10 FREE Guitar Pedal VST Plugins For 2024!

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.

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

Mercuriall WS-1 – Get Details

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

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.