Best Free Guitar Amp Software Our Top Recommendations

The Best Free Guitar Amp Software is our roundup of the current top plugins and virtual guitar rigs for your DAW and studio setup. This list will give you plenty of great virtual guitar amps for recording your guitar on your computer.

Best Free Guitar Amp Software

Our curated list of the Best Free Guitar Amp Software features the virtual guitar amp freeware you need to check out this year. We've rated each for ease of use, sound quality, and features so you can see which one is best for your needs. Using our simple 5-point rating system, you can see if this freeware is for you. This varied selection covers modern hi-gain through to vintage amp tones and even includes AI-powered software with machine learning. We would encourage you to try them all out, and if you like them, let us know.

Tonocracy

Guitar Bomb Rating

• Ease of Use 3
• Sound Quality 5
• Features 3

First on our list of the Best Free Guitar Amp Software is the recently released free Tonocracy 2.1.0 by Atomic Amplifiers. When it launched, they were asking $299 plus taxes for the full version. We covered this announcement in full in February 2024, but if you missed it, then now is the time to grab your completely free copy.

Key Features

• The current collection of SchemAccurate amp models
• Unlimited ToneSnap capture, creation, and batching
• Unlimited NAM support/playback
• The current collection of pedals and effects
• The full power of Tonocracy’s signal routing capabilities, including parallel paths, splits, combines, and mixing with virtually unlimited blocks
• There is no need to be online to import content
• Unrestricted standalone app and plugin use

The software has frequent free updates and adds new features, so it should be on your radar to try out in 2024.

• Free Download link here
• More Tonocracy-related new

Audiosingularity Neurontube Debut

Guitar Bomb Rating

• Ease of Use 5
• Sound Quality 4
• Features 3

Another Guitar Bomb favourite is the Audiosingularity Neurontube Debut Guitar Amp. Again, we covered this one in February 2023, when it was first released, and it is still a fantastic free amp for your DAW. This software models the Soldano SLO-100 boutique amp head and sounds excellent.

Virtual Cabs and FX

It also includes a  4×12 Vintage 30 Marshall 1960 Lead A and a 4×12 Vintage 30 Modern American digital cab, while the Laney TF300 combo sim comes loaded with a 1×12 HH Invader speaker. They also include a selection of virtual effect pedals to enhance the software further.

• Audiosingularity Neurontube Debut

Nembrini Audio Crunk V2

Guitar Bomb Rating

• Ease of Use 4
• Sound Quality 4
• Features 3

At Guitar Bomb we are all huge fans of Nembrini Audio, as they make some great sounding software for the guitar. Amazingly, they also do a lot of free software, including the Crunk V2 amp. The Crunck V2 Guitar Amplifier tones span from metal to fusion and rock to blues. Making it a versatile freebie as well.

Vintage 30

It has a built-in cabinet and a 4x12 loaded with Vintage 30 speakers, or users can bypass the cabinet section entirely and use third-party ones. While you are there, check out all the free guitar effect pedals. Each is available as a separate download and is well worth owning. If you have some money to spare, check out our reviews of their paid-for software; it is all very high-quality and affordable.

• Nembrini Audio Free Downloads page

Guitar Rig 7 Player

Guitar Bomb Rating

• Ease of Use 4
• Sound Quality 4
• Features 3

Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Player is another free download worth checking out. This software contains amp simulation with matched cabinets, 26 effects, tools, and 60 ready-to-use presets. It is a great way to get up and running fast, with various guitar rig tones ready.

Intelligent Circuit Modeling

It uses its Intelligent Circuit Modeling to give hyper-realistic results and offers a simple drag-and-drop user interface, making it easy to get up and running. Get Guitar Rig 7 Player in the free Komplete Start bundle, which can be downloaded and installed via their Native Access. Follow the link below to get up and running today.

• Native Instruments Guitar Rig Player 7

Shattered Glass Audio Ace

Guitar Bomb Rating

• Ease of Use 4
• Sound Quality 3
• Features 2

Now for something with a little less heavy, modern gain. Ace is an accurate to life emulation of a legendary 1950s, American, all tube, 5W, tweed amp. Shattered Glass Audio has coded a Fender Tweed amp, which sounds excellent and has very low overheads on a CPU—making it perfect for live performance and older computers.

Ace Key Features

The Volume controls goes to 12 just like the original amp and has an adjustable feedback amount. It includes a model of the circuit with grid stoppers and has Impulse Response cab emulation. The software features 2x, 4x, or 8x selectable oversampling.

• Shattered Glass Audio Ace

Blue Cat Free Amp

Guitar Bomb Rating

• Ease of Use 4
• Sound Quality 3
• Features 3

The  Blue Cat Free Amp is another simple amp setup with excellent tones. It includes 3 amp models inspired by legendary amplifiers: classic clean, classic drive, and modern drive. The software also allows the use of impulse responses to tailor the sound.

Simple to use

The software is simple to use and covers a lot of ground, making it a great starting point for any guitarist who needs to get fabulous guitar amp tones without spending hours reading manuals. The wide range of amp tones covers everything from clean vintage sounds from the early days of electric guitar to modern high-gain metal tones.

• Blue Cat Free Amp

More Useful Tools and Articles

If you found this helpful list, you may enjoy our Top 15 Tools Every Guitarist Needs and How to Get the Best Signal Path into Your DAWarticles.

• More Useful How-To Guides

#Free Guitar Amp Software