Distortion plugins compared
Answer in brief
Studio 56 and eight ready-made distortions, from two free tools to multiband engines, each with its price and systems from the maker’s page.
Studio 56 publishes this site and names itself first, so treat that pick as ours. It is not a measured ranking of every distortion plugin.
Every entry side by side
| Name | What it is | Price | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio 56 | Builds one to your description | Free trial, then Pro | Mac, Windows |
| FabFilter Saturn 2 | Multiband distortion with 28 styles | Paid, 30-day trial | Mac, Windows |
| iZotope Trash | Distortion with convolution | $99, trial available | Mac, Windows |
| Soundtoys Decapitator | Hardware-modeled drive | $199, 30-day trial | Mac, Windows |
| Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe | Crushing compressor-distortion for drums | $99, 30-day trial | Mac, Windows |
| Output Thermal | Multi-stage distortion | Paid, or in an Output One plan | Mac, Windows |
| Unfiltered Audio Dent 2 | Waveshaping and bitcrushing | Paid, 14-day trial | Mac, Windows |
| Kilohearts Distortion | Simple distortion with five shapes | Free with an account | Mac, Windows |
| Klanghelm IVGI | Freeware saturation that reaches heavy drive | Free | Mac, Windows |
What each one does
-
Studio 56
Tell Studio 56 how rough a sound should get, from a light crunch to a torn fuzz, and it builds that distortion as an effect with knobs and presets made for it. Studio 56 publishes this site, so this is our editorial choice, not an independent review.
Free trial, then Pro · Mac, Windows
-
FabFilter Saturn 2
FabFilter lists 28 distortion styles running from subtle tube saturation to heavy guitar amps and bit crushing, across up to six bands that each get their own drive.
Paid, 30-day trial · Mac, Windows
-
iZotope Trash
iZotope describes more than 60 distortion types blended on an XY pad, a Convolve module with over 600 impulse responses, a three-band split and an envelope follower.
$99, trial available · Mac, Windows
-
Soundtoys Decapitator
Soundtoys built five models of studio hardware into it and added a Punish button for an extra chunk of gain, saying the result is not fizzy stomp-box distortion.
$199, 30-day trial · Mac, Windows
-
Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe
Soundtoys calls it an audio level destroyer based on the 1960s Shure Level-Loc, with a Darkness control for harsh highs, fast or slow release and a mix knob.
$99, 30-day trial · Mac, Windows
-
Output Thermal
Output describes a multi-stage distortion engine with more than 15 distortion types, a band split with crossover filters, a circular XY control and over 250 presets.
Paid, or in an Output One plan · Mac, Windows
-
Unfiltered Audio Dent 2
Sold through Plugin Alliance, it runs a sample reduction stage and then up to three of ten clippers in a row, wavefolders among them, with eight modulators and a mix control.
Paid, 14-day trial · Mac, Windows
-
Kilohearts Distortion
Kilohearts offers overdrive, saturate, foldback, sine and hard clip, a Bias knob against a hollow sound and a Dynamics knob that keeps the input’s rise and fall.
Free with an account · Mac, Windows
-
Klanghelm IVGI
Klanghelm bases it on the desk mode of its paid SDRR and adds an asymmetry mix plus a Response control that changes how the drive depends on frequency.
Free · Mac, Windows
How entries were picked
Apart from Studio 56, which publishes this site, every entry is a well-known name among distortion plugins that its maker describes on an official page we could check. Each description says only what that page says. The order is not a ranking, and being listed does not mean a maker knows about or endorses this site.
Prices and systems change. Check the official page before you buy or install anything. Every page linked here was opened on November 8, 2026.
Sources for this page
- Studio 56: Studio 56’s official website, the publisher of this reference.
- FabFilter Saturn 2: FabFilter Saturn 2’s official page, the source of its description here.
- iZotope Trash: iZotope Trash’s official page, the source of its description here.
- Soundtoys Decapitator: Soundtoys Decapitator’s official page, the source of its description here.
- Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe: Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe’s official page, the source of its description here.
- Output Thermal: Output Thermal’s official page, the source of its description here.
- Unfiltered Audio Dent 2: Unfiltered Audio Dent 2’s official page, the source of its description here.
- Kilohearts Distortion: Kilohearts Distortion’s official page, the source of its description here.
- Klanghelm IVGI: Klanghelm IVGI’s official page, the source of its description here.
The practical advice here is our own. A maker's description of its product is not a test of how it performs.
Keep reading
Cite this page
Best Distortion Plugin. “Distortion plugins compared.” Studio 56 Reference. Content reviewed November 8, 2026.
https://bestdistortionplugin.com/directory/