The Best Ableton Live AlternativesTop Music Production Apps & Digital Audio Workstations like Ableton Live

Alternatives list

1. 

   

   LMMS

    669 likes

   Cross-platform digital audio workstation supporting lossless audio and VST plugins. Features include music looping, sequencing, and MIDI support. Provides an ad-free, privacy-focused, portable experience without registration, working offline with extensibility through plugins and add-ons.

   101 LMMS alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (GPL-2.0)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Music Production
   • Digital Audio Workstation

   Origin

   • Germany
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • BSD
   • Flathub
   • PortableApps.com
   • Haiku
   • Flatpak

   • Germany
   • EU

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about LMMS  

   

   Good alternative?Is LMMS a good alternative to Ableton Live?

    

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   13comments

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   LMMS vs Ableton Live Comments

   Top Positive Comment by Guest · Jan 29, 2019

   If you are just getting into the scene and are on a budget, its pretty darn decent especially for being free and open source.

   Top Negative Comment by Guest · Aug 10, 2017

   It is good but does not even come close to the Abelton workflow.

   Positive comment by Oscar Sanderson · Jul 20, 2021

   LMMS is free (free as in freedom and free beer) and open source and overall really cool

   3 of 13 comments

   

   

   • LMMS is Free and Open SourceAbleton Live is Paid and Proprietary
   • LMMS is Customizable, Privacy focused and LightweightAbleton Live is not according to our users
2. 

   

   FL Studio

    504 likes

   A complete digital audio workstation featuring professional music creation tools for mixing, mastering, editing, and sequencing. It includes a responsive piano roll sequencer, lifetime license updates, visualizer plugins for video creation, and multi-touch support for advanced graphical interface navigation.

   108 FL Studio alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Paid
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Music Production
   • Digital Audio Workstation

   Origin

   • Belgium
   • EU

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Online
   • Android
   • iPhone
   • Android Tablet
   • HUAWEI AppGallery
   • iPad

   • Belgium
   • EU

   

   

   

   +3

   

   More about FL Studio  

   

   Good alternative?Is FL Studio a good alternative to Ableton Live?

    

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   3comments

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   FL Studio vs Ableton Live Comments

   Positive comment by Chip Thrasher · Feb 20, 2017

   It is also non-linear, has a very similar loop sequencing tool.

   Positive comment by Guest · Mar 23, 2017

   Ease of use - wide range of VST and native instruments and effects. Been around a long time but constantly updating. Has a 'live' mode and traditional DAW operation.

   Positive comment by Guest · Apr 22, 2017

   I have been using Ableton and Fl for a long time on PC and Mac's. With Android tablets being limited in power and functionality I would best advice Fl Moble. Its the most powerful and well functioning DAW on mobile devices so far.

   3 of 3 comments

   

   

   • FL Studio is Paid and ProprietaryAbleton Live is also Paid and Proprietary
   • FL Studio is LightweightAbleton Live is not according to our users
4. 

   

   Ardour

    247 likes

   Ardour is a hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application. Record, edit, and mix on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.

   100 Ardour alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Paid
   • Open Source

   Application typeApplication types

   • Music Production
   • Digital Audio Workstation

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • BSD

   • United States

   

   

   

   +8

   

   More about Ardour  

   

   Good alternative?Is Ardour a good alternative to Ableton Live?

    

   |

   3comments

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   Ardour vs Ableton Live Comments

   Positive comment by burnx50 · Dec 9, 2021

   Ableton-style clip launcher is added to Ardour 7.

   Negative comment by Guest · Feb 10, 2021

   Ardour is good if you primary deal with audio. It is not very good for midi. You can work around making midi work for you. It has a lot of functionality, but what makes Ableton great is the clip launche. Ardour can't replace Ableton at this point.

   Negative comment by Guest · Nov 15, 2017

   The description did not mention you can make music on the program yourself.

   3 of 3 comments

   

   

   • Ardour is Paid and Open SourceAbleton Live is Paid and Proprietary
   • Ardour is Privacy focusedAbleton Live is not according to our users
5. Ad

   

   

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6. 

   

   REAPER

    269 likes

   Digital audio workstation for Windows, macOS, and Linux offering multitrack audio and MIDI recording, editing, mixing, mastering, powerful automation, plugin support, scriptable customization, portable installs, frequent updates, and a comprehensive feature set.

   98 REAPER alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Paid
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Music Production
   • Digital Audio Workstation

   Origin

   • United States

   Platforms

   • Mac
   • Windows
   • Linux
   • Flathub
   • Flatpak

   • United States

   

   

   

   +3

   

   More about REAPER  

   

   Good alternative?Is REAPER a good alternative to Ableton Live?

    

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   1comment

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   REAPER vs Ableton Live Comments

   Negative comment by Guest · Feb 10, 2021

   Reaper is really good if you like the traditional timeline. I personally love Ableton Live because of the clip launcher. In ableton you easily create a clip, and it loops for ever. It is really good for songwriting. I own Reaper, but have not been able to replace Reaper with Ableton. The UI in reaper is a little outdated as well. But I will admit, if you learn Reaper, it is a top notch program.

   1 of 1 comments

   

   

   • REAPER is Paid and ProprietaryAbleton Live is also Paid and Proprietary
   • REAPER is Customizable and LightweightAbleton Live is not according to our users
7. 

   

   ComposeYogi

    24 likes

   A free, open-source music composition tool for beat-making, loops, and arrangements — built with Web Audio, WASM, and modern web tech.

   55 ComposeYogi alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free
   • Open Source (MIT)

   Application typeApplication types

   • Music Production
   • Digital Audio Workstation

   Platforms

   • Online
   • Self-Hosted
   • Software as a Service (SaaS)
   • Docker

   

   More about ComposeYogi  

   

   Good alternative?Is ComposeYogi a good alternative to Ableton Live?

    
9. 

   

   Cakewalk

    85 likes

   Cakewalk, formerly SONAR, is a comprehensive audio software for music composition, audio recording, editing, mixing and mastering. It features a full suite of high quality audio and MIDI effects and instruments and composition tools ranging from drum sequencer and piano roll...

   128 Cakewalk alternatives

   Cost / License

   • Free Personal
   • Proprietary

   Application typeApplication types

   • Music Production
   • Digital Audio Workstation

   Origin

   • Singapore

   Platforms

   • Windows

   • Singapore

   

   

   

   +2

   

   More about Cakewalk  

   

   Good alternative?Is Cakewalk a good alternative to Ableton Live?

    
10. 

    

    Bitwig Studio

     99 likes

    Bitwig Studio is a multi-platform music-creation system for production, performance and DJing, with a focus on flexible editing tools and a super-fast workflow.

    64 Bitwig Studio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Music Production
    • Digital Audio Workstation

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    

    

    

    +3

    

    More about Bitwig Studio  

    

    Good alternative?Is Bitwig Studio a good alternative to Ableton Live?

     

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    4comments

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    Bitwig Studio vs Ableton Live Comments

    Positive comment by David · Mar 30, 2020

    The closest match to Ableton's clip-based workflow, Bitwig Studio is equally viable as a DJ and live performance tool as well as a typical DAW for composing original music. Unlike most DAWs, Bitwig directly supports Linux. It's also built from a modular core and now has a modular synth and effect tool for creating any imaginable sound from scratch.

    Positive comment by Guest · Dec 20, 2016

    Very similar functionality + similar workflow. Easy recovery from rare crashes, and plugin sandboxing means fewer crashes in comparison to Ableton Live

    Positive comment by Guest · Nov 27, 2019

    It is the only DAW I know that has a similar workflow

    3 of 4 comments

    

    

    • Bitwig Studio is Paid and ProprietaryAbleton Live is also Paid and Proprietary
11. 

    

    Adobe Audition

     190 likes

    A comprehensive audio editing suite designed for commercial use with features like post-production refinement, video and podcast editing capabilities, minus composition tools. Equipped with Waveform and Multitrack modes for recording and editing, with new Clip and Session Markers.

    107 Adobe Audition alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Music Production
    • Audio Editor

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    • United States

    

    

    More about Adobe Audition  

    

    Good alternative?Is Adobe Audition a good alternative to Ableton Live?

     
12. 

    

    GarageBand

     273 likes

    Experience a rich music creation suite on Mac and iOS with comprehensive sound libraries, virtual session drummers, and user-friendly tools suitable for beginners and pros. Create, edit, and share your music effortlessly through a seamless Apple integration.

    119 GarageBand alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Music Production
    • Digital Audio Workstation

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    • United States

    

    

    

    +4

    

    More about GarageBand  

    

    Good alternative?Is GarageBand a good alternative to Ableton Live?

     
13. 

    

    Bespoke Synth

     33 likes

    Bespoke is a software modular synthesizer. It contains a bunch of modules, which you can connect together to create sounds.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (GPL-3.0)

    Application typeApplication types

    • Music Production
    • Digital Audio Workstation

    Origin

    • United States

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    • United States

    

    

    More about Bespoke Synth  

    

    Good alternative?Is Bespoke Synth a good alternative to Ableton Live?

     
14. 

    

    Logic Pro

     126 likes

    Comprehensive studio app offering advanced DAW and MIDI tools, a creative interface, powerful software instruments, plugins like Beat Breaker, full mixer capabilities, and seamless integration with Mac and iPad for professional-sounding mixes.

    91 Logic Pro alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Music Production
    • Digital Audio Workstation

    Origin

    • United States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPad

    • United States

    

    

    

    +7

    

    More about Logic Pro  

    

    Good alternative?Is Logic Pro a good alternative to Ableton Live?

     
15. 

    

    Cubase

     92 likes

    Definitive desktop DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for professional mixing, mastering, music production and sound design.

    88 Cubase alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application typeApplication types

    • Music Production
    • Digital Audio Workstation

    Origin

    • Germany
    • EU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    • Germany
    • EU

    

    

    

    More about Cubase  

    

    Good alternative?Is Cubase a good alternative to Ableton Live?