Free GarageBand Alternatives for Mac

There are many alternatives to GarageBand for Mac if you are looking for a replacement. The best free Mac alternative is LMMS, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to GarageBand and many of them are free and available for Mac so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Mac alternatives to GarageBand are Bespoke Synth, Carla, Zrythm and KiraStudio.

filter to find the best alternatives

GarageBand alternatives are mainly Digital Audio Workstations, but if you're looking for Music Production Apps or Audio Editors you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Windows, Android, Linux, Online, Open Source, Android Tablet and 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.
More about GarageBand
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
GarageBand alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. LMMS icon

    LMMS

     645 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.

    96 LMMS alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    LMMS screenshot 1
     
    |
    9
    LMMS vs GarageBand Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    TheBeast
    13

    More of a learning curve but a great program if you can take the time to learn it.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    19

    Incredibly more complex, not recommended for beginners

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It allows you to have a lot of fun and configurations even starting without any knowledge

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 9 comments
    • LMMS is Free and Open SourceGarageBand is Free and Proprietary
    • LMMS is Customizable, Privacy focused and LightweightGarageBand is not according to our users
  4. Carla icon

    Carla

     36 likes

    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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Carla screenshot 1
     
  6. KiraStudio icon

    KiraStudio

     9 likes

    Lightweight music creation studio for desktop and mobile with full automation tools, modular instrument design, piano roll composing, flexible effects, SoundFont and synthesis support, MIDI import/export, and audio export, designed for projects from sketches to completion.

    52 KiraStudio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    KiraStudio screenshot 1
     
  7. FamiStudio icon

    FamiStudio

     26 likes

    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.

    35 FamiStudio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Wine
    Version 1.4.0
     
  9. DaVinci Resolve Fairlight icon

    DaVinci Resolve Fairlight

     13 likes

    Every track includes real time equalization and dynamics processing to sweeten and fine tune your mix. This is in addition to your six real time track effects, making Fairlight far more powerful than other digital audio workstation software!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    DaVinci Resolve Fairlight screenshot 1
     
  10. Cross DJ icon

    Cross DJ

     24 likes

    Mix, scratch, sample, record: rock great parties with top-DJ features.

    Turn your mobile device into a complete DJ system. Mix your tracks in perfect sync, scratch, add effects, loops and more. Automix your songs for non-stop music. Record your set and share it on SoundCloud. Mus.

    43 Cross DJ alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Cross DJ screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Cross DJ vs GarageBand Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Does not let you sequence audio files

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Cross DJ is Freemium and ProprietaryGarageBand is Free and Proprietary
  11. MultitrackStudio icon

    MultitrackStudio

     6 likes

    MultitrackStudio is a full-featured audio/MIDI multitrack recording software. It combines a multitrack recorder, a mixer, lots of effects and a MIDI sequencer in one package: everything that's needed to turn your computer into a digital multitrack music recording studio.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPad
    Desktop interface
     
  12. KOMPLETE icon

    KOMPLETE

     Like

    Step into music production with KOMPLETE a curated selection of studio-quality instruments, effects, utilities, loops, and samples for the low price of nothing at all. Play over 2,000 customizable sounds – drums and percussion, bass, acoustic instruments, synths, pads and...

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  14. Roland Zenbeats icon

    Roland Zenbeats

     1 like

    Roland Zenbeats is a music creation app designed to keep you in an effortless artistic flow. Get started on any device or platform. With its collection of both modern and legendary sounds, Zenbeats brings Roland’s history of innovation into a dynamic, accessible environment.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Roland Zenbeats screenshot 1
     
12 of 21 GarageBand alternatives