Guide · November 2026

VST, VST3, AU and AAX: which plugin format do you need?

VST, AU and AAX are plugin formats, and the one you need depends on your DAW. Logic Pro needs AU, Pro Tools needs AAX, and most other DAWs read VST3. VST3 replaced VST2: Steinberg ended support for the VST2 developer kit in 2018, but some older plugins exist only as VST2. An installer may add several formats at once, so the same plugin can sit on your computer two or three times. A plugin manager such as Sonisto scans a Mac or Windows computer and shows which formats of each plugin are installed.

Updated 6 November 2026 by Sonisto, which makes the plugin manager this guide mentions.

How to tell what you need and what you have

1. Find your DAW’s format

Logic Pro reads AU. Pro Tools reads AAX. Cubase and Nuendo read VST3, and Steinberg is phasing VST2 out. Ableton Live, FL Studio, REAPER and Studio One read VST3 and VST2, and on a Mac also AU.

2. Read the file ending

A file ending in .vst3 is VST3. A .vst on a Mac or a .dll on Windows is VST2. A .component is AU. A .aaxplugin is AAX.

3. Keep the formats you use

If you only use Logic, your Mac does not need the VST copies. Move them out of the plugin folder rather than deleting them, so you can bring them back.

4. Check old projects before you drop VST2

A project saved with a VST2 plugin looks for that version. Some makers let the VST3 version take over, and some do not. Open an old project without the VST2 copy before you let it go.

The formats side by side

Format	Runs on	Used by	File	Common folder on a Mac	Common folder on Windows
VST3	Mac, Windows	Most DAWs, but not Logic Pro or Pro Tools	.vst3	/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3	C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3
VST2	Mac, Windows	Many DAWs; on its way out	.vst, .dll	/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST	Where the installer chose, often C:\Program Files\VSTPlugins
AU	Mac only	Logic Pro, GarageBand and most Mac DAWs	.component	/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components	None
AAX	Mac, Windows	Pro Tools and Avid Media Composer	.aaxplugin	/Library/Application Support/Avid/Audio/Plug-Ins	C:\Program Files\Common Files\Avid\Audio\Plug-Ins

CLAP is a newer open format that REAPER and Bitwig Studio read, among others. Few plugins need it yet. More on the folders in our guide to plugin folders.

Questions

Is VST3 better than VST2?

It is the current format and the one Steinberg supports, so it is the one to choose when you have both, provided your old projects still open.

Does the format change the sound?

It should not. A plugin’s sound comes from its own code, and makers build each format from the same code. If a maker’s format versions differ, its notes will say so.

On a Mac, should I use AU or VST?

In Logic you need AU. In DAWs that read both, such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, REAPER and Studio One, either works, so pick one and keep your plugin list short.

Why does a plugin show up twice in my DAW?

You have more than one format installed and your DAW reads both. Move out or hide the copy you do not use. Our guide to the plugin manager inside each DAW shows where.

Which formats does Sonisto list?

64-bit VST2, VST3, AU and AAX, and a plugin’s details show which formats are installed. A scan only reads what is installed. It does not change any files.

See plugin folders, the plugin manager inside each DAW or all guides. See what Sonisto does.