These are the best free snare VST plugins to use with your favorite VST-supported programs. I have gathered snare plugins that work with both Windows and Mac.
I’ve gathered snare plugins below with feature lists, screenshots, and videos for demonstration.
What Is A Snare VST Plugin? A snare VST is a virtual instrument that reproduces the sound of a snare drum. These snare plugins can contain audio samples recorded from real snare drums or produce synthesized snare drum sounds.
Best Snare Drum VST Plugins
- Cherry Snare
- SnareBuzz
- Analog Snare
- Black Noh Snare
- ESD
- EXC!TE SNARE DRUM
- Vintage Snare Roll
- Snare
- SDX
- SN4RE Drum
- FlexSnare
- Cleardrum
- Snare Designer ( Kontakt )
- SnareBuzz
- Kick-n-Snare EX
- Snare SoundFonts
These snare plugins offer various features, such as rim shots, microphone position, snare drum rolls, pitch, and more. I’ve downloaded and checked out hundreds of free VST plugins, and these are among the best free snare VSTs available.
Instructions: Click the buttons below to visit each Snare VST plugin. Look around each website for the download link or button. Do not install any suspicious software.
Related: Free Drum VST Plugins
1. Cherry Snare VST
The Cherry Snare plugin is a beautifully crafted acoustic snare drum add-on that will add a touch of class and sophistication to any drummer’s arsenal.
The sound of this snare is unique, with a warm, natural tone that is perfect for various genres.
The snare sounds were recorded using five microphones, two on top, one at the bottom, and a stereo-matched pair for the room sound. The top and bottom microphones were recorded through a vintage drum tube amp.
Features
- 208 Snare Drum Samples
- 24-Bit / 44100 Hz
- 5 Stroke Techniques
- 3 Velocity Layers
- 5 Round-Robin Samples
Cherry Snare | PC & Mac
2. SnareBuzz
Adding that natural snare buzz to your tracks just got easier with SnareBuzz.
This free audio plugin realistically simulates the sympathetic resonances produced by the wires of a snare drum when another sound source is playing near.
It’s the perfect way to add realism and life to your tracks and best of all, it’s easy to use.
This is one of my favorite snare drum plug-ins on this list because of its clean interface.
View Plugin | PC & Mac
3. Analog Snare VST Plugin
The Analog Snare is the perfect tool for any music producer or musician who wants to add some classic analog snare drum samples to their tracks.
The ten original handcrafted samples are perfect for a wide range of music genres, and the true analog sound source gives your tracks that classic warm sound that only analog can provide.
Features
- Handcrafted Samples
- Analog Sound Source
- Lightweight Clean Design
- 100% Royalty Free
Download Plugin | Mac
4. Black Noh Snare VST
The Black Noh Snare is a great snare plugin for creating realistic and dynamic snare sounds in your favorite DAW.
With nine velocity layers and eight random-robin samples, this snare drum can produce a wide range of sounds.
This signature model was played by a drummer and recorded in 2011. It’s straightforward to use. Load the plugin and play MIDI notes.
There are rimshots, which are triggered by velocities of 121 and above.
Black Noh Snare | PC & Mac
5. ESD
ESD is an electronic snare drum that provides a pitch section, envelope section, filter section, and MIDI learn features for creating high-quality snare sounds. With 128 tones and 128 patches, you can create various sounds to suit your specific needs.
The pitch controls allow you to modify the frequency of the drum, while the envelope section controls the attack and decay of the drum.
Features
- 128 Tones
- 128 Patches
- Pitch Section
- Envelope Section
- Filter Section
- MIDI Learn
ESD | PC
6. Exc!te Snare Drum
This snare drum plugin is the perfect way to add realism and dimension to your music.
This free snare 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.
Exc!te Drum | PC / Mac / Linux
7. Vintage Snare Roll
The snare roll plugin gives you access to 15 types of snare loop patterns.
These patterns have been carefully designed to provide you with a wide range of options to choose from, each with a different BPM.
This means you can easily find the perfect tempo for your track, no matter what genre you’re working in.
The plugin also comes with an attack, decay, sustain, and release envelope. So you can shape the sound of your snare roll exactly how you want it.
Features
- 15 snare pattern loops
- Varied BPM for each pattern
- Looping marching snare sound
- ADSR envelope controls
- Amp and reverb unit included
Pros
- Wide variety of tempos
- Perfect for many genres
- Easy tempo matching
- Sound shaping with ADSR
- Free with vintage rolls
Cons
- Limited to 15 patterns
- No one-shot sounds
- Specific to snares only
View Plugin | PC / Mac / AU
8. Snare VST
The Snare plugin is a waveguide drum model that is perfect for those who want to create a unique sound. It is perfect for creating those big, powerful snare sounds that will add punch and power to your music.
With its four ‘snare’ vectors, the Snare plugin can produce a wide range of sounds, from the lightest taps to the heaviest hits. And because it is a low-mass drum, the Snare is exceptionally responsive and easy to play.
Snare | PC
9. SDX
The SDX is a simple snare drum synthesizer that offers a wide range of sound-shaping options. In addition to the two oscillator types, it features pitch controls, tone controls, and decay controls.
The snare part features two filter types (BPF/HPF), tone control, and two envelope types (ADSR/DADSR). MIDI CC support lets you use the SDX with your favorite DAW or other music software, and automation support makes it easy to create complex sonic landscapes.
Features
- Trigger & Keyboard Mode
- 2 Oscillator Types
- 2 Filter Types
- 2 Envelope Types
- MIDI CC Support
- Automation Support
SDX | PC
10. SN4RE Drum ( Demo )
The SN4RE Drum is a powerful electronic snare drum instrument that gives you complete control over your sound. With 34 editable parameters, you can create any sound you need for any style of music.
The high-quality presets give you a great starting point, and the expert editing options let you customize your sound. The plugin is compatible with all major Windows DAWs and is easy to use.
- Simple Editing Options
- Snare Drum Presets
- Customized Controls
- Snare Drum Editing
- Attack Dynamics
- Room Selection
- Convolution Reverb Ambience
SN4RE Drum | PC & Mac
11. FlexSnare
The FlexSnare is a versatile snare drum module. Its ultra-flexible design means it can be used for a wide range of genres and styles. With its vintage look, vocoder, reverb, and echo features, the FlexSnare is perfect for any producer looking to take their music tracks to the next level.
- Vocoder Effects
- Reverb Controls
- Echo Effects
FlexSnare | PC
12. Cleardrum
This powerful little plugin can create analog snares that will add a new dimension to your tracks.
With Cleardrum, you can get the perfect snare sound every time. Just dial in the sound you want and let Cleardrum do the rest.
Cleardrum | PC
13. Snare Designer ( Kontakt )
The Snare Designer is a free Kontakt sound library that gives you access to three legendary acoustic snare drums in your studio. With this sound library, you can produce rock, electronic, jazz, or film scoring with a vast range of percussive sounds.
The Snare Designer includes instruments of the classic Ludwig Acrolite, Mapex Birch, and Pork Pie Little Squealer snare drums, all of which have been programmed for individual microphone tweaking and detailed tone sculpting.
The Ableton Live and Native Instruments Kontakt versions include a control panel to edit the overhead, room, and microphones.
Snare Designer | PC & Mac
14. SnareBuzz
The SnareBuzz audio effect plugin gives your tracks a bit of realism by emulating the sound of wires buzzing when another instrument is playing nearby.
With controls for attack and release, HP and LP filters, room ambiance, and overall gain, you can fine-tune the plugin to get the right sound for your track.
SnareBuzz | PC & Mac
15. Kick-n-Snare EX
Kick-n-Snare EX comes with an extra set of drum sounds and extra controls to edit the kicks and snares separately. This allows you to get the perfect sound for your track, no matter what genre you’re producing.
With the harshness control, you can add even more detail to your snare sound, making it stand out in the mix.
- Snare & Kick Drum Sounds
- Kick Bass Drum
16. Snare SoundFonts
Another excellent option for snare drum sounds is to use a free SoundFont player and load snare drum sound fonts.
Snare SoundFonts
- Musical Artifacts – Musical Artifacts are for musicians who want to find, share, and preserve the sounds they use for music production.
- Ethan Winer – There’s a wide variety of sounds available, from acoustic instruments like piano and guitar to more electronic fare like synths, acoustic drum kits, and drum machines.
- Drumputer – This is a free collection of marching percussion SoundFont files to download.
These free drum VST plugins are all great free alternatives to paid drum plugins like Addictive Drums and Superior Drummer.
There are also more advanced drum VSTs like the Steven Slate Drums, Drum Pro, and MT Power Drum Kit, which can be found in the Best Drum VST Plugins.
I hope you found this list of free snare drum VST plugins helpful.
