Free Ableton Live Alternatives

The best free alternative to Ableton Live is LMMS, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Ableton Live and many of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Ableton Live are GarageBand, Zrythm, AudioTool and FamiStudio.

Ableton Live alternatives are mainly Music Production Apps but may also be Digital Audio Workstations or Audio Editors. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Ableton Live.

Ableton Live alternatives page was last updated

Ableton Live

185

Paid • Proprietary
Music Production App

Live is software for creating musical ideas, turning them into finished songs, and even taking them onto the stage.

More about Ableton Live

LMMS
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Music Production App
Digital Audio Workstation
Audio Recorder
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
Haiku
88 LMMS alternatives
LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio , which allow you to produce music with your computer. This includes the creation of melodies and beats, the synthesis and mixing of sounds, and arranging of...
- - LMMS is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Ableton Live.
- - LMMS is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Ableton Live.
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LMMS Features
1. Support for VST PluginsLMMS support third-party Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins.
2. PortableLMMS can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. Music SequencerRecord, edit, or play back music with LMMS, by handling note and performance information.
4. DRM FreeNo Digital rights management (DRM), i.e. no copy protection.
Export to MP3
Piano Roll
Export to MIDI
MIDI Keyboard Input
Customizable
Royalty-free music
Lossless quality
Image exporting
Free API
Beat bassline
Comments about LMMS as a Alternative to Ableton Live
Most users think LMMS is a great Ableton Live alternative.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Oscar Sanderson
LMMS is free (free as in freedom and free beer) and open source and overall really cool
Top positive comment•
0

Guest
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 positive comment•
2

darkciide
While LMMS might be free, it does not come close to the abilities of Ableton.
Top negative comment•
2

sedeti
It's nothing compared to ableton
Negative comment•
0

Guest
Ableton Live, is meant for live performance. LMMS is not.
Negative comment•
1

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5 of 13 comments
GarageBand
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Music Production App
Digital Audio Workstation
Audio Recorder
Mac
iPhone
iPad
103 GarageBand alternatives
Welcome to the school of rock. A Mac-sized practice space. Your own recording studio. If you want to learn to play an instrument, write music, or record a song, GarageBand can help — whether you’re a rookie or a rock star.
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GarageBand Features
1. Works OfflineGarageBand can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
2. Virtual InstrumentGarageBand uses mainy virtual instruments (piano, guitar, drums, bass, etc.).
3. Music SequencerRecord, edit, or play back music with GarageBand, by handling note and performance information.
Preset beats
Audio Samples
Piano Roll
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Opinions about GarageBand as a Alternative to Ableton Live
Some users think GarageBand is a great Ableton Live alternative, some don't.
Zrythm
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Open Source
Music Production App
Digital Audio Workstation
Audio Recorder
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
85 Zrythm alternatives
Zrythm is a digital audio workstation designed to be featureful and easy to use.
Suggest and vote on features
Zrythm Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsZrythm can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. Support for VST PluginsZrythm support third-party Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins.
3. Music SequencerRecord, edit, or play back music with Zrythm, by handling note and performance information.
4. Ad-freeZrythm doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Multiple languages
Audio Export
Mix Music
Support for Audio Units Plugins
Music Mastering
AudioTool
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Music Production App
Audio Editor
Online
67 AudioTool alternatives
Make music online with a powerful set of tools ranging from synthesizers and samplers to mixers, delays, reverb and much more. AudioTool is an advanced, collaborative DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) built for the browser.
- - AudioTool is the most popular Web-based alternative to Ableton Live.
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AudioTool Features
1. Support for MIDIAudioTool includes MIDI hardware and software support to record and import audio.
2. Music SequencerRecord, edit, or play back music with AudioTool, by handling note and performance information.
Mix Music
Browser-based
Modular System
Cloud based
Community-based
Piano Roll
Sound Effects
Comments about AudioTool as a Alternative to Ableton Live
Most users think AudioTool is a great Ableton Live alternative.
Guest
Really great interface for starting out, very much capable in the basics, but the actual effects and imputing your own samples isn't too great.
Positive comment•
1

Guest
EEZY to use and has a good UI
Positive comment•
0
FamiStudio
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Music Production App
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
Wine
29 FamiStudio alternatives
FamiStudio is very simple music editor for the Nintendo Entertainment System or Famicom. It is designed to be easier to use than FamiTracker, but its feature set is also much more limited. It is targeted at both chiptune artists and NES homebrewers.
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FamiStudio Features
1. Support for MIDIFamiStudio includes MIDI hardware and software support to record and import audio.
Cakewalk
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free Personal • Proprietary
Digital Audio Workstation
Music Production App
Audio Editor
Windows
107 Cakewalk alternatives
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...
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Cakewalk Features
1. Support for VST PluginsCakewalk support third-party Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins.
2. Ad-freeCakewalk doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Support for MIDICakewalk includes MIDI hardware and software support to record and import audio.
4. Dark ModeCakewalk supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
5. Works OfflineCakewalk can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
6. Music SequencerRecord, edit, or play back music with Cakewalk, by handling note and performance information.
7. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsCakewalk can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
8. Virtual InstrumentCakewalk uses mainy virtual instruments (piano, guitar, drums, bass, etc.).
9. Music LooperCakewalk supports a grid of musical loops and phrases that you can trigger and manipulate in real time.
Step Sequencer
Multitrack editing
Melodyne Intergration
Music Recording
Piano Roll
Customizable
MultiTrack
Lossless Audio
Mix Music
Qtractor
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Digital Audio Workstation
Audio Editor
Linux
72 Qtractor alternatives
Qtractor is an Audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written in C++ with the Qt framework. Target platform is GNU/Linux, where the Jack Audio Connection Kit (JACK) for audio, and the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) for MIDI, are the main infrastructures for...
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Qtractor Features
1. Support for MIDIQtractor includes MIDI hardware and software support to record and import audio.
2. Support for VST PluginsQtractor support third-party Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins.
3. Music SequencerRecord, edit, or play back music with Qtractor, by handling note and performance information.
Multitrack editing
Opinions about Qtractor as a Alternative to Ableton Live
Most users think Qtractor is a great Ableton Live alternative.