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3 alternatives ranked by real activity

Open-source Soundtrap alternatives

A curated, ranked list of the 3 best open-source alternatives to Soundtrap.

The best open-source alternative to Soundtrap is Audacity. If that doesn't suit you, other good options are LMMS and Ardour.

Soundtrap alternatives are mainly audio & music production tools. 3 of them shipped code in the last 30 days, 3 can be self-hosted, and none uses a permissive licence.

Last updated October 3, 2026 · ranked by GitHub stars, growth and recent commits

Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS and Linux.

GitHub stars
19k
Last commit
yesterday
Latest release
Audacity-4.0.1
Self-hosted
Yes

Audacity is a multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. It is designed to be easy to use for recording sound and editing it across separate tracks. This repository holds the project's source code, written in C++ with the wxWidgets toolkit.

The project is in the middle of a major transition. Audacity 4 brings an entirely new user interface along with extensive refactoring, while the 3.x line remains available and still accepts patches from a separate branch. Build instructions exist for both versions, and development updates are shared on YouTube, Discord and the project blog.

Audacity is open source software licensed under GPLv3, with most code files under GPLv2 or later. Third-party libraries and VST3-related code are noted exceptions, and the documentation is licensed CC BY 3.0. It runs locally as a desktop application, so no account or hosted service is involved.

Key features

  • Multi-track audio recording and editing
  • Cross-platform desktop application
  • Redesigned interface in Audacity 4
  • Maintained Audacity 3.x release line
  • Open source under the GPL

Pricing: Free and open source under the GPLv3 license.

LMMS

Cross-platform digital audio workstation for composing, arranging and mixing music, with a piano roll, beat sequencer and built-in synths.

GitHub stars
10k
Last commit
5 days ago
Latest release
v1.2.2
Licence
GPL-2.0
lmms.ioLMMS homepage screenshot

LMMS is an open-source, cross-platform digital audio workstation made for music production. It includes a Song Editor for arranging melodies, samples, patterns and automation, a Pattern Editor for beats, a Piano Roll for editing melodies, and a Mixer for combining tracks.

More than 15 synthesizer plugins come with it by default. The mixer offers an unlimited number of channels and effects, and automation can be user-defined or driven by computer-controlled sources. It works with many standards, including SoundFont2, VST2 instruments and effects, LADSPA, LV2 and GUS Patches, and it has full MIDI support with MIDI file import and export.

LMMS is written in C++ and licensed under GPL-2.0. The project provides a user manual, a showcase, a sharing platform, a developer wiki and internal documentation. Contributors are welcome to help with programming, artwork, testing and demo songs, and are asked to file an issue or ask on Discord before building a large feature.

Key features

  • Song Editor and Pattern Editor
  • Piano Roll for melodies
  • Mixer with unlimited channels and effects
  • Built-in synthesizer plugins
  • VST2, SoundFont2, LADSPA and LV2 support
  • MIDI file import and export

Pricing: Free and open source under the GPL-2.0 license.

Read more about LMMSWebsite GitHub

Ardour

A free, open-source digital audio workstation for Windows, Linux and macOS, used to record, edit and mix audio and MIDI projects.

GitHub stars
5.3k
Last commit
today
Self-hosted
Yes
ardour.orgArdour homepage screenshot

Ardour is a digital audio workstation, free and open source, that runs on Windows, Linux and macOS. It is built for recording, editing, mixing and mastering audio and MIDI projects, from capturing vocals and live instruments to producing beats and preparing tracks for streaming.

Recording starts from an audio interface, microphone or keyboard, and material can be imported from a hard drive or the Freesound database. Editing tools include cutting, moving, stretching, trimming, crossfading, transposing and quantizing with unlimited undo and redo, while the mixer offers faders, automation, EQ, dynamics, sends, inserts and support for external control surfaces.

Its core audience is audio engineers who want full control of their tools for long sessions, along with musicians who record real instruments. Ardour supports plugin formats such as LV2 and VST and connects through JACK. It is written in C++, and the GitHub repository is a mirror of the project's source code.

Key features

  • Multitrack audio and MIDI recording
  • Editing with unlimited undo and redo
  • Mixer with automation, EQ and dynamics
  • LV2 and VST plugin support
  • JACK audio connectivity
  • External control surface support
  • Audio and MIDI import including Freesound

Pricing: Distributed as free, open-source software.

Soundtrap alternatives: questions

What is the best open-source alternative to Soundtrap?
Audacity is the top-ranked open-source alternative to Soundtrap on Enlisted: Audacity is a free, open-source multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS and Linux. Other strong options are LMMS and Ardour.
Are these Soundtrap alternatives free?
All 3 are open source, so the code is free to use under its licence, and all of them can be self-hosted on your own server or computer.
How is this list of Soundtrap alternatives ranked?
By a score built from GitHub stars, star growth over the last 30 days and how recently the code changed. 3 of these projects shipped code in the last 30 days. Data is refreshed daily, and nobody can pay to move up.

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