PluginHub Review: 5 Ways It Keeps 1,200+ Plugins Up to Date
What's Included in This PluginHub Review?
This PluginHub review shows how one app tracks, updates, and cleans up every plugin on a studio computer, using my own system as the test.
If you've ever updated your operating system or bought a new computer and then found a plugin won't load in an old session, you know the problem. You never know a plugin needs updating unless you check each manufacturer's website yourself.
PluginHub is a standalone app that scans your system and puts every plugin in one dashboard. I want to be clear that this isn't sponsored. I paid for it like anyone else, I have no affiliation with the company, and I'd only been using it for a couple of weeks when I made the video.
You don't need my plugin collection for any of this to apply. If you have more than the stock plugins that came with your DAW, it's worth a look. You can watch the full walkthrough on the Home Recording Made Easy YouTube channel, or see the demo here: PluginHub walkthrough video.
Table of Contents
Each numbered section covers one thing PluginHub does, so jump to whichever problem you're trying to solve.
- See Every Plugin on Your System in One Dashboard
- How to Check If Your Plugins Need Updating
- Update Plugins Without Hunting Through Vendor Websites
- Remove Old Plugin Installers to Free Up Disk Space
- What PluginHub Can't Check Automatically Yet
- What Worked, and What to Watch For
- PluginHub FAQ
- Quick Recap
- Final Thoughts
1. See Every Plugin on Your System in One Dashboard
The first thing PluginHub does is show every plugin on your system in one dashboard. When I opened it, the count at the top read 1,204 plugins, which, as I said in the video, is about 1,200 too many.
"If you have thousands of plugins, you absolutely want this application." [3:54]
Across the top you can filter by plugin format: AAX for Pro Tools, AU for Logic and Luna, VST for Reaper and Cubase, and CLAP for Bitwig and Reaper. I leave it on All because I run Pro Tools, Logic, Fender Studio Pro, and Cubase.
You can also browse by folder, search by name, set your own tags, and change the layout. Down the left side, PluginHub even sorts everything into categories, so on my system it counted 323 EQ and filter plugins and 302 dynamics plugins.
Try This In Your Own Mix
Run one free scan and look at your category counts. If you own dozens of EQs and compressors you never open, pick one of each to learn properly and leave the rest alone.
And if a folder full of plugins has you reaching for a new download every time a mix stalls, the free 90-minute mixing course is a better place to start than another plugin.
2. How to Check If Your Plugins Need Updating
The easiest way to check if your plugins need updating is to let PluginHub do it. On a Mac it puts an icon in the menu bar with a number on it, and when I recorded this it was telling me four plugins needed updates.
"The manufacturer never emails you and tells you that the plugins are ready to be updated." [6:47]
Click Updates Available and it lists each plugin by company with your installed version and the newest one. For example, my Black Salt Audio Telos Bass showed version 1.1.5 installed with 1.1.11 available, and Telofi showed 1.2.3 with 1.2.7 available.
The free version gives you three scans, and every refresh uses one of them, so keep that in mind while you're trying it. PluginHub also updates itself, so you don't have to check for new versions of the app either.
Try This In Your Own Mix
Before your next operating system update, run a scan and update anything flagged first. That way, if a session won't open afterward, you've already ruled out an outdated plugin.
3. Update Plugins Without Hunting Through Vendor Websites
PluginHub lets you update plugins without hunting through vendor websites. Each company card links straight to its website, and if the company has its own installer app, it links to that too.
"I never would have known that these plugins needed to be updated unless I went out to their website." [6:43]
For Black Salt Audio, I clicked the installer hub link, which opened Black Salt's own hub app with Telofi and Telos Bass already flagged, and I just hit Update on each. After that, PluginHub refreshed on its own and the Black Salt updates disappeared from the list.
For Kit Plugins, I used PluginHub's Install Manager to download the KIT-BB-Chamber-A update directly. Make sure your DAW is closed first, then it downloads the installer, asks for your password, and installs every format. Some companies, like Celemony, don't have an installer app, so you still click through to their website.
Try This In Your Own Mix
Do your plugin updates in one batch with your DAW closed, then open one session to confirm everything loads before you start real work.
And once your Black Salt Audio plugins or anything else are freshly updated, the next frustration is not having real songs to try them on. The Mixing Academy gives you a new set of multitracks every month to mix along with me step by step.
4. Remove Old Plugin Installers to Free Up Disk Space
PluginHub can remove old plugin installers that pile up in your Downloads folder. Every time you update a plugin or try a demo, the installer file usually stays behind, taking up space you'll never get back unless you go find it.
"How many old installers do you think you probably have on your system, right?" [8:36]
Right after the Kit Plugins update, PluginHub told me the installer was still sitting in my Downloads folder. I opened Remove Old Installers, it found the file, and I moved it to the Trash. That one installer was about 300 MB on its own.
The tool only looks in the folder it scans, which is Downloads by default, and the screen notes that it never touches your installed plugins, presets, or support files. Everything it removes goes to the Trash, so you can still recover it before you empty the Trash.
Try This In Your Own Mix
Every few months, after a round of updates, run Remove Old Installers and clear out demos and free trials you decided not to buy.
5. What PluginHub Can't Check Automatically Yet
Not every company works with PluginHub yet, so there's a Manual Check section for plugins it can't check automatically. On my system that list had 813 plugins in it, mostly from smaller boutique companies, though IK Multimedia was in there too.
"It's work in progress. This is a fairly new, you know, product." [11:04]
Plugins that still need checking show in orange. Once you've confirmed one is on the latest version, you open its menu and mark it as up to date, and it turns green. I did that in the video for Acon Digital Remix Drums and a few others I knew were current.
My understanding is that PluginHub keeps working with more companies, so over time more of this list should move into automatic checks. For now, expect to spend some time going through this section once, especially if you own a lot of boutique plugins.
Try This In Your Own Mix
Work through the Manual Check list one company at a time, starting with the plugins you use most, and mark each one as up to date once you've confirmed it.
What Worked, and What to Watch For
After a couple of weeks of use, here's what made PluginHub worth the money and what you should know before you buy it.
What Worked
- Every plugin and format in one dashboard
- A menu bar count of pending updates
- Direct links to each company's installer app or website
- Built-in installs for companies it supports
- Old installer cleanup that only moves files to the Trash
What to Watch For
- Many boutique plugins still need a manual check
- The free version only gives you three scans, and every refresh uses one
- Some companies have no installer app, so you still visit their site
- The menus go deep, and I hadn't explored them all yet
None of those were deal breakers for me. The first time I opened it, the update list caught four plugins I had no idea were out of date. The manual check list is the biggest one-time job, and it should shrink as more companies are added.
PluginHub FAQ
1) How much does PluginHub cost?
PluginHub is a one-time purchase of $39.99, with no subscription. You can also try it free with three scans before you buy.
2) Does PluginHub work on Windows?
Yes. When I bought it, it was Mac only, but PluginHub is now available for Windows too, and one license covers both Mac and Windows.
3) How do I know if my audio plugins need updating?
PluginHub scans your system and lists every plugin with an update available, showing your installed version next to the newest one. On a Mac, it also shows a count of pending updates in the menu bar.
4) Can PluginHub update every plugin automatically?
No. It handles companies it works with directly and links you to installer apps or websites for others. Plugins from companies it doesn't support yet go into a Manual Check list, where you mark them as up to date yourself.
5) Is PluginHub worth it if I only use one DAW?
Yes, if you own more than the stock plugins that came with your DAW. The format filter lets you show only AAX, AU, VST, or CLAP plugins, so it works the same whether you use one DAW or several.
Quick Recap
Here are the five things PluginHub did on my system, in the same order as the sections above. All of them are shown on screen in the full video, using my own studio computer with 1,204 plugins installed. If you're on the fence, the free three-scan trial is enough to see what it finds on your own system before you pay.
- Shows every plugin and format in one dashboard
- Flags which plugins need updating, with version numbers
- Links to installer apps and installs supported updates directly
- Clears old installers out of your Downloads folder
- Lets you manually mark plugins it can't check yet
It's a one-time $39.99 purchase, and one license covers both Mac and Windows.
Final Thoughts
We throw the phrase "game changer" around a lot, and most things aren't. For managing plugins, I think PluginHub is. I looked at a couple of other tools that do something similar, and they were far more expensive.
If you have more plugins than you can keep track of, want to know when something needs updating, and want to clean out old installers, demos, and free trials you never bought, it's worth the $39.99. Try the free scans first and see what it finds on your system, then decide.
It also helps with the demos and free trials we all download and then decide not to buy. You can uninstall that stuff, sort what's left with tags, and clear the leftover installers out of your Downloads folder.
And once your plugins are up to date, the next step is using the ones you have well instead of buying more.
Ready to Mix Like This Yourself?
A clean, up-to-date plugin folder doesn't make a better mix on its own. Knowing what to reach for, and why, is what does that.
The Mixing Academy gives you a brand new set of multitracks every month to mix along with me step by step, live coaching calls, and personal feedback on your mixes. You'll also connect with other mixers working on the same songs. Use code ME25OFF for 25% off any single-title course (bundles excluded).
Every lesson is built around real sessions, so the plugins you already own get put to work on full songs instead of sitting in a folder.
If you're brand new to mixing, start with the free 90-minute course and step up to the Academy when you're ready for full songs.
If you'd rather see PluginHub on screen first, the Watch the Full Session button takes you to the complete walkthrough on my system.
Useful Links
Everything referenced in this PluginHub review, plus related posts from the blog:
- Full PluginHub walkthrough video
- PluginHub website
- The Mixing Academy
- Free Mixing Course
- What's In My Plugin Browser, Part 1
- Fast Drum Mixing With Black Salt Audio Presets
This review reflects one engineer's first couple of weeks using PluginHub as a paying customer, with no affiliation with or payment from the company. Features, supported companies, and pricing may have changed since the video was recorded, so check the PluginHub website for current details.
