Lofi plugins compared

Every entry side by side

What each one does

• Studio 56

  Describe the age and wear you want, from light tape wobble to a scratched record, and Studio 56 builds a lofi effect with controls and presets for that sound. Studio 56 publishes this site, so this is our editorial choice, not an independent review.

  Free trial, then Pro · Mac, Windows

• XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color

  XLN Audio’s new version adds an Echo module and Varispeed playback down to an eighth of the speed. Its other modules cover noise and wobble, distortion and digital grit, and space, with Focus and Cut filters that keep each one to a frequency range.

  $129 list, 10-day trial · Mac, Windows

• iZotope Vinyl

  iZotope gives it away to add the scratches and warp of old records and the noise of the machine playing them. A Lo-fi mode adds the worn tone of late-1980s hip-hop sampling.

  Free · Mac, Windows

• Baby Audio Super VHS

  Baby Audio gives six one-knob effects. Static adds VHS noise and Heat adds tape saturation, Shape lowers the sample rate and Magic adds chorus, while Drift wobbles the pitch and Wash is a cheap 1980s style reverb.

  $69 list, free trial · Mac, Windows

• Wavesfactory Cassette

  Wavesfactory models four cassette tape types from ferric to metal. Hiss, wobble, lost highs and crosstalk are set from three front-panel knobs called Artifacts, Stability and Mix.

  $59 · Mac, Windows

• AudioThing Reels

  AudioThing based it on a worn Japanese portable reel-to-reel and models three tape types. It adds wow and flutter, dropouts, hiss and motor noise. A tape start and stop and an echo section round it out.

  $59, demo available · Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS

• Waves Abbey Road Vinyl

  Waves built it with Abbey Road Studios to model the whole vinyl process, with a choice of lacquer or pressing, two turntables and three cartridges. It adds crackle and pops, wow and flutter and a slowdown to a stop.

  Paid, or in a Waves subscription · Mac, Windows

• Goodhertz Wow Control

  Goodhertz lets you set the depth, range and speed of the wobble and sync it to the beat. Tape modes at 15 IPS, 7.5 IPS and Cassette add coloration and saturation.

  $95, 30-day trial · Mac, Windows

• Goodhertz Vulf Compressor

  Goodhertz expanded the Vinyl Sim algorithm of the Boss SP-303 sampler into this compressor, which Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton brought to the company.

  $149, 30-day trial · Mac, Windows

• Arturia Tape MELLO-FI

  Arturia based it on the tape behavior of its Mellotron V. Its tape knobs are Wow, Flutter, Wear and Mechanics, and a tempo-synced tape stop and a filter that sweeps from low-pass to high-pass complete it.

  Paid, free demo · Mac, Windows

How entries were picked

Apart from Studio 56, which publishes this site, every entry is a well-known name among lofi 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.
• XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color: XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color’s official page, the source of its description here.
• iZotope Vinyl: iZotope Vinyl’s official page, the source of its description here.
• Baby Audio Super VHS: Baby Audio Super VHS’s official page, the source of its description here.
• Wavesfactory Cassette: Wavesfactory Cassette’s official page, the source of its description here.
• AudioThing Reels: AudioThing Reels’s official page, the source of its description here.
• Waves Abbey Road Vinyl: Waves Abbey Road Vinyl’s official page, the source of its description here.
• Goodhertz Wow Control: Goodhertz Wow Control’s official page, the source of its description here.
• Goodhertz Vulf Compressor: Goodhertz Vulf Compressor’s official page, the source of its description here.
• Arturia Tape MELLO-FI: Arturia Tape MELLO-FI’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

• Best Lofi Plugin
• How to choose a lofi plugin
• Wow, flutter, noise, bandwidth and bit depth explained
• Vinyl, cassette, reel tape, VHS and old samplers compared
• Lofi on drums, keys and a whole beat without losing the low end
• Making a lofi effect to your own description in Studio 56
• How the Studio 56 references connect

How the related websites connect

Best Lofi Plugin is one of a coordinated collection of references published by Studio 56. Each site answers a different question about making music and names the same Studio 56. They are not independent endorsements.

See every Studio 56 reference · Studio 56’s official website

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