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So, you’ve found out about FL Studio, and now you’re wondering what is the best version of FL Studio to buy, or what edition of FL Studio you should get.

Well, the good news is their pricing model is super easy to understand. If you don’t like reading, I recommend the Signature Edition of FL Studio.

AWESOME
FL Studio Producer Version
See Price
  • Full Version of FL Studio
  • Perfect for Making ALL Music.
  • Not as Many Plugins
WHAT I USE
FL Studio Signature Edition
See Price
  • Full Version of FL Studio
  • Perfect for Making ALL Music
  • Very Useful EXTRA Plugins

I will receive a commission if you purchase through my link. Thank-you!

If you’re asking yourself, “Is FL Studio worth it?”… the answer is YES, YES, and YES! It offers LIFETIME FREE UPDATES, and the workflow for making high-quality professional radio-ready beats is phenomenal!

Best FL Studio Version to Buy (Video Overview)

What are the Differences Between FL Studio Versions:

So FL Studio actually has FOUR EDITIONS:

But.. there’s actually only TWO VERSIONS of FL Studio!

The Fruity and Producer version.

So this means once you reach the Producer Edition you actually have the FULL VERSION of FL Studio. Going to Signature or All Plugins Bundle just offers you more “plugins”, which I explain below.

Fun Fact: The free FL Studio trial version is actually the Producer version of FL Studio WITH the All Plugins Bundle edition! This means the Producer Edition is the full version of FL Studio, then any higher edition you go from their comparison table just includes extra plugins.

The Trial Version of FL Studio (Free Version of FL Studio.)

FL Studio offers you the ability to try FL Studio for free with its Trial Version!

The trial version of FL Studio is actually the Producer Version of FL Studio (Full Version), with all the plugins available to try out! The only restriction is you cannot open saved projects!

So if you made that awesome beat, you can save it, but not open it to work on it later. (It’s nice knowing that because you can keep your projects, and look back on them in a couple years and see how you’ve progressed!)

Fruity Edition of FL Studio

Image-Line, the makers of FL Studio, tell us this about the Fruity Edition:

(Fruity) Has limited FL Studio features. Is aimed at those people who need Piano roll for sequencing functions but does not have Audio Recording, Slicex, or Edison. For a list of all features included in this edition, see the feature comparison page here.

View Their Comparison Table [Affiliate Link]

So in other words, the Fruity Edition allows you to make beats.. but not record audio.

This is why I say to choose either the Producer or Signature edition.

So now what’s the difference between the Producer edition (which is the full version of FL Studio) to the Signature edition?

Producer Edition of FL Studio

The producer edition is the FULL VERSION of FL Studio.

This is PERFECT for someone wanting all FL Studio has to offer. It allows you to make beats, receive your LIFETIME FREE UPDATES, and has TONS of essential tools you need as a producer.

If you’re looking for how to download the fl studio producer edition, simply download the free FL Studio trial version to get started! Also, if you’re wondering how big is fl studio producer edition, it’s about 1 GB in size.. you can see on their download page!

You can compare the two editions just below.

AWESOME
FL Studio Producer Version
See Price
  • Full Version of FL Studio
  • Perfect for Making ALL Music.
  • Not as Many Plugins
WHAT I USE
FL Studio Signature Edition
See Price
  • Full Version of FL Studio
  • Perfect for Making ALL Music
  • Very Useful EXTRA Plugins

I will receive a commission if you purchase through my link. Thank-you!

Now.. this brings up an interesting discussion because the question is, do you NEED the plugins FL Studio includes? Should you upgrade and buy third-party tools which are usually better made than stock stuff?

This is why I suggest the Signature Edition of FL Studio. (And it’s what I purchased when I started with FL Studio almost 10 years ago!)

Signature Edition vs. All Plugins Bundle Edition of FL Studio

Spoiler alert, the FL Studio Signature edition is the perfect balance between base-model FULL VERSION of FL Studio (Producer Version) and the All Plugins Bundle Edition.

I just want to state some important points:

FL Studio is the best DAW for making beats in my opinion because they give you LIFETIME FREE UPDATES. I think I started on version 8 or 9! (Most other DAWs make you pay an upgrade fee!)

You can use FL Studio on multiple computers with no additional fee, provided YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE USING that license. (Respect that, they give you lifetime free updates!!!)

Now it all comes down to, well okay then.. “Do I get the Signature Edition, or the All Plugins Bundle Edition” that they have on their comparison table page.

The first thing for you to understand about music production, especially if you’re new, is what plugins are!

Plugins are add-ons to a program that allow you to do different things.

Sometimes.. these plugins can be our instruments, or they can be effects. They make things much easier, or allow for advanced features.

In any industry, the stock plugins are usually bare bones. They’re good, they’ll get the job done well, but the third-party tools out there are usually better in terms of features, and ease of use.

But the plugins which you upgrade to in the Signature Edition of FL Studio, I feel, is definitely worth the money.

In terms of upgrading to the All Plugins Bundle.. I personally do not recommend this to my audience.

So Why Not the All Plugins Bundle

Being 100% transparent with you guys.

In your early years, the FL Studio stock tools will be PERFECT for at least your first 2-3 years. Then when you look at the other tools out there, you’ll see that, yeah.. maybe it is a little easier to accomplish that task, or.. it gives you a little bit more control, or saves you a bit more time.

But.. as you start to progress, I feel that many of the tools are a bit dated, or sometimes a bit cumbersome compared to a third-party alternative. (If you’ve used a plugin like FabFilter, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.)

What Version of FL Studio to Buy?

So my suggestion is to get the FL Studio Signature Edition, which is definitely worth the upgrade.

Once you start progressing as a producer, and if you still want to take this seriously, THEN upgrade to some third-party plugins which will really help you achieve a better workflow.

That’s what I did – those FabFilter plugins I linked to above are what I’ve used since around 2014.. and it’s really hard going back to a stock EQ plugin!!

Remember, there are only two versions of FL Studio – Fruity and Producer – once you get to the Producer, you’re already at the full version of FL Studio. Now if you choose the Signature edition, you are just adding more plugins onto that producer edition. Make sense?

See the current pricing of FL Studio Signature Edition.

Thanks so much for reaching and visiting my blog! I hope this image line fl studio 20 producer edition review and overview helped you decide what version of FL Studio to buy!

Want to Learn FL Studio?

Recognized FL Studio Trainer - GratuiTous (Riley Weller)

By the way, I’m a Recognized FL Studio Trainer!

My name is Riley Weller (GratuiTous).. I’ve been teaching FL Studio for over 10 years!

My website offers:

I also have a free FL Studio Podcast.. you can view my own music, or contact me directly if you have questions.

Music Production Made Simple Podcast (FL Studio Podcast)
Music Production Made Simple is a podcast about FL Studio hosted by GratuiTous (Riley Weller). It’s a totally free FL Studio Podcast!