Compare Audio Interfaces

15 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 23 Sept 2026

Pick any two to four of the 15 ranked audio interfaces and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, MOTU M2, Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen and RME Fireface 802 FS.

Choose what to compare

3 of 4 chosen

Audio Interfaces compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	MOTU MOTU M2	Focusrite Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen	RME RME Fireface 802 FS	Audient Audient iD4 MkII	MOTU MOTU M4	Audient Audient iD48	Solid State Logic Solid State Logic SSL 18	Behringer Behringer UMC404HD	Universal Audio Universal Audio Apollo Twin X	LEWITT LEWITT Connect 2	Focusrite Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen	Universal Audio Universal Audio Apollo x8p Gen 2	Audient Audient iD14 MkII	Universal Audio Universal Audio Apollo X4	Behringer Behringer UMC204HD
Tier	S	S	A	A	A	B	B	B	C	C	D	D	D	D	F
Rank on this board	1 of 15	2 of 15	3 of 15	4 of 15	5 of 15	6 of 15	7 of 15	8 of 15	9 of 15	10 of 15	11 of 15	12 of 15	13 of 15	14 of 15	15 of 15
Ladder points	964 LP	952 LP	742 LP	722 LP	712 LP	607 LP	578 LP	568 LP	488 LP	399 LP	333 LP	329 LP	289 LP	241 LP	120 LP
Our verdict	Identical driver pedigree and build philosophy in a two-channel body. Ranked below the M4 only because two channels obsolesce sooner.	The mainstream default, and rightly so under this lens. Not the most durable brand here, but the support network and parts ubiquity are unmatched.	Decade-plus driver support, the lowest failure-rate reputation in the category, and rack-grade build. Nothing else here is as safe a ten-year bet.	The best-built beginner interface available, with preamps that outclass its price point. Two channels are the only limit.	Rock-solid drivers, CueMix monitoring, and a brand whose seven-year-old units still get current OS support. The best four-channel ownership story outside RME.	Console-grade preamps in a steel chassis with well-maintained iD software. A boutique sound with mainstream support discipline.	The strongest new-platform bet here, with serious build and SSL's support reputation behind it. It loses to the iD48 only on unproven long-term track record.	Four capable preamps and honest converters for very little money. Held out of the top half by QC variance and thinner driver attention.	Excellent hardware kept current for years, but the DSP ecosystem adds software dependency that pure-driver rivals avoid.	Objectively one of the two strongest entry interfaces per the ASR community, with modern features the Scarlett Solo lacks. Just misses the Solo's price.	One preamp is a ceiling you hit fast, and the 2i2 4th Gen removes it for modestly more. Buy the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen instead.	A current-generation pro rack unit that Production Expert names directly among the best in its class, with UA's established driver track record behind it.	Ranked #9 based on series-level praise for sound quality, though roundups mention its siblings more often than this specific model.	Positioned ninth as the natural four-channel step up within the Apollo premium family, endorsed by Guitar World as part of the overall Apollo line.	It measures brilliantly for its class, but unit-to-unit consistency and long-term driver cadence make it the weakest ownership bet among the picks, which is why it sits under the superseded Scarlett.
What reviewers rate	Same driver pedigree as the M4 in a two-channel desktop body Better screen and metering than anything else near it MOTU's reliability and up-to-date drivers keep owners loyal Full-color LED meters give it a monitoring edge over rivals near it in the market	4th Gen fixed the gain-range and instrument-input complaints of its ancestors Logically laid-out controls Unmatched support network and parts ubiquity The default recommendation for most musicians	Driver support runs for a decade or more per platform Lowest failure-rate reputation in the category Rack-grade build quality Flagship expression of RME's durability track record	Same preamp DNA as the iD48 Preamps praised above the field in community testing Audient's console-derived preamp design at an entry price Super easy to use, named a top pick for anyone completely new to recording	Four channels of well-measuring I/O CueMix zero-latency monitoring Driver history that has kept decade-old MOTU boxes current Owners report happy long-term ownership with reliable sound and up-to-date drivers	Console-derived preamps praised as the best sound quality in user testing Steel desktop-rack chassis iD software mixer maintained across years of OS updates Eight console-derived preamps at a mid-tier price	Substantial warranty behind a genuinely current-generation platform Serious build and channel count Backed by SSL's long pro-audio support reputation Massive I/O count	Four Midas preamps and honest converters for very little money Measures at the top of its class in blind tests Globally certified manufacturing behind the line Four preamps and four outputs for the money of a 2-channel rival	Superb build and converters UA has kept the Twin platform current for years Genuinely excellent conversion quality Recommended by Guitar World as the best interface for guitar overall	Big preamp gain at an entry price Clear metering and loopback included Treated as one of the two objectively strongest entry-level interfaces by the Audio Science Review community One of two leading candidates stepping up from budget Scarlett	Included in Audio Science Review's blind tests of budget interfaces The 4th Gen gave the Solo the converter and gain upgrades A default first-interface recommendation in the home recording community Blind testing shows budget Scarletts performing far better than their price class suggests	Current-generation pro rack unit Named directly among the best in its class by Production Expert Backed by Universal Audio's established driver track record Eight premium Unison preamps	Excellent sound quality Praised preamps from the series crowned best-sounding in a cost-no-object discussion Same measured performance as the iD4 MkII Extra inputs and outputs over the iD4 MkII	Natural four-channel step up within premium family Author uses X4 as larger version of recommended Apollo line superb converters solid build quality	Measures far above its station in blind tests The cheapest board-worthy way into recording Certified manufacturing behind the line's price-to-performance case High-value compact interface
Where it falls short	Two channels age faster than four Slightly less preamp character than the Audient iD4 and LEWITT Connect 2	Will not outlive an RME Slightly behind Audient and MOTU on preamp and converter pedigree Slightly lower value-per-dollar compared with the top three picks Consumer-grade chassis	Per-channel cost is the highest of any pick High price primarily reflects reliability rather than audible advantage Requires rack space Good largely because it is expensive	Two channels limit its useful life more than its hardware does	Driver issue reported at the two lowest buffer settings	long-term field data thinner than MOTU	New enough that its long-term failure record is still being written Extra features increase price faster than they improve recording quality Much of the feature set goes unused by most buyers long-term field data still accumulating	QC lottery means unit-to-unit variance Thinner long-term driver attention Rough build and drivers compared to its rivals Cheap four-channel unit with a documented Hi-Z hardware flaw and objective tests showing it sounds way worse than comparable interfaces	DSP ecosystem adds software dependency that pure-driver interfaces avoid Its flagship price largely buys DSP and Unison modeling that native plugins have largely made unnecessary Its endorsement is aimed at players already committed to the UAD plugin ecosystem Dependence on the UAD software ecosystem adds a layer of ownership risk	Nothing recorded	Only one preamp and one instrument input A capability ceiling you hit in year one Resale value collapses accordingly Single combo input is a hard ceiling the 2i2 removes for a small step up	Higher price reduces value-per-dollar compared with other picks A UA brand premium is baked into every channel too new to have long-term reliability data Still a premium purchase	The iD4 MkII delivers most of the same preamp character for less less documentation than sibling models Performance identical to the cheaper iD4 MkII, so the extra cost buys only additional I/O Marketed with hype that outpaces its practical advantage	Lacks direct review evidence less accumulated failure-rate history than older generations	Main output level reported low by an owner Outclassed by the MOTU M2 in direct comparison Brand's long-term driver and support reputation is the weakest of any brand here No longer recommended by current expert guides
Evidence behind it	27 sources across 24 outlets	15 sources across 14 outlets	7 sources across 7 outlets	8 sources across 7 outlets	16 sources across 15 outlets	9 sources across 9 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	4 sources across 4 outlets	3 sources across 3 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	2 sources across 2 outlets	3 sources across 3 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	Not flagged	1 of 12 research runs	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	Not flagged	1 of 4 research runs	3 of 12 research runs	Not flagged	3 of 8 research runs	Not flagged	1 of 5 research runs	Not flagged	5 of 10 research runs
Announced	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Where to buy	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it

Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.