Reverb is a plug-in that adds the sound of a room or hall to a sound. In a cover-song mix it is essential for adding space to a dry voice recorded at home and blending it into the backing track. The kind of reverb each product is good at differs a lot: a natural room, the classic plate for vocals, recreations of vintage gear, special effects and more. Here we compare the kinds of reverb you can choose and the features, using official information.
This list compares 12 reverb plug-ins on 3 criteria: vocal-friendly sounds, easy to blend, speed. Scores are decided by how well each product serves its purpose, using the conditions for each criterion, and the basis is official manufacturer information. Price is not part of the score.
Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, SoundBounty may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are as of the date checked and can change.
Picks by purpose
- If you want one that does everything: Pro-R 2 (rank S). It has the classic sounds, and ducking and a reverb EQ help it blend.
- If you cannot decide which reverb to pick: smart:reverb 2 (rank S). AI builds the reverb to suit the sound.
- If you want the classic plate for vocals: SuperPlate (rank A). It recreates five famous plates.
- If you want vintage reverb at a reasonable price: VintageVerb (rank A). 22 kinds of reverb at a reasonable price.
- To try it for free: RAUM (rank B). Three modes (room, hall and special effects) for free.
Picks by budget
The highest-scoring product in each price range. Prices are the regular prices in US dollars shown on Plugin Boutique on October 10, 2026; sale prices change often, so check the store page. Price is not part of the score.
- Free: RAUM, ValhallaSupermassive.
- Under $50: MReverb (rank A, $43). The highest-scoring product in this price range.
- $50 to $149: smart:reverb 2 (rank S, $129). The highest-scoring product in this price range.
- $150 and over: Pro-R 2 (rank S, $199). The highest-scoring product in this price range.
Tier list by rank
Ranks are based on the manufacturer's official features and specifications, not on sound quality. Within a row, products are ordered by score. The basis is explained in How we rate specifications.
Tier table by criterion
Products with the same overall rank can have different strengths. Click a column heading to sort by the rank on that criterion, and use it when you choose by the feature you want.
| Product | Overall | Vocal-friendly soundsWhether it offers the reverb types vocalists rely on (plate, hall and room) | Easy to blendControls for blending the reverb into a mix and a voice | SpeedHow quickly you can reach the sound you want |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 FabFilterPro-R 2 | S4.8 | SRoom to plate | SDucking + reverb EQ | AClear controls |
 soniblesmart:reverb 2 | S4.8 | SSwitch among 4 types | AAuto + ducking | SAI auto |
 EventideSP2016 Reverb | S4.3 | SRoom, hall, plate | BPre-delay + EQ | ADistance by Position |
 Valhalla DSPVintageVerb | A4.0 | S22 reverb sounds | BDamping | BPick a mode |
 SoundtoysSuperPlate | A3.8 | A5 plate models | ADucking + EQ | BChoose from 5 models |
 Valhalla DSPValhallaRoom | A3.8 | ARoom, hall, chamber | APer-band decay + cuts | BPick a mode |
 MeldaProductionMReverb | A3.5 | BHall + room | APer-band decay + EQ | ADrag the position |
 Valhalla DSPValhallaPlate | A3.5 | A12 plate-only modes | BEQ + pre-delay | BPick a mode |
 ArturiaRev PLATE-140 | A3.5 | A3 plates incl. EMT 140 | BPre-filter + EQ | BPick a plate |
 Native InstrumentsRAUM | B3.0 | BRoom + hall | BPre-delay + filter | BChoose from 3 modes |
 Valhalla DSPValhallaSupermassive | C2.5 | C22 modes built for spaciousness | BHigh Cut + Low Cut | BPick a mode |
 EventideBlackhole | C1.8 | CSpecial effects | BPre-delay + EQ | CStandard |
Click a column heading to sort by that criterion (click again to reverse). Each cell shows the score (1 to 5) on that criterion as 5 = S, 4 = A, 3 = B, 2 or lower = C. A dash means the criterion is not scored. This is a rating of the manufacturer's official features and specifications, not of sound quality. See How we rate specifications.
Top-scoring products
Pro-R 2Rank S- smart:reverb 2Rank S
- SP2016 ReverbRank S
- SuperPlateRank A
- MReverbRank A
- RAUMRank B
- BlackholeRank C
Up to 9 products in order of score. Images are the manufacturers’ official press images or Plugin Boutique images. The overall order and the basis for each rank are in the tier tables above and on each product’s page.
Free ways to start
If you want to try something without spending money, or are looking for your first one, you can start with a product that is free to use. Check the free scope and conditions on each product’s page.
- RAUM (rank B, free)
- ValhallaSupermassive (rank C, free)
How to choose a reverb plug-in
Figure: SoundBounty
What kind of reverb do you want?
Reverb comes in types such as room, hall and plate (the sound of a metal sheet). On vocals, a natural room or plate is often used. If you want a special reverb that changes the mood a lot, choose a product that is good at it.
Keeping the voice from being buried
Reverb can make a voice sound far away and the lyrics harder to understand. A function that lowers the reverb while the voice is sounding (ducking) helps keep the voice from being buried.
Ease of setting up
One where AI suggests a reverb to suit the song is easy to use even if you do not know how much to apply.
A word on each product
Prices in the headings are regular prices in US dollars shown on Plugin Boutique on October 10, 2026. They are not part of the score.
Pro-R 2 (rank S, $199)
FabFilter’s Pro-R 2 is a reverb plug-in whose “Space” knob moves smoothly through room models from a small room to a cathedral. It also offers a Decay Rate EQ that changes the decay time by frequency, Vintage and Plate algorithms, IR file loading and Dolby Atmos support.
smart:reverb 2 (rank S, $129)
sonible’s smart:reverb 2 analyzes the incoming sound with AI and builds a reverb that suits it. It has a “reverb matrix” that moves between room, hall, spring and plate, and a Distance parameter that changes how near or far the source seems.
SP2016 Reverb (rank S, $99)
Eventide’s SP2016 Reverb recreates the reverbs of Eventide’s SP2016 effects unit, which appeared in 1982. It offers Room, Stereo Room and Hi-Density Plate in Vintage and Modern versions, and a Position slider moves the listening position from front to back.
VintageVerb (rank A)
Valhalla DSP’s VintageVerb offers 22 reverb sounds based on digital reverbs of the 1970s and 80s (hall, plate, room, chamber and more), and three color modes: 1970s, 1980s and Now.
SuperPlate (rank A, $149)
Soundtoys’ SuperPlate recreates five plate reverbs: the EMT 140, EMT 240, Audicon, Stocktronics RX4000 and EcoPlate III. It has three preamp modes (tube, solid-state and clean) and Auto-Decay, which shortens the reverb only while the input is loud.
ValhallaRoom (rank A)
Valhalla DSP’s ValhallaRoom is a reverb that makes natural-sounding reverbs, from a small room to a large hall and a vast space, with 12 algorithms. The early reflections (Early) and the reverb tail (Late) can be adjusted separately, and the decay time can be changed in three bands.
MReverb (rank A, $43)
MeldaProduction’s MReverb is a reverb where you drag the position of the sound source on screen and it sets up the reverb so the sound seems to come from that spot in the room. It has a built-in parametric EQ, a gate and four modulators.
ValhallaPlate (rank A)
Valhalla DSP’s ValhallaPlate is a reverb that recreates, with 12 algorithms, the sound of the steel-plate reverbs used in studios in the 1960s and 70s. With few knobs, such as DECAY, SIZE and WIDTH, it makes a warm, dense reverb.
Rev PLATE-140 (rank A)
Arturia’s Rev PLATE-140 is a reverb that recreates the classic plate reverb EMT 140, including its tube preamp. You can choose from three kinds of plate, and it has a pre-delay (the time before the reverb starts), an input filter, a chorus and a three-band post-reverb EQ.
RAUM (rank B)
Native Instruments’ RAUM is a free reverb with three modes: room (GROUNDED), hall (AIRY) and special effects (COSMIC). It also has a Freeze mode that holds a sound, and pre-delay (the time before the reverb starts) and modulation (changing a sound over time) sections.
ValhallaSupermassive (rank C)
Valhalla DSP’s ValhallaSupermassive is a free plug-in for making huge reverbs and echoes that gradually build up. It has 22 reverb/echo modes, and WARP and DENSITY let you move continuously from echo to dense reverb.
Blackhole (rank C, $99)
Eventide’s Blackhole is a reverb plug-in that can create enormous spaces that could never exist in reality. According to the manufacturer, it can produce everything from drones and spatial effects to subtle, restrained reverb.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is there a free reverb?
In this comparison RAUM is free. Getting used to adding reverb with a free one first is also a good idea.
Q. How much reverb should I use?
The basic approach is to start at a level where you can only just tell it is there. Changing it by section, such as adding a little in the chorus, is effective.
Q. How is it different from delay?
Delay repeats a sound like an echo. Reverb spreads a sound like the reverberation of a room. On vocals it is common to use a little of both.
How we score
How we score (Reverb plug-ins)
| Criterion | Basis | 5 pt | 4 pt | 3 pt | 2 pt | 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vocal-friendly sounds | Whether it offers the reverb types vocalists rely on (plate, hall and room) | Three or more standard sounds to choose from, including plate | Two or more including plate, or several plate models | Two or more standard sounds other than plate | One standard sound | Mainly special-effect sounds |
| Easy to blend | Controls for blending the reverb into a mix and a voice | Ducking, per-band decay time and reverb EQ are all included | Two of those, or a feature that adjusts automatically to the sound | One or two controls such as pre-delay or EQ | — | Not mentioned on the official page |
| Speed | How quickly you can reach the sound you want | AI builds the reverb automatically to suit the sound | Easy-to-understand controls, such as distance | Just pick a mode | Standard controls | — |
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: adding a natural sense of space to a vocal and blending it into the backing track. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Vocal-friendly sounds" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.
The thinking behind scores and ranks is summarized in How we rate specifications. We add products in order.
More comparisons
For free options
Pages about free products in this category: