Side-by-Side
Ableton Live 12 vs FL Studio 21
DAWs
Ableton Live 12
The industry-standard DAW for electronic music production and live performance.
View DetailsDAWs
FL Studio 21
The beat-maker's DAW with lifetime free updates and a best-in-class piano roll.
View DetailsDeveloper — Ableton Live 12
AbletonDeveloper — FL Studio 21
Image-LineCategory — Ableton Live 12
DAWsCategory — FL Studio 21
DAWsPrice — Ableton Live 12
$499Price — FL Studio 21
$299Price Type — Ableton Live 12
One-timePrice Type — FL Studio 21
One-timeRating — Ableton Live 12
★ 4.8(12.4k)
Rating — FL Studio 21
★ 4.7(18.6k)
OS — Ableton Live 12
WindowsmacOS
OS — FL Studio 21
WindowsmacOS
Formats — Ableton Live 12
StandaloneVST3AU
Formats — FL Studio 21
Standalone
Features — Ableton Live 12
- Session View
- Arrangement View
- Max for Live
- MIDI Transformation
- MPE Support
- 70+ Instruments & Effects
Features — FL Studio 21
- Lifetime Free Updates
- Best-in-class Piano Roll
- Pattern-based Workflow
- Performance Mode
Pros — Ableton Live 12
- Best workflow for electronic music
- Excellent live performance features
- Huge Max for Live ecosystem
Pros — FL Studio 21
- Lifetime free updates
- Excellent piano roll
- Huge community
Cons — Ableton Live 12
- Expensive Suite version
- Steep learning curve
Cons — FL Studio 21
- macOS support historically lagged
- Less intuitive linear workflow