The Best Open Source Ableton Live AlternativesTop Music Production Apps & Digital Audio Workstations like Ableton Live

The best open source alternative to Ableton Live is LMMS. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Ableton Live and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Ableton Live are Ardour, Bespoke Synth, Zrythm and Qtractor.

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Ableton Live 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 Free, Open Source, Linux, iPad, Android, Android Tablet and Android + Free. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Ableton Live.
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Alternatives list

  1. LMMS icon

    LMMS

     633 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.

    91 LMMS alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • Flatpak
    LMMS screenshot 1
     
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    13
    71
    Comments about LMMS as an Alternative to Ableton Live
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    3

    If you are just getting into the scene and are on a budget, its pretty darn decent especially for being free and open source.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    17

    It is good but does not even come close to the Abelton workflow.

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

    LMMS is free (free as in freedom and free beer) and open source and overall really cool

    3 of 13 comments
    LMMS icon
    LMMS icon

    • Most users think LMMS is a great Ableton Live alternative.

    • LMMS is Free and Open SourceAbleton Live is Paid and Proprietary
    • LMMS is Customizable, Privacy focused and LightweightAbleton Live is not according to our users
  2. Ardour icon

    Ardour

     240 likes

    Ardour is a hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application. Record, edit, and mix on Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows.

    92 Ardour alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Ardour 6
     
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    3
    23
    Comments about Ardour as an Alternative to Ableton Live
    burnx50
    Positive
    2

    Ableton-style clip launcher is added to Ardour 7.

    Guest
    Negative
    1

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -25

    The description did not mention you can make music on the program yourself.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Ardour icon
    Ardour icon

    • Most users think Ardour is a great Ableton Live alternative.

    • Ardour is Paid and Open SourceAbleton Live is Paid and Proprietary
    • Ardour is Privacy focusedAbleton Live is not according to our users
  5. Zrythm icon

    Zrythm

     35 likes

    Zrythm is a digital audio workstation designed to be featureful and easy to use.

    93 Zrythm alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Zrythm screenshot 1
     
  6. Qtractor icon

    Qtractor

     52 likes

    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...

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Qtractor screenshot 1
     
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    6
  7. FamiStudio icon

    FamiStudio

     24 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. It is targeted at both chiptune artists and NES homebrewers.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Wine
    Version 1.4.0
     
  9. Efflux icon

    Efflux

     4 likes

    Efflux is a Progressive Web Application allowing you to create music within your browser, either on- or offline on anything from a phone to desktop machine.

    53 Efflux alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    Efflux screenshot 1
     
  10. Rosegarden icon

    Rosegarden

     58 likes

    Rosegarden is a well-rounded audio and MIDI sequencer, score editor, and general-purpose music composition and editing environment.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    Rosegarden screenshot 1
     
  11. Sequencer64 icon

    Sequencer64

     3 likes

    Sequencer64 is a live-looping sequencer with an interface more like a hardware sequencer than track-based MIDI sequencers. Seq64 is a reboot of Seq24, extending it greatly over the last years.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Sequencer64 screenshot 1
     
  12. MusE Sequencer icon

    MusE Sequencer

     10 likes

    Open-source DAW for GNU/Linux designed for multitrack MIDI and audio sequencing, real-time effects, automation, plugin support including LV2, VST, DSSI, non-destructive editing, JACK compatibility, and free BSD port for advanced audio production and virtual studio needs.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    MusE Sequencer screenshot 1
     
  13. Luppp icon

    Luppp

     18 likes

    Luppp is a music creation tool, intended for live use. The focus is on real time processing and a fast, intuitive workflow. With extensive MIDI mapping support, you can get looping just how you like!

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Luppp screenshot 1
     
  14. Cacophony icon

    Cacophony

     3 likes

    Cacophony is a minimalist and ergonomic MIDI sequencer. It's minimalist in that it doesn't have a lot of functionality MIDI sequencers have. It's ergonomic in that there is no mouse input and a very clean interface, allowing you to juggle less inputs and avoid...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • itch.io
    Cacophony screenshot 1
     
12 of 21 Ableton Live alternatives