One tells you what's wrong with your mix for free. The other masters it for $19/mo. Here's how they compare — and why most producers should use both.
"MixDiagnose vs LANDR" is a common search, but the two tools answer different questions. LANDR asks: "Give me your track and I'll make it louder and more polished." MixDiagnose asks: "What's wrong with your mix, and how do you fix it before you master?" They sit at different stages of the workflow — and they're complementary, not competing. Let's break it down.
| MixDiagnose | LANDR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — 3 analyses/mo, no signup $5 one-time for 10 more · no subscription |
$19/mo+ (subscription) Per-track mastering also available |
| What it does | Analyzes your mix and tells you exactly what to fix | Automatically masters your finished track |
| Frequency balance (6-band) | ✓ Yes — specific bands flagged | ✗ No user-facing analysis |
| LUFS measurement | ✓ Yes — vs streaming targets | ✗ No |
| Dynamic range (crest factor) | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| True peak detection | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Stereo width analysis | ✓ Yes — mono compatibility check | ✗ No |
| Specific issue flags | ✓ "Cut 3 dB at 350 Hz" | ✗ Just masters — no explanation |
| Signup required | ✓ No | ✗ Yes |
| Subscription required | ✓ No — pay per use or free | ✗ Yes — monthly subscription |
| Best for | Before mastering — find and fix mix problems | After mixing — auto-master your track |
MixDiagnose gives you a full diagnostic report: 6-band frequency balance, integrated LUFS vs streaming targets (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube), dynamic range crest factor, true peak, and stereo width with mono compatibility. Every finding is labeled Critical, Moderate, Minor, or Ideal. LANDR applies mastering internally but shows you none of this — you get a mastered file, not a diagnostic readout.
MixDiagnose doesn't just say "your low mids are muddy" — it says "cut 3 dB at 350 Hz" and gives you a severity grade so you know if it's a dealbreaker or a nitpick. LANDR applies its mastering chain behind the scenes. You hear the result but you don't learn what was wrong or how to fix it in your mix. If you want to improve as a producer, MixDiagnose teaches you; LANDR doesn't.
MixDiagnose is free — 3 analyses per month, no signup, no credit card. Need more? $5 one-time gets you 10 additional analyses. No subscription, no recurring charge. LANDR starts at $19/month for unlimited mastering. If you're on a budget or only need occasional analysis, MixDiagnose is dramatically cheaper. If you master tracks regularly, LANDR's subscription makes sense — but you're paying for mastering, not diagnosis.
MixDiagnose sits before mastering — it's a quality gate that tells you if your mix is ready. LANDR sits after mixing — it takes whatever you give it and makes it louder and more polished. The smart move: run MixDiagnose first, fix the flagged issues, then send the improved mix to LANDR. You'll get a better master because LANDR is working with a better input.
$0
to start, no strings
$19/mo
billed monthly, recurring
LANDR and MixDiagnose are complementary, and most producers should use both. Run your mix through MixDiagnose first. If it flags Critical or Moderate issues, fix them in your mix. Then upload the fixed version to LANDR. You'll get a better master than you would have from the original mix — because LANDR is working with a better input.
The common mistake is skipping the diagnosis step. You finish a mix, it sounds okay on your monitors, you upload it to LANDR, and you get back a master that's louder and more polished but still has the same muddy low end or harsh highs. You can't un-fix that in mastering — mastering is downstream of the mix. MixDiagnose catches it upstream, where it's still cheap to fix.
The short version: fix with MixDiagnose, master with LANDR. Use MixDiagnose to make sure your mix is ready. Then use LANDR to do the mastering. They're different tools for different stages — and using both will get you better results than either one alone.
This adds about two minutes to your workflow and meaningfully improves the final master. The diagnosis is the cheapest part of the process — skipping it is the expensive part.
3 free analyses a month. No signup, no card.