Software · head to head
FL Studio vs Ableton Live
FL Studio
Software
Digital audio workstation sold with free updates to your edition for life
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Ableton Live
Software
Digital audio workstation built around a Session View for arranging ideas live
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: FL Studio fruity Edition has no audio recording at all, so recording a vocal or an instrument requires Producer Edition or higher; Ableton Live live 12 Intro is capped at 16 audio and MIDI tracks, where Standard and Suite are both listed as Unlimited
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which FL Studio and Ableton Live actually diverge.
| Attribute | FL Studio | Ableton Live |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | macOS, Windows |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (one-time), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
FL Studio
- Music production
- Beat makingnot Ableton Live
- Audio recording
- Electronic music
- Sound design
Ableton Live
- Music production
- Live performancenot FL Studio
- Electronic music
- Audio recording
- Sound design
Both are used for music production, audio recording, electronic music, sound design, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
FL Studio
- Fruity Edition has no audio recording at all, so recording a vocal or an instrument requires Producer Edition or higher
- Edison and Newtime, the audio editing tools, are listed from Producer Edition upward and are absent from Fruity
- Bundled effects run from 53 in Fruity to 71 in All Plugins Edition, so the cheapest edition is missing 18 of them
- Bundled instruments run from 23 in Fruity to 39 in All Plugins Edition
- Sold as a paid licence with no free tier, listed from USD 99
Ableton Live
- Live 12 Intro is capped at 16 audio and MIDI tracks, where Standard and Suite are both listed as Unlimited
- Intro includes 8 software instruments and 27 audio effects, against 20 instruments and 58 effects in Suite
- Max for Live is listed as Suite only, so neither Intro at USD 99 nor Standard at USD 349 includes it
- Intro ships 5+ GB of sound content, against 38+ GB in Standard and 71+ GB in Suite
- MIDI Tools are listed as 0 in Intro, against 14 in both Standard and Suite
- Sold as a paid licence per edition, USD 99 for Intro, USD 349 for Standard and USD 749 for Suite, with no free tier
Pricing, plan by plan
FL Studio
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the FL Studio review.
Ableton Live
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Ableton Live review.
Which should you pick?
Questions people ask
- Is FL Studio or Ableton Live better?
- Neither clearly leads. FL Studio starts at On request and Ableton Live at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, FL Studio or Ableton Live?
- FL Studio starts at On request and Ableton Live at On request.
- Does FL Studio or Ableton Live run on more platforms?
- FL Studio runs on Windows, macOS. Ableton Live runs on macOS, Windows.
- What is FL Studio best used for?
- FL Studio is most often used for music production, beat making, audio recording, electronic music. Of those, beat making is not what Ableton Live is typically brought in for.