FabFilter Pro vs EQ550
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FabFilter Pro
This professional audio plug-in offers a high-quality equalizer with up to 24 bands, featuring dynamic EQ, linear phase processing, and an intuitive interface. It allows for precise sound shaping with advanced features like spectrum analysis and EQ matching.
- Up to 24 bands with diverse filter types
- Dynamic EQ for every band
- Natural Phase and Linear Phase processing
- Real-time spectrum analyzer with collision detection
- Spectrum Grab for direct adjustment
- EQ Match for tonal characteristic transfer
- Per-band stereo, left, right, mid, or side mode
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FabFilter Pro-Q 3 is a top-quality EQ plug-in with up to 24 bands, perfect analog modeling, dynamic EQ, linear phase processing, and a gorgeous interface with unrivalled ease of use. With its unique Natural Phase mode, it matches both the magnitude and phase response of analog EQing perfectly. Innovative features like Spectrum Grab and collision detection together with its intelligent interactive EQ display make Pro-Q 3 an absolute joy to use. The Pro-Q 3 app filters the microphone input and plays it back in real-time. To use Pro-Q 3 as a plug-in, you need an AUv3-compatible host app like Auria, AUM or Cubasis. Pro-Q 3 will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for effect plug-ins in the host app. Key features: - Professional mastering-grade EQ plugin with exceptional sound quality - Up to 24 bands with a huge range of filter types - (New) Dynamic EQ option for every band - Filter shapes: Bell, Notch, High/Low Shelf, High/Low Cut, Band Pass, Tilt Shelf, Flat Tilt (New) - 6-96dB/octave slopes for all filter types - (New) Additional Brickwall slope for the High Cut and Low Cut filters - (New) Per-band Stereo, Left, Right, Mid or Side mode - Zero Latency, Natural Phase and Linear Phase processing modes - Powerful real-time spectrum analyzer - (New) External spectrum visualization from any other Pro-Q 3 instance in the session, including collision detection - Spectrum Grab: grab and adjust a peak directly in the spectrum analyzer (Improved) - EQ Match for imposing the tonal characteristics of one signal on another - Extremely efficient processing and low memory usage - Intelligent multiband selection and editing - Intelligent band solo mode - Piano Display switches the frequency scale to musical note values - Separate Mastering (3/6dB) and Mixing (12/30dB) display ranges - Save, restore and organize presets - Optional Gain-Q interaction - Auto Gain and Gain Scale - Phase Invert option to change polarity - Large output level meter with peak level readout - MIDI Learn with option to control the currently active band - Undo/redo and A/B comparison "Pro-Q 3 is a wonderful update to an (arguably) already class-leading equalizer. The best just got better! Verdict: 10/10!" — Future Music Magazine "Pro-Q 3 is unarguably one of the finest EQ plug-ins around. [...]. Outstanding! Verdict: 10/10!" — Computer Music Magazine
EQ550
This audio effect plugin emulates classic American EQs from the late 1960s, offering precise control over equalization with unique Proportional Q technology. It functions as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin for compatible hosts, providing a flexible and characterful sound shaping experience.
- Standalone and AUv3 plugin
- 3 bands of classic American equalization
- Proportional Q filter bandwidth
- Stereo, Mid, or Side EQ modes
- Undo/Redo and A/B comparison
- Scalable GUI
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EQ550 AUv3 plug-in — comes as time-limited Demo-version for you to try. It gives you 5 minutes of Free play time. (You can reload the EQ550 AUv3 plug-in as many times as you want, thereby you get the Demo period again and again.) Unlimited version of EQ550 AUv3 plug-in comes as In-App Purchase. The EQ550 faithfully captures the punch, low-frequency transparency, and ultra-tight imaging of iconic American EQs of the late 1960’s. Making use of Proportional Q intuitively widens the filter bandwidth at minimal settings and narrows it at higher settings without the need for additional bandwidth controls. This unique feature minimizes the «phase-shift» sound found in many equalizers. Features: • Standalone and AUv3 plug-in; • 3 bands of classic American equalization; • Each band offers 7 selected frequency centers; • Maximum 15dB of boost/cut per band; • EQ Band 1 and 3 offer shelf/peak switching; • Proportional Q narrows filter Q at extremes; • Stereo (Mono), Mid or Side EQ modes; • Undo/Redo; • A/B comparison; • 2x/4x/8x Upsampling; • Macro controllers; • Built-in Gain Match; • Scalable GUI. The EQ550 provides reciprocal equalization at 21 points in 5 steps of boost to a maximum of 15dB of gain at each point. The twenty one equalization points are divided into three overlapping ranges. The high and low frequency ranges are individually selectable as either peaking or shelving, and a band-pass filter may be inserted independently of all other selected equalization settings. Frequency ranges and boost/cut are selected by switches, and a pushbutton «IN» switch allows the EQ to be silently introduced to the signal path. A small toggle switch is used to insert the band-pass filter into the EQ550. The EQ550 extends the features of the original hardware and joins the flexibility of the digital world to the character of the analog processing. Allows you to choose between equalizer modes (Stereo, Mid, Side) and remove analogue saturation from the processing circuit to deliver pure digital sound. To use EQ550 as a plug-in, you need an AUv3-compatible host app like GarageBand, Auria, AUM, Cubasis and more — EQ550 will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for effect plug-ins in the host app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: EQ550 at Free against FabFilter Pro's $29.99. EQ550 also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and device support (3 vs 1). FabFilter Pro's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 33%) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
EQ550 is free to download; FabFilter Pro costs $29.99 up front. EQ550 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FabFilter Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.
FabFilter Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of FabFilter Pro's written reviews are positive against 33% of EQ550's.
FabFilter Pro ships an update every 5 months, EQ550 monthly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | FabFilter Pro | EQ550 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (47 ratings) — better | 4.5 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 47 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 10.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | FabFilter | RRS, OOO |
Customer experience
FabFilter Pro
EQ550
In-app purchases
FabFilter Pro
No in-app purchases
EQ550
- RRS EQ550 Unlimited$4.99









