# Alternatives to LMMS Free pattern-based music production. LMMS ranks #11 of 12 in Digital audio workstations, with an Alt Score of 50. It is licensed under GPL-2.0, free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lmms/ Category: Digital audio workstations ## Where LMMS stands out - **Linux support** — 4 of 12 apps with a verified answer have this - **Free tier / lite version** — 6 of 12 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Beat and electronic music producers, hobbyists, and beginners who want a free, cross-platform DAW without licensing costs. - **What you get**: A full digital audio workstation with a Beat+Bassline editor for drum patterns, a Piano Roll for melodies, an FX Mixer with effect chains, and an Automation editor. It ships with 15+ built-in synthesizers, samplers, and emulations of classic hardware (like the Commodore 64 and Game Boy), plus support for VST plugins. Projects export to WAV, FLAC, Ogg, or MP3. - **How it works**: You build tracks by combining patterns in the Song Editor: sequence drum patterns in the Beat+Bassline editor, write melodies and chords in the Piano Roll, route everything through the FX Mixer, then render the finished song to an audio file. ## Profile - **License**: GPL-2.0 (verified 2026-07-11) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-11) - **Starts at**: ? - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-11) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Pro Tools](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/pro-tools.md) | 91 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | | 2 | [Studio One](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/studio-one.md) | 86 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 3 | [Cakewalk](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cakewalk.md) | 82 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | | 4 | [Ardour](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ardour.md) | 78 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 5 | [Cubase](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/cubase.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | | 6 | [Reaper](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/reaper.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 7 | [GarageBand](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/garageband.md) | 73 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS | | 8 | [Logic Pro](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/logic-pro.md) | 73 | Proprietary | macOS, iOS | | 9 | [Bitwig Studio](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/bitwig-studio.md) | 68 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 10 | [Ableton Live](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ableton-live.md) | 64 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | | 11 | [FL Studio](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/fl-studio.md) | 50 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Digital audio workstations checklist | LMMS | Pro Tools | Studio One | Cakewalk | Ardour | Cubase | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | Subscription | Subscription | Freemium | Donationware | One-time | | Starts at | ? | $9.99/month | $19.99/month | $14.99/month (BandLab Pro membership) | $1 one-time (pay-what-you-want minimum) | ? | | License | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS | | MIDI editing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Audio comping | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Included instruments & effects | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | | Third-party plugin support | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | One-time purchase option | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | | Free tier / lite version | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | | Linux support | Yes | No | Partial | No | Yes | No | | Notation view | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | | Video scoring | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Collaboration | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | ? | Partial | ## Sources Sources for LMMS. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **License**: GPL-2.0 — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 2, June 1991” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “| ✔️ | `.exe` | Windows | `lmms>=0.4.0` | | ✔️ | `.dmg` | macOS | `lmms>=1.0.0` | | ✔️ | `.AppImage` | Linux Universal | `lmms>=1.3.0` |” - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio®, which allow you to produce music with your computer.” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “Commits on Jul 10, 2026” - **MIDI editing**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “It includes an advanced Piano Roll, Beat Sequencer, Song Editor, and Mixer for composing, arranging, and mixing music.” - **Audio comping**: No — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS features components such as a Song Editor, a Beat+Bassline Editor, a Piano Roll, a Mixer as well as many powerful instruments and effects.” - **Included instruments & effects**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “It comes with 15+ synthesizer plugins by default, along with VST2 and SoundFont2 support.” - **Third-party plugin support**: Partial — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “RemoteVstPlugin.cpp - LMMS VST Support Layer (RemotePlugin client)” - **One-time purchase option**: No — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio®, which allow you to produce music with your computer.” - **Free tier / lite version**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio®, which allow you to produce music with your computer.” - **Linux support**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “| ✔️ | `.AppImage` | Linux Universal | `lmms>=1.3.0` |” - **Notation view**: No — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS features components such as a Song Editor, a Beat+Bassline Editor, a Piano Roll, a Mixer as well as many powerful instruments and effects.” - **Video scoring**: No — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS features components such as a Song Editor, a Beat+Bassline Editor, a Piano Roll, a Mixer as well as many powerful instruments and effects.” - **Collaboration**: No — (verified 2026-07-11) - Quote: “LMMS features components such as a Song Editor, a Beat+Bassline Editor, a Piano Roll, a Mixer as well as many powerful instruments and effects.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/