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GarageBand

Apple's free music-making app for Mac, iPhone and iPad, with instruments, loops and virtual drummers.

FreeAudio editors and DAWs
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About GarageBand

GarageBand is Apple's free music creation app and the first DAW many people ever use. It comes with a sound library of instruments, loops and samples, guitar and bass amp simulations, Drummer virtual session players that follow your song, and simple multitrack recording for vocals and instruments. On iPhone and iPad it adds Touch Instruments you play on screen and Live Loops, a grid for triggering loops like a DJ, and the mobile and Mac versions can share projects. It is popular for songwriting sketches, school music classes and simple podcasts. Because it is a simplified version of Logic Pro, projects open directly in Logic when you outgrow it. The limits are real, though: mixing and editing tools are basic, there is no mixer window, MIDI editing is minimal, and it only runs on Apple devices, so you can't share sessions with Windows users. It is completely free from the App Store and requires a recent version of macOS or iOS.

Best for: Beginners, students and songwriters on Apple devices who want to make music for free.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Free on Mac, iPhone and iPad
  • Good bundled sounds, amps and Drummer tracks
  • Projects open directly in Logic Pro when you outgrow it

Why people leave

  • Apple devices only
  • Basic mixing and MIDI editing with no full mixer view
  • Limited plugin and routing options

Top GarageBand alternatives

See all 6
  1. 1Logic Pro logo
    Logic Pro

    The direct upgrade, which opens GarageBand projects with far more tools.

    66.5
  2. 2BandLab logo
    BandLab

    Free and cross-platform, working in the browser and on Android too.

    62.6
  3. 3Soundtrap logo
    Soundtrap

    Browser-based studio with real-time collaboration, popular in classrooms.

    59.6
  4. 4Tracktion Waveform logo
    Tracktion Waveform

    Free unlimited DAW on Windows, Mac and Linux for the next step up.

    57.2
  5. 5Cakewalk Sonar logo
    Cakewalk Sonar

    Free-to-start DAW for Windows users with a full mixing console.

    55.3

Why people left GarageBand

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from GarageBand, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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GarageBand: common questions

Is GarageBand free?

Yes, GarageBand is free to use.

Is GarageBand open source?

No, GarageBand is not open source. Open-source alternatives include LMMS.

What platforms does GarageBand run on?

GarageBand is available for macOS and iOS.

What are the best alternatives to GarageBand?

The highest-ranked GarageBand alternatives right now are Logic Pro, BandLab and Soundtrap. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 6 GarageBand alternatives