Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
AmpliTube 5 is IK Multimedia's guitar and bass amp/effects modeling software for recording and live use, available as plugin and standalone.
Blue Cat Free Amp 2.0 is a free guitar and bass amp plugin with four models rebuilt on Destructor V2, built in reverb, and custom IR loading.
Technical matrix
| Signal | AmpliTube 5 | Blue Cat Free Amp 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99 | Free |
| Dubspot Score | 8.2 | — |
| Formats | VST 3, Audio Units (AU, Mac), AAX, Standalone | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone |
| Gear models (full AmpliTube 5) | 183 models | — |
| Gear models (AmpliTube 5 MAX) | 435 models (111 STOMP, 111 AMP, 106 CAB, 33 SPEAKER, 18 MIC, 48 RACK, 8 ROOM) | — |
| Platform support | macOS 10.15+ (M1/Intel) and Windows 10 64-bit or newer | — |
| RAM required | 8 GB | — |
| Disk space | 3 GB | — |
| Type | — | Free guitar and bass amp simulation |
| Version | — | 2.0, released 2 October 2026 |
| Amp models | — | Classic clean, classic drive, modern drive, classic bass |
| Engine | — | Destructor V2 |
| Reverb | — | Built in, one per amp model |
| Impulse responses | — | Custom IR loading for cabinets and reverb |
| MIDI | — | Notes, pitch bend, NRPN, 14 bit CCs, aftertouch |
| Formats | — | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, standalone |
| macOS | — | 10.9 or later, Intel or Apple silicon |
| Windows | — | Vista, 7, 8, 10, 11, SSE2 CPU |
| Price | — | Free, no registration |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.