1. VST and AudioUnits (AU) are the two native plugin formats for Mac OS X. Although there are other DAW specific formats for plugins, VST and AudioUnits are more common and compatible across various DAWs like Cubase, Logic, etc. There is an abundance of VST and AU plugins for expanding your DAW and building your collection of effects.
  2. Note: It only works on Mac OS, so for all you Windows users out there, this one won’t work for you. Download it for free here. Looking for free Drum VST plugins? Here are the best ones. Tal-Bassline by Tal-Software (Windows, Mac).
  3. For this reason, we picked 17 Best Free EQ VST Plugins, so you can choose your most favorite one and use it for mixing as well as for mastering. You may face several scenarios while mixing and mastering which may include the use of an equalizer, having a transparent display to analyze what you are adding or subtracting with the EQ, multiple EQ.

This post is for the Mac users.
When it comes to Mac OS X, the number of freeware plugins is very low, compared to the Windows world.
The popular “Save as VST” softwares (Synthedit and Synthmaker) are Windows only.
The “upgrade” politic of Apple is a sort of nightmare for developers (and sometimes users!), so many old free plugins don’t work anymore…

Free download Audio Plugin Player Audio Plugin Player for Mac OS X. Audio Plugin Player is a lightweight VST and AU instrument plugin host, that allows you to play these instruments using either your mouse, computer keyboard, or MIDI device (both. Download VST Plugins for MacOS. In this page you can find many instruments, synths with ready presets and variety of effects to make quality music. Many free Mac OS plugins. On Mac OS X there are usually three different locations and folders that can contain VST plug-ins. 1) The plug-ins installed with Cubase and Nuendo These plug-ins are installed inside the package of the application. To find the plug-ins do this: Open the folder “Applications” on your system disk.

I have searched for free MAC plugins over the web and then tested !
– only free synth (not effects), in VST and or AudioUnit (AU) format
– the OS used is Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
– i tested the plugins in Ableton Live 9 / Renoise / some free VST & AudioUnit host softwares (Pedalboard, the JUCE open source plugin host, VSTLord, AULab, Ugly VSTi Interface…)

It’s a selection with free virtual analog synths, organ emulations, epiano emulations, drum synth, bass synth, FM synth, emulation of Oberheim / NordLead / DX 7 synth, chip synth, guitar emulation…

and here a list of 25 free synth plugins for Mac OS X :
/redtron-free-vst.html.

1. Synth1 AU/ VST

The must-have free synth plugin is available for Mac since one or two years, it is in beta state, it still have some minor bugs with the UI, but it’s usable and you can benefit from the incredible amount of presets created for Synth1, including these 😀
=>
https://blog.wavosaur.com/synth1-presets-chris-bank-volume-2/ &
https://blog.wavosaur.com/chris-bank-synth1-reup/
I had some problems for saving preset in Ableton Live.
Synth1 can do an incredible variety of sounds.
The most versatile Synth in this list

2. OBXD AU / VST

OBXD AU Plugins vst free 2015.

The free Oberheim OB-X OB-Xa OB-8 emulation !
work without any problem in my AudioUnit / VST hosts on Mac.

3. Tyrell N6 AU / VST

http://www.u-he.com/cms/tyrelln6
DL here : http://www.amazona.de/amazona-de-freeware-synthesizer-tyrell-n6-v3/

Free Vst Plugins Mac 2020

U-He loves the Mac, don’t hesitate to have a look at the other freeware on the Website, all are working without problems in VST or AudioUnit format. I have also selected Triple Cheeze and Zebralette from the same developer. These plugins are good and full featured.

TyrellN6 plugin comes with a big amount of presets, and a deep variety of sounds. It’s powerful and easy to program. It’s rock solid stable and have a nice UI too!

4. FreeAlpha AU / VST

FreeAlpha AU

This freeware from LinPlug sounds very good, it has punch and is easy to tweak. It can do punchy bass, but also nice pads and clean leads. Despite its simple look, it’s powerful and funky!

5. Crystal AU / VST

The old Crystal Synth is still top, and one of the best synth for complex / evolving PADS, with its multipoint envelopes, and the complete modulation matrix.
One of the best virtual synth, for more than 10 years!

Best Free Mac Vst

There’s actually a free (as in beer) software for Mac OS X that hosts VST plugins compiled for Windows (it uses WINE under the hood). It is the editor software for the V-Machine, a rack unit that can host VST plugins. You can download it from the manufacturer’s website. MIDI input works out of the box, but there is no way to configure the audio output, so you have to use Mac OS’s own “Audio MIDI Setup” application to select the default destination. By using SoundFlower you can effictively integrate VFX and thus the Windows VST plugins into the DAW of your choice. All without a Windows installation and without paying any extra money. Enjoy the free VST plugins out there. I know I will. 😉