satellite network Up to 2 per Satellite network without Pro Tools | HD hardware; up to 12 per Satellite network with Pro Tools | HD hardware

Video

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Video

Video tracks n/a n/a 1 64
Avid Video Engine + +

4K/UHD support

Learn more

+ +
Advanced video editing +

Collaborate and connect

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Collaborate and connect

Cloud collaboration +* + + +
Cloud storage - 1 GB 1 GB 1 GB

* Can collaborate on someone else's project when invited, but cannot invite others to collaborate

Compatible hardware

Pro Tools Intro
Pro Tools Artist
Pro Tools Studio
Pro Tools Ultimate

Compatible hardware

PRO TOOLS SYSTEMS AND INTERFACES
MBOX Studio + + + +
Pro Tools | Carbon + +
Pro Tools | Carbon Pre + +
Pro Tools | HDX +
Pro Tools | HD Native +
Pro Tools | MTRX +
Pro Tools | MTRX II +
with the optional Thunderbolt 3 module
+
with the optional Thunderbolt 3 module
+
with the optional Thunderbolt 3 module
+
Pro Tools | MTRX Studio +
with the optional Thunderbolt 3 module
+
with the optional Thunderbolt 3 module
+
with the optional Thunderbolt 3 module
+
Pro Tools | HD I/O +
Pro Tools | HD OMNI +
Pro Tools | HD MADI +
Pro Tools | Sync X +
THIRD-PARTY HARDWARE
Core Audio compatible interfaces + + + +
ASIO/WASAPI compatible interfaces + + + +
AVID CONTROL SURFACES
Avid Control (free mobile app) + + + +
Avid Dock + + + +
Avid S1 + + + +
Avid S3 + + + +
Avid S4 + + + +
Avid S6 + + + +
THIRD-PARTY CONTROL SURFACES
HUI-compatible control surfaces + + + +
AVID A/V INTERFACES
Avid Artist | DNxIQ + +
Avid Artist | DNxIV + +
Avid Artist | DNxIP + +
Avid Artist | DNxID + +

System requirements

Pro Tools Intro Pro Tools Artist Pro Tools Studio Pro Tools Ultimate
See the latest system requirements