The internet is now awash with free VST plug-ins - you’ll find instruments, effects and others that defy categorisation. However, while it’s great to have so many to choose from, this weight of numbers means that it’s difficult to work out what’s worth having and what you should steer clear of.

Of course, you won’t lose out financially by downloading a dud or two, but to save you a lot of time, effort and potential disappointment, we’ve compiled a list of the best free VST (and Audio Units) plug-ins in the world today.

Our shortlist was put together based on your nominations from 2010, when we ran our first poll, and 2012, when we put the word out that our list was being updated. The final positions were decided by MusicRadar users votes.

Before we get down to business, we should also remind you that our sister magazine, Computer Music, features a slew of exclusive plug-ins on its cover disc every month, so if the software on this list doesn't satisfy you, try that as well.

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