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Ableton Live

Music-making software for Windows and macOS, sold in Intro, Standard and Suite editions.

Try Ableton Live (opens the Ableton Live website in a new tab)

Our verdict

Ableton Live suits people who want a paid, full-featured music-making program and can pick the edition that fits their budget. Skip it if you need a free tool or a Linux version.

What it does well

  • 30-day free trial of the top edition, Live Suite
  • MIDI tools such as Generators and Transformations in Standard and Suite
  • Pay once per edition; Suite can also be rent-to-own over 24 months

Where it falls short

  • No free plan; Intro is limited to 16 audio and MIDI tracks
  • Max for Live is only in the Suite edition
  • Trial cannot save or export once it ends; Windows and macOS only
The Ableton Live website
The official Ableton Live website, 16 October 2026.

Ableton Live is music-making software; its site currently presents Live 12, with MIDI Generators and Transformations, scale-aware tools, the Meld, Roar and Granulator III devices, and a tag-based browser with Sound Similarity Search.

There are three editions, each a one-off purchase in USD on Ableton's shop: Live 12 Intro at USD 99, Standard at USD 349 and Suite at USD 749. Intro has 16 audio and MIDI tracks, Standard and Suite have unlimited tracks, and only Suite includes Max for Live. Suite can also be rent-to-own at USD 31.21 per month over 24 monthly payments. Upgrade prices are shown only to logged-in owners.

A free 30-day trial gives access to Live Suite. After it ends you can still open trial Sets but can no longer save or export. The trial page lists Windows 10 or 11 and macOS 11 Big Sur or later.

Ableton Live compared

Open source alternatives to Ableton Live

Free to use, with code anyone can inspect.

Last updated 16 October 2026. Facts checked against the official site on 16 October 2026. How we make money