Side by side
Filament vs Waves Ultimate
Both stand on audio plugins. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Paid MacWindows
Filament is a focused paid plugin product with AU and VST3 support, macOS and Windows compatibility, and a perpetual license. Its main limitations are the £149 upfront cost and lack of a free plan.
Visit Filament
Free trial MacWindows
Waves Ultimate provides a large, format-flexible plugin collection with StudioVerse and recurring mastering credits. Its subscription pricing and system requirements should be weighed against the included tools and supported hosts.
Visit Waves UltimateThe facts
| Filament | Waves Ultimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | No | A free trial |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Mac, Windows | Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Filament: £149, paid once | Waves Ultimate – Annual Subscription: $249.99 a year |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | formalabsaudio.com | waves.com |
| On audio plugins | #36 of 40 | #32 of 40 |
Filament: what it does well
- Runs on macOS and Windows
- Supports AU and VST3 formats
- Perpetual license model
- Up to three machine activations
What to know first
- No free plan
- Costs £149 one time
- Single-product scope
Waves Ultimate: what it does well
- More than 240 plugins across many effect types
- VST3, AU, and AAX format support
- StudioVerse presets included inside a DAW
- Plugin updates included at no extra cost
- Online Mastering credits with active subscriptions
What to know first
- No free plan after the seven-day trial
- Subscription access ends when the period ends
- Unused mastering credits removed after lapse
- Requires 16 GB RAM and 30 GB free space
Alternatives to Filament Alternatives to Waves Ultimate The whole list