Best Sound Effects Libraries in 2026
Updated
In short: Epic Stock Media is ranked #1 of 33 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of 99Sounds and Soundly. The best-ranked option with a free plan is 99Sounds. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Sound Stock Vault at $0.33/mo.
Sound effects libraries provide audio assets for projects such as video, games, and other media. The entries are ranked, with comparison points covering the breadth of each catalog, available file formats, and how downloads are handled. Check commercial and broadcast use terms, including whether usage is perpetual, before relying on sounds in a release. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help you weigh access and cost. Pro Sound Effects, Soundly, and ZapSplat lead the entries, with Epic Stock Media and Freesound also among the first options. Consider which permissions, formats, and access model fit the way you plan to use the audio.
33 sound effects libraries ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Epic Stock Media Top pick · 7.2 Free plan · $24.92/mo
#2 99Sounds Runner-up · 7.0 Free plan · Free
#3 Soundly Also great · 7.0 Free plan · Free
- Free plan macOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 162,604 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$24.92/mofirst paid tier About Epic Stock MediaVisit site - Free plan macOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 250,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 160,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms£1.88/mofirst paid tier About ZapSplatVisit site - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 33,066 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free plan Web
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - macOSWebWindows
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 1,200,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 500,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Free trial macOSWebWindows
- Download model
- credit-based
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 675,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$41.67/mofirst paid tier About Sound IdeasVisit site - WebWindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- No
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- No
- Catalog size
- 210,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- per-asset
- Catalog size
- 736,091 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 15 /mo
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 11,230 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Paid from
- 3.99 /mo
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- No
- Catalog size
- 5,025,700 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms$0.33/mofirst paid tier About Sound Stock VaultVisit site - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 44,939 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 14,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Catalog size
- 200,000 sounds
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- unlimited
- Commercial use
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms -
- Free plan
- Yes
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- Yes
- Download model
- per-asset
RecognisedDocumentedFree planPlatforms - Web
- Free plan
- No
- Download model
- per-asset
- Commercial use
- Yes
- Perpetual usage
- Yes
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 sound effects librarie is ranked first on Everything Xiaomi?
Epic Stock Media is ranked #1 of 33 with a score of 7.2. 99Sounds is second and Soundly third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Sound Stock Vault has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.33/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.