I wrote this list in June 2023 and it turned into one of the most visited pages on the site. So instead of deleting it, I’ve refreshed it. Same synths, but with honest notes on how each one held up three years later. Spoiler: a lot changed.
If you just want my current picks, read the best wavetable synths of 2026 instead. This page is the 2023 list plus hindsight.
One housekeeping note. The original version of this post had a spam entry sitting at #1 — some “AI synthesizer” that was never a real product. It got injected into the page at some point and I didn’t catch it. It’s gone now. Sorry about that.
What changed since 2023
- Serum became Serum 2 in March 2025, as a free upgrade for every Serum 1 owner. Three oscillators instead of two, five synthesis engines (including granular and spectral), new FX buses, and a built-in sequencer. I wrote a full Serum 1 vs Serum 2 comparison if you want details.
- UVI Falcon 3 shipped a few months after this list went live, so the Falcon entry below now describes version 3.
- Vital wasn’t on my original list. That was a mistake, so I added it at the end.
The 2023 top ten, revisited
1. Serum by Xfer Records (now Serum 2)
In 2023 I had Serum at #3. In 2026 it’s a clear #1, because Serum 2 fixed almost every complaint people had about the original. You get 3 oscillators, granular and spectral engines on top of wavetable, a multisample engine, flexible FX bus routing, and a clip sequencer built into the synth. And Xfer charged existing owners exactly nothing for it.
It’s still the synth I build most of my packs on. If you want to hear what it sounds like in a finished context, here’s a preset demo from one of mine:
If you’re starting a library, our Serum 2 preset bundles cover most genres in one go, and there’s a free pack with 250+ Serum 2 presets if you’d rather test the synth before spending anything on sounds.
Serum 2 on the Xfer Records site
2. Arturia Pigments
Pigments 3 was on the original list, and Arturia has kept shipping updates ever since — the screenshot above is old, the synth isn’t. It mixes wavetable, granular, sample and virtual analog engines, and its modulation view is still the easiest to read of any synth here. Drag a color onto a knob, done.
The trade-off: it’s heavier on CPU than Serum 2 for similar patches. I use it mostly for evolving textures and pads where the granular engine earns its keep.
3. U-he Diva
Still the best analog emulation in software, full stop. Diva models classic oscillator and filter circuits, and the filters are why people pay for it. Nothing in this list self-oscillates as nicely.
Practical tip that hasn’t changed since 2023: write your parts in “Fast” or “Great” accuracy mode, then switch to “Divine” only when you bounce. Divine mode will happily eat a modern CPU core per voice. Turn multicore on in the settings too.
4. Phase Plant by Kilohearts
Phase Plant is modular synthesis without the cable mess. You stack generators, then chain Kilohearts snap-in effects into three parallel lanes. Sound designers in the bass music world basically adopted it as a second home, and that hasn’t changed.
The catch is the ecosystem: the synth is one price, but the full snap-in collection costs real money. Budget for the bundle if you go this route.
Phase Plant on the Kilohearts site
5. Native Instruments Massive X
Honest update: Massive X is still a deep, great-sounding synth, but development has been slow and the preset ecosystem never caught up to Serum’s. The Performer modulators are genuinely powerful for rhythmic patches. I just reach for it less every year.
If you already own Komplete, use it. I wouldn’t buy it standalone in 2026.
6. Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Omnisphere is less a synth and more a 60+ GB sound library with a synthesis engine bolted on. For film scoring, ambient and pads it’s still unmatched. The hardware integration is a nice bonus if you own one of the supported synths — the plugin mirrors your hardware’s panel.
It’s the wrong first synth though. You’ll browse more than you’ll design.
Omnisphere on the Spectrasonics site
7. UVI Falcon 3
Falcon 3 landed in late 2023 with over 20 oscillator types — wavetable, granular, FM, physical modeling, the lot. It’s the most capable single instrument on this page, and also the one with the steepest learning curve. Treat it like a modular studio, not a preset player.
8. Cherry Audio Voltage Modular
Virtual Eurorack in your DAW. It’s niche, but if you’re modular-curious this is a few hundred dollars cheaper than one real filter module. Cherry Audio runs aggressive sales constantly, so never pay list price.
Voltage Modular on the Cherry Audio site
9. Sylenth1
The original post had a mangled description here, so let’s fix it: Sylenth1 is a veteran virtual analog synth from LennarDigital, famous for warm unison saws and near-zero CPU use. Half the EDM anthems of the 2010s ran on it.
In 2026 it sounds a bit dated for modern bass music, but for trance plucks, supersaws and clean leads it still does the job on a laptop from ten years ago.
Sylenth1 on the LennarDigital site
10. Vital (the one I missed in 2023)
Vital should have been on the original list. It’s a spectral warping wavetable synth by Matt Tytel, the free tier is genuinely full-featured, and the workflow feels familiar if you’ve ever touched Serum. The text-to-wavetable trick alone is worth the download.
How it stacks up against Xfer’s flagship today is a longer conversation — I wrote it up in Serum 2 vs Vital. Short version: Vital wins on price, Serum 2 wins on engines and ecosystem.
We make sounds for it too — the RnB Sound Collection for Vital is a good starting point if you produce anything melodic.
Which one should you actually buy in 2026?
My honest take after three more years of daily use:
- You produce electronic music of any kind: Serum 2. Biggest preset ecosystem, best tutorials, and the 2025 update made it current again for free.
- Your budget is zero: Vital. No contest.
- You want analog warmth: Diva, and accept the CPU bill.
- You score films or make ambient: Omnisphere.
- You love sound design more than finishing tracks: Phase Plant or Falcon. You know who you are.
One thing I’d tell 2023 me: the synth matters less than the sounds you feed it. A stock synth with good presets beats five synths with factory banks. That’s the whole reason Monosounds exists.
FAQ: best synth VST questions
Is Serum 2 really a free upgrade from Serum 1?
Yes. Xfer released Serum 2 in March 2025 as a free update for everyone who owned Serum 1, including people who bought it on a Splice rent-to-own plan years ago. Your Serum 1 presets load in Serum 2 without conversion.
Is Vital as good as Serum 2?
For core wavetable work, it’s close — closer than the price gap suggests. Serum 2 pulls ahead with its granular, spectral and multisample engines, the FX bus routing, and a much larger third-party preset market. If you’re choosing your first synth and money is tight, start with Vital and upgrade later.
Are these 2023 synths still worth buying in 2026?
Most of them, yes. Software synths age slowly because developers ship free updates — Serum 1 buyers from 2014 got Serum 2 for nothing eleven years later. The two I’d skip today are Massive X (unless you own Komplete) and anything you’re only buying because a YouTuber told you to.
What’s the best synth VST for beginners?
Vital if you want free, Serum 2 if you can spend around $189. Both have huge learning communities, and skills transfer between them because the layouts are so similar. Pick one and stay with it for six months instead of collecting plugins.
And if you land on Serum 2, grab the free 250+ Serum 2 presets pack before you buy anything. It’s the fastest way to hear what the synth can do, and it costs you an email address, not money.
I run Monosounds.studio and make the packs myself. Ten-plus years of producing, 97+ releases, 16,000+ downloads. Every Serum 2 preset we ship passes a CPU check on a mid-range laptop and gets used in a real track before release. If it does not survive a mix, it does not go in the pack.
More about Maxim & the studio →
