Free Tool
Answer four quick questions and we'll match you to the right audio interface for streaming, podcasting, voice acting, or music — at your budget.
1 · What will you mainly use it for?
2 · How many mics at once?
3 · What's your budget?
4 · Using a gain-hungry dynamic mic (e.g. Shure SM7B)?
Answer all four to see your match.
We match your answers against a hand-picked shortlist of interfaces that reviewers and creators consistently rate well. The four questions that matter most are what you'll record, how many mics you need at once, your budget, and whether you run a gain-hungry dynamic mic like the Shure SM7B. The tool weighs all four and returns a top pick plus an alternative.
It's a starting point, not gospel — for the full pros, cons, and rankings, read our best audio interfaces for creators guide, or settle the connection question with our USB vs XLR microphones explainer. Building a whole setup from scratch? Start with the creator starter kit.
Start with three things: how many mics you need to plug in at once, what you'll record (streaming, podcasting, voice, or music), and your budget. Our finder weighs all three, plus whether you use a gain-hungry mic like the Shure SM7B.
One input is enough for a solo podcaster, streamer, or voice actor. Two lets you record a guest or an instrument. For three or more voices at once, use a four-input interface or a podcast mixer like the Zoom PodTrak or RODE Rodecaster.
The SM7B needs a lot of clean gain. Interfaces like the Focusrite Scarlett 4th gen, Elgato Wave XLR, and MOTU M2 have enough on their own; otherwise add an inline booster such as a Cloudlifter or FetHead.
Yes, completely free. If you buy through our Amazon links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which is how we keep the tool free.
The finder gives you a quick match. Our full guide ranks every pick with pros, cons, and who each one is for.
Read the audio interface guide →