+1 for Wider and Tal Bit Crusher, those are on almost everything I make.
Valhalla Supermassive has become a powerful tool over the past few years. Started as a more experimental delay/reverb hybrid, but the newer modes are just plain good reverb or delay depending on the mode. Valhalla has said the newest algorithms are the best things they’ve ever made in any of their software, including the paid stuff:
Vital is exactly what it looks like and it really is that good. I can’t count the number of songs that have started from me messing around with patch ideas in Vital the last few years, and it has managed to dethrone Diva as my go-to synth when I’m not sure what I want to do:
TDR’s free stuff is all good, but if I’m only going to highlight one it’s Kotelnikov. I use the GE now, but you’re not giving up much to step down to the free version. This is my personal favorite mastering compressor (and I have Tone Projects Unisum and Softube’s Weiss DS-1, look at the prices on those and ponder that). Almost every IDMf release since 048 has gone through this plugin, if that’s not an endorsement then I don’t know what is.
Cloudrum - Steel tongue drum VSTi (it’s a simple sample-based thingy but sounds good imho, although I have to give a warning to save and/or bounce often since I had some strange crashes on my old machine): https://www.amplesound.net/en/pro-pd.asp?id=27
Cardinal (it crashes constantly if you use certain modules, but it’s still OK sometimes I guess)
VM Nucleus (it’s always free, don’t be fooled by the ‘free discount’)
MT Power Drumkit (fuck the haters, this thing is still awesome)
Vital
Emergence
PaulXStretch
Full Bucket Modulair (for the nerds, this one is pretty capable)
Also, Protoplug looks like an honorable mention but I haven’t messed with it enough yet. My list is for weirdos though so if you’re a pretty regular person you can go ahead and ignore everything aside from Vital, lol