Buying a delay plugin can offer great quality and features, but we’re excited to share that some of the best delays available are actually free. We’ve spent time testing and exploring our top picks, and our team was impressed by the quality many of them provide. So, without further delay, let’s dive into the details of the top free delay VST plugin of 2024.
1. Sixth Sample Deelay
Deelay Overview
- Type: Multi-purpose delay
- Operating System: macOS, Windows
- Format: VST, AAX, AU
This free delay VST plugin isn’t mentioned as often as it deserves, so we’ve placed it at the top of our list. We had a great time exploring its capabilities during our tests.
Deelay offers a robust set of features, including:
- Five delay modes Mono or ping-pong (stereo) options
- Tape saturation or distortion for added flavor
- Tempo synchronization
- Delay time modulation
Its interface is also excellently crafted, making it very user-friendly and straightforward. If you’re in search of a free, easy-to-use, top-performing delay, this one is a standout choice.
2. Airwindows TapeDelay2
TapeDelay2 Overview
- Type: Tape delay Operating
- Systems: macOS, Windows, Linux
- Formats: VST, AU
TapeDelay2 acts like a tape echo machine. It lets you adjust delay time, how much the sound repeats, tape wobble, and how much of the original sound mixes with the delayed one. Unlike digital delays, it doesn’t sync to the tempo of your music.
You can also change how a built-in filter affects the sound. This filter can make the echoes sound different.
TapeDelay2 is part of the Airwindows plugins. It’s free, easy to use, and sounds great.
The design of TapeDelay2 looks like your music software. This is because the creator focuses on making it sound good rather than making fancy graphics.
3. D10Labo RhythmDelayFree
RhythmDelayFree Overview
- Type: Multi-tap/rhythmic delay
- Operating Systems: macOS, Windows
- Formats: VST, AU
If you’re looking for a free plugin to make cool rhythms, RhythmDelayFree is perfect. Its interface might not look super polished, but it’s great for making complex rhythms.
It’s a delay that can create eight echoes, all in time with your music. You can also adjust how much of the original sound mixes with the echoes.
When we tried it out, we had fun making catchy rhythms from just one sound. It’s really easy to use.
We suggest using it for making hypnotic rhythms with synths or guitars, and for adding cool beats to dance music.
4. Full Bucket Music Brigade Delay
Brigade Delay Overview
- Type: BBD delay
- Operating Systems: macOS, Windows
- Formats: VST, AU, CLAP
Brigade Delay is a plugin that imitates old-school analog delay. It makes sounds like those vintage devices that guitarists and producers adore.
If you want a free plugin that sounds like this, Brigade Delay is the one. It really captures that old-school vibe, even in how it looks.
Some folks used to say it couldn’t sync with your music’s tempo, but that’s been fixed in an update. We tried it out and think it’s awesome.
5. Daniel Gergely Spirals
Spirals Overview
- Type: Pitch-shifting delay
- Operating Systems: macOS, Windows
- Formats: VST, AU
Daniel Gergely, who made the cool Emergence plugin, also created Spirals. It’s a free delay plugin that lets you change the pitch, filter the sound, and adjust how it spreads out in space. There’s even a pad you can move around to control the filter.
With Spirals, you can make echoes sound like they’re turning into reverb. Plus, it has knobs for adding movement and making cool, dreamy sounds.
Right now, it’s still in testing, so you can help make it better by giving feedback.
6. Adam Monroe’s Delay
Adam Monroe’s Delay Overview
- Type: Stompbox-style delay
- Operating Systems: macOS, Windows
- Formats: VST, AU, AAX
This free delay VST plugin made a free delay plugin that acts like those old guitar pedals.
It really nails that classic pedal sound. There are lots of knobs to play with, like ones for making the sound move around in your headphones and ones for giving it a rougher edge.
It’s perfect for those old-school echo sounds or for making your guitar sound bigger and fuller with a chorus effect.
7. Glitchmachines Hysteresis
Hysteresis Overview
- Type: Glitch delay
- Operating Systems: macOS, Windows
- Formats: VST, AU
Hysteresis is a popular free delay plugin for making your sounds glitchy and choppy.
You can tweak the filters and how the sound moves to make really cool effects. And it sounds great!
The design is easy to understand, looks nice, and you can make it bigger or smaller.
We tried it on all sorts of sounds, like singing and guitars, and it worked great on drums too.
If you like glitchy echoes and choppy effects, give this one a go in your music.