Best Sampler Software in 2026
Updated
In short: TX16Wx Software Sampler is ranked #1 of 26 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of sfizz and Vaporizer 2. The best-ranked option with a free plan is sfizz. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Falcon at €20/mo.
If you’re building instruments from recorded sound, sampler software gives you different ways to map and play samples. TX16Wx Software Sampler, LinuxSampler, and Decent Sampler appear at the top of the ranking, with Quanta 2, Vaporizer 2, and Groove Agent 5 also among the early entries. Compare sample mapping and supported sample formats with maximum polyphony, round-robin playback, and granular engine availability. Plugin support and a standalone app are other distinctions that may shape how a sampler fits your setup. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing round out the comparison, so you can weigh cost against the playback features and formats you need.
26 sampler software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
26ranked
6free plans on this page
€20/molowest paid tier
4 Oct 2026last checked
Input list Sampler Software 25 channels on this page · 103 of 200 spec lines stated by the makers
Ch Tool Free planPaid fromPlugin supportSample mappingRound-robin playbackMaximum polyphonyGranular engineSupported sample formats Spec sheet Score
01 TX16Wx Software Sampler Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportplugin-onlySample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphony4,096 voicesGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF/AIFC, SoundFont 2, SFZ, Logic EXS, Akai AKP, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, REX/REX2, CAF, Typhoon compressed AIFC, Original Yamaha OS Wave 6/8spec lines stated 7.6
02 sfizz Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, FLAC, WavPack 5/8spec lines stated 7.5
03 Vaporizer 2 Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingNoRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphony32 voicesGranular engineYesSupported sample formatsWAV, MP3, AIFF, OGG, FLAC 6/8spec lines stated 7.5
04 Decent Sampler Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF, FLAC 5/8spec lines stated 7.3
05 LinuxSampler Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsGigasampler/GigaStudio (.gig), DLS, Akai, SoundFont 2 (.sf2), SFZ, KORG 5/8spec lines stated 7.2
06 Quanta 2 Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportnot statedSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 1/8spec lines stated 7.1
07 Redux Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportplugin-onlySample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsSFZ 5/8spec lines stated 7.0
08 Speedrum 2 Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIF, FLAC, MP3, OGG, REX 5/8spec lines stated 7.0
09 Waves Curves AQ Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportplugin-onlySample mappingYesRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphony16 voicesGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF, OGG, FLAC 5/8spec lines stated 7.0
10 Atlas 2 Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportnot statedSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 1/8spec lines stated 6.9
11 MASCHINE Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular engineNoSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF, Apple Loops, REX1, REX2, ACIDized WAV, GIG, EXS24, FXP, SF2, NKI, MAP, TXT, INS, ZGR, GOG, SD2, AKAI, MPC, KORG, ROLAND, YAMAHA 6/8spec lines stated 6.7
12 Falcon Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportnot statedSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 1/8spec lines stated 6.5
13 Groove Agent 5 Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF, REX 5/8spec lines stated 6.5
14 Battery 4 Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular engineNoSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF, Apple Loops, REX1, REX2, ACIDized WAV, GIG, EXS24, FXP, SF2, NKI, MAP, TXT, INS, ZGR, GOG, SD2, AKAI, MPC, KORG, ROLAND, YAMAHA 6/8spec lines stated 6.1
15 Just a Sample Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportplugin-onlySample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphony256 voicesGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsMP3 4/8spec lines stated 6.1
16 Subsample Free plannot statedPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportstandalone-onlySample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, BWF, FLAC, AIFF, OGG, MP3/MPEG 4/8spec lines stated 6.1
17 Ami Sampler Free plannot statedPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphony8 voicesGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIF, 8SVX IFF, 8-bit signed raw PCM, mu-law BIN, BRR 3/8spec lines stated 6.0
18 Momentum Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF, MP3 3/8spec lines stated 6.0
19 Nuance Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingYesRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphony128 voicesGranular engineYesSupported sample formatsNU, WAV, AIFF, Vice VI, Logic EXS24, SFZ 7/8spec lines stated 6.0
20 Sample Dicer Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbackYesMaximum polyphony16 voicesGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 4/8spec lines stated 6.0
21 Serato Sample Free planNoPaid from$9.99/moPlugin supportplugin-onlySample mappingYesRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsaac, aif/aiff, mp3, mp4, m4a, wav, ogg, flac, wma 5/8spec lines stated 5.9
22 Sitala Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 2/8spec lines stated 5.9
23 SampleX V3 Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportplugin-onlySample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 2/8spec lines stated 5.8
24 Samplr Free planNoPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportstandalone-onlySample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphony16 voicesGranular engineYesSupported sample formatsWAV, AIFF 5/8spec lines stated 5.7
25 samplv1 Free planYesPaid fromnot statedPlugin supportbothSample mappingnot statedRound-robin playbacknot statedMaximum polyphonynot statedGranular enginenot statedSupported sample formatsnot stated 2/8spec lines stated 5.6
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Tool | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Plugin support | Sample mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TX16Wx Software Sampler | 7.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | plugin-only | Yes |
| 2 | sfizz | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 3 | Vaporizer 2 | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | No |
| 4 | Decent Sampler | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 5 | LinuxSampler | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | Yes |
| 6 | Quanta 2 | 7.1 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 7 | Redux | 7.0 | No | — | No | — | plugin-only | Yes |
| 8 | Speedrum 2 | 7.0 | No | — | No | — | both | Yes |
| 9 | Waves Curves AQ | 7.0 | No | $20.83/mo | No | — | plugin-only | Yes |
| 10 | Atlas 2 | 6.9 | No | — | No | — | — | — |
| 11 | MASCHINE | 6.7 | No | $39/mo | No | — | both | Yes |
| 12 | Falcon | 6.5 | No | €20/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 13 | Groove Agent 5 | 6.5 | No | — | No | — | both | Yes |
| 14 | Battery 4 | 6.1 | No | — | No | — | both | Yes |
| 15 | Just a Sample | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | plugin-only | — |
| 16 | Subsample | 6.1 | No | — | — | — | standalone-only | Yes |
| 17 | Ami Sampler | 6.0 | No | — | — | — | both | — |
| 18 | Momentum | 6.0 | No | — | Yes | — | both | — |
| 19 | Nuance | 6.0 | No | — | No | — | both | Yes |
| 20 | Sample Dicer | 6.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | both | — |
| 21 | Serato Sample | 5.9 | No | — | No | 9.99 /mo | plugin-only | Yes |
| 22 | Sitala | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | both | — |
| 23 | SampleX V3 | 5.8 | No | — | No | — | plugin-only | — |
| 24 | Samplr | 5.7 | No | — | No | — | standalone-only | — |
| 25 | samplv1 | 5.6 | No | — | Yes | — | both | — |
Is your tool on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which sampler software is ranked first on Specifiction?
TX16Wx Software Sampler is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 7.6. sfizz is second and Vaporizer 2 third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Falcon has the lowest first paid tier we found: €20/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, the fullest spec sheet first: how deeply the product is documented, the platforms it runs on, a free tier or trial to test it, and its standing.
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