--- title: LMMS canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/lmms/ category: Digital Audio Workstations points: 30 rank: 8 of 8 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # LMMS Free open-source music maker built around a piano roll and beat editor, with MIDI and VST2 instrument support. 30 points out of 100. #8 of 8 digital audio workstations. Vendor: LMMS Developers. Website: https://lmms.io/ - LMMS is free and open source under GPL v2 or later [3][4]. - It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS [1]. - The manual says LMMS cannot record sound; you play notes by typing or MIDI keyboard [6][7]. - VeSTige opens VST2 plugin files on Windows; VST3 is not listed [5]. - The latest stable build on the download page is 1.2.2 from 2020; version 1.3.0 is in alpha [2][10]. Verdict: LMMS suits beginners who want a free tool for composing beats and melodies with built-in synths, samples and a piano roll [1][3]. It costs nothing and its source is public [3][4]. The catch: the manual says it cannot record audio, the stable build is from 2020, and its manual documents VST2 plugins only [6][2][5]. Best for: Beginners who want a free beat and melody maker and do not need to record audio. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Recording and editing | 100 or more tracks | Not published | 0/10 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual [1][6]. | | Recording and editing | Take comping | No | 0/5 | The manual says LMMS cannot record sound, so audio takes cannot be recorded or comped [6]. | | Recording and editing | Built-in time-stretch | Not published | 0/5 | The sample player changes pitch and length together by resampling [11]. | | Recording and editing | Audio to MIDI | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [1][6]. | | Recording and editing | Video track | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [1][6]. | | Mixing and control | Surround mixing | Not published | 0/5 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [1][6]. | | Mixing and control | MPE support | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [1][6]. | | Mixing and control | Scripting or extension API | Not published | 0/4 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [1][6]. | | Plugins | VST3 plugins | Not published | 0/8 | The VeSTige manual page and the GitHub README list VST2 only; neither mentions VST3 [5][8]. | | Plugins | CLAP plugins | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [1][5]. | | Systems | Other desktop systems | macOS, Linux | 6/6 | The home page says to compose music on Windows, Linux and macOS [1]. | | Licence and updates | Buy once, keep forever | Yes | 6/6 | The FAQ says LMMS is free and open source, and the download page says downloading and using it is free [2][3]. | | Licence and updates | Update policy | lifetime | 6/6 | The download page offers the stable 1.2.2 and the 1.3.0 alpha as free downloads under the GPL [2][4]. | | Licence and updates | Open source | Yes | 4/4 | Licensed under the GNU GPL version 2 or later; the code is on GitHub [4][8]. | | Licence and updates | Works offline after activation | Not published | 0/3 | Not published on the vendor's website or manual pages [2][9]. | | Licence and updates | Free trial of a paid edition | No | 0/3 | There is no paid edition to try; downloading and using LMMS is free [1][2]. | | Price | Free edition | Yes | 8/8 | Downloading and using LMMS is free [2]. You record notes in the piano roll and save project files, but not audio [7][10]. | | Price | Cheapest edition with no track limit | Not published | 0/12 | LMMS is free, but a track limit is not published, so the 100-track line is not shown as met [6]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | LMMS | Free [1][2] | $0 | ## Strengths - Free to download and use; the maker calls it 100% free and open source [1][2]. - Source code is public under the GNU GPL, version 2 or later [4]. - Includes 16 built-in synthesizers and SoundFont support [1]. - Imports MIDI files and Hydrogen projects [1]. - Runs on Windows, Linux and macOS [1]. ## Limits - The manual says LMMS cannot record sound [6]. - The stable release listed is 1.2.2 from June 2020; 1.3.0 is only an alpha [2][10]. - Plugin hosting is documented for VST2 files only [5]. - The pages do not state a track limit or mention CLAP plugins [1][9]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - LMMS says it easily matches the lower to middle tier of professional software [3]. ## Sources 1. [LMMS](https://lmms.io/), LMMS, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [Download LMMS](https://lmms.io/download/), LMMS, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [FAQ](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/getting-started/faq), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [License](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/legal/license), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [VeSTige](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/instruments/vestige), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [Song Editor](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/navigation/song-editor), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [Creating a Track](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/production/creating-a-track), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [LMMS/lmms](https://github.com/LMMS/lmms), GitHub, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Installation](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/getting-started/installation), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [Welcome to LMMS](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [AudioFileProcessor](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/instruments/audiofileprocessor), LMMS user manual, accessed 2026-10-08