Sound Forge Plus is the same Sound Forge editor bundled with four additional tools: Melodyne 5 Essential, Vandal, VariVerb II and 3D Reverb. The base tier already covers waveform editing, repair, batch processing, multichannel audio and VST hosting. Buy Plus when one of its four extras solves a job you expect to repeat. Otherwise, start with Sound Forge and keep the price difference for a tool you know you need.
Part of the Sound Forge comparisons. For current prices and licence terms, use our pricing guide alongside the official Boris FX store.
Quick answer: choose Sound Forge for editing, cleanup, batch work and export. Choose Sound Forge Plus if you need bundled monophonic pitch correction, guitar or bass amp tone, algorithmic ambience, or spatial reverb. There's no point paying for Plus because the name sounds more complete; the editing engine and core workflow are shared.
Sound Forge vs Sound Forge Plus at a glance
The useful comparison is entitlement rather than a feature-count contest. Boris FX lists the same core editor in both columns on its current Sound Forge pricing page. Plus adds four named products, and that's the whole difference: no second waveform editor, no hidden mastering engine, no multitrack music-production timeline.
| Capability | Sound Forge | Sound Forge Plus | What changes in practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waveform editing, recording and repair | Included | Included | The core editor is the same |
| Batch processing and multichannel work | Included | Included | Plus does not unlock a different editing engine |
| VST2, VST3 and ARA support | Included | Included | Your existing compatible effects can run in either tier |
| Melodyne 5 Essential | Not bundled | Bundled | Basic monophonic pitch and timing correction |
| Vandal | Not bundled | Bundled | Guitar and bass amp, cabinet and microphone tone |
| VariVerb II | Not bundled | Bundled | Algorithmic reverb and ambience |
| 3D Reverb | Not bundled | Bundled | Spatial placement and multichannel room work |
That distinction matters because several purchase pages reduce the decision to four logos. A buyer needs the job behind each logo, the limits of the bundled edition and an answer to a simpler question: will this tool replace something you already planned to buy?
What both versions already include
The base tier isn't a stripped-down trial edition. According to the current Boris FX feature matrix, both tiers include sample-level editing, recording, meters, coreFX and essentialFX processing, dynamic EQ, VST2, VST3 and ARA support, audio repair, text-to-speech, broadband noise reduction, multichannel audio, automatic record start, batch processing and event-based editing.
In practical terms, the ordinary Sound Forge workflow is available before Plus enters the discussion. You can trim a voice recording, remove a bad section, normalize or limit a file, run a compatible VST chain and render a folder of files with either tier. Our current Sound Forge review covers where that single-file workflow is fast and where a DAW or dedicated restoration suite is the better tool.
ARA support also appears in both columns. Plus matters because it supplies Melodyne 5 Essential; the base editor already has the integration layer. If you already own a compatible pitch editor, reverb or amp simulator that runs in your workflow, check that licence before paying for overlapping tools.
What Sound Forge Plus actually adds
Plus adds four specialist products. They do different jobs, so count them separately. One useful extra can justify the bundle; four unused extras cannot.
Melodyne 5 Essential: basic monophonic pitch and timing work
Melodyne 5 Essential is the relevant Plus extra for a solo vocal, bass line or other monophonic performance that needs pitch-center, drift or timing correction. Celemony's current edition comparison says Essential uses the Main Tool for pitch, timing, duration and note separation and includes pitch, timing and leveling macros. Its Correct Pitch Macro documentation confirms separate controls for pitch center and pitch drift.
The limit is important. Essential doesn't include Direct Note Access for editing individual notes inside chords. Celemony's Essential quick-start guide also reserves the larger dedicated toolset, including vibrato and formant tools, for higher editions. The bundled Essential edition handles straightforward monophonic correction; it doesn't promise the full Melodyne Editor or Studio workflow.
Vandal: guitar and bass amp tone from a DI track
Vandal is the Plus extra for an unamplified guitar or bass recording that needs an amp, speaker cabinet and microphone chain. Boris FX describes controls for amplifier, speaker, cabinet and microphone choices. That makes it useful when the source is a clean DI track and you want to build or revise the tone after recording.
It's a narrow reason to upgrade. If you don't process guitar or bass, Vandal adds nothing to a spoken-word, restoration or batch-conversion workflow. If you already own an amp simulator, compare the sounds and licence you have before treating Vandal as a saving.
VariVerb II: algorithmic reverb and ambience
VariVerb II supplies selectable reverb types, presets, room-size control and reverb amount. It fits ordinary ambience work: giving a dry voice a room, creating a plate-like tail or placing an isolated sound into a believable acoustic space. The official matrix supports those broad capabilities, but it doesn't publish an exhaustive current mode list, so this guide won't invent one.
Both tiers can host compatible VST effects, so Plus isn't the only way to add reverb. If you already have a reverb you trust, the bundle may simply duplicate it. If you're still learning the processing order, our Sound Forge reverb workflow explains how to set the effect by context rather than preset name.
3D Reverb: placement, depth and multichannel rooms
3D Reverb is the more specialized spatial tool. Boris FX positions it for virtual three-dimensional rooms, reflection and depth control, source placement and stereo-to-multichannel work. That can matter for sound design, surround delivery and scenes where front-to-back placement is part of the result.
For a stereo voice-over or a music file that only needs a small room, VariVerb II or another conventional reverb may be the shorter path. Choose 3D Reverb for a defined spatial problem, not because its name sounds more advanced.
Choose by workflow, not by the number of plug-ins
Start with the file you deliver most often. The table below separates recurring jobs from occasional curiosity. It also keeps one false choice out of the comparison: neither tier turns Sound Forge into a full multitrack DAW with a MIDI arrangement workflow.
| Your recurring job | Better starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Cut, clean, normalize and export individual files | Sound Forge | Those jobs use the shared editor |
| Process folders with repeatable chains | Sound Forge | Batch processing is in both tiers |
| Correct pitch and timing on solo vocals or instruments | Check Plus | Melodyne 5 Essential is the relevant extra |
| Shape DI guitar or bass tone | Check Plus | Vandal is the relevant extra |
| Add algorithmic ambience regularly | Compare both | Both tiers host VST effects; Plus bundles VariVerb II |
| Place sound in spatial or multichannel rooms | Check Plus | 3D Reverb is the relevant extra |
| Mix a layered music session with MIDI | Choose a DAW first | The tier decision does not turn Sound Forge into a multitrack DAW |
For mastering a single stereo file, either tier can use the shared editor and compatible effects. The deciding question is whether one bundled Plus processor belongs in your repeatable chain. The same logic applies to cleanup and batch processing: Plus doesn't make the base tools process files any faster just because the bundle is larger.
If the work is a podcast series, a layered music mix or a MIDI composition, settle the host application first. Our Sound Forge alternatives guide compares tools by workflow rather than forcing every job into this two-tier choice.
The three purchase checks most comparisons miss
1. Check the exact Melodyne entitlement
Don't read “Melodyne included” as “every Melodyne feature included.” The current bundle names Melodyne 5 Essential. Celemony sells higher editions with additional tools and Direct Note Access. If you need to edit chord notes, manipulate vibrato directly, export MIDI or use the full specialist toolset, compare the Essential licence with the current Celemony edition matrix before ordering Plus.
2. Check what the 15-day trial installs
Boris FX currently describes the Sound Forge trial as fully functional for 15 days and says it provides full access without limitations. The public trial wording does not clearly state whether the four Plus-only products are included in the installer presented to every user. Start the trial through Boris FX Hub, inspect the listed products before activation and verify the exact bundle you can test. Do not assume that testing the editor also tested every Plus extra.
3. Check the upgrade path before relying on it
The current public comparison page shows what each tier contains, but it doesn't state a universal Sound Forge-to-Plus upgrade policy or promise that every bundled product can be purchased later on identical terms. Celemony does describe paid upgrades between its own Melodyne editions, but that's a Celemony licence path and says nothing about a Boris FX bundle upgrade. Ask Boris FX for the current route if buying base now and moving to Plus later is part of your budget.
Is Sound Forge Plus worth it? Calculate the avoided purchase
Prices and promotions change, so the durable calculation is not a number copied from a sale banner. Return to the official Boris FX pricing page linked above and subtract the current base price from the current Plus price. Then compare that difference with the cost of the tool you would otherwise buy for the same recurring job.
If the avoided purchase is zero, the four-item bundle is still worth zero to your workflow.
Also check whether you already own a suitable VST effect, whether the licence covers your current machine and whether the bundled edition has the specific control you need. A cheap duplicate is not a saving. A single tool that replaces a planned purchase can be.
Verdict: start with the job
For most buyers who want Sound Forge for precise single-file editing, cleanup, batch processing and export, the base tier is the sensible starting point. The editor is the same, and the shared feature list already covers the work that makes Sound Forge useful.
Choose Sound Forge Plus when you can name the recurring job and the bundled tool that handles it: Melodyne Essential for basic monophonic pitch and timing correction, Vandal for DI guitar or bass tone, VariVerb II for algorithmic ambience, or 3D Reverb for spatial and multichannel rooms. Verify the Melodyne feature wording, trial contents and current upgrade route if any of those details decide the purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sound Forge Plus a different audio editor?
No. Boris FX lists the same core Sound Forge editing features in both tiers. Sound Forge Plus adds four bundled tools: Melodyne 5 Essential, Vandal, VariVerb II and 3D Reverb.
What does Sound Forge Plus include that Sound Forge does not?
Plus bundles Melodyne 5 Essential for basic monophonic pitch and timing correction, Vandal for guitar and bass amp tone, VariVerb II for algorithmic reverb and ambience, and 3D Reverb for spatial and multichannel room work.
Does the base Sound Forge version support VST plug-ins?
Yes. The current Boris FX comparison lists VST2, VST3 and ARA support in both tiers. Plus changes the bundled products, not the core plug-in hosting capability.
Can Melodyne 5 Essential edit chords note by note?
No. Celemony reserves Direct Note Access, which edits individual notes inside polyphonic material, for Melodyne Editor and Studio. The Essential edition is intended for simpler monophonic pitch and timing work.
Does Melodyne 5 Essential control vibrato?
Celemony's Essential documentation says the Correct Pitch Macro can reduce pitch drift but leaves rapid pitch modulation such as vibrato unaffected. Boris FX currently uses broader modulation-control wording, so verify the exact bundled toolset if that feature decides your purchase.
Are the four Plus plug-ins included in the 15-day trial?
Boris FX describes a fully functional 15-day Sound Forge trial but does not clearly define the Plus plug-in entitlement in the public trial wording. Inspect the products offered in Boris FX Hub or confirm the bundle with Boris FX before treating the trial as a test of all four extras.
Can I upgrade from Sound Forge to Sound Forge Plus later?
The current public comparison page does not state a universal base-to-Plus upgrade policy. Confirm the current upgrade route and price with Boris FX before buying the base tier if a later move to Plus is part of your plan.
Which tier should I buy for ordinary editing and batch processing?
Start with Sound Forge. Editing, repair, batch processing, multichannel audio and VST hosting are shared. Choose Plus only when one of its four additional tools solves a recurring job.
Last fact-checked: August 14, 2026.