7 Great Multitrack DAWs for iPad and iPhone
Many of the biggest names in music production software have released feature-rich DAWs for iOS.
These work as standalone digital audio workstations, so you can start a song without a laptop. GarageBand is the easiest free starting point, while Cubasis 3 offers a more familiar desktop-style mixer on both iPhone and iPad. Some of the deeper alternatives below are iPad-only; recording external microphones or several inputs still needs a compatible audio interface.
Contents
- 1. GarageBand by Apple (Free)
- 2. Cubasis 3 by Steinberg (Paid)
- 3. FL Studio Mobile by Image-Line (Paid)
- 4. Auria Pro by WaveMachine Labs (Paid)
- 5. MultiTrack DAW by Harmonicdog (Free with Paid Unlock)
- 6. Logic Pro for iPad by Apple (Subscription)
- 7. KORG Gadget 3 (Paid)
- Other Great music making apps for iOS
- Conclusion
1. GarageBand by Apple (Free)
GarageBand turns your iPhone or iPad into a collection of playable instruments and a recorder with up to 32 tracks. Smart keyboards, guitar chord strips and Drummer parts make it useful when you want to sketch a complete arrangement without owning a MIDI keyboard.
Its built-in Sound Library includes free loops, instruments and producer packs. You can record audio, edit MIDI performances, combine takes and export at 24-bit resolution. Compatible Audio Unit Extensions from the App Store add instruments and effects; desktop VST plug-ins will not run here.
The app lacks a full mixing-console view, so Cubasis or Logic is a better fit for detailed channel-strip work. GarageBand itself is free, including its downloadable sound packs. The current mobile release requires iOS or iPadOS 27; this is separate from GarageBand for Mac.
- Up to 32 tracks with Touch Instruments and audio recordings
- Free Sound Library and 24-bit recording/export
- Audio Unit Extensions support; no paid GarageBand unlock
2. Cubasis 3 by Steinberg (Paid)
Cubasis 3 is a portable audio and MIDI DAW for iPhone and iPad. The organized track view and full-screen Mix Console will feel familiar if you already work in a desktop DAW, and group tracks help keep larger sessions manageable.
You get unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, subject to your device’s resources, plus eight insert and eight send effect slots. Built-in instruments, a sampler, automation and real-time time-stretching cover recording and arrangement work without requiring another host.
On iOS, Cubasis hosts compatible AUv3 instruments and effects and connects to class-compliant audio and MIDI hardware. It also supports Audiobus and Inter-App Audio. These are mobile app connections, not support for desktop VST installations.
The full Cubasis 3 app is a paid purchase with optional in-app content. Cubasis LE is a separate, restricted edition; transferring supported Cubasis 2 in-app purchases does not turn a Cubasis 2 licence into a free copy of Cubasis 3. The current iPhone and iPad app requires iOS or iPadOS 17.7 or later.
- Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks within device limits
- Eight insert and eight send effect slots
- AUv3 hosting and export to Cubase; optional content costs extra
3. FL Studio Mobile by Image-Line (Paid)
FL Studio Mobile 5 works on iPhone and iPad as a self-contained recorder, step sequencer and piano-roll editor for building beats and complete arrangements.
Its instruments, sampler, drum sounds and effects give you a practical starting library. You can record vocals or instruments, draw or record automation, and use Pitcher 2 for pitch correction. WAV, MP3, AAC, FLAC and MIDI export make it possible to move audio or note data into another DAW.
The mobile app is a separate paid purchase from FL Studio for desktop. Optional sound packs and FL Cloud access have their own entitlements: the included free Cloud sounds do not require an account, while the full library needs a suitable plan. Buying the iOS app does not also buy the Android edition.
FL Studio Mobile uses its own instruments and effects, so do not buy it expecting to load desktop VST plug-ins. The current iOS edition requires iOS or iPadOS 15 or later.
- Audio recording, piano roll, step sequencing and automation
- Pitcher 2 and included sounds; extra libraries are optional
- Separate mobile and desktop purchases
4. Auria Pro by WaveMachine Labs (Paid)
Auria Pro is an iPad-only choice for musicians who want a detailed recording and mixing environment. Its unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, piano-roll editor and flexible buses suit sessions that need more routing than a simple song sketch.
The PSP ChannelStrip provides EQ, dynamics and gating, while the included MasterStrip, convolution reverb, delay and chorus cover essential mixing jobs. Lyra, FabFilter One and Twin 2 are included instruments; other plug-ins and sound content can require separate purchases.
Auria Pro hosts compatible AUv3 instruments, effects and MIDI processors. The current version adds dedicated MIDI effect slots, and AAF import/export helps move suitable audio sessions between Auria and desktop workstations. A compatible interface is required to record multiple external inputs.
The full Pro app is a paid purchase. An upgrade inside an existing Auria or Auria LE installation is a different purchase route, so choose the full Pro app if you do not own one. The current release requires iPadOS 13 or later and does not run on iPhone.
- Audio and MIDI sequencing with flexible bus routing
- Included PSP processing and AUv3 plug-in hosting
- iPad-only; optional plug-ins are separate purchases
5. MultiTrack DAW by Harmonicdog (Free with Paid Unlock)
Produced by Harmonicdog, MultiTrack DAW is a recording studio for iPhone and iPad. Version 7 now includes all 32 tracks in the free download, so the old eight-track limit and paid track-expansion advice no longer describe the app.
Audio recording, non-destructive region editing, crossfades and pitch shifting are included. Each track, bus and main output can host a chain of up to six AUv3 or Inter-App Audio plug-ins. The MIDI Matrix routes hardware, other apps and AUv3 instruments.
Unlock All Features adds MIDI editing, time stretching and warp editing, and automation. You can subscribe with a trial or make a one-time unlock purchase; the free download is not the full editing entitlement. Earlier track-expansion purchases receive credit under the developer’s upgrade policy.
Export through Files, AirDrop or the share sheet replaces the need for an old iTunes-only workflow. WAV, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AAC and Ogg Vorbis are available, along with stem export. The current app requires iOS or iPadOS 16.6 or later.
- All 32 tracks included without a track-expansion purchase
- AUv3 chains and audio recording in the free app
- MIDI editing, automation and time stretching need an unlock
6. Logic Pro for iPad by Apple (Subscription)
Logic Pro for iPad is a good step up when you need a full mixer, detailed automation and a larger instrument collection. It records audio and MIDI and includes tools such as Quick Sampler, Beat Breaker, Sample Alchemy and Session Players for developing complete songs.
You can add compatible Audio Units from the App Store and connect class-compliant audio interfaces or MIDI controllers. The iPad app runs independently; Logic Remote is a different app that controls Logic on a Mac and does not provide this workstation.
The current iPad release requires iPadOS 26 or later and an iPad with an A12 Bionic chip or later. Some intelligent features have stricter chip requirements, so the minimum iPad specification does not guarantee every feature.
The download is free, but ongoing use requires a subscription after any eligible trial. Apple Creator Studio includes Logic Pro for iPad. A one-time Logic Pro purchase for Mac does not itself provide an iPad subscription, and there is no iPhone version of this workstation.
- Standalone iPad audio/MIDI workstation with a full mixer
- Audio Units hosting and class-compliant hardware support
- Subscription required; iPad-only and feature-specific hardware limits
7. KORG Gadget 3 (Paid)
KORG Gadget 3 suits producers who build songs from synths, drum machines, samples and repeating patterns. Its collection of small instruments, called gadgets, keeps sound design and sequencing together in a touch-friendly workspace on iPhone and iPad.
The paid iOS app includes a core instrument collection, with additional gadgets sold as in-app purchases or unlocked by eligible separate KORG apps. The advertised total collection is larger than the content included in the initial download. Gadget Le is a separate free, restricted edition.
You can play from external MIDI hardware, use Ableton Link and export MIDI or an Ableton Live project. Supported gadget instruments can also run as AUv3 plug-ins inside another iOS host; that does not mean Gadget hosts any third-party AUv3 instrument, and not every gadget supports AUv3 export.
The iOS app is separate from the Mac version and the desktop plug-in collection. KORG specifies iOS 13 or later plus an iPad 6th generation, iPad Air 3, iPad mini 5, iPad Pro 2nd generation, iPhone XS or newer.
- Pattern-based composition with synths, drums and samples
- Selected gadget instruments also work as AUv3 plug-ins
- Extra gadgets and desktop editions are separate purchases
Other Great music making apps for iOS
iMPC Pro 2 by Akai (Paid)
iMPC Pro 2 combines MPC-style pads and sampling with audio tracks and song arrangement. The iPad edition can record a microphone or interface, chop samples and host Audio Unit instruments, making it more useful for full songs than the original iMPC app.
It supports MIDI control and a 64-track mixer, so the old “No MIDI” claim is incorrect. The paid iPad app requires iPadOS 15.6 or later and includes optional in-app purchases. iMPC Pro 2 for iPhone is a separate edition; the original iMPC, iMPC Pro and Pro 2 are different apps.
Figure by Reason Studios (Free)
Figure is a casual beat-making app for iPhone and iPad. Slide across its play pads to create drums, bass and a lead melody, then change the key, scale, swing or loop length. Its simple interface is useful when you want to capture an idea quickly.
Figure is free and requires iOS or iPadOS 11 or later. It has three musical parts and loops of up to eight bars, rather than unlimited audio/MIDI tracks or desktop Reason Rack Extensions. Treat it as a compact groove sketchpad, not a multitrack recording replacement.
KORG iELECTRIBE for iPad (Paid)
KORG iELECTRIBE recreates the ELECTRIBE-R beatbox as a standalone iPad instrument. Choose one of its eight parts, enter hits on the 16-step sequencer, and record knob movements with Motion Sequencing to make a pattern change as it plays.
Damon Albarn used iELECTRIBE while making the Gorillaz album The Fall on an iPad, an early example of this kind of mobile production.
Its eight effect types include delay, reverb, chorus/flanger, grain shifting and decimation. This is a dedicated rhythm synthesizer rather than a general audio-recording DAW. The paid iPad edition requires iPadOS 8 or later; iELECTRIBE for iPhone is a separate app.
Conclusion
DAWs have well and truly gone mobile. GarageBand is a useful free starting point, while Cubasis offers a familiar audio/MIDI workflow on both iPhone and iPad. On iPad, Auria Pro and Logic provide deeper mixing options. Choose the app around the tracks, plug-ins and editing you actually need, and keep a computer DAW available when a project depends on desktop software or hardware that your mobile setup cannot run.
If you also use an Android device, our guide to mobile DAWs for Android covers that separate platform.
