11 Best Free DAWs in 2025 (for Music Production & more)
Here you’ll find the 11 best free DAWs to produce music and edit audio. At the end, I’ve also included 2 bonus recommendations so you have every type of option covered.
UAD’s LUNA is Universal Audio’s DAW, with a free version available for both Windows and Mac. It’s a powerful platform that even includes advanced and AI-assisted tools.
It also offers unlimited tracks, recording, advanced tools, and virtual instruments.
It’s a bit more complex, though, so watching tutorials is recommended to make the most of it.
Reaper is one of the best DAWs available, known for its incredible flexibility. Technically it’s not completely free, it offers an unrestricted trial and suggests purchasing a license after 60 days, but you can keep using it indefinitely. Since it’s low-cost, it’s highly recommended to support the developers if you like it.
This is a full-featured DAW, offering all its tools and functions. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
GarageBand is an easy-to-use DAW, perfect for those who don’t need advanced complexity. It still includes full recording, automation, an instrument library, and unlimited tracks.
An excellent choice for beginners or simple projects. It’s also the gateway to its big brother, Logic Pro, one of the most professional DAWs available.
MPC Beats is a DAW focused on beatmaking, but still versatile. It’s intuitive and beginner-friendly, with templates for various genres to help you start producing fast. Available for Windows and Mac.
It supports recording, MIDI, and includes 2GB of sound and instrument libraries.
The free version is limited to 8 tracks per project.
Serato Studio is a DAW specialized for beatmaking and sampling. It also integrates DJ software tools like stem separation and tempo automation, plus virtual instruments and recording. Windows and Mac compatible.
It’s designed for fast, loop-based production, though the free version does include some limitations.
SoundBridge is a great DAW for beginners, simple, visual, and lightweight. It includes recording, MIDI, and all essential tools while consuming fewer system resources. Available for Windows and Mac.
Perfect to start learning music production, but limited for advanced work since the free version only allows up to 10 tracks per project.
Ableton Live Lite is the free version of one of the world’s most popular DAWs. Many producers consider Ableton the best on the market. It’s not directly downloadable but often comes bundled with software or hardware. There’s also a legal way to get a license at low cost (explained on the download page). Windows and Mac compatible.
The main limitation of this free version is that it supports only 8 tracks per project. Still, it’s a fantastic way to get into the Ableton workflow.
LMMS is a fully open-source and completely free DAW. It’s lightweight, packed with tools, and ideal for beginners. Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
It supports unlimited tracks, MIDI compatibility, and virtual instruments. However, it lacks an important feature for some users, it cannot record audio.
Audacity is different from the other DAWs listed here, it’s mainly for audio editing, not music production. It’s open-source, completely free, and packed with powerful tools. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
It’s great for editing and processing audio, but not suited for music production. No MIDI or instrument support, though it includes many built-in effects.
Another great option is to use free online DAWs. These platforms usually have a free version.
They’re becoming more popular thanks to modern browser performance. They’re great for light to medium projects, though not yet ideal for high-latency or heavy sessions.
Soundtrap
Soundtrap is a very popular online DAW, used both for music production and podcast editing, it even includes tools specifically for that.
It offers virtual instruments, sound libraries, vocal AI tools, and is easy to use.
BandLab is a digital platform and DAW with a free version. Beyond all the music production and audio editing tools, it’s part of a full software ecosystem, including Cakewalk Sonar and Cakewalk Next, offering different solutions for different needs.
It includes instruments, tools, libraries, and even a social-style section to share your music online.
In our opinion, the two best free DAWs for music production right now are Cakewalk Sonar and LUNA.
Both include full libraries, tools, recording, MIDI support, and most importantly, unlimited tracks, which is rare for free software.
Which DAWs are free?
All the DAWs listed here are free or have a free version.
Some of them are: Cakewalk Sonar, LUNA, Waveform, GarageBand, and more. You can check the full list above.
Are free DAWs good for beginners?
Absolutely, free DAWs are a great way to start learning music production. You can experiment with several options without investing money and see which workflow suits you best.
Once you’ve gained some experience, it’s worth investing in a paid DAW to work more professionally.
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