Neural DSP alternatives
The best free alternative is Neural Amp Modeler with captures from TONE3000: thousands of real amps and pedals, free. On Linux, Guitarix. For a paid all-in-one rig, Helix Native or AmpliTube 5. And if what you liked about Neural was getting a finished tone fast, my two-knob Drown (doom) and La Bestia (bass) skip the rig-building entirely.
Neural DSP makes some of the most convincing amp sims there are, at around a hundred euros each. People look for alternatives because of price, because there is no Linux version, or because they would rather play than build a rig. Here is the honest list.
I make Siesta Audio plugins, and mine are on this list, marked as mine. Everything else is here because people actually recommend it. Prices are rough list prices and change often, so check before you buy.
| Plugin | Price | Formats | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neural Amp Modeler + TONE3000Open source / TONE3000 community | Free | VST3, AU, StandaloneMac, Win | The free NAM player loads captures of real amps and pedals; TONE3000 is the free library of 100k+ shared captures and IRs. |
| GuitarixGuitarix team (open source) | Free | LV2, JACK standaloneLinux | Low-latency virtual guitar amp with a rack of effect modules. |
| The EmissaryIgnite Amps | Free | VST2, AUMac, Win | Two-channel high-gain amp sim; load your own cab IR. |
| AmpliTube 5IK Multimedia | Free CS tier; paid tiers | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, StandaloneMac, Win | Guitar and bass amp and effects suite, expandable through IK's Custom Shop. |
| Helix NativeLine 6 | Paid | VST3, AU, AAXMac, Win | The plugin version of Line 6 Helix amp, cab and effects modeling. |
| BIAS XPositive Grid | Paid, tiered | Plugin + StandaloneMac, Win | Guitar multi-effects platform that builds tones from text descriptions or audio. |
| AmpHubSTL Tones | Subscription | VST3, AU, AAXMac, Win | Subscription library of amps, pedals and cabs. |
| Amped RootsML Sound Lab | Free (one amp); paid full | VST3, AU, AAXMac, Win | Amp sim made with Ryan 'Fluff' Bruce, with cab section and pedalboard. |
| Drown (mine)Siesta Audio | $39 | VST3, AU, StandaloneMac, Win, Linux | Two-knob doom fuzz with an octave-below sub, a dark amp stage, and FREEZE to hold the drone under you. |
| La Bestia (mine)Siesta Audio | $39 | VST3, AU, StandaloneMac, Win, Linux | Splits one bass into a tight bass rig and a fuzzed guitar rig at once. Dirt and Blend on the front. |
The free route: NAM and TONE3000
If you only take one thing from this page: TONE3000 is the best free resource for guitar and bass tones right now. People capture their real amps and pedals with Neural Amp Modeler and share them, and you play them through the free NAM plugin with a cab IR. It does not have Neural DSP's polished interfaces, but the tones themselves are often captures of the same kinds of amps those plugins model.
Other free options: Ignite Amps' Emissary for high gain, the free AmpliTube 5 CS tier, and ML Sound Lab's free one-amp version of Amped Roots.
Neural DSP alternatives on Linux
Neural DSP does not ship Linux builds. Guitarix is the native Linux amp sim. My Drown and La Bestia run on Linux too (VST3 and Standalone), so a Bitwig or Reaper rig on Linux can have doom fuzz and a full bass rig without Wine. More in free plugins for Reaper.
Paid all-in-one rigs
Helix Native and AmpliTube 5 are the big modeling suites: every amp, cab and pedal in one place, closest to having all of Neural's plugins at once. BIAS X builds tones from a description. STL AmpHub is a subscription library.
When you do not want to build a rig at all
A lot of people buy amp sims and spend more time scrolling cabs than playing. I make plugins for the opposite: Drown is a finished doom fuzz in two knobs, and La Bestia turns one bass into bass plus guitar, Royal Blood style. Neither is a general amp sim. They are finished sounds. If you are new to all this, start with how to use guitar plugins.
Quick answers
Is there a free alternative to Neural DSP?
Yes. Neural Amp Modeler is free and open source, and TONE3000 hosts a huge free library of captures of real amps and pedals to load into it.
Does Neural DSP work on Linux?
Neural DSP does not make Linux builds. Guitarix is the native Linux amp sim, and Siesta Audio's Drown and La Bestia also run on Linux.
What is TONE3000?
A free community site (formerly ToneHunt) where people share Neural Amp Modeler captures and impulse responses of real amps, pedals and cabs.
Neural DSP or Helix Native?
Neural DSP plugins are each built around one artist or amp family. Helix Native is one big modeling suite with everything inside. Pick Helix for variety in one plugin, Neural if one of their specific plugins is the sound you want.