The Best Free GarageBand AlternativesTop Music Production Apps & Digital Audio Workstations like GarageBand
The best free alternative to GarageBand is LMMS, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to GarageBand and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to GarageBand are Walk Band, AudioTool, Cakewalk and Bespoke Synth.
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GarageBand 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 Mac + Free. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to GarageBand.- Music Production App
- Free • Proprietary
- 91 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 GarageBand
Top Positive CommentTop Negative CommentIncredibly more complex, not recommended for beginners
Most Recent Commentit's for electronic music production, not music recording
- 19 Walk Band alternatives
Walk Band is a music studio (a toolkit of virtual musical instruments) customized for Android. It contains tons of features including Piano, Guitar, Drum Kit,Drum Machine, Bass, Multi-tracks synthesizer etc. All instruments use the realistic instrument sounds.
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application types
Platforms
- Android
Walk Band Features
Comments about Walk Band as an Alternative to GarageBand
Most Recent CommentIt's basically just like garageband. You can use a MIDI, you can record tracks, you can use some of their tracks as well.
Because they sound the same
thebenmix11While it doesn't have all of the functionality of GarageBand, it is the closest equivalent that you can get for android. It has a wide variety of instruments and it allows for loops and MIDI. Very complete.
- 70 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.
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
- Online
AudioTool Features
- 114 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...
License model
- Free Personal • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
Singapore
Platforms
- Windows
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
- 92 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
- 43 Carla alternatives
Carla is an audio plugin host, with support for many audio drivers and plugin formats. It has some nice features like automation of parameters via MIDI CC (and send output back as MIDI too) and full OSC control.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
- International
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
Carla Features
- 43 Soundtrap alternatives
Soundtrap is a freemium online cross-platform digital audio workstation for browsers that allows users to create music or podcasts.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
Platforms
- Online
Soundtrap Features
Comments about Soundtrap as an Alternative to GarageBand
I don't know it just seems to be a good app of garageband.
the drums in there are total abominations. double-time swing is impossible. apart from that, it is awesome for dubstep, lo-fi hiphop and everything besides jazz and other genres better portrayed live than imitated.
- 74 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
More of a learning curve but a great program if you can take the time to learn it.