Tenacity Review, Pricing & Features

Tenacity is a free, privacy-friendly, open-source multi-track audio editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux, forked from Audacity.

Category
Media & Audio/Video Tools
Pricing
open-source / free, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2021
WindowsOpen SourceMac

What Is Tenacity

Tenacity is a free, open-source multi-track audio editor built on the Audacity codebase. It was created in 2021 by volunteer developers who wanted to continue an Audacity-like editor without the telemetry and licensing concerns that arose after Audacity was acquired by Muse Group that year.

Because it is community-run rather than backed by a company, Tenacity has no headquarters, no pricing tiers, and no vendor lock-in. Development happens in the open on Codeberg and GitHub, and anyone can contribute code, translations, or documentation.

Key Features

Tenacity supports multi-track recording and editing, a wide range of import and export audio formats (extendable with FFmpeg), high-quality processing up to 32-bit float, and plugin support for VST2, LADSPA, LV2, and AU formats. It also supports scripting through the built-in Nyquist language as well as external languages via named pipes.

On top of the inherited Audacity feature set, Tenacity has added its own improvements, including modern UI themes, native Matroska (MKA/MKV) import and export without requiring FFmpeg, expanded platform support such as Haiku, and a modernized build system for easier compilation on current operating systems.

Pricing

Tenacity is completely free to download and use under the GNU General Public License version 2 or later. There are no paid tiers, subscriptions, or in-app purchases, and the source code is publicly available for anyone to inspect, modify, or redistribute.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source under GPL
  • No telemetry or data collection built into the software
  • Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Familiar Audacity-style workflow for users switching from Audacity
  • Active volunteer community continuing development

Cons

  • Smaller contributor base than Audacity means slower feature development at times
  • Project has had periods of reduced activity and maintainer turnover
  • No official paid support or enterprise service tier
  • Some newer Audacity features may not be present since the fork

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tenacity free

Yes, Tenacity is completely free and open source under the GNU General Public License version 2 or later.

Is Tenacity the same as Audacity

No. Tenacity is a separate, community-run fork of Audacity created in 2021, though it shares much of its original codebase and workflow.

Why was Tenacity created

Tenacity was created after Audacity's new owner, Muse Group, introduced a privacy policy and contributor license agreement that raised telemetry and licensing concerns among users and contributors.

What platforms does Tenacity support

Tenacity runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with community support extending to other platforms such as Haiku.

Does Tenacity support plugins

Yes, it supports VST2, LADSPA, LV2, and AU audio plugins.

Who maintains Tenacity

Tenacity is maintained by a volunteer open-source community rather than a company; there is no official corporate headquarters.

Can I import and export multiple audio formats in Tenacity

Yes, Tenacity supports a wide range of formats and can be extended further with FFmpeg.

Does Tenacity collect user data

No, avoiding telemetry and data collection was a core motivation for the project's creation.

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