Here are the best free guitar pedal VST plugins for guitarists who are looking for a wide selection of free guitar pedal effects.
In this roundup of free guitar pedal plugins, I’ve included lists of plugin features, interface screenshots, and YouTube videos for you to see how the different plugins work.
What is a Guitar Pedal VST Plugin? A Guitar Pedal VST plugin is software that simulates the sound and functionality of a physical guitar pedal. These plugins can be used within a digital audio workstation to achieve the same effects that a physical guitar pedal would provide, such as distortion, delay, reverb, and more.
Best Guitar Pedal VST Plugins
- Chow Centaur
- Mercuriall MT-A
- Live Pedalboard
- Mercuriall WS-1
- Guitar Gadgets
- Greed Smasher
- Unified Preamplifier
- Mercuriall TSC
- Valhalla Super Massive
- Fuzzy
- Proteus
- Amped Roots Free
- Dr Phase
- Black Distortion
I have downloaded tons of free VST plugins, and these are some of the best free guitar pedal plugins available online.
Related: Free Guitar VST Plugins
1. Chow Centaur
The Chow Centaur plugin offers a digital simulation of the popular Klon Centaur guitar pedal. This versatile plugin provides two unique modes.
The “Traditional” Mode mirrors traditional circuit modeling techniques, providing a classic, time-tested sound.
The “Neural” Mode uses a sophisticated recurrent neural network to mimic the gain stage from the original Klon circuit.
Features
- Designed as an audio plugin for desktop and iOS
- It can be used as a guitar pedal-style effect
Chow Centaur | Windows / Mac / Linux
2. Mercuriall MT-A
The Mercuriall MT-A is a user-friendly plugin designed for music creators. This free VST/AU/AAX plugin digitally recreates the beloved Boss MT-2 distortion pedal, providing the same powerful, metal-toned distortion for your DAW.
With this plugin, your audio track will have the rich, heavy sound associated with a top-quality distortion pedal right on your computer.
This plugin provides you with many levels of sound customization. This includes High, Low, and Middle adjustments, all with an associated Mid Freq knob to fine-tune the frequency of your sound. It also offers an Input Gain feature to control your signal’s strength.
The Quality switch lets you toggle between 2x and 4x oversampling for ease.
Features
- Boss MT-2 distortion pedal modeling
- Stereo Mode for individual channel processing
- Input Gain for signal strength control
- Quality switch for 2x and 4x oversampling
- EQ section with High, Low, and Middle controls
- Mid-Freq knob for precise tonal adjustment
- The recommended peak of -6 dB for optimal sound quality
- Volume Input adjustment
Mercuriall MT-A | PC / Mac
3. Live Pedalboard
With the Live Pedalboard, you can use up to 3 simultaneous effects of the same type. This brings uniqueness and style to their sounds, making their music stand out. The gadget features six slots for effects, providing ample room for you to experiment with different sound blends.
For easy use and access, the Live Pedalboard offers 3 user banks with 10 presets each. These presets are saved directly onto your hard drive.
Features
- Guitar rig stompbox
- Offers distortion, overdrive, fuzz, delay, compressor, chorus, tremolo, and reverb effects
- Allows up to 3 simultaneous effects of the same type
- Features six slots for effects
- Provides 3 user banks with 10 presets each
- Saved presets are global and stored on your hard drive
Find Out More | PC / Mac
4. Mercuriall WS-1
The Mercuriall WS-1 is a free audio plugin designed for both Mac and Windows. It’s compatible with AU, VST, and AAX plugin formats.
With the Mercuriall WS-1, you can take control of your music in both stereo and mono modes. The stereo mode switch activates separate processing for each channel, making it ideal for stereo tracks.
- Free guitar pedal plugin
- Compatible with Mac OS X and Windows
- Suitable for AU, VST, and AAX plugin formats
- Low CPU usage
- Stereo and mono modes
- Stereo mode switch for separate channel processing
- Depth control for pitch modulation
- Speed control for pitch modulation rate
- Mix control for output signal blend
5. Guitar Gadgets
The Guitar Gadgets by Musical Entropy is a unique plugin that offers a range of unusual yet interesting sound effects for your music projects.
- Delay Attack: A controllable delay effect that reacts to how aggressively you play the guitar strings.
- Super Phazer: A modulated phaser effect.
Learn More | PC / Mac
6. Greed Smasher
The Greed Smasher is a free plugin based directly on the Mesa/Boogie Grid Slammer overdrive guitar pedal. Its modeled circuit mirrors the Mesa/Boogie Grid Slammer Overdrive to recreate its distinctive sound accurately, making this plugin a valuable tool for music creators.
The Greed Smasher also offers a choice between a Low (2x oversampling) and a High (4x oversampling) Quality switch. This feature allows you to tweak the output quality of the audio depending on your needs.
- Modeled on the Mesa/Boogie Grid Slammer overdrive guitar pedal
- Low CPU usage to ensure smooth operation
- Operational in both Stereo and Mono modes
- Low (2x oversampling) and High (4x oversampling) Quality switch
- Pristine audio quality
- Adds depth to your audio tracks
Greed Smasher | PC / Mac
7. Unified Preamplifier
The Unified Preamplifier by Aurora DSP is a guitar preamp pedal designed to enhance the sound of your guitar.
Taking inspiration from its original unit, which 8-string guitar pioneers famously used, this pedal amplifies the sound of your mid-gain amplifiers, giving them a full-bodied tone.
Using this pedal means you can also modify your high-gain setup, turning it into a sonic powerhouse. The Unified Preamplifier can also act as a clean booster or a tone warmer without compromising the transparency of your unique sound.
Despite its versatile functionality, the pedal offers a clean boost with an EQ feature. This plugin is renowned for its sound and tone quality.
- Guitar preamp pedal
- Can boost medium gain amplifiers
- Increases the intensity of high-gain setup
- It can function as a clean booster or a tone warmer
- Retains transparency of original tone
- Features clean boost with EQ
- Available as an AU, AAX, and VST3 plugin
Unified Preamplifier | PC / Mac
8. Mercuriall TSC
The Mercuriall TSC 808 Core is an easily downloadable, free audio plugin modeled after the Ibanez TS-808 guitar pedal. This tool is perfect for those who want to achieve a crisp, clean sound when producing music.
Its model switch feature offers two unique sound settings. “808” offers the default Ibanez TS-808 sound, while the “Mod” option provides a cleaner sound with a slightly stronger bass when the “Drive” is at the lowest setting.
- Modeled after Ibanez TS-808 guitar pedal
- Features Mod Switch for two unique sound settings
- Stereo and Mono Modes
- Quality Switch with two levels
- Compatibility with PC and Mac
- Range of controls including Input Gain, Drive, Tone, Level, and Mod
Mercuriall TSC | PC / Mac
9. Valhalla Super Massive
The Valhalla Super Massive plugin is uniquely designed to produce massive reverbs, harmonic echoes, and space sounds.
The Super Massive plugin has 20 innovative reverb/delay modes.
- Designed for massive reverbs, harmonic echoes, and space sounds
- Offers 20 unique reverb/delay modes
- Equipped with EQ High Cut and EQ Low Cut options
Valhalla Super Massive | OS Windows / Mac
Valhalla Super Massive Preview
10. Fuzzy Guitar Pedal VST
The Fuzzy plugin provides controls for input and output gain, alongside boost gain and tone. It also offers two different fuzz algorithms for superior adaptability.
Fuzzy stands apart with its 8-band graphic equalizer. This feature has an optional automatic gain compensation, which can dramatically alter the overall sound.
- Versatile guitar fuzz distortion plugin
- Can produce a wide range of fuzz-distorted sounds
- Features controls for input and output gain, along with boost gain and tone
- Offers two distinct fuzz algorithms
- 8-band graphic equalizer with optional automatic gain compensation
- Automatic gain compensation drastically changes the overall sound
- Provides an adjustable threshold gate for more sound control options
Fuzzy | OS Windows
11. Proteus
Proteus, developed by GuitarML, is a powerful tool for every music creator looking to enhance their sound.
Proteus offers a user-friendly interface that lets you quickly and effectively create Knob captures.
These captures can document the full range of a Drive/Gain/EQ knob from your amp or pedal. If you’re on the go or need a quick setup, Proteus also allows for snapshot models of a single setting.
- Easy-to-create knob captures
- Creates snapshot models of single settings
- Access to Proteus Capture Utility
- Helpful tutorial videos
- Access to ToneLibrary with pre-made tones
- Available for Windows (VST3, AAX), Mac (AU, VST3, AAX), and Linux (VST3, AAX)
Proteus | PC / Mac / Linux
12. Amped Roots Free
Amped Roots Free offers a hassle-free design that doesn’t require much tweaking, making it perfect for music creators seeking ease and convenience.
It stands out with its ready-to-play configuration and is an ideal choice for those seeking to try out superior amp modeling quality without spending much time on adjustments.
The Amped Roots Free also features a pedalboard equipped with studio-quality effects pedals, giving you all the necessary elements needed to create their unique sound.
- Offers a free amp with the first sim release
- Compatible with both Windows and Mac
- Doesn’t require much tweaking
- Comes with “5034 Fluff” amp included
- Presents sounds for all types of music creators
- Pedalboard with studio-quality effects
Amped Roots Free | PC / Mac
13. Dr Phase
The Dr. Phase VST is an analog-modeled vintage phaser plugin designed to recreate the iconic sound of the MXR® Phase 90™ phaser pedal from the 70s.
- Analog Modeled Phaser
- Modulation Speed controls
- Vintage Mode for a classic sound
- 2-Stage Mode (P45)
- Speed Sync capabilities
- Pre and Post effect-gain controls
- Mix control abilities
- Noise Gate feature
Learn More | Windows / Mac
14. Black Distortion
The Black Distortion plugin is a versatile music production tool designed based on the RAT2 distortion pedal. It competently handles various music genres, including rock, blues, punk, and jazz.
The Black Distortion plugin allows you to perfectly balance the amount of gain you need, ranging from a mild overdrive to a full-blown fuzzy attack. The in-built volume control ensures that you obtain the best output level against your clean tone.
Black Distortion | PC / Mac
Frequently Asked Questions
Do These Plugins Really Sound Like Real Guitar Pedals?
Yes, many modern Guitar Pedal VST plugins are designed to emulate the sounds of real guitar pedals closely. They use complex algorithms and high-quality audio processing to achieve this realistic sound. However, the exact sound quality can depend on the specific plugin and your overall audio equipment.
Why Use Guitar Pedal VST Plugins Instead of Physical Pedals?
Guitar Pedal VST plugins offer several advantages over physical guitar pedals. They are often cheaper (or even free), more portable, and easier to experiment with. They also allow you to easily tweak and save your custom settings, which is only sometimes possible with physical pedals.
What Kind of Effects Can Guitar Pedal VST Plugins Produce?
Guitar Pedal VST plugins can replicate virtually any guitar pedal effect, from distortion, overdrive, and fuzz to chorus, reverb, delay, flanger, and many others. Some plugins are specialized, focusing on a single type of effect, while others offer a range of effects.
I hope you found this selection of free guitar pedal VST plugins helpful for your music projects.
