Short answer: the current Sound Forge free trial lasts 15 days, is full-featured, requires no credit card and runs on Windows only. Boris FX calls it unrestricted, but the official trial page does not promise every Plus-only add-on. Plan to export your test files before access ends.
This guide is part of the Sound Forge Pro Start Here hub. Use it if you need the full order: trial, install, system requirements, review, pricing and legacy Pro 18 decisions.
Fifteen days is enough if you start with real work instead of spending the first week browsing menus. Here is what Boris FX actually promises, how activation works and what you should verify before paying.
How Long Is the Sound Forge Pro Trial?
The current Boris FX trial runs for 15 days. Boris FX acquired Sound Forge from MAGIX on March 30, 2026, so third-party pages that still advertise the old MAGIX installer or a 30-day trial are stale. Download only from the official Sound Forge trial page.
Downloading Boris FX Hub is not the activation step. In the Hub, request the unrestricted Sound Forge trial, install the application, then choose Start Free Trial. Begin only when you have test files and time set aside; the official page does not advertise a pause or reset for the 15-day window.
What's Included in the Trial
Boris FX describes the trial as full-featured and unrestricted, with full access and no limitations during the trial period. That is the useful promise to rely on. The official page does not itemize every codec, plug-in or Plus-only extra, so evaluate the exact functions your work depends on rather than assuming a third-party feature list applies.
The current Sound Forge feature table documents these core areas to test:
- sample-level waveform editing, cut, copy and paste
- precise peak and loudness metering
- coreFX, essentialFX and dynamic EQ processing
- VST2, VST3 and ARA plug-in support
- click and crackle removal plus clipping repair
- broadband noise reduction
- recording and editing up to 32 channels
- prerecord and automatic recording start
- batch processing
- event-based, nondestructive editing
- local Text to Speech
The public trial page offers Sound Forge and does not state that the Plus-only bundle is included. Plus currently adds Melodyne 5 Essential, Vandal, VariVerb II and 3D Reverb. If one of those is the reason you are evaluating Plus, confirm availability in Boris FX Hub or with Boris FX support before treating the base trial as a Plus evaluation.
How to Download and Install the Trial
The process runs through the Boris FX Hub — their central installer — rather than a direct download. Five steps:
- Go to vfx.borisfx.com/sound-forge-trial, fill out the short form, and download the Boris FX Hub installer.
- Create a Boris FX account if you don't already have one. Free to create, no payment info required at this stage.
- Launch the Boris FX Hub and select "Request an Unrestricted Trial of Sound Forge."
- Install Sound Forge through the Hub.
- Choose "Start Free Trial" when prompted. The software launches in unrestricted trial mode.
Download time depends on your connection and the Hub package, but no payment details are required to start. If the Hub stalls or the trial button does not appear, use the dedicated installation troubleshooting guide instead of downloading an old installer from a third-party site.
System Requirements for the Trial
The trial runs on the same build as the paid version, so the system requirements are identical. The short version: the current Boris FX build officially requires Windows 11 (64-bit); older MAGIX-era versions supported Windows 10. Sound Forge Pro is Windows-only — there's no Mac version since MAGIX discontinued it before the Boris FX acquisition.
Meeting the minimum specification does not prove that your audio interface, VST plug-ins or large files will behave well. Use the trial to open your real projects, scan your actual plug-ins, record through your interface and watch memory and disk usage. The system requirements guide separates minimum compatibility from a practical editing setup.
Is 15 Days Enough to Actually Evaluate It?
Depends on what you're evaluating it for.
For voice, podcast or mastering work, choose two representative files: one clean and one difficult. Test selection accuracy, the effects you actually use, metering, preview, undo and final export. Reopen each result in another player or editor. Two completed workflows tell you more than a long tour of features you may never touch.
For archival or vinyl work, test click and crackle removal on copies of several real transfers, then run a small batch with mixed file lengths and formats. Check the repaired transients by ear, verify output names and metadata, and time the complete batch. That exposes quality and workflow problems before they become expensive at scale.
The window gets tight when you install first and decide what to test later. Before activation, collect source files, delivery targets and the plug-ins you need. The trial should answer one buying question: can this build complete your normal job reliably on your Windows system?
What Happens When the Trial Ends
Boris FX says you must buy or subscribe to continue using Sound Forge after the trial. Its public trial page does not document a grace period, read-only mode or export-only fallback, so plan as though application access ends when the 15 days expire.
Your source and exported audio files remain on disk, but do not rely on reopening application-specific state after expiry. Keep untouched source copies and export finished versions to a standard format such as WAV, FLAC or MP3 while the trial is active. Reopen those exports in another application before the deadline.
After the trial, buy only if the workflow passed. At US prices checked August 2, 2026, Sound Forge costs $24.95 monthly, $149.95 annually, $189.95 for Upgrade & Support, or $299.95 perpetual; Plus costs more. The pricing guide compares the plans and explains the legacy upgrade offer that Boris FX currently lists through December 5, 2026.
How the Sound Forge Trial Compares to Adobe Audition's
Adobe's Creative Cloud trial lasts seven days. Adobe says a trial started with payment details automatically converts to a paid membership unless it is cancelled; a trial started without payment details requires manual purchase. Read the terms shown for your region at signup.
Sound Forge's public trial page is simpler: 15 days and no credit card. There is no subscription to cancel just because you tested the application.
The practical difference is time and billing risk: Sound Forge gives you eight more days and does not ask for payment details. Both trials are still short enough that you should prepare a real project before starting.
What the Trial Won't Tell You
A 15-day trial cannot prove months of stability after Windows, driver or plug-in updates. It also cannot tell you how quickly future versions will support a new interface or VST release. Record the exact Sound Forge build, Windows version, interface driver and critical plug-in versions that passed your test.
The current Sound Forge feature table does not include CrumplePop or iZotope RX. Shared ownership under Boris FX does not make those tools part of your Sound Forge license. If spectral repair or machine-learning restoration is central to the purchase, price and test RX separately; the Sound Forge versus iZotope RX comparison explains where each product fits.
One limitation should be obvious on day one: Sound Forge is a waveform editor, not a multitrack DAW. It can record and edit multichannel files, but it is not designed for arranging a song or podcast across a multitrack timeline. The real question the trial answers is not whether it runs, but whether your work is single-file work. If that is the job, compare it with a DAW before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Sound Forge Pro trial really free?
Yes. No credit card, no payment information, no subscription that starts automatically. You register a Boris FX account, install through the Hub, activate the trial, and use the software for 15 days at no cost.
How many days is the Sound Forge Pro free trial?
15 days under Boris FX (as of 2026). The previous MAGIX version offered a 30-day trial — older articles saying 30 days are outdated.
Does the Sound Forge Pro trial have any limitations?
Boris FX describes it as full-featured and unrestricted, with full access and no limitations during the 15-day period. The public trial page does not itemize every codec, plug-in or Plus-only extra, so confirm any feature that is essential to your purchase.
Can I extend the Sound Forge Pro trial?
The official trial page does not advertise an extension or reset. If installation or activation failed and consumed your evaluation time, contact Boris FX support; do not assume reinstalling will restart the trial.
Does the trial work on Mac?
No. The current Sound Forge trial and current Sound Forge releases are Windows-only. The official trial page lists Windows 11 as the operating-system requirement.
What happens to my files after the trial ends?
Your source and exported audio remain on disk. Before expiry, export finished copies to a standard format and reopen them in another application. Don’t depend on being able to reopen Sound Forge-specific editing state after access ends.
Is Sound Forge Plus included in the same trial?
The public trial page offers Sound Forge but does not say that Plus-only extras are included. Plus currently adds Melodyne 5 Essential, Vandal, VariVerb II and 3D Reverb. Confirm those in Boris FX Hub or with support before starting if they are central to your decision.
Start with the current Boris FX Hub installation workflow, verify your machine against the practical system requirements, then use the price and plan comparison only after the software passes your test.
Last fact-checked August 2, 2026 against the official Boris FX Sound Forge trial, pricing and feature pages plus Adobe's Creative Cloud trial policy.