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PLUGIN_DEVELOPMENT_FRAMEWORKS.md

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Plugin Development Frameworks

A list of software stacks/frameworks used to make audio plugins, along with their pros and cons.

JUCE

  • Full-stack framework with GUI in C++.
  • Open source with mixed licensing. It's free if you distribute your plugins open-source under the GPLv3 license, but you have to pay for a hefty license if you want to distribute your plugins closed-source.
  • Targets VST2, VST3, AUv2, AUv3, RTAS, AAX, and LV2 plugin formats. Unofficial support for the CLAP standard is also in the works here.
  • Targets Linux, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Raspberry Pi platforms.
  • Well known in the industry, and many commercial plugins are built with it.

JUCE Resources

  • pamplejuce - Handy code template to help with the development process.
  • JIVE - Framework that makes it easier to create GUIs in JUCE.
  • Awesome JUCE - A large list of resources for JUCE.

NIH-plug

  • Full-stack and modular framework with GUI in Rust.
  • Fully open-source using a permissive license.
  • Targets CLAP and VST3 plugin formats.
  • Targets Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms.
  • Has several different options for GUI such as Vizia, Iced, and egui.
  • It's still somewhat experimental and is missing some more specialized features, but it's usable.
  • There is now a cookiecutter template to help get you started faster.

DISTRHO Plugin Framework

  • Full-stack framework with GUI in C++.
  • Fully open-source using a permissive license.
  • Targets LADSPA, DSSI, LV2, VST2, VST3, CLAP, and Jack plugin formats.
  • Targets Linux, Mac, and Windows platforms.

Dplug

  • Full-stack framework with GUI in the D programming language.
  • Fully open-source using a permissive license.
  • The GUI framework has fancy physically-modeled rendering inspired by game engines.
  • Targets VST2, VST3, AUv2, AAX, and LV2 plugin formats.
  • Targets Linux, Mac, Windows, and Raspberry Pi platforms.
  • Used by several commercial plugins.

iPlug2

  • Full-stack framework in C++ with GUI.
  • Fully open-source using a permissive license.
  • Targets VST2, VST3, AUv2, AUv3, AAX and the Web Audio Module (WAM) plugin formats (also support for CLAP is in the works).
  • Targets Mac, Windows, iOS, and Web. It does not currently target Linux.