Free Cubase AlternativesTop Music Production Apps & Digital Audio Workstations like Cubase

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

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Cubase alternatives are mainly Music Production Apps, but if you're looking for Digital Audio Workstations or Audio Editors you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Free, Open Source, Linux + Open Source and Android. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Cubase.
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Alternatives list

  1. LMMS icon

    LMMS

     629 likes
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    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.

    91 LMMS alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    LMMS screenshot 1
     
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    6
    45
    Comments about LMMS as an Alternative to Cubase
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    5

    It has a lot interesting functions.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    11

    Does not support harddisk recording - only midi or samples

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    puikheid
    Negative
    0

    It's not a linear DAW and barely has any feature overlap.

    Show more comments
    3 of 6 comments
    Cubase Icon
    LMMS icon

    • Most users think LMMS is a great Cubase alternative.

    • LMMS is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Cubase.

    • LMMS is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Cubase.

    • LMMS is Free and Open SourceCubase is Paid and Proprietary
    • LMMS is Customizable, Privacy focused and LightweightCubase is not according to our users
  2. Cakewalk icon

    Cakewalk

     74 likes
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    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...

    115 Cakewalk alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Cakewalk screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Cakewalk as an Alternative to Cubase
    ballOOn Head
    Positive
    0

    Best Freeware with all the professional abilities. Highest Level of Features Like all paid programs but not very stable

    Cubase Icon
    Cakewalk icon

    • Most users think Cakewalk is a great Cubase alternative.

    • Cakewalk is Free Personal and ProprietaryCubase is Paid and Proprietary
    • Cakewalk is CustomizableCubase is not according to our users
  4. GarageBand icon

    GarageBand

     267 likes
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    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.

    103 GarageBand alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    iPad Version: Tracks
     
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    1
    7
    Comments about GarageBand as an Alternative to Cubase
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    GarageBand is a very lightweight program compared to professional grade DAWs such as Cubase.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Cubase Icon
    GarageBand icon

    • Some users think GarageBand is a great Cubase alternative, some don't.

    • GarageBand is Free and ProprietaryCubase is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    MAGIX Music Maker icon
    MAGIX Music Maker

    Create songs, soundtracks, and beats with 1,500+ sounds, 64 audio/MIDI tracks, and a mixing console featuring effects and synths, catering to new and experienced musicians. Industry-standard CD burning and a user-friendly interfa...

    https://www.magix.com
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  8. Melodic Mind icon

    Melodic Mind

     7 likes
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    Mobile-first platform with integrated DAW, stem separation, songwriting, synthesizer, real instruments, music theory, practice toolkit, vocal training, chromatic tuner, progress tracking, and unique gamification inspired by anime quests, all in a free public beta.

    52 Melodic Mind alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Melodic Mind screenshot 1
    Melodic Mind screenshot 2
    Melodic Mind screenshot 3
     

    • Melodic Mind is the most popular SaaS alternative to Cubase.

    • Melodic Mind is Freemium and ProprietaryCubase is Paid and Proprietary
  11. AudioTool icon

    AudioTool

     79 likes
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    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.

    76 AudioTool alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    AudioTool screenshot 1
     
  12. Qtractor icon

    Qtractor

     52 likes
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    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...

    76 Qtractor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Qtractor screenshot 1
     
  13. Draw.Audio icon

    Draw.Audio

     8 likes
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    Explore sound art with an innovative, free musical sketch-pad offering a synthesizer, sequencer, and drawing tools. Underpinned by the Web Audio API, it enables music recording, editing, and playback without ads, all in a seamless web-based interface for creative expression.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Draw.Audio screenshot 1
     
  14. FamiStudio icon

    FamiStudio

     24 likes
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    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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Wine
    Version 1.4.0
     
12 of 48 Cubase alternatives