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Carla vs Qsynth: catalog facts
Carla	Qsynth
Free Free to download; the project accepts donations.	Free Free and open source under the GPL version 2 or later.
Windows, macOS, Linux	Linux
Supports many plugin formats plus SF2 and SFZ files Rack and patchbay modes as well as JACK multi-client	Graphical control of FluidSynth Plays MIDI through SoundFont 2 files
Built around JACK, which has a learning curve Rack mode does not support plugins with non-stereo channels	Linux focused Requires FluidSynth to be installed
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.