Best Audio Plugins in 2026
Updated
39 audio plugins ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
39ranked
0free plans on this page
4 Oct 2026last checked
- WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- analysis, creative effects, saturation and distortion, dynamics, equalization, filtering, limiting, pitch, reverb, stereo, time-based effects
- License model
- both
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST2, VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- pitch shifting, formant shifting, reverb, time manipulation, distortion, noise layering, filtering, bitcrushing, volume shaping, panning, stereo-width processing
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 899 one-time
- Plugin formats
- AU, VST, VST3, AAX
- Effect types
- compression, equalization, reverb, delay, modulation, flanger, saturation, distortion, transient shaping, mastering maximization
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST3, AU, AAX Native, AAX DSP
- Effect types
- EQ, dynamic EQ, compression, limiting, gating, expansion, transient shaping, loudness enhancement, reverb, de-essing
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Plugin formats
- VST 2
- Effect types
- delay, chorus, phaser, flanger, reverb, tremolo, vibrato, filter, equalizer, distortion, fuzz, noise gate
- License model
- free
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- noise reduction, reverb suppression, speech restoration, codec artifact removal, voice/reverb/noise separation, parametric EQ
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 99 one-time
- Plugin formats
- VST, AU
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AAX, AU, RTAS
- Effect types
- parametric EQ, shelving EQ, high-pass filtering, low-pass filtering, notch filtering
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AAX Native, AU
- Effect types
- saturation, compression, EQ, bit-crushing, sample-rate reduction, stereo widening, transient shaping
- License model
- perpetual
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, AU, AAX, Max for Live (AMXD)
- Effect types
- MIDI melody generation, harmony, chord sequencing, rhythm generation, bassline and beat creation
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 499 one-time
- Plugin formats
- AAX, VST3, AU, AudioSuite (64-bit)
- Effect types
- reverb, EQ, stereo enhancement, stereo positioning, bass management, metering, analysis, limiting, signal modification
- License model
- both
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Plugin formats
- VST, VST3, AU, AAX
- Effect types
- dynamic EQ, spectral ducking, sidechain processing
- License model
- perpetual
- External sidechain
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Effect types
- delay, reverb, distortion, chorus, octave, tremolo, equalizer, vocoder, panning, filters, spectral effects
- License model
- free
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Plugin formats
- AAX, AU, VST3
- Effect types
- equalizers, compressors, channel strips, limiters, multi-band dynamics, noise reduction, reverb, delay, lo-fi, distortion, dialog processing, spectral processing
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms
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