These are the best free Mac VST plugins that work on the Apple Mac Operating system. I have included a variety of Mac-native music instruments and audio effects.
I have included free Mac VST plugins such as pianos, samplers, drum machines, synthesizers, sequencers, guitars, keyboards, vinyl effects, audio effects, and more.
Many of these free Mac VST plugins are cross-platform and offer versions explicitly created for the Mac OS. So, if you use a Mac computer for music production, I’ve got you covered.
Best Free Mac VST Plugins
- Graillon 2
- Ample Bass P Lite II
- TyrellN6
- Keyzone Classic
- Autotune Evo
- Tunefish4
- Tonespace
- MAutoPitch
- Ample Guitar M Lite II
- VSCO2 Trumpet
- Sforzando
- Vocal King
- Izotope Vinyl
- Iowa Alto Sax
- The Free Orchestra
- Labs Strings
- Orchestral Strings One
- GVST GSnap
- mvMeter2
- And More
These plugins are the most clicked Mac VST plugins on this website. I’ve tried out hundreds of free VST plugins, and these are among the top free Mac plugins out there.
Tutorial: How to Install VST Plugins
Instructions: Click the buttons below to visit each Mac VST plugin. Look around the websites for the download link or button. Do not install any suspicious software.
Graillon 2
This powerful vocal changer can do it all, from changing the timbre of your voice to generating throaty growls and everything in between.
With its unique pitch-tracking modulation, Graillon 2 can mimic the sound of different types of speakers, making your tracks sound more realistic and alive.
It’s also great for creating choruses and octave sounds, adding depth and richness to your vocals.
Graillon 2 | Mac / PC
Ample Bass P Lite II
Ample Bass P Lite II is a free lite version of the Ample Bass P recorded on a Fender Precision Bass and delivers rich fingering noise and vivid, realistic sound.
With each cycle and rhombic sampling structure, you’ll get separate sample cycles for each note and velocity layer – ensuring better sample utilization.
The Auto Buzz system provides even more realism, while the customized parameters control allows you to control any button or knlob via MIDI CC or Automation.
The Poly Legato function and Slide Smoother make playing even more enjoyable.
With the Open String First function, you can easily transpose the samples to any key without worrying about detuning problems.
Plugin | Mac / PC / AU
TyrellN6
The TyrellN6 plugin is a powerful, yet compact synth that delivers classic analog sound to your DAW.
It features two oscillators, a ring modulator, a noise generator, and twin filters with feedback – all the essentials for creating a wide range of synth sounds.
With the audio source mixer, you get authentic overdrive and filter feedback for added grit and character.
With over 580 software presets included, the TyrellN6 is perfect for anyone looking to add some vintage analog flavor to their tracks.
TyrellN6 | PC / VST / Mac / Linux
Keyzone Classic
The Keyzone Classic electric piano plugin offers a wide range of sounds, from the classic Rhodes Piano to the Yamaha Grand.
With five different electric pianos to choose from, you’re sure to find the perfect sound for your music.
Plugin | Mac / PC
Autotune Evo
Autotune Evo provides two approaches to pitch correction, so you can get your music sounding exactly the way you want it.
With Automatic Mode, Autotune Evo instantly detects the pitch of the input and identifies the closest pitch in a user-specified scale.
This makes it perfect for real-time correction of common pitch problems and live performances.
So whether you’re a musician who wants to make sure your songs are pitch-perfect, or a sound engineer who needs to fix recordings quickly and easily, Autotune Evo is the tool you need.
Plugin | PC & Mac
Tunefish4
Tunefish4 is a very powerful and yet very tiny virtual analog synthesizer. It is developed to fit into about 4 MB of compressed code and still produce an audio quality comparable to commercial synthesizers.
It is available on Windows, as a Linux VST (32 and 64-bit), and on Mac as an Audio Unit or VST. It has an improved UI compared to TF3, which will visualize all modulations.
It uses an additive synthesis-based wavetable generator, and the noise generator can produce any frequency of noise with any bandwidth. A Lowpass, Highpass, and Bandpass filter is available.
The new mod matrix can link two ADSRs and two LFOs to any important knob.
Tunefish4 | PC & Mac
Tonespace
Looking for an easy way to understand the structure of chords and progressions and play them back using your favorite synth?
Tonespace is just what you need. With 39 different chord types, 25 voicings/inversions, and 21 scales, it’s easy to find the sound you’re looking for.
And the 50 different grids provide plenty of options for experimentation.
Tonespace is available as a standalone application or VST/Audio Unit plugin, so it’s easy to use in any situation.
It accepts easy, single-note MIDI input for triggering or viewing chords and can output chords over MIDI.
MAutoPitch
MAutoPitch automatically tunes and corrects the pitch of vocals or other monophonic instruments.
It also includes some innovative features such as formant shifting and stereo expansion.
Plugin | PC & Mac
Ample Guitar M Lite II
The Ample Guitar M Lite II is a sampled acoustic guitar that captures the natural beauty and richness of the instrument.
The Ample Guitar M Lite II provides impeccable sound quality with 866 samples, 16-bit 44.1kHz resolution, and direct-from-disk technology.
Controllable resonance adds realism and richness to the sound, while rich fingering noise creates a more vivid and realistic playing experience.
Plugin | PC & Mac
VSCO2 Trumpet
The VSCO2 Trumpet is a beautifully crafted instrument that produces stunning sounds. It has been meticulously sampled by the talented team at Versilian Studios, led by the renowned Sam Gossner.
This trumpet plugin can produce a wide range of sounds, from a gentle sustain to a vibrant vibrato.
It also has a staccato function that allows you to create sharp, punchy notes. For more subdued passages, there is also a muted trumpet sound.
The VSCO2 Trumpet is a versatile instrument that will inspire you to new levels of creativity.
VSCO2 Plugin | Mac / PC
Sforzando
Sforzando by Plogue is the perfect tool for advanced sample hobbyists looking for a powerful, yet simple-to-use SoundFont sample player.
With sforzando, you can quickly load any SFZ 2.0 file and play it back with complete control over all aspects of sound playback.
Sforzando also makes it easy to share your instruments with others, as the SFZ format is freely available and can be used by anyone.
Sforzando | Mac / PC
Vocal King
The Vocal King is a powerful tool that will help your instruments or vocals stand out in the mix. It acts as a preamp, boosting the signal for a substantial boost.
The easy-to-use interface and fast results make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to give their audio a boost. The CPU efficiency makes it an excellent choice for other audio sources as well.
Vocal King | PC & Mac
Izotope Vinyl
The Izotope Vinyl plugin is the perfect way to add that warm, vintage sound to your music.
Unlike other free plugins that try to replicate the vinyl sound, Izotope Vinyl gives you full control over how much noise, distortion, and other lo-fi effects you want to add.
Download Izotope Vinyl today and start adding some serious flavor to your tracks.
Izotope | Mac / PC
Iowa Alto Sax
The Iowa Alto Sax is a free plugin that can be used with any DAW to create realistic saxophone sounds in your productions.
It features high-quality samples from the University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios. Its controls allow you to adjust the attack, decay, release, and panning to get the perfect sound for your tracks.
Plugin | PC & Mac
The Free Orchestra
The ProjectSAM Free Orchestral plugin is an excellent way to add cinematic orchestral sounds to your music. It includes a wide selection of virtual instruments, such as strings, horns, choirs, brass clusters, and percussive instruments, which offer the modern composer many options.
The orchestral sounds are designed to work with Native Instrument’s Kontakt Player, and they include multiple articulations, expressive plugin controls, and an innovative interface that makes using them a breeze.
Link | Mac | PC
Labs Strings Mac VST
This library features fourteen string instruments, all recorded by some of London’s best players.
With a wide range of microphones used to capture string instruments, you’re sure to find the perfect string sounds for your music projects.
- 14 String Instruments
Labs Strings | Mac / PC
Orchestral Strings One
Orchestral Strings One is the ultimate sampled string library for professional composers and producers. Recorded in the iconic Berliner Hall, home of the world-renowned Berliner Philharmoniker, this full-string orchestra contains 14 violins, ten violas, eight cellos, and six double basses.
With its deep, rich sound and unique character, Orchestral Strings One is an essential tool for any serious musician.
Link | Mac / PC / AU
GVST GSnap
GVST GSnap pitch shifter plugin is easy to use and can be tweaked to create unique sounds.
GVST GSnap | PC & Mac
mvMeter2
The mvMeter2 offers Windows and Mac OS support, emulating an analog VU meter in terms of behavior and appearance.
You’ll be able to track an unlimited number of input channels, making it a crucial tool for those in music mastering and video production.
Some of the main advantages include adjusting the reference level for all meter modes and preset management. The plugin offers an extensive and accurate live-meter display.
mvMeter2 | PC & Mac
808 Bass Module 2 Lite
The 808 Bass Module 2 Lite is perfect for creating fantastic bass lines. With ten presets and easy-to-use controls, you can create any sound you need.
The LFO rate and depth controls let you modulate the sound, while the glide knob gives you that classic 808 feel.
Plugin | PC & Mac
Vital
The Vital plugin offers a range of free synth sounds, plus the ability to modulate your sound using velocity, aftertouch, and MPE control.
Vital is capable of producing truly stunning results. With high-quality oscillators that generate clean, noise-free sounds, your music will always sound its best.
Vital | PC & Mac
Helm
Helm offers 32-voice polyphony and an interactive visual interface that makes it a breeze to create the perfect sound.
Whether you’re a music pro or just getting started, Helm is the perfect tool for those who want to create complex synth tracks.
Helm | PC / Mac / Linux
Voloco
With Voloco, you can hit all the right notes. This versatile pitch shifter plugin is perfect for correcting pitch and tone and applying desired sounds.
It can be used at a multitude of sample rates, making it a viable option for most users. Voloco is available for Windows and Mac, making it easy to use.
It’s available as a free VST3 and AU plugin. You can adjust key, scale, and pitch correction strength as well as apply six presets.
Voloco | PC & Mac
Surrealistic MG-1 Plus Synthesizer
The Surrealistic MG-1 Plus Synthesizer is a one-of-a-kind recreation of the classic Realistic MG-1 from the 1980s.
This unique instrument delivers a fat, analog tone with plenty of character.
The oscillator section provides a wide range of sonic possibilities, including bell tone ring modulation, glide, and auto-repeat note triggering.
With all of these great features, the Surrealistic MG-1 Plus is perfect for any musician who wants to add some classic 80s flavor to their sound.
Surrealistic MG-1 | PC / Mac / AU / AAX
Harvest Mini
The Harvest Mini MIDI loop generating plugin is the perfect tool for creating unlimited melodies, chord progressions, and drum loops. With its ability to create scales and rhythms, you’ll get tons of possibilities for your music.
Harvest Mini generates melodies, chord progressions, and drum beats. It can control your VST instruments and create randomized sequences.
You can also select the number of bars, up to 16, note length, the chance of rest, and save your settings.
Harvest Mini | Mac / PC
Soft Piano
The soft piano was recorded at Air Edel Studios in London and featured a felt strip between the hammers and the strings. This gives the piano a soft, dry sound that is perfect for musicians and composers looking for a realistic and intimate sound.
The sound quality is impeccable, and the team at Spitfire Audio has done an excellent job of capturing the studio’s sound.
Soft Piano | PC & Mac
iZotope Vocal Doubler
iZotope Vocal Doubler is a must-have plugin for anyone looking to enhance their vocals. It uses doubling technology to create a natural doubling effect that adds depth and richness to your vocals.
It also has integrated support for most modern host applications so that you can use it with your favorite music software. The UI is clean and straightforward and uses very few CPU resources, so it won’t slow down your computer.
If you want an easy way to add depth and richness to your vocals, look no further than iZotope Vocal Doubler.
iZotope Vocal Doubler | PC & Mac
Surge XT
Surge XT is a free hybrid synthesizer plugin that offers a wide range of filters, an advanced modulation engine, and a wealth of effects.
With Surge XT, you’ll have access to many different synthesis techniques, giving you the ability to create any sound you can imagine.
With the built-in micro-tuning capabilities, you can create unique sonic signatures that will make your music sound great.
Features
- Hybrid subtractive synthesis method
- Two scenes for layered or split patches
- Quick category-based patch browser
- Runs on various operating systems
- Over 2800 factory patches
Surge XT | PC / Mac / Linux
TAL-NoiseMaker
The TAL-NoiseMaker synth plugin is an improved version of the TAL-Elek7ro with an entirely new synth engine. The synth includes a small section of free reverb, chorus, and bit crusher effects.
TAL-NoiseMaker | PC & Mac
Triple Cheese
Triple Cheese is an amazing plugin that comes with three comb filters, each capable of generating a range of wonderful sounds. There are eight different modes per filter module, so you can get creative with your audio effects.
Features
- 3 comb filters for sound generation
- 8 modes per comb filter module
- Polyphonic, Dubophonic, and monophonic modes
- Adjustable portamento time
- 2 ADSR envelopes with variable stages
- 254 Virtual Instrument Sounds
Pros
- Unique sound generation capabilities
- Versatile with 11 filter modes
- Supports multiple voice modes
- Host-sync-able LFOs for modulation
- Includes 5 built-in effects
Cons
- No traditional oscillators or wavetables
- Complex for beginners
- No analog-modelled filters
Triple Cheese | PC / Mac / Linux
Piano One
The Sound Magic Piano One is a top-of-the-line keyboard plugin that faithfully recreates the sound of a concert grand piano.
It features 32 polyphony, a reverb engine, extra realism, fast load times, and soft pedal samples for an immersive experience.
Piano One | PC & Mac
I hope you find this list of free Mac VST plugins helpful.
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