GarageBand review

GarageBand is the strongest free choice for musicians who already own a Mac. Apple lists it as free on the Mac App Store and describes it as a fully equipped music creation studio, and the feature list backs that up: up to 255 audio tracks, a sound library with instruments and loops, and Drummer, a set of 28 virtual session drummers and three percussionists who follow your direction. Recording is musician friendly, with multi-take regions that keep every pass, Flex Time for fixing notes played out of time, and a Groove Track that pulls other tracks into the same feel. Guitarists and bassists get amp, cabinet and stompbox models, and every track can be finished with visual EQ, compression and reverb. Podcasters can record and edit voice here too, but there is no transcript editing or AI speech cleanup. The other limit is platform: it is only for Mac, and the App Store lists macOS 15.6 or later.

Who it is for

Mac musicians and songwriters

Price

Free on the Mac App Store; no paid plan.

A recording studio on your Mac Only for Mac Free
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Create and mix up to 255 audio tracks
• Drummer with 28 virtual session drummers and three percussionists
• Multi-take recording with loop passes saved in one region
• Flex Time to move notes into place and a Groove Track to tighten rhythm
• Visual EQ, compression, reverb and amp and stompbox models for guitar and bass

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free on the Mac App Store
• Strength: Built-in sound library, loops and synths for songwriting
• Strength: Projects open in Logic Pro if you outgrow it
• Weakness: Only for Mac, with no Windows or Linux version
• Weakness: The App Store lists macOS 15.6 or later as a requirement
• Weakness: Spoken-word tools such as transcription or text-based editing are not part of the app

Key facts

• Price: Free
• Platforms: Mac (separate iPhone and iPad app)
• Audio tracks: Up to 255
• Virtual drummers: 28 drummers and 3 percussionists

Where it ranks

GarageBand is No. 2 in our Best Free Audio Editing Software verdict.