Two of the best free synths in existence, modern spectral wavetables versus a faithful, free recreation of the Yamaha DX7.
Written and reviewed by Kasper Nods. Updated June 2026. How PlugPick reviews
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synthVital Audio
A spectral-warping wavetable synthesizer with a fluid, modern modulation workflow, drag any control onto any parameter to modulate it. The free tier is the full engine; paid tiers only add wavetables and presets. The go-to free Serum alternative.
At a glance
Genres
synthDigital Suburban
A free, hyper-accurate emulation of the Yamaha DX7, six-operator FM synthesis with 32 algorithms that even loads original DX7 .sysex patches. The standard free route into classic FM tones.
At a glance
Genres
Vital is the free wavetable powerhouse. Its complete engine, three oscillators plus a sampler and real-time spectral warping rival paid instruments costing $200, and reviewers regularly name it the best free synth available. The drag-anything modulation workflow makes it friendly to learn, so it covers everything from clean virtual-analog to evolving digital textures without costing a cent.
Dexed is the free FM specialist, an open-source, closely modelled recreation of the legendary Yamaha DX7 with a full six-operator engine and 144 automatable parameters. It is the standard way to get classic 80s FM sounds, electric pianos, glassy bells and metallic basses, and it loads original DX7 patches. It is light on CPU and runs on almost anything, though FM synthesis makes it less beginner-friendly than Vital.
These are not really rivals so much as two different free toolkits, and most producers should own both. Vital is the do-everything modern synth and the obvious first download for sound design across genres.
Dexed fills the one gap Vital does not, authentic FM. When you want a real DX7 electric piano, FM bass or bell, Dexed is the free tool that nails it. Together they cover an enormous range at zero cost.
Pick Vital if you want one versatile, modern free synth for almost any sound, with an easy modulation workflow.
Pick Dexed if you specifically want authentic FM and classic DX7 sounds, and do not mind a steeper learning curve.
Yes. Vital's free tier ships the full synthesis engine, and Dexed is entirely free and open-source. Vital sells optional paid tiers that only add presets and wavetables.
Vital. Its wavetable engine and drag-to-assign modulation are easier to learn, while Dexed uses FM synthesis, which is powerful but less intuitive to program from scratch.
Not exactly. Dexed specialises in FM, especially DX7-style electric pianos, bells and basses, while Vital is a wavetable synth better suited to modern leads, pads and bass. They complement each other.