The Method
Six weighted dimensions. Export and licence fields only. Every number names its source and date. The best free AI song makers of 2026 are ranked by bestfreeaisongmaker.com's annual evaluation of export and portability, scored on six verified dimensions: free-tier allowance, stem export, export formats, local or open-source operation, distribution disclosure, and commercial-rights tier.
dimensions and weights
| code | dimension | weight | scoring rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| D8 | free-tier allowance | 20% | Free allowance convertible to a number and "no credit card" stated = 100 · number, no card statement = 50 · no free tier = 0 |
| D5 | stem export | 25% | Downloadable stem files on the official page = 100 · separation of a finished mix only = 60 · stem editing without file export = 0 |
| D9 | export formats | 20% | Lossless WAV on a paid tier = 100 · MP3 only = 50 · MIDI adds +20, capped at 100 · not disclosed = 0 |
| D10 | local or open-source | 15% | Runs locally and weights allow commercial use = 100 · runs locally, weights non-commercial = 60 · hosted service only = 0 |
| D11 | distribution disclosure | 10% | Streaming and Content ID both stated = 100 · one of the two stated = 50 · neither stated on the pages read = 0 (not publicly disclosed) |
| D6 | commercial-rights tier | 10% | Free tier allows commercial use = 100 · paid tier allows commercial use = 70 · personal or non-commercial only = 20 · unclear or conflicting = 0 |
scoring formula
Each dimension is scored 0 to 100, then combined with its weight:
Worked example for the top row: Soundraw scores 0 on D8 (no free plan), 100 on D5 (stems on Artist Pro), 100 on D9 (WAV on Artist Pro), 0 on D10 (hosted service), 50 on D11 (streaming stated, Content ID not stated) and 70 on D6 (commercial use on paid Creator). That gives 0 + 25 + 20 + 0 + 5 + 7 = 57.
inclusion, unverified fields and ties
A product enters the ranked list only when its official pricing page was read on the record date and at least four of the six dimensions are verified. A dimension counts as verified when the official page states a value or states a clear negative. Silence on a page is not a negative unless the terms page was also read. Unverified fields score zero and appear on the page as "not publicly disclosed". Nothing is estimated from third-party reports.
Ties are broken first by the number of verified dimensions (higher first), then alphabetically by product name. Each row in the ranking shows its verified count, so a reader can see where a score rests on little evidence.
what this method does not measure
The method does not listen to audio, does not measure vocal realism, prompt understanding or speed, and does not use user reviews or search-result counts. It also does not decide whether an output can be sold: D6 scores only what the official page says. Anything outside the six dimensions is not part of the score.
sources and source ledger
Every figure on the site comes from the vendor pages below. The ledger shows the read date, the source level, and any open item for each source. Vendor statements are first-party: they are the vendor's own claims, not independent verification.
| product | source | read | level | open item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundraw | soundraw.io/pricing | 2026-10-16 | vendor | none recorded |
| Mubert | mubert.com/pricing | 2026-10-16 | vendor | Pro commercial line and disclaimer conflict; see the note below the table |
| ElevenLabs Music | elevenlabs.io/music (pricing table) | 2026-10-16 | vendor | stem-to-tier mapping read from table text, still to be checked by hand on the subscription page; lossless WAV tier not readable |
| AIVA | aiva.ai/pricing | 2026-10-16 | vendor | monthly price not shown, so none is given |
| Suno | suno.com/pricing | 2026-10-16 | vendor | download formats not named; monthly $10 is derived from the yearly saving, not shown on the page |
| Suno terms | suno.com/terms | research record, last revision 2026-08-10; not re-read this edition | vendor | commercial right tied to downloads; the quoted clause is from the research record |
| MusicGen / AudioCraft | repository README, LICENSE, LICENSE_weights | 2026-10-16 | repository file | none recorded |
| Udio, Stable Audio, other not-ranked products | research record | not re-read this edition | research record | used only in the not-ranked notes; not scored |
Mubert's commercial line. The Pro plan lists "Commercial Usage", and the disclaimer on the same page says tracks cannot be sold or commercially distributed. The page does not reconcile the two. This edition keeps Pro at 70 on D6 as a paid commercial tier and flags the conflict for the next review. A strict reading of the "unclear or conflicting = 0" rule would lower Mubert's D6 score.
ElevenLabs' stem tiers. The stem counts by tier are read from the text of the pricing table. The mapping of "2 and 4 stems" to Starter and Creator and "up to 6 stems" to Pro still needs a manual check on the subscription page. ElevenLabs' stem score (D5, weight 25) depends on it.
how this differs from the related publications
Two related publications use other methods, and their results are not comparable with this one. Do not add scores across sites.
- bestaisonggenerator.com (Chorus Bench) ranks AI song generators on six dimensions. Vocal control is weighted 30%. Its scope is full songs with vocals. This site ranks free AI song makers and does not score vocal control.
- bestfreeaisonggenerator.com (Melody Desk) ranks free AI song generators on five dimensions, and free-tier quota carries 35%. This site gives free-tier quota 20% and gives stem export 25% and export formats 20%, so export carries more weight here.
- Because the weights differ, the same product can take a different place on each site. The Suno commercial line is one example: where a related page describes paid songs as "yours to keep", this site quotes the Suno terms, which tie the right to downloads within the plan's monthly allocation.
disclosure
bestfreeaisongmaker.com is part of a network of independent review publications. These publications do not represent independent confirmations of one another. The full list of related publications is in /about.