20 Best Free Mac VST Plugins

Vital offers a spectral warping wavetable engine that reshapes sound in bold and creative ways. It changes waveform harmonics to produce new tones and textures, letting you turn samples or even text into wavetables using built-in conversion and editing tools.

This synth is fully visual, showing how filters, LFOs, and modulations shape your sound in real time. With drag-and-drop modulation, wide stereo effects, and audio-rate control, Vital helps sound designers and producers explore detailed, evolving tones across music styles.

Related: Free Vital Presets

Surge XT offers a powerful hybrid synthesizer engine that combines different types of synthesis for creative sound design. It includes three oscillators per scene, many filter options, and a rich modulation system. With over 2,800 presets and 700 wavetables, it gives producers many sound possibilities.

Surge XT also supports special features like MPE, microtuning, and multiple scene modes for layered or split setups. Its open-source design allows regular updates and community input. With flexible routing and a wide range of effects, it’s useful for crafting both modern and classic synth sounds.

Graillon 2 offers real-time vocal tuning and creative tone shaping for producers and singers. It combines pitch correction, formant shifting, and pitch-shifting to achieve both natural and robotic sounds. Its built-in compressor, gate, chorus, preamp, and bitcrusher give more polish and control.

It includes three pitch engines, letting users choose between classic and updated tones. Optional tools like Pitch-Tracking Modulation, keyboard tuning, and a doubler expand vocal styles. Graillon 2 works across major systems and plugin formats, making it reliable for studio or live use.

TyrellN6 offers a classic analog-style sound in a compact and free software synthesizer. It includes two main oscillators, filters related to u-he’s Diva, and a built-in chorus for added depth. The synth keeps everything on one screen, making sound design smooth and direct.

The 2025 beta update improves performance and adds features like CLAP and MTS-ESP microtuning support. It also introduces a modern preset browser, easier soundset installation, and updated scaling options. TyrellN6 continues to deliver warm tones and flexible controls for creating rich, expressive sounds.

Sforzando is a free SFZ player made by Plogue that focuses on open, flexible sound design. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux as both a plugin and a standalone app. Using the SFZ format, it lets users play or edit sampled instruments without special software or licenses.

Sforzando offers a simple, single-slot interface where sound control happens through the SFZ file itself. It supports SFZ 1.0 and 2.x, converts SF2 and DLS files, and works smoothly in popular DAWs. Its clean design makes it reliable for both live use and studio work.

Surrealistic MG-1 Plus offers a classic analog sound inspired by the famous 1980s Realistic MG-1 synthesizer. It combines two oscillators, a smooth ladder filter, and a distinct polyphonic section to create warm basses, sharp leads, and rich vintage tones—completely free to use.

It includes over 130 presets, tempo-syncable LFOs, MIDI control, and DAW automation for flexible sound shaping. With added features like ring modulation, glide, and expanded octave ranges, the MG-1 Plus delivers an authentic retro vibe with modern reliability and creative range.

mvMeter2 offers precise audio level monitoring with RMS, EBU R128, VU, and PPM meter modes. It recreates the look and feel of analog meters while supporting stereo, mid, and side channels. Users can view single or dual displays and adjust reference levels for accurate readings.

This plugin helps producers and engineers manage loudness across tracks when mixing or mastering. With preset options, gain trimming, and live meter accuracy, mvMeter2 provides clear visual feedback for consistent volume control. It’s available for free on Windows and macOS in multiple plugin formats.

Ample Guitar M Lite II offers realistic acoustic guitar tones built from over 800 detailed samples. It lets you shape your sound with options like resonance control, multiple articulations, and capo settings. The plugin works on both Windows and Mac in VST and AU formats.

Its interface includes tabs for main controls, strumming, effects, and settings, making sound shaping simple and flexible. You can play fingerstyle or strummed parts, adjust stereo width, and fine-tune dynamics for a more natural performance using a MIDI keyboard or on-screen controls.

Vocal Doubler offers a quick and natural way to make your vocals sound wide and full. It uses smart doubling technology to add gentle variation and depth without changing your voice’s tone. The simple controls let you adjust separation, variation, and intensity in seconds.

It works smoothly with most major DAWs and can enhance not only vocals but also instruments and effects. Whether you want subtle warmth or a rich stereo layer, Vocal Doubler helps build a professional, balanced mix with minimal effort.

Ample Bass P Lite offers a realistic Fender Precision Bass sound in a compact, free plugin. It uses detailed sampling and features like Poly Legato, Slide Smoother, and Auto Buzz to deliver natural playing nuances. The plugin captures finger noise and subtle details for authentic bass tones.

The built-in Tab Player supports popular tablature formats, allowing users to load, view, and export bass lines directly as audio. With controls for tone, dynamics, and style, Ample Bass P Lite provides flexible performance options suited for any DAW setup or standalone use.

TAL-NoiseMaker offers a classic analog-style sound in a modern software synth. It includes two main oscillators, a sub-oscillator, and flexible filters for shaping tone. With adjustable envelopes, LFOs, and built-in effects, it can create anything from smooth pads to sharp leads.

The plugin comes with 256 presets that cover many electronic music styles, making it helpful for quick ideas or sound design. Its modulation options, filter drive, and random detune add movement and depth, giving music creators a wide range of creative tools in one free package.

Grand Piano XXL offers rich, realistic piano tones based on detailed sampling of a Yamaha-style grand piano. It delivers expressive dynamics and warmth ideal for Hip Hop, R&B, and Lo-Fi production. Each note captures natural resonance and clarity, giving songs a polished, professional sound.

The plugin includes features like reverb, delay, chorus, tremolo, and a three-band EQ for shaping tone. Simple controls for attack, release, and stereo width help fine-tune the character of the instrument. Compatible with both Windows and macOS, Grand Piano XXL is a powerful free tool for modern music creators.

Triple Cheese offers a fresh take on synthesis by using comb filters instead of traditional oscillators or wavetables. Each of its three layers shapes sound in a different way, creating everything from warm pads to bright plucks with a slightly retro, digital flavor.

It includes built-in effects like chorus, delay, flanger, phaser, and reverb to add depth and motion. With adjustable envelopes, LFOs, and modulation options, music creators can craft expressive sounds that stand out. Triple Cheese is free for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

The Free Orchestra offers a range of cinematic sounds drawn from ProjectSAM’s well-known libraries. It includes strings, brass, choirs, and sound effects recorded in a concert hall, giving users an authentic orchestral feel. The library includes 16 free instruments and 10 multi setups.

This collection is suited for film scoring, trailer music, or adding dramatic layers to any track. Each preset is ready to use with expressive controls such as reverb, EQ, and dynamics. The Free Orchestra runs in Kontakt Player and works on both Windows and macOS systems.

Soft Piano offers a warm, gentle piano tone recorded at Air Edel Studios in London. The felt layer between the hammers and strings creates a soft, intimate sound that works well for emotional tracks, film scoring, or quiet background parts in any project.

This plugin keeps things simple with clear controls for tone, dynamics, and expression. Its single sound layer delivers a natural, realistic feel that blends easily in mixes, making it a reliable choice for music creators who want an authentic and focused piano sound.

Melda MAutoPitch offers automatic pitch correction for vocals and monophonic instruments, helping you keep notes in tune quickly and accurately. It includes controls for depth, speed, and scale so you can fine-tune how natural or robotic the tuning sounds.

The plugin also adds formant shifting and stereo width options for creative vocal shaping. These tools let you adjust voice character or widen the mix space. Available free in the MFreeFXBundle, MAutoPitch is a simple and effective solution for both clean tuning and stylistic effects.

Upright No. 1 offers the warm and familiar sound of a classic upright piano, recorded in stereo for a natural and close feel. It delivers a bright yet gentle tone with three velocity layers and two round robins, helping capture expressive and realistic performances.

Its simple controls let you shape space, tone, and dynamics using reverb, pan, volume, and envelope settings. The full decays of up to 30 seconds give notes room to breathe, making Upright No. 1 a solid choice for creating intimate or lively piano tracks.

TruePianos offers a realistic piano experience designed to respond naturally to your playing. It features five sound modules with many presets that can be shaped to fit different styles. The plugin focuses on smooth real-time play, giving players an immediate and expressive feel.

TruePianos includes high-resolution display support, VST3 compatibility, and improved performance from a new audio engine. It works on both Windows and Mac in multiple formats and provides free updates for one year, making it a reliable choice for both studio and stage use.

Helm offers a free and open-source way to make electronic sounds on your computer. It works on Windows, Mac, and Linux, either on its own or as a plugin in most major formats. With two main oscillators, filters, and effects, Helm gives flexible control over your sound design.

Its clear layout includes a step sequencer, modulation options, and visual tools like an oscilloscope for quick feedback. Since it’s open-source, you can study, modify, and share it as you like. Helm is a reliable choice for exploring synthesis and building original electronic sounds.

Tunefish4 is a compact virtual analog synthesizer made by Brain Control for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It combines additive wavetable synthesis with a range of filters and effects to create diverse sounds. The plugin supports polyphony, modulation options, and flexible noise control for sound design.

It includes adjustable effects like chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, EQ, distortion, and formant for shaping tones. With two LFOs, two ADSRs, and a modulation matrix, creators can craft leads, basses, or ambient textures. Tunefish4 delivers detailed control in a small, efficient package.