---
title: "Audio plugin brands: Which are most popular?"
description: "Compare the companies that make effect and instrument plugins for music production. Share of Search among FabFilter, Plugin Alliance, Slate Digital, iZotope, u-he, Soundtoys, Valhalla DSP, Waves, Universal Audio, Xfer Records, Kilohearts, Spectrasonics, Native Instruments, Output and Eventide, the audio plugin brands Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/audio-plugin-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Audio plugin brands: Which are most popular?

Compare the companies that make effect and instrument plugins for music production. Share of Search among FabFilter, Plugin Alliance, Slate Digital, iZotope, u-he, Soundtoys, Valhalla DSP, Waves, Universal Audio, Xfer Records, Kilohearts, Spectrasonics, Native Instruments, Output and Eventide, the audio plugin brands Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Audio plugin brands
- **Market**: Global
- **Brands compared**: 15
- **Month measured**: Oct 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: FabFilter, 15%

## Which brand is most popular in search among audio plugin brands worldwide?

- FabFilter, Plugin Alliance and Slate Digital tie for the highest share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, at 15% each in October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Plugin Alliance’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide increased from 12.4% to 15%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Slate Digital’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide increased from 5.6% to 15%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, iZotope’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 12.4% to 10%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Soundtoys’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 12.4% to 8.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Valhalla DSP’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 8.3% to 6.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Waves’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 6.8% to 5.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Universal Audio’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 6.8% to 3.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Spectrasonics’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide decreased from 3.1% to 2.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, FabFilter’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 17.7% in June 2026 and was lowest at 9.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Plugin Alliance’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 15% in October 2026 and was lowest at 9.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Slate Digital’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 15% in October 2026 and was lowest at 4% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, iZotope’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 15.3% in March 2026 and was lowest at 10% in October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, u-he’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 11.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 6.4% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Soundtoys’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 36.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 7.2% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Valhalla DSP’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 9% in February 2026 and was lowest at 5% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Waves’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 6.8% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.3% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Xfer Records’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 3.9% in September 2026 and was lowest at 2% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Kilohearts’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 3.2% in May 2026 and was lowest at 1.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Spectrasonics’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 3.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 1.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Native Instruments’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 3.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 1.6% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Output’s share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide peaked at 2.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 1.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Plugin Alliance rose from 3rd to 2nd among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Slate Digital rose from 9th to 3rd among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, iZotope fell from 2nd to 4th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Soundtoys fell from 4th to 6th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Valhalla DSP fell from 6th to 7th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Universal Audio fell from 7th to 9th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Xfer Records rose from 11th to 10th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Kilohearts rose from 12th to 11th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Spectrasonics fell from 10th to 12th among audio plugin brands worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, FabFilter, u-he, Native Instruments, Output and Eventide held steady: their share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top audio plugin brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, FabFilter, iZotope, Soundtoys and Waves were mentioned most often, in three of the five answers. FabFilter was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five answers. Waves was second, and Soundtoys was third. Slate Digital, which ranked third in searches, was not mentioned at all.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FabFilter | 1st | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Waves | 2nd | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Soundtoys | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Universal Audio | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| iZotope | 5th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 |
| Native Instruments | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Xfer Records | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Plugin Alliance | 8th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Valhalla DSP | 9th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| u-he | 10th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Slate Digital | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Kilohearts | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Spectrasonics | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Output | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Eventide | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about audio plugin brands

- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best VST plugins for mixing?": 1. FabFilter, 2. Soundtoys, 3. Universal Audio, 4. iZotope
- Asked ChatGPT "Which companies make the best audio plugins?": 1. FabFilter, 2. Universal Audio, 3. iZotope, 4. Soundtoys, 5. Valhalla DSP, 6. Waves, 7. Plugin Alliance, 8. u-he
- Asked ChatGPT "What plugins should I buy for music production?": 1. Xfer Records, 2. FabFilter, 3. Soundtoys, 4. Native Instruments
- Searched Google, AI Overview "vst plugins": 1. Native Instruments, 2. Waves, 3. iZotope
- Searched Google, AI Overview "audio plugins": 1. Waves, 2. Plugin Alliance

Not named in any answer: Slate Digital, Kilohearts, Spectrasonics, Output and Eventide.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 27, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [FabFilter vs Plugin Alliance: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/fabfilter-vs-plugin-alliance): 15% Share of Search each.
- [FabFilter vs Slate Digital: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/fabfilter-vs-slate-digital): 15% Share of Search each.
- [FabFilter vs iZotope: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/fabfilter-vs-izotope): 15% against 10% Share of Search.
- [FabFilter vs u-he: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/fabfilter-vs-u-he): 15% against 8.7% Share of Search.
- [Plugin Alliance vs Slate Digital: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/plugin-alliance-vs-slate-digital): 15% Share of Search each.
- [Plugin Alliance vs iZotope: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/izotope-vs-plugin-alliance): 15% against 10% Share of Search.
- [Plugin Alliance vs u-he: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/plugin-alliance-vs-u-he): 15% against 8.7% Share of Search.
- [Slate Digital vs iZotope: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/izotope-vs-slate-digital): 15% against 10% Share of Search.
- [Slate Digital vs u-he: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/slate-digital-vs-u-he): 15% against 8.7% Share of Search.
- [iZotope vs u-he: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/izotope-vs-u-he): 10% against 8.7% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for audio plugin brands worldwide in October 2026?

- In October 2026, Plugin Alliance overtook iZotope and u-he to rank 2nd among audio plugin brands worldwide, with 15% of the searches.
- In October 2026, Slate Digital overtook iZotope and 3 others to rank 3rd among audio plugin brands worldwide, with 15% of the searches.
- In October 2026, iZotope lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 12.8% to 10%.
- In October 2026, u-he lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 11.1% to 8.7%.
- In October 2026, Valhalla DSP lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 8.5% to 6.7%.
- In October 2026, Universal Audio lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 4.7% to 3.7%.
- In October 2026, Xfer Records lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 3.9% to 3.1%.
- In October 2026, Kilohearts lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 3.1% to 2.5%.

## Which audio plugin brands do people search for most?

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | FabFilter | 15% | 60.5K | +22.2% | FabFilter |
| 2 | Plugin Alliance | 15% | 60.5K | +82.8% | Plugin Alliance |
| 3 | Slate Digital | 15% | 60.5K | +172.5% | Slate Digital |
| 4 | iZotope | 10% | 40.5K | 0.0% | Native Instruments |
| 5 | u-he | 8.7% | 35.2K | 0.0% | u-he |
| 6 | Soundtoys | 8.2% | 33.1K | +22.1% | Soundtoys |
| 7 | Valhalla DSP | 6.7% | 27.1K | 0.0% | Valhalla DSP |
| 8 | Waves | 5.5% | 22.2K | +22.7% | Waves Audio |
| 9 | Universal Audio | 3.7% | 14.8K | 0.0% | Universal Audio |
| 10 | Xfer Records | 3.1% | 12.5K | 0.0% | Xfer Records |
| 11 | Kilohearts | 2.5% | 9.9K | 0.0% | Kilohearts |
| 12 | Spectrasonics | 2.5% | 9.9K | 0.0% | Spectrasonics |
| 13 | Native Instruments | 2.4% | 9.8K | 0.0% | Native Instruments |
| 14 | Output | 1.6% | 6.3K | -7.4% | Output |
| 15 | Eventide | 0.25% | 1K | 0.0% | Eventide |

Universal Audio and Native Instruments sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “uad plugins”.

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nov 2025 | FabFilter | 110K | 15.1% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | iZotope | 90.5K | 12.4% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Plugin Alliance | 90.5K | 12.4% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Soundtoys | 90.5K | 12.4% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | u-he | 62.7K | 8.6% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Valhalla DSP | 60.5K | 8.3% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Universal Audio | 49.5K | 6.8% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Waves | 49.5K | 6.8% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | Slate Digital | 40.5K | 5.6% | 9 |
| Nov 2025 | Spectrasonics | 22.2K | 3.1% | 10 |
| Nov 2025 | Xfer Records | 19.2K | 2.6% | 11 |
| Nov 2025 | Kilohearts | 14.8K | 2% | 12 |
| Nov 2025 | Native Instruments | 14.7K | 2% | 13 |
| Nov 2025 | Output | 10.2K | 1.4% | 14 |
| Nov 2025 | Eventide | 1.9K | 0.26% | 15 |
| Dec 2025 | Soundtoys | 301K | 36.8% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | iZotope | 110K | 13.5% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | FabFilter | 74K | 9.1% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Plugin Alliance | 74K | 9.1% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | u-he | 52.6K | 6.4% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Universal Audio | 40.5K | 5% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Valhalla DSP | 40.5K | 5% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Slate Digital | 33.1K | 4% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | Waves | 27.1K | 3.3% | 9 |
| Dec 2025 | Xfer Records | 16.5K | 2% | 10 |
| Dec 2025 | Native Instruments | 13.2K | 1.6% | 11 |
| Dec 2025 | Kilohearts | 12.1K | 1.5% | 12 |
| Dec 2025 | Spectrasonics | 12.1K | 1.5% | 13 |
| Dec 2025 | Output | 9K | 1.1% | 14 |
| Dec 2025 | Eventide | 1.9K | 0.23% | 15 |
| Jan 2026 | FabFilter | 74K | 16.2% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | iZotope | 60.5K | 13.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 60.5K | 13.2% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Soundtoys | 40.5K | 8.9% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 40.5K | 8.9% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | u-he | 37K | 8.1% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Slate Digital | 33.1K | 7.2% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Waves | 27.1K | 5.9% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | Universal Audio | 22.2K | 4.9% | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | Xfer Records | 16.5K | 3.6% | 10 |
| Jan 2026 | Native Instruments | 13.2K | 2.9% | 11 |
| Jan 2026 | Spectrasonics | 12.1K | 2.6% | 12 |
| Jan 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.2% | 13 |
| Jan 2026 | Output | 9K | 2% | 14 |
| Jan 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.22% | 15 |
| Feb 2026 | FabFilter | 60.5K | 16.4% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | iZotope | 49.5K | 13.4% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 49.5K | 13.4% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 33.1K | 9% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | u-he | 30.3K | 8.2% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Slate Digital | 27.1K | 7.3% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Soundtoys | 27.1K | 7.3% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Waves | 22.2K | 6% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | Universal Audio | 18.1K | 4.9% | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | Xfer Records | 13.5K | 3.7% | 10 |
| Feb 2026 | Native Instruments | 10.8K | 2.9% | 11 |
| Feb 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.7% | 12 |
| Feb 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 2.7% | 13 |
| Feb 2026 | Output | 7.3K | 2% | 14 |
| Feb 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.27% | 15 |
| Mar 2026 | FabFilter | 60.5K | 15.3% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | iZotope | 60.5K | 15.3% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 49.5K | 12.5% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | u-he | 35.2K | 8.9% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Soundtoys | 33.1K | 8.4% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 33.1K | 8.4% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Slate Digital | 27.1K | 6.9% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Waves | 22.2K | 5.6% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | Universal Audio | 18.1K | 4.6% | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | Xfer Records | 14.3K | 3.6% | 10 |
| Mar 2026 | Spectrasonics | 12.1K | 3.1% | 11 |
| Mar 2026 | Native Instruments | 10.8K | 2.7% | 12 |
| Mar 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.5% | 13 |
| Mar 2026 | Output | 7.3K | 1.8% | 14 |
| Mar 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.25% | 15 |
| Apr 2026 | FabFilter | 60.5K | 15% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | iZotope | 49.5K | 12.3% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 49.5K | 12.3% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | u-he | 41.2K | 10.2% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Soundtoys | 40.5K | 10.1% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 33.1K | 8.2% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Slate Digital | 27.1K | 6.7% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Universal Audio | 27.1K | 6.7% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | Waves | 22.2K | 5.5% | 9 |
| Apr 2026 | Xfer Records | 14.3K | 3.5% | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.5% | 11 |
| Apr 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 2.5% | 12 |
| Apr 2026 | Native Instruments | 9.8K | 2.4% | 13 |
| Apr 2026 | Output | 7.3K | 1.8% | 14 |
| Apr 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.25% | 15 |
| May 2026 | FabFilter | 60.5K | 16.2% | 1 |
| May 2026 | iZotope | 49.5K | 13.2% | 2 |
| May 2026 | u-he | 41.2K | 11% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 40.5K | 10.8% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 33.1K | 8.8% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Slate Digital | 27.1K | 7.2% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Soundtoys | 27.1K | 7.2% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Waves | 22.2K | 5.9% | 8 |
| May 2026 | Universal Audio | 18.1K | 4.8% | 9 |
| May 2026 | Xfer Records | 14.3K | 3.8% | 10 |
| May 2026 | Kilohearts | 12.1K | 3.2% | 11 |
| May 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 2.6% | 12 |
| May 2026 | Native Instruments | 9.8K | 2.6% | 13 |
| May 2026 | Output | 7.8K | 2.1% | 14 |
| May 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.27% | 15 |
| Jun 2026 | FabFilter | 60.5K | 17.7% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | iZotope | 40.5K | 11.8% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 40.5K | 11.8% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | u-he | 35.2K | 10.3% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Slate Digital | 27.1K | 7.9% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Soundtoys | 27.1K | 7.9% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 27.1K | 7.9% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Universal Audio | 18.1K | 5.3% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | Waves | 18.1K | 5.3% | 9 |
| Jun 2026 | Xfer Records | 11.7K | 3.4% | 10 |
| Jun 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.9% | 11 |
| Jun 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 2.9% | 12 |
| Jun 2026 | Native Instruments | 8.8K | 2.6% | 13 |
| Jun 2026 | Output | 6.8K | 2% | 14 |
| Jun 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.29% | 15 |
| Jul 2026 | FabFilter | 49.5K | 14.5% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | iZotope | 49.5K | 14.5% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 40.5K | 11.9% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | u-he | 35.2K | 10.3% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Soundtoys | 33.1K | 9.7% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 27.1K | 7.9% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Slate Digital | 22.2K | 6.5% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Universal Audio | 18.1K | 5.3% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | Waves | 18.1K | 5.3% | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | Xfer Records | 11.7K | 3.4% | 10 |
| Jul 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.9% | 11 |
| Jul 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 2.9% | 12 |
| Jul 2026 | Native Instruments | 8.8K | 2.6% | 13 |
| Jul 2026 | Output | 6.3K | 1.8% | 14 |
| Jul 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.29% | 15 |
| Aug 2026 | FabFilter | 49.5K | 15.2% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | iZotope | 40.5K | 12.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 40.5K | 12.5% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | u-he | 35.2K | 10.8% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Soundtoys | 27.1K | 8.3% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 27.1K | 8.3% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Slate Digital | 22.2K | 6.8% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Waves | 18.1K | 5.6% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | Universal Audio | 14.8K | 4.6% | 9 |
| Aug 2026 | Xfer Records | 12.5K | 3.8% | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 3% | 11 |
| Aug 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 3% | 12 |
| Aug 2026 | Native Instruments | 9.8K | 3% | 13 |
| Aug 2026 | Output | 6.8K | 2.1% | 14 |
| Aug 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.31% | 15 |
| Sep 2026 | FabFilter | 49.5K | 15.6% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | iZotope | 40.5K | 12.8% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | u-he | 35.2K | 11.1% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 33.1K | 10.4% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Soundtoys | 27.1K | 8.5% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 27.1K | 8.5% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Slate Digital | 22.2K | 7% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Waves | 18.1K | 5.7% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Universal Audio | 14.8K | 4.7% | 9 |
| Sep 2026 | Xfer Records | 12.5K | 3.9% | 10 |
| Sep 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 3.1% | 11 |
| Sep 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 3.1% | 12 |
| Sep 2026 | Native Instruments | 9.8K | 3.1% | 13 |
| Sep 2026 | Output | 6.8K | 2.1% | 14 |
| Sep 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.31% | 15 |
| Oct 2026 | FabFilter | 60.5K | 15% | 1 |
| Oct 2026 | Plugin Alliance | 60.5K | 15% | 2 |
| Oct 2026 | Slate Digital | 60.5K | 15% | 3 |
| Oct 2026 | iZotope | 40.5K | 10% | 4 |
| Oct 2026 | u-he | 35.2K | 8.7% | 5 |
| Oct 2026 | Soundtoys | 33.1K | 8.2% | 6 |
| Oct 2026 | Valhalla DSP | 27.1K | 6.7% | 7 |
| Oct 2026 | Waves | 22.2K | 5.5% | 8 |
| Oct 2026 | Universal Audio | 14.8K | 3.7% | 9 |
| Oct 2026 | Xfer Records | 12.5K | 3.1% | 10 |
| Oct 2026 | Kilohearts | 9.9K | 2.5% | 11 |
| Oct 2026 | Spectrasonics | 9.9K | 2.5% | 12 |
| Oct 2026 | Native Instruments | 9.8K | 2.4% | 13 |
| Oct 2026 | Output | 6.3K | 1.6% | 14 |
| Oct 2026 | Eventide | 1K | 0.25% | 15 |

## How are branded searches counted for audio plugin brands?

- **Eventide**: Measured on the search term “eventide plugins”.
- **FabFilter**: Measured on the search term “fabfilter”.
- **iZotope**: Measured on the search term “izotope”.
- **Kilohearts**: Measured on the search term “kilohearts”.
- **Native Instruments**: Measured on the search terms “native instruments komplete” and “native instruments kontakt”, summed into one figure.
- **Output**: Measured on the search terms “output arcade” and “output portal”, summed into one figure.
- **Plugin Alliance**: Measured on the search term “plugin alliance”.
- **Slate Digital**: Measured on the search term “slate digital”.
- **Soundtoys**: Measured on the search term “soundtoys”.
- **Spectrasonics**: Measured on the search term “spectrasonics”.
- **u-he**: Measured on the search terms “u he diva” and “u-he”, summed into one figure.
- **Universal Audio**: Measured on the search term “uad plugins”.
- **Valhalla DSP**: Measured on the search term “valhalla dsp”.
- **Waves**: Measured on the search term “waves plugins”.
- **Xfer Records**: Measured on the search terms “xfer records” and “xfer serum”, summed into one figure.

- [Eventide](/demand/global-en/brands/eventide)
- [FabFilter](/demand/global-en/brands/fabfilter)
- [iZotope](/demand/global-en/brands/izotope)
- [Kilohearts](/demand/global-en/brands/kilohearts)
- [Native Instruments](/demand/global-en/brands/native-instruments)
- [Output](/demand/global-en/brands/output-plugins)
- [Plugin Alliance](/demand/global-en/brands/plugin-alliance)
- [Slate Digital](/demand/global-en/brands/slate-digital)
- [Soundtoys](/demand/global-en/brands/soundtoys)
- [Spectrasonics](/demand/global-en/brands/spectrasonics)
- [u-he](/demand/global-en/brands/u-he)
- [Universal Audio](/demand/global-en/brands/universal-audio)
- [Valhalla DSP](/demand/global-en/brands/valhalla-dsp)
- [Waves](/demand/global-en/brands/waves-audio)
- [Xfer Records](/demand/global-en/brands/xfer-records)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among audio plugin brands worldwide?

FabFilter, Plugin Alliance and Slate Digital tie for the highest share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, at 15% each in October 2026. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Audio plugin brands: Which are most popular?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/audio-plugin-brands

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/audio-plugin-brands. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.