Ableton Live Alternatives for Linux
Ableton Live is not available for Linux but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is Bitwig Studio. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try LMMS or Bespoke Synth. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Ableton Live and many of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Ableton Live are Ardour, REAPER, Waveform and Zrythm.
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Ableton Live alternatives are mainly Digital Audio Workstations, but if you're looking for Music Production Apps or Audio Recorders you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android + Free. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Ableton Live.- Music Production App
- Paid • Proprietary
- 49 Bitwig Studio alternatives
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.
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application types
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Top Bitwig Studio Features
Comments about Bitwig Studio as an Alternative to Ableton Live
Most Recent CommentVery similar functionality + similar workflow. Easy recovery from rare crashes, and plugin sandboxing means fewer crashes in comparison to Ableton Live
It is the only DAW I know that has a similar workflow
- 90 LMMS alternatives
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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- PortableApps.com
- Haiku
Comments about LMMS as an Alternative to Ableton Live
Comment summary: While LMMS is praised for being free and open-source, it lacks the capabilities and live performance features of Ableton Live. Many users find LMMS's functionality limited with issues in VST support and workflow, although it's appreciated as a decent entry-level DAW for those on a budget. Comparisons often highlight that Ableton's performance and workflow advantages make it superior, particularly for live setups.Top Positive CommentIf 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 CommentIt is good but does not even come close to the Abelton workflow.
Most Recent CommentOscar SandersonLMMS is free (free as in freedom and free beer) and open source and overall really cool
- 89 Ardour alternatives
Ardour is a hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application. Record, edit, and mix on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.
License model
- Paid • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
Comments about Ardour as an Alternative to Ableton Live
Most Recent Commentburnx50Ableton-style clip launcher is added to Ardour 7.
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.
The description did not mention you can make music on the program yourself.
- 84 REAPER alternatives
REAPER (Rapid Environment for Audio Production, Engineering, and Recording) is a digital audio workstation, MIDI sequencer and video editing software application created by Cockos. The current version is available for Microsoft Windows (XP and newer), macOS (10.5 and newer), and Linux.
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Comments about REAPER as an Alternative to Ableton Live
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.
- 75 Bespoke Synth alternatives
Bespoke is a software modular synthesizer. It contains a bunch of modules, which you can connect together to create sounds.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Flathub
- Flatpak
- 60 Waveform alternatives
Waveform is a commercial, cross-platform DAW. With a focus on design and composition, it offers tools to greatly simplify everything from initial inspiration to the final mix.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Waveform Features
Comments about Waveform as an Alternative to Ableton Live
Intuitive UI, lots of features even in the free version.
- 91 Zrythm alternatives
Zrythm is a digital audio workstation designed to be featureful and easy to use.
License model
- Freemium • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Cyprus
EU
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- 53 Studio One alternatives
Studio One is an advanced digital audio workstation for Mac and Windows featuring a bevy of powerful composition, editing, mixing and mastering tools on top of standard multi-track DAW features. Highly praised for its intuitive chord track that lets users drag and drop both...
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Top Studio One Features
- 73 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...
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Portugal
EU
Platforms
- Linux
Qtractor Features
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.