Best EQ Plugins in 2023 (Free & Paid)

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a serious studio that didn’t have the Oxford EQ by Sonnox in their arsenal. This is one of the cleanest, most precise parametric EQ vst plugins going, yet still has a distinctly satisfying sound. It’s a six-band EQ, including a low and high shelf, paired with four configurable resonant EQ nodes with variable q control.

Despite its somewhat older-looking interface, it’s still highly flexible and forward thinking, and lets you easily blend in the perfect amount of boost and cut. The high and low end are really impressive, with pure, crisp detail, and thick rich highs, which are hard to beat with other EQ plugins. It sounds top-quality no matter what type of sound or instrument you process.

Some of the notable features include the Overshoot function, which applies a small dip, just below the high boosted frequencies to increase the clarity and perceived detail of the boosted sounds. It includes a trim function for dialing back the overall settings, and a useful EQ graph to see which frequencies you are editing (albeit without a spectrum analyzer).

The sound of the EQ is incredibly nice. It feels a lot more ‘solid’ than other digital EQ plugins, and can easily deceive the ears that it’s coming from a high-quality analog unit rather than a VST. That said, it doesn’t have the warmth or saturation of an analog emulation plugin, so it gives you cleaner results.

Its interface encourages thoughtful and restrained EQ processing and doesn’t tempt you to smack as many parametric EQ nodes on as possible and create an ugly sound. This is truly an industry standard, and if you are looking for a high-powered, professional EQ plugin then this is one of the better ones available.

The Weiss EQ1 is one of the pinnacles of digital EQs in hardware. This EQ is a reference point when it comes to mastering hardware, and is found in some of the most prestigious mixing and mastering studios worldwide. Original hardware units of the Weiss EQ1 will set you back around $9000! So it’s a miracle that you can pick this plugin up for around $200.

Softube’s Weiss EQ vst is a 1:1 recreation of the original algorithm used in the hardware. The original parametric EQ is known for its exceptionally precise and transparent processing with super high fidelity, and this plugin captures that magic. If you’ve ever had the joy of listening to one of these EQs in person, then you will instantly be able to recognize the super clean tone and powerful EQ processing.

This plugin gives you seven configurable bands of EQ control, that can be run in any type of EQ mode, from notch, bell, low pass filters, high pass filter, and many more. The interface gives you a detailed spectrum analyzer so you can see exactly how the sound changes as it runs through the processing. The scalable interface lets you enlarge or shrink the plugin to fit on your screen, which is a useful feature if you run it on multiple channels at once and want to sculpt multiple sounds at the same time.

Softube is known to be an expert in capturing and emulating analog devices into the analog realm, and the Weiss EQ vst is a perfect example of why they are so renowned in the analog simulation scene. It’s pristine, and accurate, with a modern interface and all the original features you’d expect from the hardware. It sounds fantastic working as a subtractive or additive EQ.

A sweet feature of this plugin is that it comes with a dark mode, so you don’t have to be blinded by the white interface every time you open it. Besides that, we were really impressed with this EQ’s flexibility and power.

Solid State Logic (SSL) is a British audio company that is known to be one of the leaders in the industry, for several decades. While they came from a background in hardware and mixing desks, they’ve recently transitioned to the digital realm, offering a range of extremely well-made and high-quality sounding plugins.

Their Fusion Violet EQ vst is a recreation of the analog EQs in their SSL 2-band Fusion hardware processors and SSL consoles, and has a close sound to their iconic ‘Air Band´. The hardware units alone cost around $2000 new, so this plugin at 1/10th of the cost can’t be a bad investment. It has a more simple style than most of the EQs on this list, only offering a high and low band, paired with an HPF and in/out trims. It’s limited compared to full parametric EQs, but it has an unbeatable sound that adds a super satisfying bump to the highs and lows.

Sure, the low band only reaches 90Hz, and the highs only go as low as 8kHz, but for some tasks, this is all you need. If you are just looking for something to quickly add some color and analog flavor to your tracks then this is a strong choice. It’s not going to give you full flexible, corrective EQ, but it creates such a satisfying sound that it’s hard not to stick it on every song you make. The FAT mode adds some extra low boost, and the ECO switch uses less CPU power for heavier mix projects.

Despite bringing analog color to your mixes, it doesn’t add too much saturation or crunch, so it still has a smooth and natural sound. It’s not a one-size-fits-all EQ, so don’t pick this if you don’t have a range of EQs in your plugin box already. But if you need anything from a subtle boost to a drastic cut, this will sound amazing.

OK, I know this isn’t strictly an ‘EQ’ plugin, but it’s certainly a master of frequency control and coloration. It’s more of an EQ/saturator, but it still has a huge range of functionality and features, and if you already own a clean/corrective EQ then this is a perfect pairing.

The Soundtoys Decapitator is a frequency-based saturation plugin that gives you all the controls you need to tune the tone of your sound. It doesn’t use traditional Hz-based controls, but it gives you a high and low cut, a dark/bright tone control, and drive and gain staging. This is more useful for broader tone coloring rather than specific frequencies and is definitely more of a creative tool than a corrective one.

The five different EQ modes are based on a bunch of hardware modules, each with a unique feeling and level of grit, and the Punish mode pushes it to the extreme. If you want to heat sounds up and add some more excitement without fiddling with specific frequencies then this is one of the quickest and best-sounding EQ plugins you can pick. I know the EQ purists might turn their noses, but if you want to make killer mixes, sometimes you need some dirt.

The Smooth Operator is an intelligent yet intuitive plugin that helps you achieve the perfect balance of frequencies in your tracks. Even more attractive are the dynamic EQ features, letting it work similarly to a multiband compressor or auto-eq.

Each of the five EQ nodes is parametric, so you can dial in the processing from broad to surgical for any frequency band. The additional Focus slider changes the performance of the algorithm, blending the differences between each EQ node for a smoother, more natural sounding process. Every node also has an intelligent Solo feature, letting you zone in on the specific frequencies and problem areas you need to monitor.

A neat feature is the Side-Chain, which lets you automatically duck the input based on information from external sources. This is more common in compressors than EQs, so it’s a powerful feature and enables a new dimension of coloration and mixing possibilities. Furthermore, it offers two algorithm modes, one high quality, and one optimized for performance. The interface is also resizable and comes with 3 switchable background colors.

The Eventide’s Split EQ is a modern plugin with a unique approach to equalization. The USP of this plugin is its ability to split the EQ processing between transients and sustain (or Tonal as the plugin calls it.) This gives you a new level of control over your frequencies that I haven’t seen in any other EQ plugin. It’s similar to a multiband compressor, although still very different in what it can achieve.

By giving users the ability to split the processing, you have more shaping power over your sounds. You can tweak the punch of a kick to be heavier and fatter, without muddying up the tail. Or you can Enhance the transients of instruments like acoustic guitars and keyboards without blurring or over exaggerating the rest of their frequencies.

Besides this revolutionary split, it has 8 bands of dynamic EQ processing with configurable types, a Mid-Side processing mode for controlling stereo image information and widening sounds with variable stereo placement accross the frequency spectrum. A super accurate built-in spectrum analyzer gives you a clear view of how the frequencies of your mix are performing. Each band also has a useful solo mode to hear its processing in isolation.

This is an incredibly powerful corrective EQ tool that can repair sounds with ease. Despite the relatively lower cost of Eventide Split, it is a highly competitive plugin with a wealth of features and a detailed and high-quality sound.