GarageBand vs FL Studio

by Gralio Mar 07, 2025

GarageBand and FL Studio are both popular music creation tools catering to different needs. GarageBand excels in ease of use and accessibility for Apple users, while FL Studio offers a wider range of features and cross-platform compatibility. Choose GarageBand for a free and simple music creation experience within the Apple ecosystem. Opt for FL Studio if you need advanced features, cross-platform compatibility, and a focus on electronic music production.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 590 reviews and 60 websites, saving 3 hours, 46 minutes of reading.

Logo of GarageBand
Logo of FL Studio

About

GarageBand is a free music creation software by Apple, available on Apple devices. It offers a user-friendly interface with tools to record, arrange, and mix music. GarageBand is great for beginners and experienced musicians alike, providing a platform for songwriting, podcast production, and creating music with virtual instruments.
FL Studio is a software program for creating music on your computer, also known as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). It lets you record, edit, and mix music using virtual instruments, loops, and effects. Popular with both professionals and hobbyists, FL Studio is known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features.

Summary

Main difference
GarageBand is a free music creation software exclusively for Apple devices, offering a seamless experience within the Apple ecosystem. FL Studio is a cross-platform digital audio workstation (DAW) suitable for various operating systems, known for its extensive features and flexibility, particularly in electronic music genres.

Relative strengths of GarageBand (compared to FL Studio)

  • Free to use on Apple devices, making it highly accessible.

  • User-friendly interface praised for its intuitiveness, especially for beginners.

  • Seamless integration with other Apple products and services.

Relative weaknesses of GarageBand (compared to FL Studio)

  • Limited compatibility with non-Apple platforms and software.

  • Fewer advanced features compared to FL Studio, especially for professional music production.

  • Potential performance issues and large file sizes, particularly on iOS devices.

Who should use GarageBand VS. FL Studio

GarageBand is a free music creation platform for Apple users. Praised for its user-friendly interface and diverse instrument library, it's ideal for beginners and experienced musicians alike. Users appreciate its accessibility and seamless Apple integration, but note occasional performance issues and limited advanced features.

FL Studio is a popular digital audio workstation (DAW) known for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive features. Praised for its intuitive piano roll and step sequencer, FL Studio is ideal for music producers of all skill levels, particularly those creating electronic music. While some users find the recording process tricky for beginners, lifetime free updates and extensive plugin support add to its appeal.

  • Ideal for small to medium businesses (1-1000 employees), with a good fit for large enterprises.

  • Excellent for Education and Media & Entertainment, suitable for various other sectors.

  • Best for small to medium businesses (1-1000 employees).

  • Excellent fit for media & entertainment and software/IT.

GarageBand and FL Studio features

Supported
Partially supported
Not supported
Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

  • Built-in instruments
    Supported

    GarageBand offers various built-in virtual instruments like keyboards, drums, and guitars.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers built-in virtual instruments.

  • MIDI Recording
    Supported

    GarageBand allows recording and manipulating MIDI performances using various input methods.

    Supported

    FL Studio supports recording and editing MIDI performances.

  • Audio Effects
    Partially supported

    GarageBand supports audio effects and allows third-party plugins for additional effects.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers a library of audio effects including distortion, chorus, flanger and many others. It allows up to 10 effects to be added to individual or master tracks. Effects are selected from a list and many come with presets.

  • Loops library
    Supported

    GarageBand includes a vast library of pre-recorded music loops.

    Supported

    FL Studio enables the use of music loops via its looping features and support for importing loops from various sources, such as their Content Library. However, it doesn\'t have a built-in "loops library" in the conventional sense; users can create and manage their own loop collections.

  • Track mixing
    Supported

    GarageBand allows adjusting levels and blending individual tracks.

    Supported

    FL Studio allows adjusting levels and blending individual tracks together via its mixer.

  • Audio restoration
    Partially supported

    GarageBand offers basic audio restoration like noise reduction, and supports advanced tools via plugins.

    Supported

    FL Studio offers built-in tools and supports third-party plugins for audio restoration.

Qualities

  • Value and Pricing Transparency
    No data
    +0.6
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Ease of Use
    +1
    Strongly positive sentiment
    +0.75
    Strongly positive sentiment
  • Reliability and Performance
    No data
    +0.6
    Rather positive sentiment
  • Ease of Implementation
    No data
    +0.33
    Rather positive sentiment

GarageBand and FL Studio Pricing

GarageBand for iOS is a free music creation app.
Plans

User sentiment

Strongly positive
+1

See full Pricing page

All FL Studio editions include lifetime free updates, allowing users to always have the latest version. Users can download and install FL Studio on all their personally owned Windows and Mac computers.
Plans

User sentiment

Rather positive
+0.6

See full Pricing page

GarageBand and FL Studio review insights

590 reviews analysed from and

Users love

  • Easy-to-use interface, praised for its intuitiveness and simplicity
  • Extensive library of virtual instruments and loops, offering diverse creative options
  • Free availability on Apple devices, making it accessible to a wide audience
  • Seamless integration with other Apple products and services
  • Useful for various purposes, including music creation, podcasting, and sound design
  • User-friendly interface.
  • Lifetime free updates.
  • The piano roll is very powerful and easy to use.
  • The step sequencer is a unique and intuitive way to create beats.
  • Extensive third-party plugin support.

Users dislike

  • Limited compatibility with non-Apple platforms and software
  • Limited advanced features compared to professional DAWs
  • Occasional performance issues, such as lagging or freezing
  • Large file size, especially on iOS devices
  • Learning curve for mastering some advanced functionalities
  • The recording process of FL Studio is a little tricky to navigate for beginners.
  • It is not that common in some kind of music genres and this make some problems on professionals collaboration.
  • Stock plug in are not that good and complete at all.
  • It takes a lot of disk space on my HDD and also uses a lot of memory.

GarageBand and FL Studio Ratings

  • G2
    4.3/5
    (267)
  • Glassdoor
    4.1/5
    (43979)
  • G2
    4.6/5
    (95)
  • Capterra
    4.8/5
    (228)
  • Glassdoor
    3.8/5
    (4)

Company health

Employee growth

11% increase in the last year
18% increase in the last year

Web traffic

1% decrease in the last quarter
14% increase in the last quarter

Financing

December 2020 - $1B
October 2019 - $0

How important is lifetime access versus subscription-based updates?

FL Studio offers lifetime access with all future updates included in the initial purchase price, while GarageBand, being free, doesn't have a traditional pricing model for updates. For users concerned about ongoing subscription costs, FL Studio's lifetime access is a significant advantage. However, GarageBand's free availability makes it a compelling option for budget-conscious users, even if future feature updates are not guaranteed. The importance of lifetime access versus ongoing updates depends on the user's budget and their need for the latest features.

Which piano roll interface better suits your workflow, GarageBand or FL Studio?

FL Studio's piano roll is specifically praised for its power and ease of use, suggesting it may be a better fit for workflows centered around MIDI editing and virtual instrument composition. While GarageBand is user-friendly overall, there's no specific mention of its piano roll's strengths.

What are the advantages of GarageBand?

GarageBand's advantages include its free availability on Apple devices, making it highly accessible. Its user-friendly interface is praised for ease of use, particularly beneficial for beginners. Seamless integration with other Apple products and services streamlines workflows for users within the Apple ecosystem. A vast library of built-in instruments and loops offers diverse creative options. Finally, GarageBand caters to a wide range of uses, from music creation and podcasting to sound design and education.

What are the disadvantages of GarageBand?

GarageBand has limited compatibility with non-Apple devices and software, limiting collaboration and file sharing with users on other platforms. It also lacks some advanced features found in professional Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), making it less suitable for complex music production. Users occasionally report performance issues like lagging or freezing, and the software can consume significant storage space, especially on iOS. Finally, while generally user-friendly, some advanced functionalities within GarageBand may still present a learning curve for beginners.

Alternatives to GarageBand and FL Studio

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Logo of Studio One
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Page co-authored by
MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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