The Best Chorus & Flanger Plugins: from subtle width to seasick experimentation

If you are looking to expand your digital audio workstation with the best chorus and flanger plugins known to mankind, you have reported for duty in the right place. These versatile tools can broaden your synth, VST, and guitar tones beautifully, whether you’re into a subtle thickening or a full-on seasick wobble that sounds surprisingly cool, albeit making you feel like you need to dash to the nearest sink. Adding a small dash of chorus helps a sound sit wider in the mix, while cranking the parameters can create that iconic, shimmering detune loved by producers, musicians anywhere and everywhere.

We’ve curated a list of the best of the best chorus plugins from industry heroes like Arturia, Soundtoys, and Eventide, starting with the most budget-friendly freebies and closing out with the premium professional options. Stick around until the end for a deep dive into what these plugins actually offer your productions and how to use them effectively. So join us as we set sail into the choppy waters of the best chorus plugins.

The best free chorus & flanger plugins

TAL-Chorus-LX

Pros: Iconic Juno-60 sound; extremely low CPU hit; very simple.

Cons: Very limited controls; mono-to-stereo only.

This chorus plug-in was used on the guitars in the track "Am I Wrong" by "Nico & Vinz" (See video above).

Truth be told, you can’t really discuss chorus effects without the Roland Juno-60 synthesiser coming up. The onboard chorus is one of the chief reasons that the synth is one of the most iconic ‘80s synths, with people still clamouring to get one for a good price on eBay to this day. If you don’t fancy spending a grand or two and having to drive to some remote town to pick a Juno up, the stunning news is the TAL-Chorus-LX is free and emulates that classic sound brilliantly for your DAW. The freebie tradeoff is that it isn’t heavy in features, which is fair enough at this price, or lack thereof. So if you just need a dead-simple plugin with one of the most recognised chorus sounds, then give the Tal a spin.

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Acon Digital Multiply

Pros: Phase-randomising filter; zero comb-filtering; built-in EQ.

Cons: Can sound too clean for vintage fans; GUI is quite basic.

Our next free chorus plugin entry is from Acon, not to be confused with the Senegalese-American R&B star. Digital Multiply is a chorus that is very versatile for a free plugin, and stands out by using a phase-randomising filter on each of its six voices to prevent the metallic comb-filtering common in some rivals. This shrewd trick allows you to thicken lead vocals or widen synth pads while maintaining a remarkably clean and natural stereo image. The dedicated five-band EQ and an adjustable pre-delay section are lovely to have, also, letting you precisely shape the frequency response and create everything from subtle doubling to diffuse, modulated echo effects.

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Valhalla SpaceModulator

Pros: Massive range of modes; unique "doubling" algorithms; incredibly stable.

Cons: Abstract interface; requires some trial and error to master.

One last hurrah on the free plugin front comes from Valhalla, known best for creating reverbs that are as mighty as Thor himself. And on this plugin’s website, Valhalla lead with “Earth Shattering Kaboom” — which actually makes total sense once you get to grips with this thing. SpaceModulator is officially a flanger plugin, but it can also very much double up as a chorus effect. It joins SuperMassive in the list of Valhalla’s plugins that are far too good not to cost a penny, with plenty of controls for mix, rate, depth, feedback and manual, and 11 separate modes for crazy levels of modulation. If you’re after a free chorus that’s much more experimental and feature-heavy than the TAL-Chorus-LX, then welcome home.

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The best chorus & flanger plugins for less than £/$100

D16 Group Syntorus 2

Pros: Triple delay lines; authentic BBD analogue feel; great presets.

Cons: Interface is quite cluttered; higher learning curve than others.

As we shift into the best chorus plugins that aren’t free, don’t you worry, because the Syntorus 2 starts us off at approximately £/$45. Rather than merely emulating one bit of hardware, D16 Group developed Syntorus 2 by poring over the study books of an array of classic units, ranging from the Solina String Ensemble to the iconic Roland Juno-106. The plugin's architecture lets you get really deep with rich modulation that goes above and beyond some of the bog-standard single-line choruses, especially when the analogue BBD mode is engaged for lovely warmth. With its highly tweakable filters, tremolo effects, and three LFO generators, get ready for sonic flexibility and the possibility of clean modern widening as well as vintage vibes.

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Arturia Chorus JUN-6

Pros: Beautifully simple; perfect 80s aesthetic; great manual mode.

Cons: Very specific Juno flavour; not a Swiss Army chorus.

Sacre bleu! It’s another take on the Roland Juno-60 chorus, this time from French music gear purveyors Arturia. And the company do a fantastic job of recreating the Juno’s famed stereo width and BBC analogue warmth and colour. This chorus plugin is designed to lovingly recreate the synth’s 3-mode chorus design and behave as closely to the original as possible, with meticulous attention to the Juno’s LFO frequencies. Expect all those rate and depth variations, while the manual mode provides some epic modulation flexibility.

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Arturia Chorus DIMENSION-D

Pros: Best invisible chorus; adds massive width without artefacts.

Cons: Too subtle for seasick effects; limited to four modes.

Before we say ‘bon soir’ to Arturia completely, we should absolutely look at the DIMNESION-D. When searching for the best chorus plugins, it can be tricky to find one that isn’t laden with the big, experimental, sea-faring sounds; if you’re after a no-nonsense, subtle chorus that adds a subtle bit of character and widening without your listeners immediately thinking, ‘yeah, they definitely used chorus on this track,’ then this could be the alternate dimension you’re seeking. It’s based on another piece of Roland hardware, the Dimension D, which was loved by many late ‘70s characters such as Kate Bush and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Arturia call this a ‘sonic sweetener’, creating a nice and simple solution to creating spaciousness in a mix.

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Baby Audio Spaced Out

Pros: Great for dreamy textures; unique X-Y pad; includes reverb/delay.

Cons: Not a traditional utility chorus; can wash out a mix quickly.

Oh, baby. As the name suggests, here is a chorus plugin for getting dreamy and spacy. In fact, Spaced Out from Baby Audio combines reverb, delay, and modulation, giving you lovely textures and an effect greater than the sum of the parts. Described as a ‘wet-FX powerhouse’ (probably not something you’d say in your day-to-day life) that can generate huge sounds and intergalactic textures. If you’re just after a simple, traditional chorus, this might be more than you’ve bargained for, but if you count yourself among the sonic explorers, you’ll have a lot of fun with this one.

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Eventide TriceraChorus

Pros: Huge Tri-Chorus sound; MicroPitch detuning; syrupy modulation.

Cons: Expensive for a single effect; menu-heavy compared to pedals.

Life finds a way. The TriceraChorus from guitar pedal perfectors Eventide is anything but prehistoric, creating effects based on the chorus sounds from ‘70s and ‘80s stompboxes. A stunning USP is the Eventide micro-pitch detuning — a little bit of detuning is how chorus essentially works, differentiating the width in your ears, and it sounds pleasingly '80s. This one is fantastic for deep modulations, syrupy and smooth sounds, and works fantastically on guitar, bass, vocals, synths, and strings. The UI was created with live performances in mind as well as studio sessions, which is a lovely touch.

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Softube Fix Flanger and Doubler

Pros: Best-in-class vocal doubling; high-fidelity sound; Paul Wolff design.

Cons: High entry cost; iLok account required (no dongle needed).

The final word in the best chorus plugin debate goes to Softube with the Fix Flanger and Doubler. Developed in collaboration with the legendary Paul Wolff, the Softube Fix bundle offers a high-fidelity take on classic 1960s-style flanging and automatic double tracking. The Fix Doubler is very much unrivalled when it comes to vocal thickening, using its trademark Auto Double algorithm to provide rich textures that make vocals sound lush and naturally layered. You can expect a smooth, creamy analogue quality that adds heaps of depth and professional polish to your sounds.

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FAQ: What does a chorus plugin actually do?

The best chorus plugins earn their name by creating the sonic impression of multiple instruments playing together in unison. At its most transparent, the effect makes a single vocal or synth line sound like it is being doubled by a second performer, adding a lush thickness to the signal. You can hear this classic effect in the shimmering guitar work of Nirvana’s Come As You Are or the massive, wide synth pads of '80s pop. Modern software has pushed these boundaries even further, with brands like D16 and Softube offering everything from authentic analogue warmth to wild, wobbly vibrato and experimental detuning.

Read more:

• Best Chorus Pedals: Make Your Guitar and Synths Sing

• Best Reverb Plugins: Free & Paid Options for Premium Results

• The Best Delay Plugins: Vintage and Modern Effects For All Budgets