Comparison of audio synthesis environments
These tables compare noteworthy audio programming languages.
What can't be compared
Please note that a lot of things about audio programming languages cannot be directly compared. In particular, some of the questions that beginners would most like to know the answers to - "Which one sounds better?", "Which is easiest to learn/use?" - can't be answered objectively enough for a comparison chart like this. Similarly, it is not at all straightforward to compare languages' efficiency or stability, because many factors impinge upon these such as hardware, operating system, software version, plugins, and use case.
General
| Name | Creator | Primary Purpose(s) | Principal target audiences | Working state | First release date | Most recent update | License | Main user interface | Development: Active/Stable/Discontinued |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChucK | |||||||||
| Csound | |||||||||
| Max/MSP | |||||||||
| Pure data | |||||||||
| SuperCollider |