Waves Ultimate vs Kilohearts Ultimate

Waves Ultimate9.2Visit Kilohearts Ultimate7.5Visit

Higher score Waves Ultimate #2 in Audio Plugins 9.2/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Waves Ultimate

vs

Kilohearts Ultimate #11 in Audio Plugins 7.5/10 10-day trial Free trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Kilohearts

• Waves Ultimate fits best

  Producers and engineers who want a large plugin suite

• Kilohearts Ultimate fits best

  Sound designers wanting modular effects and synthesis

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Side by side

Feature	Waves Ultimate 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Kilohearts Ultimate 7.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	7.5
Ranking	#2 in Audio Plugins	#11 in Audio Plugins
Best for	Producers and engineers who want a large plugin suite	Sound designers wanting modular effects and synthesis
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$9.99/mo
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	7 days	10 days
Free trial length	7 days	10 days
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Windows, macOS
Integrations	11 integrations	9 integrations
Features Waves Ultimate 2/3 · Kilohearts Ultimate 2/3
External sidechain	✓	✓
Oversampling	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Surround support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Plugin formats	AAX Native, Audiosuite, Audio Units, VST3	VST2, VST3, AAX, Audio Unit
Effect types	vocal production, analog modeling, mastering, compression, EQ, effects, instruments, saturation, channel strips, noise reduction, surround processing	modular synthesis, multiband effects, convolution, wavetable filtering, wavetable distortion, all-pass filtering, distortion, graphic EQ, parametric EQ, dynamics
License model	Subscription	Both
Product scope	Suite	Bundle
Our review
Pros	More than 240 plugins span vocal work, mixing, mastering and sound design. Updates and newly added plugins are included with the subscription. Works with major DAWs and activates on two machines at a time.	Includes Phase Plant, Multipass, Snap Heap, and Kilohearts Essentials. Run effects as DAW plug-ins or Snapins inside Kilohearts hosts. Macros, automation slots, and compatible external sidechain workflows.
Cons	There is no free plan; access is subscription-based. The suite is limited to Windows and macOS. The Monthly plan does not include the Annual plan’s 30 mastering credits.	The $399 perpetual bundle does not include Content Banks. The separate $9.99 monthly subscription is not the Ultimate perpetual license. Future additions require completing the bundle at a discount.
Our verdict	Waves Ultimate brings more than 240 Waves plugins together in a subscription for music producers, mixing and mastering engineers, vocal editors, post-production professionals and live-sound users. Its collection covers vocal production,… Read the review →	Kilohearts Ultimate is a collection of audio plug-ins for music producers, sound designers, and electronic musicians. Its centerpiece tools include Phase Plant, a modular synthesizer, plus Multipass and Snap Heap, which host effects in… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Waves Ultimate — where it wins

  • More than 240 plugins span vocal work, mixing, mastering and sound design.
  • Updates and newly added plugins are included with the subscription.
  • Works with major DAWs and activates on two machines at a time.

  Where it doesn't

  • There is no free plan; access is subscription-based.
  • The suite is limited to Windows and macOS.
  • The Monthly plan does not include the Annual plan’s 30 mastering credits.

• Kilohearts Ultimate — where it wins

  • Includes Phase Plant, Multipass, Snap Heap, and Kilohearts Essentials.
  • Run effects as DAW plug-ins or Snapins inside Kilohearts hosts.
  • Macros, automation slots, and compatible external sidechain workflows.

  Where it doesn't

  • The $399 perpetual bundle does not include Content Banks.
  • The separate $9.99 monthly subscription is not the Ultimate perpetual license.
  • Future additions require completing the bundle at a discount.

• Waves Ultimate9.2/10 · 7-day trial

  A broad, regularly updated plugin suite for production, mixing, mastering and sound design.

  Visit Waves UltimateFull verdict →
• Kilohearts Ultimate7.5/10 · 10-day trial

  A modular synthesis and effects bundle, available as a $399 perpetual license.

  Visit KiloheartsFull verdict →