BEST FREE DELAY PLUGINS · 2026
Best free delay plugins in 2026.
The free delays worth your plugin folder in 2026: tape echoes, dub delays, ping-pongs and weird glitchy ones.
By Jordon Lumley, producer and maker of SCRAMBLE. · Updated Nov 2026 · 10 plugins, all free
1. SCRAMBLE by SCRAMBLE (us)
Tape echo, dub delay and ping-pong throws are part of most cube chains and vocal chains, always in time with your DAW. Free.
2. Valhalla Freq Echo by Valhalla DSP
Frequency-shifting delay for spacey echoes and alien sounds.
3. Deelay by Sixth Sample
Clean, modern delay with diffusion and modulation.
4. Hysteresis by Glitchmachines
Glitchy delay with stutters, modulation and lo-fi grit.
5. Valhalla Space Modulator by Valhalla DSP
Flanger and doubler built from the Supermassive engine.
6. TAL-Dub-X by TAL Software
Free dub-style delay with tape-like feedback and filtering.
7. Replika by Native Instruments
Free delay from NI with modern, analog, tape and vintage digital modes.
8. Spaceship Delay by Musical Entropy
Free delay inspired by vintage space echoes, with FX and modulation.
9. Cocoa Delay by Tesselode
Free warm analog-style delay with ducking and drift.
10. ChowMatrix by ChowDSP
Free delay tree: branch delays into delays for wild echo patterns.
SCRAMBLE is ours. The rest are from other makers; we're not paid to list them. Prices and versions as of Nov 2026.
Delay how-tos
SCRAMBLE is free.
SCRAMBLE is a free FX plugin you play like a Rubik's cube: 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 positions, each a different FX chain. It works on drum buses, 808s and bass, hats, loops, vocals and the master bus, not just loops. 237 presets + 10 vocal chains free, Mac + Windows.
Questions
Are these delay plugins really free?
Yes, every plugin on this list has a free version you can download today. Some (like SCRAMBLE) also have an optional paid upgrade.
Do they work in FL Studio, Logic and Ableton?
Most are VST3 and AU, so they load in all three. Check each maker's page for your system; a few are Windows-only or Mac-only.
Why is SCRAMBLE first?
It's our plugin, so we put it first, and we say so. Everything else is listed because producers actually use it.