Explainer
Tune vs Melodyne vs Graillon: Pitch Correction Plugins Compared (2026)
Updated 3 min read
Celemony Melodyne 5 is the standard for editing pitch note by note after recording, in four editions from $99 to $699. Graillon 3 from Auburn Sounds is a real-time pitch corrector and pitch shifter with a free edition. Tune is a real-time autotune plugin that finds your key by itself, with harmonies and formant control, for €49. Use Melodyne for invisible, surgical fixes; Graillon for a free real-time option; Tune for low-latency correction, the hard-tune effect and instant harmonies while you record.
Tune vs Melodyne vs Graillon at a glance
Type
- Tune
- Real-time correction
- Melodyne 5
- Graphical note editor
- Graillon 3
- Real-time correction and pitch shifting
Price (list)
- Tune
- €49 once
- Melodyne 5
- $99 / $249 / $399 / $699 by edition
- Graillon 3
- Free edition; paid Full Edition
Formats
- Tune
- VST3, AU, AAX
- Melodyne 5
- ARA, VST3, AU, AAX, standalone
- Graillon 3
- VST, AU, AAX, LV2
Systems
- Tune
- Windows 10+, macOS 11+
- Melodyne 5
- Windows, macOS
- Graillon 3
- Windows, macOS, Linux
Track through it live
- Tune
- Yes, low latency
- Melodyne 5
- No, edit after recording
- Graillon 3
- Yes
Edit single notes
- Tune
- No
- Melodyne 5
- Yes: pitch, timing, vibrato, formant
- Graillon 3
- No
Harmonies
- Tune
- Yes: 3rds, 5ths, octaves, in key
- Melodyne 5
- No
- Graillon 3
- No (Full Edition adds a doubler)
Hard-tune effect
- Tune
- Yes, 0 ms retune
- Melodyne 5
- Not its focus
- Graillon 3
- Yes
What Melodyne does well
Melodyne analyses a recording and shows every note as a blob on a piano-roll grid. You can drag a note to a new pitch, flatten or keep its vibrato, change its timing and length, and in higher editions edit formants and amplitude, all while keeping the singer's character. In DAWs that support ARA it opens right on the audio track. editor and studio add polyphonic editing (DNA), so you can fix single notes inside chords, and studio edits several tracks together. It's the tool for invisible, detailed fixes.
What Graillon does well
Graillon is a real-time vocal pitch tool that covers both natural correction and the hard-tuned sound, plus pitch and formant shifting for character voices. It includes extra processing such as a compressor, gate, chorus, preamp and bitcrusher, and runs on Linux as well as Windows and macOS. The free edition is one of the most popular free autotune plugins; the Full Edition adds pitch-tracking modulation, keyboard-controlled tuning and a vocal doubler.
What Tune does well
Tune listens to your vocal, works out the key by itself (or uses one of 12 keys and 8 scales you set) and pulls each note to the nearest note in that key. Retune runs from 0 ms (robotic hard tune) to 400 ms (natural), and Humanize relaxes the correction on held notes so vibrato survives. It's formant-preserving, so transposed voices keep their character, and short dropouts inside a sung note stay on the tuned voice so the hard-tune sound never flickers. Harmony adds a 3rd, 5th or octave above or below, always in key. Latency is low enough to monitor through while recording.
Where Melodyne and Graillon are stronger
- Melodyne: note-by-note editing of pitch, timing, vibrato and formants, which a real-time plugin like Tune can't do.
- Melodyne: polyphonic editing (editor and studio) and ARA integration.
- Graillon: a free edition that covers the basics, and Linux support.
- Graillon: built-in extra effects for character vocals.
Where Tune is stronger
- Auto key, live: it hears the key in a couple of seconds as you sing, so you don't have to know it.
- Instant harmonies in key with humanised timing, from one take.
- Clean hard tune that doesn't flicker back to the raw vocal.
- Try it on your voice first: every preset runs in the browser with your microphone.
Which should you choose?
- Invisible, detailed fixes after recording: Melodyne (essential is enough for many vocals).
- A free real-time corrector: Graillon's free edition.
- Tracking through autotune, the hard-tune sound and quick harmonies: Tune.
- Professional workflow: real-time correction while tracking, then Melodyne for the last few notes.
More options are in best autotune plugin and free autotune software. After tuning, a vocal chain such as Velvet finishes the sound.
Try Tune on your voice
FAQ
Melodyne vs Auto-Tune: what's the difference?
Melodyne is mainly for editing notes one by one after recording: it shows each note as a blob you can move, stretch and reshape. Auto-Tune-style plugins such as Tune correct pitch in real time as the vocal plays, which suits tracking and the hard-tune effect. Many engineers use both.
Is Graillon free?
Graillon 3 has a free edition from Auburn Sounds with pitch correction and pitch and formant shifting. The paid Full Edition adds features such as pitch-tracking modulation, keyboard-controlled tuning and a vocal doubler. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
How much is Melodyne?
As of November 2026, Melodyne 5 comes in four editions with US list prices of $99 (essential), $249 (assistant), $399 (editor) and $699 (studio). There's no subscription. Each step up adds tools: assistant adds detailed vibrato, formant and amplitude editing, editor adds polyphonic DNA editing and studio adds multitrack editing.
Is there a free Melodyne alternative?
For real-time correction, Graillon's free edition and MAutoPitch are the common free picks, and Logic Pro and GarageBand include pitch correction. For true note-by-note graphical editing, the free options are your DAW's own tools, such as Logic's Flex Pitch.
What retune speed should I use?
For the hard-tune rap sound, 0 to 10 ms. For transparent pop tuning, start around 20 to 50 ms. For a natural ballad, 80 ms or more and let vibrato through. Tune ranges from 0 to 400 ms, and Humanize relaxes the correction on held notes.