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LMMS

A free, open-source music production app for making beats and songs with patterns and a piano roll.

Open sourceAudio editors and DAWs
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About LMMS

LMMS is a free, open-source, community-built DAW for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its workflow will feel familiar to anyone who has tried FL Studio: you build patterns in a beat and bassline editor, write melodies in a piano roll, and arrange them in a song editor. It ships with built-in synthesizers, including emulations of classic chips and a SoundFont player, a set of effects and sample-based instruments, and it can load VST plugins on supported platforms. It is a popular starting point for young producers and anyone who wants to try electronic music production without paying. The main limitation is audio: LMMS was designed around MIDI and samples, and recording and editing live audio such as vocals is very limited compared with other DAWs, so many users pair it with Audacity. Development is volunteer-driven, so major releases can be slow. The project is licensed under the GPL and has no paid tier.

Best for: Beginners and hobbyists who want to make electronic music with a free pattern-based DAW.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Completely free and open source
  • Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
  • Built-in synths and a familiar piano roll

Why people leave

  • Very limited audio recording and editing
  • Volunteer development means slow major releases
  • Interface feels dated

Top LMMS alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1FL Studio logo
    FL Studio

    The commercial app LMMS most resembles, with far more polish and audio tools.

    66.5
  2. 2Tracktion Waveform logo
    Tracktion Waveform

    Free DAW with unlimited tracks and proper audio recording.

    62.6
  3. 3Ardour logo
    Ardour

    Open-source DAW that is much stronger at recording and mixing audio.

    59.6
  4. 4BandLab logo
    BandLab

    Free and in the browser, with built-in loops and easy sharing.

    57.2
  5. 5Zrythm logo
    Zrythm

    Newer free-software DAW also aimed at electronic music.

    55.3

Why people left LMMS

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

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LMMS: common questions

Is LMMS free?

Yes. LMMS is free, open-source software.

Is LMMS open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at LMMS/lmms.

What platforms does LMMS run on?

LMMS is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to LMMS?

The highest-ranked LMMS alternatives right now are FL Studio, Tracktion Waveform and Ardour. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 LMMS alternatives