8.1Great
iZotope Neutron 5 is an AI-assisted mixing suite of channel-strip and analysis modules for balancing and shaping individual tracks.
Plugin comparison
iZotope Neutron 5 vs FabFilter Pro-MB
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which effect to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
9.1Essential
FabFilter Pro-MB is a multiband dynamics plug-in offering up to six bands of compression, expansion, limiting and gating.
Score verdict
Which should you buy?
On the Dubspot Score, FabFilter Pro-MB comes out ahead (9.1). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | iZotope Neutron 5 | FabFilter Pro-MB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299 | $199.00 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.1 | 9.1 |
| Formats | AU, VST3, AAX | VST, VST3, Audio Units (AU), CLAP, AAX Native, AudioSuite |
| Editions | Neutron 5 ($299) and Neutron 5 Elements ($55) | — |
| Plugins included | 11 plugins (1 mothership plus 10 component modules) | — |
| Modules | Includes Clipper, Density, Phase, Unmask, Sculptor, Transient Shaper, Exciter, Gate, Compressor, Equalizer, plus Visual Mixer and iZotope Relay | — |
| Plugin architecture | 64-bit only | — |
| Operating systems | macOS Sonoma/Sequoia/Tahoe (Intel and Apple silicon); Windows 10 and Windows 11 | — |
| Processing modes | Mid/Side and Transient/Sustain channel processing | Dynamic Phase (zero latency), Linear Phase, and Minimum Phase |
| Processing bands | — | Up to six bands, freely positioned in the spectrum |
| Dynamics modes | — | Compression, limiting, expansion, gating, and upward compression |
| Crossover slope | — | Adjustable from 6 to 48 dB/octave |
| Per-band controls | — | Threshold, range, attack, release, ratio, knee, lookahead (up to 20 ms), mid/side, and external sidechain |
| Internal processing | — | 64-bit, with up to four times linear-phase oversampling |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.