Best Software Synthesizers in 2026
Updated
In short: DefleMask is ranked #1 of 34 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Cardinal and Sonic Pi. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Cardinal. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Vital at $5/mo.
Making music with a software synthesizer means choosing an instrument and a way to fit it into your setup. Compare synthesis engine and plugin formats, along with standalone app availability and supported platforms. MPE support and included presets can help distinguish the listed capabilities, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing give you cost details to weigh. DefleMask, Cardinal, and VCV Rack are among the entries, as are Vital and Dexed. Consider the kind of sound-making workflow you have in mind, then compare the engines, formats, and platform support shown for each option.
34 software synthesizers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
10 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DefleMaskWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 2 | CardinalWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 3 | Sonic PiWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 4 | SynthMaster OneWindows · Mac · iPhone | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | VCV RackWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 6 | VitalWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $5/mo | 6.6 | |
| 7 | DexedWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | HelmWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | Surge XTWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 10 | Synth1Windows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | SynthMaster 3Windows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 12 | PlasticSynthWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 13 | ReproWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 14 | Efx FRAGMENTSWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 15 | FalconWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | €20/mo | 5.1 |
| 16 | Kilohearts UltimateWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 17 | MASCHINEWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | $39/mo | 5.1 |
| 18 | TrilianWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 19 | chipspeechWindows · Mac · Linux | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 20 | AaltoWindows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 21 | Abyss 2Windows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 22 | ANA 2Windows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 23 | Battery 4Windows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 24 | DUNE 3Windows · Mac | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
| 25 | Kontakt 8Windows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 4.9 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Synthesis engine | Plugin formats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DefleMask | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 2 | Cardinal | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | modular | AudioUnit, CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3 |
| 3 | Sonic Pi | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 4 | SynthMaster One | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | No | 49 one-time | wavetable | VST, Audio Unit |
| 5 | VCV Rack | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 149 one-time | modular | VST2, VST3, Audio Unit, CLAP |
| 6 | Vital | 6.6 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | 25 one-time | — | vst3, au |
| 7 | Dexed | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | vst3, au, clap, lv2 |
| 8 | Helm | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | LV2, VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
| 9 | Surge XT | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | vst3, au, clap |
| 10 | Synth1 | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | analog_modeling | VSTi 2.4, AU version 2 |
| 11 | SynthMaster 3 | 5.5 | No | — | No | 99 one-time | — | VST2, VST3, AudioUnits, AAX |
| 12 | PlasticSynth | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | granular | — |
| 13 | Repro | 5.2 | No | — | No | — | analog_modeling | vst3, au, aax, clap |
| 14 | Efx FRAGMENTS | 5.1 | No | — | No | 199 one-time | — | vst3, au, aax |
| 15 | Falcon | 5.1 | No | €20/mo | No | 299 one-time | modular | Audio Unit, AAX, VST, VST3 |
| 16 | Kilohearts Ultimate | 5.1 | No | — | No | 199 one-time | modular | VST2, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit |
| 17 | MASCHINE | 5.1 | No | $39/mo | No | 299 one-time | — | vst3, au, aax |
| 18 | Trilian | 5.1 | No | — | No | 499 one-time | — | vst3, au, aax |
| 19 | chipspeech | 5.0 | No | — | No | 75 one-time | — | VST3, Audio Units, CLAP, AAX |
| 20 | Aalto | 4.9 | No | — | No | 99 one-time | modular | VST, AU |
| 21 | Abyss 2 | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | — | AU, VST3, AAX |
| 22 | ANA 2 | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | wavetable | VST, VST3, AU, AAX |
| 23 | Battery 4 | 4.9 | No | — | No | 199 one-time | — | — |
| 24 | DUNE 3 | 4.9 | No | — | No | — | analog_modeling | VST2, VST3, Audio Unit, AAX |
| 25 | Kontakt 8 | 4.9 | No | — | No | 299 one-time | — | vst3, au, aax |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which software synthesizer is ranked first on Freedom251?
DefleMask is ranked #1 of 34 with a score of 6.7. Cardinal is second and Sonic Pi third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Vital has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.