1. The quick list
2. Best overall
3. Best budget
4. Best compact
5. Best for guitar
6. Best for streaming
7. Best for Ableton
8. Also tested
9. Buying advice
10. How we test
Getting into recording audio can be an expensive business. There's a lot of gear you'll need to get up and running and costs can quickly spiral out of control but it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, we'd wager it's much better to buy only what you absolutely need and work your way up from there, adding as you grow and evolve. One thing is certain however, if you want to start creating audio or content and spend wisely, you should start with one of the best budget audio interfaces.
There's a humongous selection of audio interfaces available for home recording in 2024, and many of them are outstanding value for money. So how do you know which one is truly the best for you? Well here at MusicRadar we've reviewed more audio interfaces than you can shake a boom mic stand at, which puts us in the perfect position to recommend you the best possible bit of gear for your personal use case. All of the audio interfaces in our guides have been meticulously examined by our expert reviewers and used in actual musical or content scenarios, whether that's recording guitars and vocals or live streaming Call of Duty games. We test audio interfaces by pushing them to their limits, trialling their usability in a variety of scenarios, and thoroughly examining them for all their pros and cons.
If you're new to phrases like 'headroom' and 'phantom power', then its worth checking out our buying advice section where we've answered loads of common questions for the curious or budget conscious. If you just want to see the best value audio interfaces available today, then keep scrolling for our top choices.
The quick list
Where the first iteration of this compact interface won fans on account of its rigid build, superb audio fidelity, and simplicity, the MkII takes these characteristics and introduces faster USB transfer speeds and USB-C connectivity.
We’ve placed takeaway orders that have cost us more than what Behringer’s UMC22 retails for, so it’s hard to quibble with this one on price. If you need something cheap to get going with, you could certainly do a lot worse.
The Volt 1 is a plug-and-play USB-C interface that offers UA’s excellent preamps on its combi inputs, with a single input in a compact form factor. It offers a great vintage tube sound, giving recordings a richness rarely heard at this price range.
The 4th Gen Solo includes 2 inputs and 2 outputs, plus some technical improvements, including 120dB dynamic range, a new improved headphone amp, and a reworked Air mode, which adds presence to the higher frequencies of recordings.
The Presonus Studio 24c offers exceptional quality regardless of what you’re trying to record or produce. We particularly like the included Universal Control software, which enables the interface to ‘loop back’ on itself virtually.
With its compact size, the Arturia MiniFuse 1 is the perfect audio interface to take out and about. It's got an impressive 110dB dynamic range and the single multi-input gives you options for connectivity. We love the USB hub out for using a MIDI controller too.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want an easy-to-use audio interface: Packed with features but easy to get up and running, the iD4 MkII is a perfect beginner audio interface thanks to its excellent quality and low cost.
❌ Avoid if you want to use MIDI: It doesn't have MIDI however, so if you're looking at integrating external hardware with your interface, you'll want to look elsewhere.
It doesn’t seem like all that long ago that Audient launched its smallest ever audio interface, the iD4. There’s always room to improve things though, which is why the Audient iD4 MkII is interesting. Where the first iteration won fans on account of its rigid build, superb audio fidelity and simplicity, the MkII takes these characteristics and introduces faster USB transfer speeds and USB-C connectivity.
There are some nice details included, like the extra headphone output and a smart scroll wheel which can be used to tweak settings in your software. And, speaking of which, the bundled ARC package contains plenty of plugins, effects and virtual instruments to get you up and running in no time. It might be a little pricier than other interfaces in this guide, but it's a pretty comprehensive package all round.
Read the full Audient iD4 MkII review
Best budget
✅ Buy if you want the lowest cost interface: The UMC22 is probably the cheapest but good quality audio interface we've ever come across, coming in well below the $100/£100 mark.
❌ Avoid if you prefer a dedicated driver: There's no driver for Windows for the UMC22, so you'll need to use ASIO4ALL to use it on a PC.
We’ve placed takeaway orders that have cost us more than what Behringer’s UMC22 retails for, so it’s hard to quibble with this one on price. You do, of course, get what you pay for to some extent, and there are a number of areas where the UMC22 lags behind its pricier rivals.
For one thing, the max resolution here is 16-bit, which is still CD quality and will most likely be fine for most users, but is worth being aware of. The U-Phoria range doesn’t have its own designated driver either, and relies on the universal ASIO4ALL (although this is still a free download). Also, while build quality is in no way poor, we wouldn’t want to bet on the UMC22 outlasting the devices at the top of this list.
All that being said, there are no outright deal-breakers amongst these downsides and at this price, if you need something cheap to get going with, you could certainly do a lot worse.
Read our full Behringer UMC22 review
Best compact
✅ Buy if you want a portable, small audio interface: The single input and diminutive dimensions make the Volt 1 perfect for popping in your backpack or fitting into a tight home studio space.
❌ Avoid if you need more inputs: The Volt 1 only has a single input so if you're looking to multi-mic or record different sources at the same time you'll need to look elsewhere.
Universal Audio's Volt 1 is one of the entry-level interfaces in UA's Volt series. The Volt 1 is a plug-and-play USB-C interface that offers UA’s excellent preamps on a single combi input. They offer a great vintage tube sound on your inputs, giving recordings a richness rarely heard in this price range.
We love the compact size of the Volt 1, which makes it great for fitting into tight spaces or packing into a backpack to record on the go. As you'd expect from UA it's got fantastic build quality too, so will stand the test of time despite being relatively cheap.
The Volt is a radical departure for UA, offering an affordable taste of the brand’s key ingredients. They’re incompatible with plugins from the UAD store but they absolutely deserve to shake up the budget end of the interface market with a great design, a plug-and-play workflow, and hard-to-beat audio conversion.
Best for guitar
✅ Buy if you want an interface to record your guitar: With its single instrument input on the front panel, the Scarlett Solo is perfect for guitarists who want to plug straight in and use their favorite plugins.
❌ Avoid if your budget is tight: This is one of the pricier audio interfaces on this list, and others are cheaper with similar functionality if budget is your main concern.
Focusrite audio interfaces are long-established and available in many shapes and sizes. The latest 4th generation devices are the Solo, 2i2 and 4i4, with the first two falling very much within our budget interface remit.
The Solo includes 2 inputs (1 mic XLR and 1 line/instrument jack) and 2 outputs, and the 2i2 is also 2 I/O but with 2 mic preamps (2 XLR and 2 line/instrument connectors).
The interfaces retain the same red metal casework and functional shape of the 3rd gen, although the sizes and layouts have been modified.
There are technical improvements, with 120dB dynamic range, a new improved headphone amp, and a reworked Air mode, which adds presence to the higher frequencies of recordings.
Although they look similar, the new Scarletts are slicker audio interfaces with better specs and more options. They show there’s always room for development, and the new features will help improve your productivity and recordings.
Read the full Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen review
Best for streaming
✅ Buy if you want to stream content: Whether it's music or anything else, the Studio 24c has loads of great features like loopback that make streaming super easy.
❌ Avoid if you've got big hands: The small controls are quite close together on the front panel, so not one for those with big hands or a dislike of fiddly controls.
There are audio interfaces that aim to support specific musical disciplines like, for example, guitarists (check out our best guitar audio interfaces guide for more of that). And then there are jack-of-all-trades, which try to do a bit of everything, from speech to music. The Presonus Studio 24c is firmly in the latter camp, offering exceptional quality regardless of what you’re trying to record or produce.
We particularly like the included Universal Control software, which enables the interface to ‘loopback’ on itself virtually. This provides great flexibility for routing audio between different applications without requiring extra cables, making it ideal for streamers and musicians alike. Build quality is solid, and the MIDI connectivity to the back of the unit is a great touch.
Read the full PreSonus Studio 24c review
Best for Ableton
✅ Buy if you want to make music with Ableton: You can use any interface with Ableton, but we like the MiniFuse for its small size and USB hub which lets you power a MIDI controller alongside it.
❌ Avoid if you need more inputs: This interface has a single input, so it's not great for multiple sound sources or utilizing multiple microphones.
Mainly known for their legendary soft synths, Arturia's MiniFuse series represents a new foray into audio interfaces, and the MiniFuse 1 ticks two boxes by being both cheap and compact.
The preamp quality is excellent, with an impressive dynamic range of up to 110dB giving you crystal-clear audio. A useful direct monitoring button lets you switch between computer audio and direct, whilst an LED output meter shows you how hot your signal is.
It's got a Hi-Z switch for using electric guitars and other non line level instruments, and has phantom power for using condenser microphones. It's ruggedly built too, and combined with the small size it will easily put up with the rough and tumble of life on the road.
Also tested
The above interfaces are the ones we recommend you spend your money on, particularly if your budget is tight. That said, we've reviewed countless interfaces over the years so if you didn't find your match, here are some more options for you to look at.
Buying advice
Which audio interface is best for beginners?
There's no single answer here as it all depends on what your use case is. If you just want to record your guitar, then perhaps a single input interface will be best. If you're podcasting, then you'll probably want two inputs at the minimum. Audio interfaces by and large all do a similar job, and all of the interfaces in this guide will be suitable for beginners, but each is separated by a different use case to make it easier to choose.
How much should I pay for an audio interface?
Again this is all dependent on a case by case basis. Your budget should be personalized to your own needs, so if you want to record using a microphone we'd advise spending more on an interface with multiple inputs. If you're recording music 'in-the-box', then you can spend a bit more on an interface that will perform with lower latency. Of course if you're budget is super tight you may not have this choice and can only get the cheapest model available. All of the interfaces here are well below the $200/£200 mark, so well within the reach of the majority of musicians.
How many ins and outs do I need?
When you're looking at the most affordable audio interfaces, realistically you’re not going to find a decent interface with more than two inputs and two outputs. Unless you’re planning to spend more, the most you’re going to be able to record is two mono or one stereo input/s, and outputs will be limited to - at most - a stereo pair for studio monitors and a separate headphone output. For beginners, however, this is a decent set of parameters to work within. Recording more than two sources at once will require a more fully-featured interface, with a greater number of inputs, and would automatically move out of the budget department.
What’s more important to consider is the type of ports offered. Audio interfaces will offer some variety of mic and instrument inputs, which operate at different levels and use different connection types to suit either a studio microphone lead or jack from an electric guitar, synth, drum machine, etc.
The most useful variety are ‘combo’ inputs, which can accept either lead type and will usually have a control for switching between mic and instrument levels. If you’re planning on using a mic with your interface, it’s worth checking if you need ‘phantom power’ – this is the 48v signal sent by interfaces and required by some mics. DJs should also look out for RCA connectivity, which is used to hook up DJ mixers and turntables.
What about audio interface compatability?
Every model in this best budget audio interfaces guide can be used with both Mac and PC setups, and many can also be used with Apple’s mobile iOS devices too. You will see lots of interfaces described as ‘class compliant’ which essentially means they are plug-and-pay with iPhone and iPad. Some come complete with the appropriate ‘Lightning’ connectors, while others will need Apple’s USB-to-Lightning Camera Connection Kit adapter. It’s worth doing further research before committing to a specific model, however, as Apple has a habit of dropping some functionality when it upgrades its operating systems.
Do audio interfaces come with bundled software?
Like many types of studio hardware, audio interfaces often come packaged with a variety of software to sweeten the deal. At this price, particularly if you’re just getting started, it’s worth paying attention to these bundles. Offerings range from lukewarm packages of ‘LE’ (often limited, entry-level) versions of major applications to full versions of genuinely great synths and effects. Most interfaces, particularly at this level, will bundle in a digital audio workstation (DAW), which is the software used to actually record your music into so this is super helpful if you’ve not already committed to one platform.
How we test
Cheaper audio interfaces might not boast particularly good audio and feature specs next to more expensive devices – their frequency range or sample rates might be limited, for example – but we'll still test how they perform against our reference interfaces.
With cheaper interfaces we make allowances, knowing that they might not exhibit the sonic sparkle of higher-end interfaces – whether they do a decent job for minimal outlay. That said, you'll be surprised just how good some budget devices are as, over the last few years, audio interface technology has really moved on in terms of what you get for your money, so you can easily get a great-sounding interface for less than $/£100.
Budget interfaces are also increasingly sold with free music software bundles, and at the lower price end you will often get tempting bundles aimed at beginners to music production – the thinking is that you get everything you need to make music from scratch out of the box.
We test this software to see if it is full or, more often than not, just a cut-down version of a full software title, so not as great value as you might first think. However, the likes of IK Multimedia, Native Instruments, and Focusrite really do deliver exceptional software bundles, ripe for beginners and with very well spec'd interfaces for the outlay.
Read more about how we test music-making gear and services at MusicRadar.
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