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Ableton Live vs LMMS

Ableton Live is a paid program for Windows and macOS, while LMMS is free and open source on Linux, Windows and macOS.

Pick Ableton Live if…

Pick Ableton Live if you want a paid, actively updated program with MIDI tools, a Suite edition with Max for Live, and are happy with Windows or macOS.

Pick LMMS if…

Pick LMMS if you want a free tool under the GNU GPL, or you use Linux, and you can live with a stable release dated 2020.

Price

  • Paid
  • Free
  • Open source

Starting price

USD 99 (Live 12 Intro)
—

Free plan

No
Yes

Open source

No
Yes

Works on

Windows, macOS
Windows, macOS, Linux
Try Ableton Live (opens the Ableton Live website in a new tab)Try LMMS (opens the LMMS website in a new tab)

Price is the clearest difference. Ableton sells Live 12 as Intro at USD 99, Standard at USD 349 and Suite at USD 749, and offers a 30-day trial of Suite that can open but not save or export once it ends. LMMS has no price or paid tier.

Platforms differ too. Ableton's trial page lists Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 11 or later. LMMS lists Linux, Windows and macOS, and its source is under GPL-2.0 on GitHub.

On tools, Live 12 lists MIDI Generators and Transformations, Meld, Roar and Granulator III, with Max for Live only in Suite and Intro limited to 16 tracks. LMMS lists a Piano Roll, a Beat+Bassline editor, 16 built-in synthesizers, and support for VST instruments, SoundFont and LADSPA plugins.

Release pace is another point. Ableton's page mentions a free update to Live 12.4 for Live 12 owners, while LMMS's download page shows stable 1.2.2 from June 2020 and 1.3.0 alpha builds.

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Last updated 16 October 2026. How we make money