In this section of our free VST plugins directory, we review the best freeware distortion plugins in VST and AU plugin format for digital audio workstations on PCs and Macs.
No matter what style of music you produce or the type of sound design you focus on, distortion is one of those tools that finds its place in almost every project.
You can use it to warm up sterile digital tracks, give them a more analog vibe, add grit and texture to guitars or vocals, or beef up drums so the snare punches through the mix.
Today’s distortion plugins come in all shapes and sizes—multiband and phase distortion, bitcrushers, hardware preamp emulations, dynamic distortions, and more.
With that in mind, I’ve rounded up the best free plugins to help you produce better-sounding music.
FREE Distortion VST Plugins
Here are the best free distortion plugins in 2024:
- FuzzPlus 3
- BPB Dirty Filter Plus
- Trash Lite
- Krush
- CamelCrusher
- Temper
- SGA1566
- Tube Saturator Vintage
- Saturation Knob
- Greed Smasher
FuzzPlus 3 by Audio Damage
FuzzPlus 3 is a free distortion plugin by Audio Damage. It’s not often that the developer’s name and the plugin name coincide perfectly, but that’s the case here.
The plugin sports a sleek interface with five simple control parameters. You can set the filter’s specific Frequency and Resonance (the amount of frequency boost), Distortion amount, Feedback intensity, and Output Volume.
It’s worth adding that the filter module is modeled on the legendary Korg MS-20 analog synthesizer filter. It screams and distorts, just like the hardware.
FuzzPlus 3 also features a spectrum analyzer that shows the waveform in real time. It is not highly accurate but gives you a general visual representation of how your signal is affected.
All in all, FuzzPlus 3 is a terrific option for quick and easy sonic annihilation. It’s super easy to use, with only five parameters, and can deliver great-sounding distortion in just a few clicks.
I often use it to layer gentle distortion and resonance on virtual analog synths. It also works great to bring out electric guitars in a busy mix.
BPB Dirty Filter Plus
BPB Dirty Filter Plus is a flexible distortion plugin for Windows and macOS.
Plus is an upgraded version of the original BPB Dirty Filter, one of BPB’s most popular freeware releases. It offers four Dirt Modes:
- Mode A (classic tube distortion)
- Mode B (acidic, great for 303 basslines)
- Mode C (lo-fi, dusty effect)
- Mode D (bitcrushed, digital sound)
The plugin also includes separate Slope controls for the filters, allowing for precise adjustments, and a transparent Compressor module for subtle compression.
The Dirt knob controls both distortion intensity and filter resonance, offering a wide range of sound manipulation.
BPB Dirty Filter Plus is available in VST2, VST3, and AU formats, supporting both 32-bit and 64-bit DAWs.
Trash Lite by iZotope
Trash Lite is a free distortion plugin based on iZotope’s legendary commercial plugin, Trash (€109).
The freeware Trash Lite offers a simplified feature set but still provides powerful distortion capabilities with 60 different modes. It includes essential distortion controls like gain, tone, and mix and additional parameters for each distortion mode.
The interface is clean and intuitive, making navigating and customizing the available distortion types easy. The only thing I don’t like is the large Upgrade button, which constantly reminds me that I’m using the freeware version of a paid tool.
Trash Lite also features a randomization tool (which is very handy for quick sound design experiments) and a limiter with auto-gain to prevent distortion from getting too loud.
iZotope’s freeware distortion effect is available in VST, AU, and AAX formats for Windows and macOS, as well as a free iOS app for iPad.
Krush by Tritik
Krush is a flexible bitcrusher plugin that delivers both analog and digital distortion. It offers three simple controls to set the type of distortion – Drive, Crush, and Downsample:
- Drive applies a more traditional clipping-style distortion;
- Crush sets the bitcrushing intensity;
- Downsample controls the signals sample rate.
There is also a Filter section that features low-pass and high-pass options with controls for frequency and resonance.
The second row of parameters offers modulation controls for the distortion and filter settings, a waveform selector, and a modulation rate setting. You can also sync the modulation to the tempo of your session, eliminating some of the guesswork.
Finally, there are dry and wet sliders to set the overall balance. This is great if you want to blend in the dry signal with the distorted version.
CamelCrusher by Camel Audio
CamelCrusher is a legendary free distortion plugin from Camel Audio. Although discontinued, the plugin is still available for download and can be used in modern DAWs.
The plugin combines three different effects into one capable sound coloration and tone-shaping tool.
CamelCrusher includes a distortion module, a filter, and a compressor. All three modules feature simple controls and provide great-sounding results.
I love using CamelCrusher on drums. Apply a tiny bit of tube distortion, a subtle filter cutoff, and some gentle compression in Phat Mode, and a thin-sounding drum loop transforms into a heavy-hitting version of itself.
Another great feature is the Mix knob which lets you apply parallel processing to your signal. This is particularly useful when using higher amounts of distortion, as it lets you dial down the intensity while preserving the distorted texture.
Temper by Creative Intent
Temper may seem confusing at first glance. Based on a phase distortion algorithm, it can do what no other distortion plugin on this list can—much more than traditional clipping.
You can customize the distortion type with three controls – Curve, Drive, and Saturation.
The Drive knob goes from -10 to 10. With the gain set to zero, there is no distortion at all. At any other setting, the plugin applies a different flavor of distortion that is determined by how the Saturation and Curve controls are set.
The Cutoff control sets the frequency of the low-pass filter, and the Resonance controls emphasis. Temper also adds a bit of harmonic excitement.
The spectrum analyzer shows dry and wet signals simultaneously, giving a solid visual representation of what the plugin does to your signal.
You might not find much use for it on guitars or a drum buss, but it can do great things for electronic instruments and styles of music.
SGA1566 by Shattered Glass Audio
SGA1566 is a hardware preamp emulation designed like a two-stage 12AX7 tube preamp. It can add a lot of life and fatten up tracks recorded digitally or through solid-state gear.
The plugin is excellent for use on pretty much any mix element, from vocals to bass. It also works great as a saturation plugin for buses and the master channel.
The control scheme is pretty sophisticated, with knobs for Input and Output gain, as well as a Gain knob that controls the amount of drive to the tube section. One of the coolest features is that the Baxandall EQ section can be placed before or after the distortion, adding versatility.
SGA1566 is notorious for eating up a lot of CPU. To remedy this issue, there is a switch for high or low performance, but the sound has more fidelity at the higher setting. It can also be run in mono or stereo.
Tube Saturator Vintage by Wave Arts
Tube Saturator Vintage is an authentic digital model of a dual 12AX7 triode hardware preamp.
It features a sleek GUI and robust feature set, and while it uses a lot of CPU, it is a fantastic alternative to expensive preamp emulations from companies like Slate and Waves.
As with hardware tube pres, a Drive knob controls the amount of gain, and an Output control sets the level. The EQ section is pre-distortion and allows for control of Bass, Mid, and Treble frequencies.
The EQ section can also be bypassed, turning it into a two-knob overdrive of sorts. The plugin also sports two toggle switches, one to bypass the EQ section and another to turn on “Fat” mode which simulates changing the bias of the first tube stage to increase gain and saturation.
Tube Saturator Vintage adds color to digital tracks or those recorded with digital or solid-state preamps. It can also add analog saturation to any source. You don’t really have to be judicious with it either, as it pretty much makes any track you use it on better.
Saturation Knob by Softube
Distortion plugins don’t get any more straightforward than the Saturation Knob from Softube.
Saturation Knob is an easy-to-use plugin that will work with almost any setup, as it comes in 64 and 32-bit versions in multiple formats.
A single knob controls the amount of saturation, and a 3-way toggle switch lets you control which part of the frequency spectrum of your signal is affected by the saturation – Highs, Neutral (changing all frequencies), and Lows.
Saturation Knob is great for adding an analog vibe to sterile digitally-recorded tracks or when you’re looking for a little warmth and a bit of compression. Throwing it on a vocal can help it sit right in the sweet spot, it can make acoustic guitars cut, and can glue groups of tracks and busses together.
The plugin works best as a subtle saturation tool, as there isn’t much gain on tap, and the Gain control can get a little smeary around 75%. There is no way to control the output volume, so subtle is the name of the game.
Greed Smasher by Mercuriall
Greed Smasher is a guitar distortion plugin that sounds great on various inputs, from synths to vocals and beyond.
Mercuriall plugins are known for making high-quality plugin guitar pedals, and the Greed Smasher takes that a step further as it emulates the Mesa/Boogie Grid Slammer overdrive. Like most 3-knob stompboxes, it features controls for Gain, Tone, and Level.
With the Gain low and the Volume up, it provides a great push when used on the front end of amp sims – just like a real overdrive pedal.
Mesa/Boogie products are known for having loads of gain on tap, but even with the Gain maxed out, Greed Smasher doesn’t lose clarity or focus.
If you need more freeware tools for making music, check out our free VST plugins directory.
