Pianoteq vs Surge XT
Pianoteq
modartt.com
Surge XT
surge-synthesizer.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Pianoteq | Surge XT |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Virtual Instruments | 8.1 (#7) | 8.2 (#6) |
| Founded | 2006 | 2005 |
| Intended users | The maker describes Stage as an entry product for budget-minded musicians and PRO as suited to creative composers and demanding studio engineers. | The site presents Surge XT for sound designers and music makers, and welcomes volunteer developers, designers, testers, and content creators. |
| Security and compliance | The maker's legal footer links to a GDPR page, but the pages reviewed do not state a security certification or compliance program. | The official pages reviewed describe GPL3 licensing but make no security certification or compliance claim. |
| Support | The maker says contact messages will receive a reply within 24 hours and provides user manuals and a support page. | The FAQ directs users who need help to the Surge Synth Team Discord help channel. |
Plans
Pianoteq
- Pianoteq 9 Stage$139, paid once
- Pianoteq 9 Standard$269, paid once
- Pianoteq 9 PRO$399, paid once
- Pianoteq Studio Bundle$929, paid once
In their own words
Pianoteq
Pianoteq is a virtual piano and instrument suite that generates sound through physical modelling rather than built-in samples. It creates notes in real time, and the maker describes it as about 50 MB. More than 20 instrument packs cover electric pianos, plucked strings and historical keyboards. The software models sympathetic resonances and exposes physical parameters for adjusting tone. Pianoteq 9 can position and mix up to eight microphones to stereo or multichannel output. Desktop editions run standalone or in VST3, Audio Units and AAX hosts; NKS compatibility is also listed. It is available on iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows. There is no free plan, but the Pianoteq 9.2.5 evaluation version is full-featured with eight silent notes and a restart required every 20 minutes. Stage costs $139, paid once and includes two instrument packs; Standard costs $269, paid once with three packs, while PRO costs $399, paid once with four. The Studio Bundle is $929, paid once and includes PRO plus all current instrument packs.
Surge XT
Surge XT is a free, open-source virtual instrument plugin and hybrid synthesizer for making music. Each patch has two scenes that can be layered or split, and each scene has three oscillators with 12 algorithms, including wavetable, FM, string, and audio input. Its listed library includes over 2,800 patches and over 700 wavetables. Other features include 12 LFO units, flexible modulation routing, and 16 effect units with 27 algorithms. Performance support includes MPE, Scala and MTS-ESP microtuning, and Open Sound Control. Surge XT runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with plugin formats varying by platform: CLAP and VST3 on Windows; AU, CLAP, and VST3 on macOS; and CLAP, LV2, and VST3 on Linux. It primarily needs a DAW or another compatible host, though a standalone executable is available. Version 1.3.4 is identified as the stable release for normal production use. The software is licensed under GPL3.