No free plugin matches iZotope RX’s machine learning or spectral repair, but for removing hiss, hum, and ambient noise, the above four plugins are professional-grade and cost nothing.
Instead of broadband subtraction, it compresses/expands specific frequency ranges when they fall below a threshold. Effectively ducks hiss in silent passages.
Uses an adaptive noise floor estimation with adjustable thresholds. Unlike simple gates, it reduces noise across all frequencies proportionally. noise removal plugin free
Trained on thousands of voice and noise samples. Uses deep learning to isolate speech even under heavy background (e.g., traffic, café noise).
Records a noise print from a selection of audio (silence section), then subtracts that exact spectral shape. Works like iZotope RX’s Voice De-noise but free. No free plugin matches iZotope RX’s machine learning
No “musical noise” artifacts. Great for cleaning high-frequency hiss (tape, converters) without damaging transients. Requires careful band setup.
No learn function; you must manually set threshold. GUI is basic but functional. 3.2 ReaFIR (Cockos) – Most Powerful | Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | Developer | Cockos (part of REAPER) | | Type | FFT-based subtractive / dynamic EQ | | Formats | VST, AU (free standalone) | | OS | Windows, macOS, Linux | | Key feature | “Subtract” mode with noise profile capture | Uses an adaptive noise floor estimation with adjustable
Exceptional for podcasts, vocals. Zero artifacts on voice. CPU heavy (~10–12% per instance). Requires SSE4.2 CPU.