What synth plugins really cost in 2026
On November 14, 2026, two weeks before Black Friday, six of ten well-known synth plugins were already on sale on their makers’ own sites, five of them at about half price or less. Four had not moved: Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Diva and Sylenth1. For the other six, what you pay depends on when you buy.
Ten synths on November 14, 2026
| Synth | List price | On its maker’s site that day |
|---|---|---|
| Serum 2 | $249 | $249, with no sale |
| Omnisphere 3 | $499 | $499, with no sale |
| Diva | 179 € | 179 €, with no sale |
| Sylenth1 | €139 before tax | €139 before tax, with no sale |
| Massive XL | $199 | $99 |
| Pigments | $199 | $99.99, in a Black Friday sale until December 8 |
| Analog Lab Pro | $199 | $99.99, in the same sale |
| Phase Plant | $199 | $99, in a Black Friday sale |
| Spire | $189 | $75 before tax |
| Nexus 5 Starter | $249 | $179 |
Each price is the maker’s own page that day, in the currency it showed a visitor in the United States. Stores that resell these synths may charge less.
The four that had not moved
Xfer Records’ page showed Serum 2 at $249 with no sale, and the only discount its site mentions is for full-time students. It also gave Serum 2 free to everyone who owned Serum 1. Omnisphere 3, Diva and Sylenth1 were at their list prices too.
How to read a sale
Look for an end date. Arturia’s sale said it runs until December 8. Native Instruments and Kilohearts gave no date for theirs, so there is no telling from the page how long $99 lasts. If a synth you want is at its list price today, look at what it cost last November before you pay it.
Synths that cost nothing
Vital’s Basic plan is free and is the full synth, with 75 presets and 25 wavetables. Surge XT is free and open source. Several paid synths also have a free player: Massive XL Player, Pigments Play and Analog Lab Play.
What Studio 56 costs
Studio 56 is not a synth you buy once. Building a sound by hand is free with no limit, and your first 3 asks to the AI are free. Your first 3 sends to your DAW are free, and Pro sends as many as you want. Pro is $10 a month, and the AI builds about 70 sounds a month on it. The plans page has the rest.
More guides
- How to make a VST plugin with AI
- Can AI make VST plugins?
- How to make your own synth VST
- How to make your own distortion plugin
- How to make your own VST plugin for FL Studio
- How to make your own VST plugin for Ableton Live
- How to make your own AU plugin for Logic Pro
- A Serum 2 alternative: make your own wavetable sound
- A Spitfire LABS alternative that builds your own sounds
- A Massive alternative for basses and leads you build yourself
- A ZENOLOGY alternative for synth sounds you build yourself
- An Omnisphere alternative for synth pads and textures
- A Reaktor alternative for building synths without code
- How to tell if a plugin was vibe-coded before you buy it
- Can AI make Serum presets?
Every product name belongs to its maker. Studio 56 is not affiliated with any of them, and none endorses Studio 56.