These are the best free Linux VST plugins that work on the Linux Operating system. I have included a variety of Linux-native virtual instruments and audio effects.
I have included free Linux VST plugins such as synthesizers, pianos, samplers, drums, sequencers, virtual keyboards, drum machines, audio effects, and more.
Many of the VST plugins below are cross-platform and offer versions created specifically for the Linux OS. So, if you use a Linux computer for music production, I’ve got you covered.
Best Linux VST Plugins
- Tunefish V4
- Graillon 2
- Helm
- Vital
- Surge XT
- TAL-Vocoder
- Decent Sampler Plugin
- Podolski
- TAL-Sampler
- TyrellN6
- Linux Sampler
- MT Power Drum Kit VST
- TAL-NoiseMaker
- OB-Xd
- Odin 2
- Speedrum Lite
- Zebralette
- Triple Cheese
- PIANO S
- Tonespace
Having downloaded and tested hundreds of free VST plugins, I can say these are some of the top free Linux VST plugins available.
Instructions: Click the links below to visit each Linux VST Plugin. Look around each website for the download link or button. Do not install any suspicious software.
Related: Best Synth VST Plugins
Tunefish V4
Tunefish V4 is a powerful and versatile virtual analog synthesizer that can be used to create any type of music.
Its robust wavetable generator and noise generator can create any sound imaginable, while its lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and notch filter provide ample sound shaping options.
It offers 2 ADSRs and 2 LFOs that can be linked to any critical knob using the modulation matrix, providing even more sound design possibilities.
The supported effects include flanger, chorus, distortion, delay, reverb, EQ, and formant, all of which can be stacked in any permutation of up to 10 effects.
- Synthesis Wavetable Generator
- Noise Generator
- 2 ADSRs
- 2 LFOs
- 10 Effects
Tunefish V4 | PC / AU / Linux
Graillon 2 ( Free Edition )
If you’re looking for a plugin that can make your voice sound completely different, Graillon 2 is worth checking out.
It automatically tracks and modulates your voice in real time, but it also allows you to pitch-shift and correct your vocals on the fly.
The pitch correction module ensures that your vocals always sound on point.
Graillon 2 | Linux / PC & Mac
Helm
This synth features 32-voice polyphony, dual oscillators, and a powerful modulation system that offers live feedback.
You can create some fascinating sounds with its 12 different waveforms and seven filter types. If you’re into live performance or studio work, the step sequencer and arpeggiator make it a great choice.
Features
- 32-voice polyphony capability
- Dual oscillators for rich sounds
- 12 different waveforms are available
- 7 Types of filters
Pros
- Versatile step sequencer included
- Runs on multiple operating systems
- MIDI learn feature for easy control
Cons
- Complex for beginners
- Requires MIDI device for full potential
- Limited to five voices in unison
- Some modules might be complex
- Detailed sound customization can be overwhelming
Helm | Linux / PC / Mac
Vital
Vital has high-quality oscillators and efficient unison, perfect for anyone looking to create professional sounds.
Vital supports microtonal and MPE, making it perfect for advanced users who want to create unique sounds.
It includes key-tracked LFOs, allowing you to create complex modulation. This is one of my favorite synth plugins.
Features
- Oscillators
- Unison Mode
- Keytracked LFOs
- Easy Sound Design
Vital | PC / Mac / Ubuntu Linux
Surge XT
This powerful synth supports many synthesis techniques, giving you a wide range of sounds to work with. You’ll be able to create unique sounds and presets with a wide range of filters, modulation options, and audio effects.
Surge XT is great for creating those unique, one-of-a-kind sounds that will make your music stand out from the rest.
Surge XT | Linux / PC & Mac
TAL-Vocoder
The Tal-Vocoder is an emulation of vintage vocoders from the early 80s.
This vocoder plugin contains consonant algorithms to enhance speech intelligibility and is optimized for voice processing.
Plugin | Linux / PC / Mac
Decent Sampler Plugin
This plugin is great for sampling your music and creating new tracks that sound top-notch.
Plugin | Linux / PC & Mac
Podolski
Create high-quality sounds easily using Podolski, a free, straightforward, CPU-efficient virtual analog synthesizer. Podolski was created in 2005 and is still going strong, with over 520 factory presets.
Podolski features one oscillator with variable symmetry and glide and a multimode filter (lowpass, bandpass, or highpass) with drive and FM.
You can also use the combination arpeggiator / 16-step sequencer with an additional modulation source. Podolski is available in polyphonic (up to 16 voices), mono, legato, and arpeggiator modes.
Podolski | Linux / PC & Mac
TAL-Sampler
The TAL-Sampler is a powerful and unique synthesizer that gives you the ability to create amazing soundscapes with its self-oscillating low pass filter, and wide range of sound presets.
With its easy-to-use interface, you can quickly create the perfect sound for any situation.
TAL-Sampler | Linux / PC & Mac
TyrellN6
The TyrellN6 plugin is a powerful and compact synth that delivers classic analog sound to your DAW. With two oscillators, a ring modulator, noise, and twin filters with feedback, it can create a wide range of synth sounds.
You get authentic overdrive and filter feedback for grit and character with the audio source mixer. There are over 580 program presets to get you started.
TyrellN6 | PC VST / Mac / Linux
Linux Sampler
If you’re looking for a top-quality sampler that’s easy to use, Linux Sampler is a perfect choice.
It offers superb sound quality and is excellent for both beginner and experienced users.
With its superior sound quality and user-friendly design, Linux Sampler is the perfect tool for anyone who wants to create unique sounds.
Plugin | Linux
MT Power Drum Kit
The MT Power Drum Kit is a drum sampler that gives you access to high-quality drum sounds.
The kit includes all the essential drum sounds you need for your next production.
Plugin | PC / Mac / Linux
TAL-NoiseMaker
The TAL-Noisemaker is the perfect tool for any musician looking to add a unique edge to their sound. This virtual analog synthesizer offers many features and possibilities, making it ideal for creating organic pads, lush soundscapes, or pulsing bass lines.
With six voices, detune, and random note generation, you can create intricate layers of sound that will fill any room. The filter drive sets this synth apart from the competition, allowing you to create a wide range of sounds.
- 256 Presets
- ADSR
- 2 LFOs
- Chorus Effects
- Reverb & Delay
- Low CPU Usage
TAL-NoiseMaker | PC / Mac / Linux
OB-Xd Linux VST
The OB-Xd is the perfect synth for anyone looking for an Oberheim OB-X emulation. This synth can emulate the original OB-X and create new and unique sounds.
With its easy-to-use interface, the OB-Xd is perfect for beginners and pros alike. The blendable multimode filter makes it easy to create the ideal sound for your projects.
OB-XD | PC / Mac / Linux
Odin 2
This versatile instrument boasts excellent sound quality, thanks to its 24-voice polyphony and high-quality emulations of analog filters.
Plus, with four onboard FX, you’ll be able to add depth and texture to your sound. The plugin interface is exceptionally straightforward, making it an excellent choice for those new to synthesis.
Odin 2 | PC / Mac / Linux
Speedrum Lite
Speedrum Lite is a powerful plugin that comes with low and high pass filters, voice mode (mono or poly), and the ability to adjust the start and end of your sample.
The user interface is fully resizable, which is perfect for those who like to customize their workflow.
Plugin | PC / macOS / Linux Ubuntu
Zebralette
Zebralette is the perfect synth for those who are just starting out.
With only a single oscillator, it’s user-friendly and perfect for beginners who want to create unique sounds without being overwhelmed by too many options.
The 16-slot wave set also allows for a wide range of sound possibilities, and the built-in effects provide even more options for sound design.
With polyphonic aftertouch support, you can get expressive with your playing.
Zebralette | PC / AU / Linux
Triple Cheese
This powerful ambient VST plugin comes equipped with three comb filters, each capable of generating a range of surprising sounds.
There are eight different modes per filter module so that you can get creative with your audio effects.
The plugin is polyphonic (up to 16 voices), Dubophonic, monophonic (retriggered), or legato mode.
With the VCA and amplitude modulation, you can create some inspiring soundscapes.
The Skinnable UI and 254 factory presets make it easy and fun to explore all the possibilities.
Triple Cheese | PC / Mac / Linux
PIANO S
This plugin features a three-layer rompler module that captures the natural sound and dynamics of the C5 Grand.
With EQ, reverb, and release controls, you can tweak the sound to your liking.
And if you want even more flexibility, there are various piano presets to choose from, or you can create your own.
Plugin | PC / Linux
Tonespace
With Tonespace, you can quickly and easily see the structure of chords and progressions and play them back using your favorite synth.
The 39 different chord types, 25 voicings/inversions, and 21 scales make it easy to find the sound you’re looking for, while the 50 different grids provide plenty of options for experimentation.
The standalone application or VST/Audio Unit plugin makes it easy to use in any situation.
Monique
Monique is a VST synth that is perfect for anyone looking for a powerful and versatile tool for creating music.
With its deep, beautiful tone, various filter routing options, and continuously morphable oscillators, Monique gives you a lot of flexibility when creating music.
The built-in effects and arpeggiator make it perfect for live performances or jamming with friends.
Nils‘ K1v
This powerful plugin emulates the classic Kawai K1 synthesizer from 1988 and offers a wide range of features and presets.
The plugin includes 968 single presets and 384 multi presets, so you’ll have plenty of options to choose from when creating your music.
Nils‘ K1v | PC / Mac / Linux
June-21
If you’re looking for a classic synth sound to help your tracks stand out, look no further than June-21. This powerful emulation of the Roland Juno/MKS-50 gives you all the classic sounds you know and love, plus a ton of new possibilities to explore.
The easy-to-use controls make it a breeze to load and play presets from the Juno 1 or 2, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to recreate those classic synth sounds.
With its vast array of sounds and simple controls, the June-21 is a must-have for any music producer.
June-21 | PC / Linux
LoudMax
Loudmax is a limiter plugin that delivers clean, transparent sound while maximizing your audio’s loudness.
It features a look-ahead detection algorithm to prevent distortion and low CPU usage.
The features make it ideal for situations where loudness is a must without compromising quality.
LoudMax | PC / Mac / Linux
Chow Tape Model
This free VST is perfect for both beginner and experienced producers who want to add some analog-sounding grit and warmth to their tracks.
The Chow Tape Model was initially created for the Music 420 class at Stanford University. It quickly became one of the most popular plugins due to its versatility and easy-to-use interface.
GVST GGrain
This powerful granular synth lets you control the length, density, pitch, and other parameters of your grains, giving you endless possibilities for sound design.
It also features a built-in effects section with delay, reverb, and EQ so that you can fine-tune your sounds.
Argotlunar
With Argotlunar, you can create surreal audio transformations that will take your music to new places.
The granular sound effects you can create with Argotlunar range from subtle textures to dramatic pitch and tempo changes.
The time-related parameters of Argotlunar can also be synced to the host tempo to create granular rhythms and pulses.
Harmonic and melodic effects can be achieved with quantized pitch parameters.
Digits
Digits is a powerful and versatile synth plugin that allows you to quickly and easily create a wide range of sounds. With over 70 presets, it provides everything you need to start making great music immediately.
For more advanced producers, it offers features like phase distortion, importable audio file samples, and bass & lead synthesis.
Digits is perfect for anyone who wants to get into music production.
It’s lightweight and easy to use, so even beginners can start creating great-sounding tracks fast.
Digits | PC / Mac / Linux
Stochas
With its polyrhythmic step sequencer and chord generator, you can add randomness and variation to your step sequencing process, making it more dynamic and organic-sounding.
You can use Stochas with other plugins and hardware synthesizers to create even more complex patterns.
With its ability to add slight timing randomness to notes, you can achieve realistic-sounding sequences that will take your music-making to the next level.
HY-Filter4 free
Hy-Filter4 Free is an excellent choice for musicians looking to enhance their sounds.
Modularity makes it easy to experiment with different sound design possibilities, and its resizeable interface makes it suitable for any studio.
With five types of modulators and two filter engines, this filter VST plugin is a flexible and powerful tool for any musician.
HY-Filter4 free | PC / Mac / Linux
Chow Kick
Chow Kick is a simple music tool that offers a wide range of sonic possibilities, allowing you to shape the sound of your kick drums.
Fine-tune the sound of your kick drums with a highly parameterizable pulse shaper and a resonant filter with several nonlinear modes.
With incoming MIDI notes, the kick drum can easily be matched to the key of your song.
With so many great features, Chow Kick is the perfect tool for any sound designer seeking to create killer kick drum sounds.
Chow Kick | PC / Mac / Linux
Giada
Giada is a powerful music tool perfect for anyone who wants to compose songs with layered loops and take their music production to the next level.
Giada supports custom MIDI lightning messages, so you can control it through your favorite hardware devices or anything that can read MIDI messages.
Exc!te Snare Drum
The Exc!te Snare Drum is the perfect way to add realism and dimension to your music.
This free plugin uses physical modeling to create impeccably accurate sounds, giving you complete control over every aspect of the snare drum.
You can use MIDI notes to trigger the exciter and change parameters like tip hardness and rimshot or add a bell-shaped probability curve for added realism.
The exciter feeds into a waveguide resonator algorithm, letting you fine-tune the drumhead, snares tension and hit position.
With this plugin, you can create any snare sound you can imagine, from gentle taps to thunderous cracks.
Exc!te Snare Drum | PC / Mac / Linux
OS-251
The OS-251 is an advanced polyphonic analog synthesizer emulator with 24 voices of polyphony.
The three oscillators (Sin, Square, Saw), square sub-oscillator, and noise oscillator provide a wide range of sounds to work with.
The lowpass filter with Frequency and Resonance parameters and the highpass filter with Frequency parameters give you complete control over your sound.
The OS-251 also features portamento, an arpeggiator, and a step sequencer.
With all of these powerful features, the OS-251 is a must-have for any producer looking to add some classic analog sounds to their tracks.
OS-251 | PC / Mac / Linux
8-Bit Treats
This is a series of plugins that emulates the classic sounds of retro game consoles, making it easy for you to get that authentic 8-bit sound.
8-Bit Treats was created by Roland Rabien, a programmer passionate about classic video games.
He has painstakingly recreated the sounds of iconic sound chips from consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Game Boy, and the Commodore 64.
These plugins are simple yet effective, and they’re sure to give your tracks that extra something that they’ve been missing.
GVST GTune
The GVST Gtune is the perfect solution for musicians who want a quick and easy way to tune their musical instruments.
The easily readable interface ensures accuracy in tuning, and the frequency display simplifies identifying notes.
GVST GGate
With the GGate, you can set a threshold level, and any incoming signal that falls below that level will be automatically silenced.
This is perfect for when you have “silent” passages in your source material that are plagued by unwanted noise, like amplifier hum or effects-chain artifacts.
GVST Plugin | PC / Mac / Linux
TAL-Reverb-4
This high-quality, modulated plate reverb plugin offers a fast build-up time and an easy-to-use interface, making it a breeze to get the perfect sound.
TAL-Reverb-4 | PC / Mac / Linux
LSP Spektrumanalysator
If you need a spectrum analyzer that can be used on Linux, the LSP Spektrumanalysator is an excellent option.
This plugin can analyze 16 different channels simultaneously without affecting the input signal. That means you can place it anywhere in your mix where you need accurate metering.
LSP Spektrumanalysator | Linux
LSP Spektrumanalysator Preview
LibreArp
If you’re looking for a powerful MIDI effect plugin that can take your chords and turn them into professional-sounding arpeggios, then you need LibreArp.
This user-friendly plugin makes it easy to create arpeggios based on your input chords, with a user-generated pattern that’s comparable to a MIDI pattern in your DAW of choice.
Because LibreArp is compatible with any VST3 host on Windows, Mac, and Linux, you can use it with your favorite music software.
LibreArp | PC / Linux
SAFEEqualiser
The SAFE Equaliser is a perfect choice if you’re looking for an easy-to-use, high-quality mixing VST plugin.
It’s equipped with a semantic equalizer that allows you to load settings by typing in descriptive words to achieve the perfect sound for your music.
SAFEEqualiser | PC / Linux
Chow Phaser
The Chow Phaser is a powerful and versatile audio signal processing tool that music makers can use to create a wide range of sounds and effects.
The plugin contains emulations of guitar distortion and tone-shaping circuits, as well as a number of other valuable effects, such as pitch-shifting, diffusion, and distortion.
With the Chow Phaser, you can easily add various effects to your music, from simple delays and modulation to complex feedback.
Chow Phaser | PC / Linux
GLow
If you want to add some extra resonance and filter out unwanted frequencies, GLow is the perfect plugin for you.
With three simple controls, this plugin makes it easy to get great results.
GLow | PC / Mac / Linux
Flying Phaser
The Flying Phaser is a classic phaser effect that is aliasing-free and glitch-free. It uses no oversampling or downsampling, so it sounds great in any music production situation.
The plugin interface is intuitive and easy to use, and the BPM synchronization ensures that your tracks always sound their best.
Flying Phaser | PC / Mac / Linux
SmartAmp
SmartAmp has you covered! With two channels and EQ controls, it’s easy to get the sound you want, whether you’re looking for a clean guitar tone or a ripping a lead guitar sound.
Plus, you can even load your own tones into the plugin if you’re feeling creative.
SmartAmp | PC / Mac / Linux
Squeezer
With its sidechain capabilities, it’s perfect for more advanced users, while the many different options and features make it ideal for anyone looking to get an excellent sound.
Squeezer | PC / Mac / Linux
SAFECompressor
This plugin is like having a personal sound engineer at your beck and call.
Just type in a description of the sound you’re looking for, and the plugin will adjust its parameters to get you as close to that sound as possible.
Plugin | PC / Mac / Linux
TLS 1295 LEA
The TLS 1295 LEA is a free vintage compressor designed after the classic Teletronix LA-2A unit.
It features a simple and clear interface, making it user-friendly and perfect for both beginners and pros.
This compressor is perfect for adding depth and character to your tracks. You’re sure to get the professional audio you’re looking for with this program.
TLS 1295 LEA | PC / Mac / Linux
fircomp
Fircomp is a high-quality compressor perfect for people who want a clean, punchy sound.
Its simple interface and fast workflow make it easy to use, and its low CPU usage means it won’t burden your computer resources.
fircomp | PC / Mac / Linux
BreadSlicer
BreadSlicer is a powerful glitch VST plugin that can create a wide range of unique sounds.
It slices up the waveform of an audio signal and then reassembles it in a different order, which can create some really cool effects, rhythms, and sounds.
If you’re into creating glitchy music or sound design, then BreadSlicer is worth checking out.
It’s easy to use and produces excellent results.
I hope you find this list of free Linux VST plugins helpful.
