What Is ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 on Mac?
Your user folderUpdated
- Full path
~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3
- Scope
- Your user folderInside your home folder — one copy per user account.
- Freshist & this folder
- Freshist checks this folder when uninstalling an app. When you uninstall an app, Freshist looks here for items that belong to it. Matches on the app's bundle ID can be pre-selected; name-only guesses are labeled “not sure” and never pre-selected. Removed items go to the Trash, so you can undo.
From Freshist's own cleaning rules — the same catalog the app uses.
Where VST3 plug-ins live on macOS
Unlike VST 2, the VST3 format defines exact locations. Steinberg's developer documentation lists three on macOS, searched in this order:
| Priority | Folder | Who it serves |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 | Your user account |
| 2 | /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 | Every user on the Mac |
| 3 | /Network/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 | Network-managed setups |
Each plug-in is a bundle ending in .vst3. Hosts like Cubase, Nuendo, Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Studio One and Reaper scan these folders when they start or when you ask for a rescan. Logic Pro and GarageBand don't load VST3; they use Audio Units.
Why the per-user folder is usually missing
Most commercial installers ask for an administrator password and write to the system-wide folder, so ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 often doesn't exist at all. Our test Mac had none. When it does appear, it typically holds plug-ins you copied by hand or installed with a "this user only" option.
How duplicates cause confusion
Because the user folder wins, a copy of a plug-in in your home Library hides a newer one in the system folder. If a host keeps showing an old version after an update, compare both:
ls -la ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3
du -sh ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 2>/dev/null
These only list and measure. To see a bundle's version without opening a host, read its Info.plist:
plutil -extract CFBundleShortVersionString raw ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Name.vst3/Contents/Info.plist
Replace Name.vst3 with the real bundle name.
Removing a plug-in safely
Use the vendor's uninstaller or download manager first; it knows about the presets, samples and authorization files the plug-in keeps outside this folder. To remove just the bundle:
- Quit all music software.
- In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder… and enter
~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3. - Drag the
.vst3bundle to the Trash. - Start your host and run its plug-in rescan.
Open a recent project that used the plug-in before emptying the Trash. If something's missing, putting the bundle back restores it with its saved settings intact.
What uninstalling leaves behind
A VST3 bundle is rarely large. Expect the bigger leftovers in Application Support, in a vendor folder under /Library/Application Support, or wherever you told the installer to keep sound content. Leave the VST3 folder itself in place, and don't move the system-wide folder's contents into your home Library to "consolidate": the search order then favors whichever copy you forget to update. Older .vst files are covered in the VST guide.
Sources
- Plug-in Locations, VST 3 Developer Portal (Steinberg)
- VST plug-in locations on Mac OS X and macOS, Steinberg Help Center
- macOS Library Directory Details, Apple File System Programming Guide
Frequently asked questions
If the same plug-in is in both VST3 folders, which one loads?
Steinberg's specification gives the user folder priority 1 and the system folder priority 2, so a host following it picks the copy in your home Library first. Remove the stale copy to avoid loading an old version.
Is ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3 missing on my Mac?
That's normal. macOS doesn't create it; it appears only when an installer or you put a plug-in there. Most installers use the system-wide folder instead.
Can I move VST3 plug-ins to an external drive?
The .vst3 bundle should stay in one of the standard folders so hosts find it. Large sample libraries are a different matter: many instruments let you relocate their content from their own settings.