01
Surge XT
Surge Synth Team · Hybrid · VST3, AU, CLAP, LV2, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
A former $99 synth, open-sourced and then out-developed by its community. Twelve oscillator types, 2,800 patches.
Free synths with CLAP support
CLAP is the open plugin format from Bitwig and u-he: per-note modulation, better threading, no licensing strings. These free synths ship a CLAP build.
02Dexed
Digital Suburban · FM · VST3, AU, CLAP, LV2, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
The DX7 in your DAW. Loads original sysex patches, so forty years of FM sound design is yours for nothing.
03Zebralette 3
u-he · Spectral · VST3, AU, CLAP, AAX · Windows, macOS, Linux
One oscillator from u-he’s upcoming Zebra 3, and it is absurd: spline drawing, spectral effects, MSEGs and a mod matrix.
04Odin 2
TheWaveWarden · Virtual analog · VST3, AU, CLAP, LV2 · Windows, macOS, Linux
A 24-voice analog-style synth with drawable waveforms and filters modelled on the Moog ladder and Korg 35.
05Cardinal
DISTRHO · Modular · VST3, VST2, AU, CLAP, LV2, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
VCV Rack as a plugin, with 1,382 modules baked in. Free, open source, runs in your DAW or in a browser.
06TyrellN6
u-he · Virtual analog · VST3, AU, CLAP, AAX · Windows, macOS, Linux
A Juno-flavoured dream synth designed by a magazine’s readers and built by u-he, with early Diva filters inside.
07OB-Xf
Surge Synth Team · Virtual analog · VST3, AU, CLAP, LV2, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
The Surge team’s open-source continuation of OB-Xd: Oberheim OB-X flavour, patch-compatible, GPL forever.
08TAL-NoiseMaker
Togu Audio Line · Virtual analog · VST3, VST2, AU, AAX, CLAP · Windows, macOS, Linux
Three oscillators, a self-resonating filter and that Juno chorus. Still the fastest way to a good analog bass.
09Six Sines
BaconPaul · FM · VST3, AU, CLAP, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
Six sine operators that can all modulate each other at audio rate. Strange, deep and MIT-licensed.
10Galdr
Sognevo · Virtual analog · VST3, AU, CLAP, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
2026’s new arrival: a black-metal-styled open-source synth with morphing wavetables and a granular Blizzard layer.
11Vaporizer2
VAST Dynamics · Wavetable · VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, CLAP, LV2, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
A full commercial wavetable workstation, 220 mod destinations and all, handed to the world under GPL in 2023.
12Charlatan
BlauKraut Engineering · Virtual analog · VST3, CLAP · Windows, Linux
Bare-bones subtractive engine with drawable waveforms and three filter models. Windows and Linux, VST3 and CLAP.
13Nabla
Full Bucket Music · Virtual analog · VST3, VST2, AU, CLAP, AAX · Windows, macOS
The 1979 Korg Delta, a paraphonic strings machine, simulated down to its frequency-divider generators.
14Mono/Fury
Full Bucket Music · Virtual analog · VST3, VST2, AU, CLAP, AAX · Windows, macOS
Korg’s Mono/Poly with all four oscillators, the arpeggiator and a zero-delay-feedback filter.
15FB-3300
Full Bucket Music · Virtual analog · VST3, VST2, AU, CLAP, AAX · Windows, macOS
A free simulation of the Korg PS-3300, the 1977 semi-modular polysynth that cost as much as a house.
16ModulAir
Full Bucket Music · Modular · VST2, VST3, AU, CLAP · Windows, macOS
A lightweight polyphonic modular synth: 57 module types, up to 64 voices, CLAP included.
17OctaSine
Joakim Frostegård · FM · VST2, CLAP · Windows, macOS, Linux
A four-operator FM synth written in Rust, with a trick nobody else has: modulation panned across the stereo field.
18Monique Mono-Synth
Surge Synth Team · Virtual analog · VST3, AU, CLAP, Standalone · Windows, macOS, Linux
Thomas Arndt’s monophonic bass and lead synth, now maintained by the Surge Synth Team.
More guides
Best free VST synths · Best free AU synths for Logic and GarageBand · Best free synths for Linux · Best free synth apps for iPad and iPhone · Best open-source synthesizers · Free FM synths · Free wavetable synths · Free virtual analog synths · Free modular synths