We all know high-end plugins can be expensive. But luckily, there are many great free VST plugins for trap beats out there.

This article outlines the nine best VST plugins for trap music that you can download right now – for free. Our choices include stereo widening imagers, warm and colorful saturators plus samplers and synths – many with impressive high-quality sound libraries.

To download the free plugins, follow the download links below each VST.

Let’s dive in.

1. iZotope Ozone Imager

The Ozone Imager is an essential free VST plugin for trap beats. As the name suggests, this is an imaging tool you use to control your track's stereo width.

To make a professional sounding track, you must control your stereo width. Commonly, your low frequencies are narrow, in mono, while you typically place your higher frequencies wide. And if you put some elements super wide, you get a lively mix covering the entire range of the stereo spectrum.

This level of stereo image control is what this free version of Ozone Imager gives you. Control the width, see your stereo field in the visualizer and use the stereoize effect to a next-level widening effect.

For a free VST plugin, this is top of the line. Get it now.

Download free here.

2. D16 Frontier

Trap music needs to be loud. And that’s where the D16 Frontier comes in.

The design is charming, looking like a perfect screenshot of a real hardware limiter. It feels luxurious – especially for a free VST.

Use the straightforward limiting features to pump up the master volume or apply it on individual tracks needing a boost. D16’s intelligent algorithm adjusts the gain makeup automatically, which makes sure the volume is always right.

And there are times when you want to color your sound further. For example, you might want to add a warm, buzzing flare to your fat 808 basses. That’s not a problem for the D16, which you can literally push to the limit.

Excellent dynamics, fantastic limiting – and intelligent, and great sounding algorithms make this a must-have limiter.

Download free here.

3. Spitfire Audio LABS

If you’re looking for the highest quality of sounds within a synth, Spitfire Audio’s LABS might be what you’re looking for.

This free synth comes packed with sounds – if you want. There are currently 27 free sound packs to accompany this. It’s up to you which ones you choose. We highly recommend them all.

As a free VST for trap beats, this synth especially shines for leads and pads. You might want a fine selection of handbells or maybe a modular piano for your trap lead. And why not spring for an amplified cello quartet as your reverb-drenched pad sound? The choice is yours.

It features real, recorded sounds. So if you want something purely digital, it might not be the VST for you.

But if you want a massive selection of powerful, high-quality sounds for your trap beats – you need to get this plugin now.   

Download free here.

4. Ample Sound Cloudrum

Do you know what a hang is? More commonly known as a handpan, it’s that steel tongue instrument you often see hippies play. And it sounds excellent – especially in trap beats.

Ample Sound released their gem Cloudrum a couple of years ago. It’s a steel tongue drum in your computer, with a realistic sound and a wide range of customizations.

Cloudrum is designed for humanization, meaning each note and velocity cycles the sample individually, which creates a very human-like touch. Adjust the drum's body with the slider and choose your level of ambiance to fit your sound.

The things you can do with this VST are endless. Use as a bell-type sound, thicken it up with complex chords or make a new lead.

This is a fun plugin with a high-quality sound that you can take full advantage of as a trap producer.

Download free here.

5. U-He Tyrell N6

To make trap beats, you need a versatile synth that can tackle any type of sound. The Tyrell N6 from U-He is where it’s at.

Its classic interface features two oscillators and LFO's, filters, envelopes, matrix, a mixer, and all the knobs you'll need to create your unique sound.

And if you’re feeling lazy or want some inspiration, you have over 580 factory presets included at your disposal.

With an analog touch of the 80s, the sound is warm, heavy, and classic. It’s a fantastic free VST for everything ranging from trap leads and basses to keys and pads.

Furthermore, it’s light on the CPU, which secures stability in all your trap beat creations.

Download free here.

6. Softube Saturation Knob

Used by Grammy award winners, the Softube Saturation Knob is one you can’t believe is free. And it’s perfect for trap music.

The design is simple yet delicate. It feels expensive with its photorealistic portrayal of a hardware saturation unit and is very easy to grasp.

It features one large saturation knob and the three straightforward saturation types, "keep high," "neutral," and "keep low."

You use the “keep high” for when you want to keep your high frequencies intact. On this setting, the saturation will only target your lower frequencies. The opposite goes for the “keep low” setting, which saturates your high frequencies.

This plugin sounds excellent on whatever you throw it on. You can use it to fatten up basslines, add shimmer to vocals or give your guitars a severe edge.

Saturation is an integral tool for trap producers.

Download free here.

7. Daichi Laboratory Synth1

Synth1 is a high-octane synth modeled on the classic Clavia Nord Lead 2. There are three words to summarize it: quality, fatness, and edge.

This free VST is unlimited to what you can create. For trap music, it will work well for pretty much every sound you can imagine. It creates excellent leads, pads, plucks, and strings and is very straightforward to use.

The included sound library isn’t that vast though, with just over 120 presets. So to take full advantage of Synth1, you highly encourage you to learn sound synthesis.

If you learn the basics of how you can shape sounds with oscillators, filters, amplifiers, and envelops – Synth1 can create anything you want.

Synth1 is a fantastic free synth that should be part of every trap producer’s plugin library.

 Download free here. 

8. Digital Suburban Dexed

Modeled after Yamaha DX7, the first digital synth of the '80s that went commercial, we have its free VST brother – Dexed.

Dexed is an FM synth with a wide range of controls. Its interface is clean but might look overwhelming to a beginner producer. Since this is an FM synth, you don't deal with oscillators in the same way you would in subtractive synths. Here, the different groups where you shape your sound are called operators.

If you don’t fully understand FM synthesis – don’t worry. The internet has an abundance of free presets to go with it.

The main advantage of this synth is its sound, which is brilliant. With an 80’s flare, it sounds raw and old school, perfect for trap and heavy beats.

Use this free VST for FM plucks, leads and pads. And learn FM synthesis to take full control over this powerful synth.

Download free here.

9. Native Instruments Kontakt 6

If you don’t know what Komplete or Kontakt is – you’re in for a treat.

Kontakt is a sampler that can take advantage of a seemingly endless number of sound libraries, ranging from horror film strings to African bongo drums and Indian sitars.

The free Kontakt player comes with Native Instruments Komplete Start bundle – which is also free. With over 2000 studio-quality sounds and several effects and synthesizers at your disposal, you’ll have enough sounds to last you for a long time.

How is the sound quality? Well, it’s basically perfect. Since all sounds are samples recorded in a professional studio environment, they sound flawless.

And thanks to the Kontakt player, the samples sound human, lively, and feature variations in each note.

If you haven’t gotten the Kontakt player yet – get it now. You won’t regret it.

Download free here.

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So there you have it — nine fantastic free VST plugins for trap beats.

A trap production tip before you go…

Did you know that you can create a professional trap track in Ableton and FL Studio – without ANY extra VST plugins?

Ableton and FL Studio come packed with synths and instruments that often get overlooked. They are very straightforward to learn and can create any trap sound you desire – including professional, fat 808 basses.

Listen to this example:

This track was made using ZERO external VST's.

And you're just a click away from learning how:

Advanced Hard Trap Course

Learn how to create a professional trap track from scratch in Ableton.

Click here to learn now.

The same course is available for FL Studio here.

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Thanks for reading, and see you in the next article.

About the author Pelle Sundin is a Swedish producer and copywriter, active with his chillout project PLMTRZ. He also produces psytrance. When he's not producing music, he surfs, skates, and chugs coffee.