Best Audio Plugins in 2026
Updated
In short: Airwindows Consolidated is ranked #1 of 39 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Buddi and LUNA. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Buddi. The lowest first paid tier on this page is LUNA at $12.42/mo.
Whether you are shaping a mix, adding effects, or working with audio processing, plugin collections vary in scope and technical fit. Compare effect types and product scope, then check plugin formats, oversampling, and surround support against your setup. External sidechain support may matter for particular signal chains. Free-plan availability, license model, and paid-from pricing help clarify access. Airwindows Consolidated, FabFilter Total Bundle, and iZotope RX appear among the first entries, alongside Waves Ultimate. Consider which processing capabilities you need and how the listed formats and licensing terms align with your audio work.
39 audio plugins ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
39ranked
4free plans on this page
$12.42/molowest paid tier
4 Oct 2026last checked
#1 Airwindows Consolidated Top pick · 7.1 Free plan · Free #2 Buddi Runner-up · 7.1 Free plan · Free
#3 LUNA Also great · 7.1 Free plan · $12.42/mo- Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Plugin formats
- CLAP, VST3, AU, LV2
- Effect types
- ambience, amp simulation, bass, brightness, clipping, console processing, distortion, dithering, dynamics, filtering, lo-fi, noise, reverb, saturation, stereo, tape, tone color, utility
- License model
- free
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Effect types
- wah-wah, sustain, distortion, reverberation, echo, delay, tremolo, vibrato, chorus/flanger
- License model
- free
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 49 one-time
- Plugin formats
- VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- preamps, EQ, channel strips, compressors, limiters, reverb, delay, modulation, tape, saturation, vocal processing, guitar amps
- License model
- both
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$12.42/mofirst paid tier About LUNAVisit site - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Plugin formats
- VST3, Audio Units (AU), AAX
- Effect types
- amplifier and cabinet simulation, distortion, delay, reverb, modulation, filtering, dynamics and EQ
- License model
- both
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 49 one-time
- Plugin formats
- LV2
- Effect types
- equalization; metering; limiting; pitch correction; compression; convolution; phase rotation; speaker rotation; routing; signal generation
- License model
- both
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, Audio Units, CLAP, AAX Native, AudioSuite
- Effect types
- EQ, reverb, compression, multiband dynamics, limiting, de-essing, gate/expander, distortion/saturation, delay, filtering, synthesizer
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 399 one-time
- Plugin formats
- VST2, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit
- Effect types
- modular synthesis, multiband effects, convolution, wavetable filtering, wavetable distortion, all-pass filtering, distortion, graphic EQ, parametric EQ, dynamics
- License model
- both
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 399 one-time
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- equalizer, compressor, limiter, reverb, gate, de-esser
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- compression, limiting, equalization, dynamic EQ, saturation, clipping, metering
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 99 one-time
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AAX, AU
- Effect types
- Noise reduction, hum and buzz removal, click/crackle/thump/plosive removal, declipping
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$149/mofirst paid tier About AcousticaVisit site - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 99 one-time
- Plugin formats
- AU, AAX, AAX Audiosuite, VST3, AU ARA, VST3 ARA
- Effect types
- Noise reduction, de-clicking, de-clipping, de-hum, de-reverb, de-ess, de-plosive, de-rustle, dialogue isolation, spectral repair, EQ, loudness control, music rebalance, breath control, ambience matching
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$99/mofirst paid tier About iZotope RXVisit site - Free trial macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 599 one-time
- Plugin formats
- AAX Native, AAX AudioSuite, VST 2, VST 3, Audio Units (AU)
- Effect types
- saturation, compression, distortion, echo, delay, reverb, pitch shifting, formant shifting, chorus, widening, modulation, filtering, phasing, tremolo, auto-panning, EQ
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- AAX Native, Audiosuite, Audio Units, VST3
- Effect types
- vocal production, analog modeling, mastering, compression, EQ, effects, instruments, saturation, channel strips, noise reduction, surround processing
- License model
- subscription
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$20.83/mofirst paid tier About Waves UltimateVisit site - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit
- Effect types
- delay, reverb, distortion, dynamics, EQ, filters, guitar, modulation, multi-effects, analysis, routing, mixing
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST3, Audio Unit (AU); experimental JUCE export enables additional formats
- Effect types
- Synthesizer and audio effect plugins; specific built-in effect types not verified
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, Audio Units (AU), AAX
- Effect types
- reverb, delay, echo, modulation, chorus, flanger, pitch shifting, frequency shifting
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindowsLinux
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AU, AAX, LV2
- Effect types
- clipping, saturation, loudness processing
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- AU, VST, VST3, AAX Native
- Effect types
- equalization
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 149 one-time
- Plugin formats
- AU, AAX Native, VST 2.4, VST 3
- Effect types
- reverb, adaptive delay, cross-filtering, pitch processing, drones and pads
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST2, VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- bit crusher, resampler, anti-alias filter, image filter, multimode filter, dithering
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 134.99 one-time
- Plugin formats
- VST 2, VST 3, AudioUnit, AAX
- Effect types
- filters, distortion, spectral processing, modulation, delay, reverb, pitch shifting, FM, vocoder, EQ, gating, compression, time manipulation
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 999 one-time
- Plugin formats
- AAX, AU, VST2, VST3
- Effect types
- EQ, dynamics, reverb, delay, modulation, chorus, phaser, flanger, distortion, pitch shifting, channel strip, multi-effects
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- AU, VST3
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - LinuxWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Effect types
- wah-wah, sustain, distortion, reverberation, echo, delay, tremolo, vibrato, chorus/flanger
- License model
- free
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Effect types
- MIDI generation, continuation, interpolation, drum humanization, drum groove generation
- License model
- free
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which audio plugin is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Airwindows Consolidated is ranked #1 of 39 with a score of 7.1. Buddi is second and LUNA third.
How many of these have a free plan?
4 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, LUNA has the lowest first paid tier we found: $12.42/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.
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