Compression is one of the most essential tools for an audio engineer, allowing us to shape drum transients, even out vocal levels, glue an entire mix together, and much more. While hardware compressor units can easily cost thousands of dollars, you don’t need to break the bank to access this important effect. There are plenty of Free Compressor Plugins on the market, and in this article, I’ll highlight my favorites, and discuss how I use them when producing, mixing, and mastering music. Make sure to check out my article on compressor controls explained.
TDR Kotelnikov
TDR Kotelnikov is a free, high-fidelity compressor plugin specifically engineered for transparent dynamic range control in mixing and mastering contexts. Unlike analog emulations, Kotelnikov is proudly digital—it doesn’t model vintage gear but instead offers a forward-thinking design built around clean, precise audio processing.
A standout feature is its dual-release control, allowing independent handling of peak and RMS elements, giving engineers refined control over the signal’s dynamic character. This is particularly effective on stereo buses where both punch and detail must be preserved. Its unique crest factor-based control scheme and flexible stereo linking further support nuanced compression strategies.
The plugin operates on a 64-bit multi-rate processing architecture, ensuring accuracy and sonic clarity. Key features include a high-quality oversampled signal path, an advanced sidechain highpass filter, delta preview for A/B comparison, and a latency-compensated bypass. Its sonic footprint is minimal—Kotelnikov can apply significant compression while maintaining the tone, timbre, and integrity of the original source.
How I Use It:
Whether applied to a full mix or individual elements, Kotelnikov offers mastering-grade transparency and musicality, making it an essential tool for engineers seeking precision without coloration. For distinct vibe, I may look elsewhere, but for surgical precision in controlling dynamics, look no further than Kotelnikov.
Klanghelm MJUC JR.
MJUC jr. is a free compressor plugin (of the variable-mu variety) that brings rich analog-style tone and musical compression to your mix bus or individual tracks. A streamlined sibling of Klanghelm’s flagship MJUC, this plugin delivers a surprisingly deep sonic character thanks to its dual gain stages and interstage transformer emulation.
Unlike transparent digital compressors, MJUC jr. embraces color and warmth. It excels at smoothing dynamics with a vintage-style touch, but it’s also capable of bold, pumpy effects when pushed. Its three-position timing control not only adjusts attack and release behavior, but also subtly shifts transformer slew rate and circuit response—affecting harmonic content and saturation in musically pleasing ways.
Sonically, MJUC jr. combines the soft, dense compression of early tube units with a slightly more aggressive, harmonically rich tone inspired by 1960s variable-mu designs. The result is a compressor that feels equally at home on vocals, bass, or program material where depth, warmth, and character are desired.
How I Use It:
While it lacks the full control set of its commercial counterpart, MJUC jr. stands on its own as a capable, vibe-rich compressor that adds analog-style movement to digital mixes—all at no cost.
It excels on signals that aren’t overly dynamic to begin with, so if you’ve got a bass or vocal part with somewhat consistent levels, the MJUC Jr. excels in adding warmth and musciality.
Klanghelm DC1A
DC1A is a deceptively simple freeware compressor from Klanghelm, offering professional-grade results with just two knobs—Input and Output. While it may appear minimalistic, this plugin packs a surprising range of compression behaviors drawn from its big sibling, the DC8C, particularly its punchy and musical compression character.
Designed to “just work,” DC1A can handle everything from subtle, transparent leveling to aggressive, saturated pumping. Under the hood, it offers a number of advanced features accessible via hidden switches: negative ratios for creative over-compression, dual mono operation for independent channel control, parallel compression for added weight, and a high-pass filter (DEEP mode) to tame low-end pumping.
You can also toggle between peak and RMS detection with the RELAXED mode, giving you finer control over how it reacts to transients versus sustained signals. These options allow DC1A to shine on a variety of sources—vocals, bass, drums, or mix buses—despite its stripped-down interface.
Don’t let the simple layout fool you. DC1A is a versatile, great-sounding compressor that delivers musical results quickly, making it an excellent go-to tool for both beginners and experienced engineers alike.
How I Use It:
Due to its punchy nature, DC1A works great on drums, especially considering it has a dual mono setting. I often use it on overheads or rooms that need some life and impact.
TAN by Acustica
TAN is a free VCA-style compressor plugin from Acustica Audio, built on their powerful CORE8 engine and designed to emulate the sound and behavior of classic analog compressors. Offering a full suite of standard compression controls—attack, release, threshold, ratio, makeup gain, and a dry/wet mix—TAN provides a professional feature set suitable for both mixing and mastering.
What sets TAN apart is its unique “ShMod” control, which allows you to adjust the shape of the compressor’s attack curve. This lets users go beyond traditional attack/release timing and sculpt the envelope response to better suit transients, dynamics, and source material—ideal for tailoring the behavior of drums, vocals, or buses with surgical precision.
TAN also includes a switchable preamp stage for analog-style saturation, adding subtle harmonic color when desired. Parallel compression is built-in via the dry/wet control, and the intuitive graphical interface makes it easy to dial in everything from transparent glue to aggressive punch.
With support for all major plugin formats (VST2, AU, AAX) and both 32/64-bit systems, TAN is a versatile, modern plugin that balances classic compression character with digital control. Best of all, it’s free—available via download after registration—making it an excellent addition to any producer or engineer’s toolkit.
How I Use It:
Truthfully, TAN sounds great on pretty much everything you throw at it. I like dialing in more extreme settings and then dialing back the dry/wet blend to allow some of the natural signal to pass through.
Frontier by D16
D16’s Frontier is a free dynamics processor that bridges the gap between simple limiting and creative sound shaping. Designed with a modern, clean GUI inspired by high-end hardware, Frontier keeps controls minimal—Threshold and Output Gain take center stage—yet offers surprising flexibility under the hood.
Built for use on single tracks, buses, or the master channel, Frontier adapts to a wide range of studio tasks. Its self-adaptive gain makeup intelligently normalizes output after limiting, streamlining workflow and keeping levels consistent. The plugin also includes selectable Control Input modes (L/R/MS) and a Soft Clip function that adds aggression and color—ideal for drums, synths, or edgy mixes.
Free for all registered D16 users, Frontier is an efficient, great-sounding tool that adds both precision and punch to any session. Its balance of simplicity and power makes it a worthy addition to any mixing or mastering chain.
How I Use It:
While it can serve as a transparent limiter when dialed in conservatively, Frontier thrives when pushed into more extreme territory. Used creatively, it can enhance punch, add harmonic grit, or function as a mono ducker by routing side signals to control compression behavior.
OTT by Xfer Records
OTT is a legendary free plugin from Xfer Records that recreates the famous over-the-top multiband compression setting popularized by dubstep, electro, and EDM producers. Known for its aggressive sound, OTT combines both upward and downward compression across three frequency bands—low, mid, and high—to drastically reshape dynamics and enhance detail.
Its signature sound is instantly recognizable: punchy transients, bright highs, and a dense, controlled low end. While often used on synths, drums, or full mix buses for electronic genres, OTT can also be dialed back for subtler enhancements in other styles.
Key features include:
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Depth: Scales the overall amount of compression (upwards and downwards)
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Time: Adjusts attack and release timing across all bands
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Input/Output Gain: Controls for balancing signal level before and after processing
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Visual Display: Real-time metering shows input levels and gain reduction for low, mid, and high bands
How I Use It:
OTT is one of that plugins that has that sound. For electronic dance music it’s unparalleled. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and packs a powerful punch. Whether you’re looking to add clarity and presence or crush a sound into something entirely new, OTT remains one of the most beloved and effective free dynamics tools in modern music production.
The Entire Analog Obsession Bundle
Analog Obsession is the one-person passion project of Rıdvan Küçük (aka Tunca)—a musician, hardware designer, and plugin developer based in Turkey. His mission is simple but powerful: to bring the warmth, color, and behavior of classic analog hardware into the digital realm—and make it accessible to everyone.
Tunca’s growing collection of meticulously crafted plugins covers everything from vintage-style compressors and EQs to channel strips and tape saturators. While designed to emulate analog gear, many of these plugins go beyond replication, offering modern features, flexible routing, and clean interfaces suited to today’s production workflows.
Every Analog Obsession plugin is available completely free via Patreon—no paywall, no restrictions. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned producer, you can download and use the full suite without spending a dime.
If you like what you hear, you can support the developer with a small monthly donation to help keep the project alive and thriving. It’s one of the best deals in the plugin world: high-quality, analog-modeled tools from a developer who truly cares about sound—and shares it freely.
Here are some of my favorite compressors by Analog Obsession:
EDComp
EDComp by Analog Obsession is a free, characterful compressor designed around a unique pre-emphasis/de-emphasis concept. Loosely inspired by “S-Type” channel strip behavior, it offers a streamlined interface with smart internal processing that makes it especially effective for vocals, though it works well on a variety of sources.
Rather than using traditional threshold and ratio controls independently, EDComp employs a dynamic relationship between the two: the threshold remains fixed at a high level, while the ratio smoothly increases from 1:1 to 10:1 as you turn up the Amount knob. This results in a more natural compression curve and easier control over dynamic leveling.
In ED mode, the plugin emphasizes low and high frequencies before compression, then de-emphasizes them afterward—similar to a tilt EQ, though based on specially tuned frequencies and curves. This helps preserve tonal balance and clarity, particularly in vocal tracks. CL mode bypasses this emphasis behavior for a cleaner, more transparent response.
Fixed attack and release times (15 ms and 80 ms, respectively) keep things simple, while a Mix control allows for easy parallel compression, and Output adjusts the final level. The plugin also features a resizable GUI for flexible workflow integration.
EDComp is a creative and musical dynamics tool that combines compression and subtle tone shaping in a single, intuitive interface—another strong offering from Analog Obsession’s high-quality freeware lineup.
How I Use It:
If I am looking to spend less than 3-5 minutes tweaking settings, it’s hard to go wrong with EDComp. The reason? There are hardly any settings to tweak, and I can count on it sounding great almost instantly.
FetCB
FetCB is another free plugin from Analog Obsession that brings the colorful punch of a 1970s-era British FET limiter/compressor into your DAW. Modeled after a forgotten hardware classic and updated for modern workflows, FetCB is designed to add character, aggression, and control to just about any source—from vocals and drums to buses and mixdowns.
Unlike its hardware counterpart, which featured a fixed threshold and input-driven compression, this digital version introduces a dedicated Threshold control for added flexibility, without sacrificing the bold analog-style saturation and dynamic control that define FET compression.
FetCB features fully variable controls:
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Attack: 20 microseconds to 200 milliseconds
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Release: 25 milliseconds to 500 milliseconds
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Threshold: +10 dB to -30 dB
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Ratio: 1:1 to 20:1
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Mix: for parallel compression
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Output: to set final level
How I Use It:
Whether you’re dialing in snappy drum compression, bringing elements within a buss forward in the mix, or adding heft to your entire mix, FetCB delivers fast, colorful dynamics processing with unmistakable vintage flair. Like all Analog Obsession plugins, it’s free to download and resizable, making it a high-quality and accessible tool for any producer seeking aggressive, analog-style compression.
You’ll notice the FetCB looks (and operates) a lot like the classic SSL Master Buss Compressor
COMPER
COMPER is one of Analog Obsession’s most ambitious free plugins—a multi-mode, serial compression powerhouse that combines tonal flexibility with intuitive control. At its core, COMPER features two compressors in series, each capable of running up to three compression circuit types simultaneously: VCA, FET, and OPTO.
The top compressor (INTERNAL) operates independently with no external sidechain input, while the bottom compressor (INTERNAL/EXTERNAL) allows for external sidechain use—ideal for ducking, dynamic EQ-style behavior, or advanced sidechain routing. Together, they form a highly adaptable serial chain, letting you tame transients with one stage while shaping tone or character with the other.
Each compressor module offers:
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Threshold: +10 dB to -20 dB
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Ratio: 1:1 to 20:1 (1:1 acts as a coloring tool with transformer-style saturation)
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Attack: 0.1 ms to 50 ms
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Release: 50 ms to 2 seconds
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HPF (sidechain): 20 Hz to 750 Hz
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Input and Make-Up Gain: ±15 dB
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Mix: For parallel compression
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EXT: External sidechain toggle for the second compressor
What makes COMPER unique is its blendable circuit architecture. You can activate any combination of the three modes (VCA, FET, OPTO) per compressor, running them in parallel and blending their tonal characteristics. For example, enable both FET and OPTO to blend fast and slow compression traits, or all three modes for a complex, layered response.
Whether you’re subtly controlling dynamics, creating thick vocal compression, or crafting aggressive drum textures, COMPER offers professional-grade versatility in a freely available plugin. It’s an innovative tool that combines flexibility, coloration, and precision—without costing a cent.
How I Use It:
Comper is perhaps the most versatile out of the free analog emulation compressor plugins. If I know that I’ll need to spend time dialing in a sound on drums, it’s on of my go-to free compressors.
LALA
LALA is Analog Obsession’s take on the iconic LA-2A optical compressor, updated with modern features and flexibility while retaining the smooth, musical response that made the original legendary. Designed for gentle leveling or subtle saturation, LALA excels on vocals, bass, and instruments needing controlled dynamics with analog-style warmth.
At the heart of LALA is the classic two-knob operation:
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Peak Reduction: Functions as the threshold control, setting the amount of compression
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Gain: Provides makeup gain to restore output level after compression
But LALA goes further with expanded functionality:
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LIMIT: Engages limiter mode for harder, faster gain reduction—great for peak control
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EXT: Activates external sidechain support for ducking and advanced routing
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HPF: High-pass filter for sidechain signal, helpful for avoiding over-compression from bass-heavy content
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MF / MG: Adjusts compressor sensitivity to midrange frequencies
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HF: Controls sensitivity to high frequencies, inspired by and expanding upon the vintage unit’s R37 adjustment
The POWER button toggles bypass, and like other Analog Obsession plugins, LALA features a clean, resizable interface and is completely free.
With added tone-shaping controls and sidechain flexibility, LALA updates a studio classic for modern workflows—offering vintage character with expanded control, all at no cost.
How I Use It:
Place the LALA after an 1176-style compressor for the classic vocal chain that has been heard on countless hit records. The 1176 should be set up to catch the highest peaks, with the LALA set to apply 2-4 dB consistently.
The Stock Compressor in Your DAW
Before diving into third-party plugins—even the excellent free ones—it’s crucial to fully understand the stock compressor in your DAW. These tools are often far more powerful and versatile than they’re given credit for.
Take Ableton Live’s Compressor: it’s clean, flexible, and incredibly transparent when needed, with easy sidechaining, soft knee control, lookahead, and more. It’s perfect for learning the foundations of compression while still being pro-grade.
In Logic Pro, the stock Compressor plugin is a sleeper powerhouse. It includes multiple modeled modes— Studio VCA, Vintage FET, Opto, and more—each with distinct tonal character. If you’re looking for analog vibe without leaving the box, Logic can do it.
And then there’s Pro Tools… while the platform is a powerhouse for mixing and post, let’s be honest: the stock Dyn3 Compressor/Limiter feels outdated and uninspiring. I personally reach for third-party options almost immediately.
Still, no matter what DAW you use, learn your stock compressor inside and out—because understanding gain reduction, envelopes, and signal flow at that level will make you better at using any compressor, free or paid.
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