Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Exact Audio Copy VS fre:ac

Compare Exact Audio Copy VS fre:ac and see what are their differences

Exact Audio Copy logo Exact Audio Copy

Exact Audio Copy is a so called audio grabber for CDs using standard CD and DVD-ROM drives. The main differences. DownloadDownload the latest version of EAC Advertisement / Anzeige .

fre:ac logo fre:ac

fre:ac is a audio converter and CD extractor designed for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, distributed under the GNU General Public License.
  • Exact Audio Copy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-23
  • fre:ac Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-11

Exact Audio Copy features and specs

  • Accurate Ripping
    Exact Audio Copy (EAC) uses advanced error detection and correction algorithms to ensure that the ripped audio is as close to the original as possible, offering high accuracy in audio extraction.
  • Secure Mode
    It provides a secure mode for ripping, which reads audio tracks multiple times, compares results and corrects errors, leading to fewer glitches and higher quality rips.
  • Extensive Format Support
    EAC supports numerous audio formats including WAV, MP3, FLAC, and more, giving users flexibility in choosing the format that suits their needs.
  • Freeware
    This software is available for free, making it an attractive option for users who need a reliable audio ripping tool without incurring costs.
  • Metadata Handling
    It provides robust metadata handling features, including automatic tagging, cover art download, and support for various metadata formats.
  • User Community and Support
    There is a sizable user community and plenty of online resources, forums, and guides to help troubleshoot and optimize usage.

Possible disadvantages of Exact Audio Copy

  • Complexity
    The software can be complex for beginners, with a steep learning curve due to its extensive configuration options and technical terminology.
  • Windows Exclusive
    EAC is only available for Windows, which limits its usability for those using other operating systems like macOS or Linux.
  • Slow Ripping Process
    Because of its secure mode and other accuracy-focused features, the ripping process can be slower compared to other, less thorough, ripping software.
  • Outdated UI
    The user interface looks dated compared to modern software, which might be off-putting for some users seeking a more contemporary design.
  • Limited Updates
    EAC does not receive frequent updates, which means it might lack some newer features found in more actively developed software.

fre:ac features and specs

  • Open Source
    fre:ac is an open-source software, meaning it is free to use and its source code can be inspected and modified by anyone. This can be advantageous for users who want transparency and the ability to customize the software to their needs.
  • Wide Format Support
    The software supports a variety of audio formats including MP3, MP4/M4A, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, WAV, and Bonk. This makes it versatile for different audio tasks and requirements.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    fre:ac has a straightforward and easy-to-navigate interface, which makes it accessible even for users who are not very tech-savvy.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The software is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and other platforms. This ensures that users on different operating systems can take advantage of its features.
  • CD Ripping Feature
    fre:ac includes a feature for ripping audio CDs and converting tracks to different formats, adding to its versatility and functionality.
  • Batch Processing
    The ability to convert multiple files at once can save users a significant amount of time, especially when dealing with large audio libraries.

Possible disadvantages of fre:ac

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While fre:ac supports a wide range of audio formats, it lacks some advanced features found in professional-grade audio converters, such as comprehensive metadata editing and advanced audio processing options.
  • Occasional Stability Issues
    Users have reported occasional crashes and stability issues, which can be a drawback for those relying on the software for extensive audio conversion tasks.
  • Basic User Interface
    Although the interface is user-friendly, it is also relatively basic and may lack the polish and aesthetics of some paid alternatives.
  • Limited Support and Documentation
    Being open-source software, the level of official support and comprehensive documentation may not be as robust as that provided by commercial software developers.
  • Dependency on External Codecs
    fre:ac may require external codecs for some formats, which means users might need to install additional components to fully utilize its capabilities.

Exact Audio Copy videos

How to Rip CDs to .FLAC using Exact Audio Copy (Lossless)

More videos:

  • Tutorial - How to Rip An Audio CD with EAC (Exact Audio Copy)

fre:ac videos

fre:ac | Free Audio Converter | Microsoft Windows | Review

More videos:

  • Review - HowTo: Convert to MP3 with fre:ac Free Audio Converter
  • Tutorial - How to convert a Flac File into Mp3 File using Fre:ac - Free Audio Converter (Still Working 2019)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Exact Audio Copy and fre:ac)
Video
44 44%
56% 56
Product Presentation
54 54%
46% 46
Audio & Music
45 45%
55% 55
Audio Player
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Exact Audio Copy should be more popular than fre:ac. It has been mentiond 6 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Exact Audio Copy mentions (6)

  • Program to automatically identify music file, download album art and lyrics? Ripping tons of CDs to my iPod lately. Recently got Cochlear Implant and training my brain to recognize sounds and musics now.
    Mac or PC? X Lossless Decoder and Exact Audio Copy both have native metadata support. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Multidisk CD player
    Are you sure you want to do this. Put them on a Network Attached Storage NAS. It may sound daunting buts its easy if you have a computer and free software like EAC. It finds all the data like song titles and artwork. https://exactaudiocopy.de/. If only 50 CDs you can use a thumb drive. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Question from a newbie: what's the most quality-preserving way to rip CDs
    Until now I've downloaded all my music from streaming services but I want to rip the few CDs that I have at home. I've searched online for a good way to rip them with as little quality loss as possible and I've found this dBpoweramp and Exact Audio Copy to be the gold standard but I can't quite decide on what's best or even if there's an even better option. I should also note that I'm quite technical and not... Source: about 2 years ago
  • …still a lot of “holes”…but I’m getting there
    If you're interested in helping out, I suggest using Exact Audio Copy and configuring it according to this guide here, though I totally understand if you don't want to do this. Source: over 2 years ago
  • …still a lot of “holes”…but I’m getting there
    If that sounds like something you're OK with doing, I suggest using https://exactaudiocopy.de and configuring it accordingly to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b1JJsuZj2TdiXs--XDvuKdhFUdKCdB_1qrmOMGkyveg/. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

fre:ac mentions (3)

  • File Converters - Do you know of any I can self host? I want to do it all...
    Then maybe something like Https://freac.org/. Source: over 1 year ago
  • What service is everyone switching to?
    Just take that lossless track and encode it to 320kbps Vorbis using a good quality encoder (Foobar or freac). Then load both the files into any ABX comparison tool. It will load both samples then shuffle them so X/Y are random and you have to tell it which you think is A and which you think is B. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • What is something that was used heavily in the year 2000, but it's almost never used today?
    Evidently this will work (though sadly no Linux version): https://freac.org/. Source: about 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Exact Audio Copy and fre:ac, you can also consider the following products

Asunder - Asunder is a graphical Audio CD ripper and encoder for Linux. You can use it to save tracks from an Audio CD as any of WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC, Opus, WavPack, Musepack, AAC, and Monkey's Audio files. Asunder is translatable!

EZ CD Audio Converter - EZ CD Audio Converter is the most comprehensive multi format audio converter and is extremely easy...

dBpoweramp - dBpoweramp contains a multitude of audio tools in one: CD Ripper, Music Converter, ID Tag Editor...

CDex - CDex allows you to take sound files from a physical CD and save them in a variety of digital formats.

Format Factory - Format Factory is software that allows the user to convert media into various file formats. The software is a product of PC Free Time, a Chinese software development company. Read more about Format Factory.

Audiograbber - Audiograbber software is a famous freeware platform for audio extraction or conversion for Microsoft Windows. The software was first developed by Jackie Franck in the mid-1990s. Read more about Audiograbber.