Here is the SYNTH ANATOMY list of the best free Synthesizer plugins for PC & Mac ranging from virtual analog, FM, percussive to modular synthesis concepts!
Free Synthesizer Plugin Highlight 2021: Vital
Vital Synthesizer is like Serum but for everyone. It is one of the best free synthesizer plugins for PC / Mac available today. Wavetable synthesis merged with innovative features and top-notch sound quality equivalent to the big commercial plugins, but affordable for everyone. Better than cracking VST plugins. Furthermore, Vital does not spy on you, nor does it install unsafe software on your system in the background. It’s safe and complex enough to occupy you for months or years.
If you want more ready-to-use sounds, you can do this by buying a bundle and support at the same the developers work.
Vital is a wavetable powerhorse: 3 oscillators, sample slot, two filters with 32 types, 3 envelopes, 4 audio-rate LFOs, and more. A plug-in with which every hobby and professional musician can design varied sounds without spending a lot of money. Thus, it’s a must-have for every musician. The full article about Vital is available here.
Virtual Analog Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
discoDSP | OB-Xd 2.0 | VST, VST3, AU (AAX with license) |
|
Full Bucket Music | Fury-800 | SD | VST, AU |
Togu Audio Line (TAL) | TAL-Noisemaker v4 | SD | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
U-he | Tyrell N6 | SD | VST, AU, AAX |
U-he | Podolski | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
|
Ichiro Toda | Synth1 | VST, AU | |
Futucraft | Kairatune | VST, AU | |
Greenoak | Crystal | VST, AU | |
Matt Tytel | Helm Synthesizer | VST, VST & AU LV2 (Linux) |
|
Archetype Instruments | Lokomotiv | SD | VST, AU |
Steinberg | Model E | VST | |
KV331 Audio | Synthmaster Player Free | VST, AU, AAX | |
Martin Lüders | PG-8X | SD | VST |
Yooz Music | Yooz BL-303 | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | FB-3300 | SD | VST, AU |
Full Bucket Music | FB-3100 | SD | VST, AU |
Full Bucket Music | Stigma | SD | VST, AU |
Full Bucket Music | Mono/Fury | SD | VST, AU |
Full Bucket Music | Kern | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | The Blooo | SD | VST, AU |
Full Bucket Music | FB-3200 | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | Ragnarök | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | SequencAir | VST, AU | |
Tunefish-Synth | Tunefish v4 | VST, VST3, AU | |
Blamsoft | VK-1 | SD | VST |
Mae Audio | MonoChord | VST | |
HY-Plugins | HY-Mono | SD | VST, VST3, AU |
HY-Plugins | HY-Poly Free Version | VST, VST3, AU | |
KX77FREE | SE PolyMod KX | VST, VST3, AU | |
Soundemote | Rhythm & Pitch | VST, AU | |
Soda Devices | Lith | VST, VST3, AU | |
D10Labo | MSyn1mini | VST, AU | |
D10 Labo | ModSynthMono | VST, AU | |
Uhhyou | SyncSawSynth | VST (mac alpha version!) | |
Uhhyou | TrapezoidSynth | VST (mac alpha version!) | |
Sampleson | Push | VST(mac alpha version!) |
FM Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Dexed | Dexed Synthesizer | VST3, AU | |
Digital Systemic Emulations | Syncla-X | VST, VST3, AU | |
Sonicbits | EXAKT Lite | VST, VST3, AU |
Phase Modulation Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Extent of the Jam | Digits | VST, AU |
Wavetable Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Vital Audio | Vital Synthesizer | VST, VST3, AU LV2 (Linux) |
|
U-he | Zebralette | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX |
Morphing Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Klevgränd | SyndtSphere | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | The Qyooo | SD | VST, AU |
Digital Systemic Emulations | K3-V Extended | VST, VST3, AU |
Support the free plugin list & the Synth Anatomy website with a plugin purchase from Plugin Boutique or my other partners. Thanks for the support.
Multi-Engine Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
TheWaveWarden | Odin 2 | VST3, AU VST3, LV2 (Linux) |
|
Vember Audio | Surge | SD | VST3, AU |
8-bit & Retro Synthesizers
Soca Labs | PAPU | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Soca Labs | SN76489 | VST, AU | |
Soca Labs | RP2A03 | VST, AU | |
Soca Labs | Commodore 64 | VST, AU | |
D10Labo | LowBitMonoSyn | VST, AU |
Modular Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Full Bucket Music | ModularAir | VST, AU | |
Native Instruments | Reaktor Player / Block Base | VST, AU, AAX |
String Machine Synthesizers
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Full Bucket Music | The Deputy Mark II | SD | VST, AU |
Full Bucket Music | Nabla | SD | VST, AU |
2getheraudio | Cheeze Machine 2 | SD | VST, AU, AAX |
Sound Effect Synths
Developer | Plugin | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|
Soca Labs | SFX8 | VST, AU | |
Noisemakers | Siren | VST, AU, AAX | |
Synthiv Ivysirena | Antifreeze 2.0 | VST3, AU |
Ok ok, you don’t want to spend money on commercial plugins, all these synthesizers are enough for you. Well, if you buy your next hardware from Thomann, you can support the Synth Anatomy website also! Big thanks in advance
Experimental Synthesizers (West-Coast, Drone…)
Developer | Plugin | Synthesis | SD | Plugin Format (PC/Mac) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Eventide | Pendulate | west-coast | SD | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
Mike Moreno DSP | Lira-8 Organismic Synthesizer | Lyra-8 emulation | VST | |
U-he | Triple Cheese | comb filter | VST, AU, AAX | |
Nusofting | Sinnah | complex waveshaper | SD | VST, AU |
Audiospillage | MiniSpillage | drum synthesis | VST, AU | |
Plogue | Alter/Ego | vocal synthesis | VST, VST3, AU, AAX | |
Nusofting | Noisestar | noise synthesis | VST, AU | |
Madrona Labs | AALTO Solo | west-coast | VST, AU | |
Soca Labs | Voc | vocal synthesis | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | The Scrooo | spectral formant synthesis | VST, AU | |
Full Bucket Music | MPS | musical parameter synthesis | SD | VST, AU |
Wavosaur | RaveGenerator 2 | sample-based synthesis | VST, AU VST (Linux) |
|
SoundDemote | Little Spiral Generator | fractal synthesis | VST, AU | |
Native Instruments | Mikro Prism | modal synthesis | VST, AU, AAX | |
Uhhyou | WaveCymbal | drum synthesis | VST (macOS alpha version!) | |
Uhhyou | FDNCymbal | drum synthesis | VST (macOS alpha version!) | |
Uhhyou | IterativeSinCluster | additive synthesis | VST (macOS alpha version!) | |
Uhhyou | EnvelopedSine | additive synthesis | VST (macOS alpha version!) |
You have to try ArtPyrite,Beatzille (hope I spelled them right)on vstplanet.
Hello Paul
ArtPyrite is only a Windows Synth and doesn’t fit to this list. I consider for this only cross-platform freeware synths. There are hundreds of Windows Synths available but only few for PC & Mac. Beatzille is a unfortunately no longer available for free only via a physical magazine purchase (BEAT Magazine Workzone). Cheers Tom
Good article and some excellent choices. Part of the challenge when starting out is limiting yourself to just a few tools so you don’t get paralyzed by the number of choices. I like that you stuck with synthesizers (not ‘players’ or samplers.)
That said, Synth1 and OBXD would have made my list.
Maybe do a similar article for major effects (best delay, best free reverb etc.) and limit it to two or three good choices….
A similar article on reverbs and delay exist already 😉
http://www.synthanatomy.com/2017/09/dont-miss-these-free-delay-plug-ins-for-pc-mac.html
http://www.synthanatomy.com/2017/07/12-free-reverb-plugins-for-pc-and-mac-you-should-not-miss.html
it would be great to have a update log at the beginning or end of the list to see which VSTs were added in the update.
Right but check always the last ones, these are new added 😉