Best Beat Making Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Koala Sampler is ranked #1 of 32 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Giada and Serato Studio. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Giada. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Loopz at $3.33/mo.
Making beats can start with tapping samples, arranging MIDI, or building a track around plugins. Compare audio export, MIDI support, sample import, and plugin support to see how each tool fits your process; platforms and track limits can shape where and how large you work. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add useful cost context. Koala Sampler, MPC Beats, and Serato Studio are among the options shown, alongside tools such as DAWG and MilkyTracker. Check the listed capabilities against the sounds you want to use, the way you prefer to arrange them, and the formats you need when a track is ready to share.
32 beat making software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
4 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koala SamplerWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | GiadaWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | Serato StudioWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | $9.99/mo | 6.5 | |
| 4 | MPC BeatsWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 5 | DAWGWindows · Mac · Linux · Android | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 6 | LoopzMac · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $3.33/mo | 5.4 |
| 7 | MilkyTrackerWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 8 | RemixliveMac · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | Auxy StudioMac · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 10 | Drum Pads 24Android · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 11 | EndlesssWindows · Mac · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 12 | Beat Maker GoAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | Beatmaker 3Windows · Mac · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | GroovepadAndroid · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 15 | Ableton LiveWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $31.21/mo | 5.1 |
| 16 | Blocs WaveiPhone | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 17 | FigureiPhone | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 18 | GrooveboxiPhone | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | GroovieWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | Jam PadAndroid | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | ManyHand Drum MachineWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | MASCHINEWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $39/mo | 5.1 |
| 23 | Patterning 3Mac · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | SoundBoxWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | FL StudioWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $99/mo | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Platforms | Plugin support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koala Sampler | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | cross_platform | Yes |
| 2 | Giada | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | — | — | cross_platform | Yes |
| 3 | Serato Studio | 6.5 | Free plan | $9.99/mo | Yes | 9.99 /mo | desktop | Yes |
| 4 | MPC Beats | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | desktop | Yes |
| 5 | DAWG | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | cross_platform | No |
| 6 | Loopz | 5.4 | No | $3.33/mo | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 7 | MilkyTracker | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Remixlive | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | cross_platform | — |
| 9 | Auxy Studio | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | cross_platform | — |
| 10 | Drum Pads 24 | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 11 | Endlesss | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | cross_platform | — |
| 12 | Beat Maker Go | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 13 | Beatmaker 3 | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | mobile | Yes |
| 14 | Groovepad | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 15 | Ableton Live | 5.1 | No | $31.21/mo | No | — | mobile | No |
| 16 | Blocs Wave | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 17 | Figure | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 18 | Groovebox | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 19 | Groovie | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | browser | — |
| 20 | Jam Pad | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | mobile | — |
| 21 | ManyHand Drum Machine | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | browser | — |
| 22 | MASCHINE | 5.1 | No | $39/mo | No | — | desktop | Yes |
| 23 | Patterning 3 | 5.1 | No | — | No | — | cross_platform | Yes |
| 24 | SoundBox | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | browser | — |
| 25 | FL Studio | 5.0 | No | $99/mo | No | — | — | — |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which beat making software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Koala Sampler is ranked #1 of 32 with a score of 6.7. Giada is second and Serato Studio third.
How many of these have a free plan?
4 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Loopz has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.