CLAP vs VST3 — Plugin Format Decision Tree
Technical decision engine for choosing between CLAP and VST3 audio plugin formats based on DSP and host needs.
Free
Works with the AI tools you already use
Claude Code
Cursor
Codex CLI
Muse
Dots+22 moreClaude CodeCursorCodex CLIMuseDots
OpenClaw
Manus
Grok
Grok Bot+18 agentsCLAP vs VST3 — Plugin Format Decision Tree
Example session with this skill installed
I'm building a polyphonic MPE synth for a modern FOSS audience using Rust. Should I go with VST3 or CLAP?
- Read your context and instructions
- Compiled the clap vs vst3
DECISION: CLAP
RATIONALE: CLAP is the first-class choice for Rust/nih-plug stacks and handles MPE/poly-modulation far more cleanly than VST3.
NEXT STEP: Scaffold the project using nih-plug and the CLAP-host-extensions crate.
Connects securely to your tools. The creator never sees your data.
About this skill
Lock your plugin format before writing one line of C++. A 5-branch decision tree (legacy host coverage -> poly-modulation -> FOSS/Rust stack -> commercial reach -> default) that outputs a decided format, a one-line rationale, and the concrete next scaffolding step. Covers the CLAP (MIT) vs VST3 (Steinberg proprietary) SDK license difference and when to ship CLAP+VST3 in parallel. Free entry point — pairs with the paid plugin-engineering and DSP-verification skills.
How to install
Works the same in every agent - Claude, Cursor, Codex, Copilot and 20+ more.
- 1
Download the ZIP
Free skills download straight away. Paid skills unlock right after purchase.
- 2
Unzip into your skills folder
Every agent reads skills from one folder on your machine. Drop the unzipped folder in there.
- 3
Ask your agent to use it
Restart the agent if it was already running. It picks the skill up automatically - no config needed.
Skills folder by agent
Click the path to copy it. Create the folder if it does not exist yet.
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be one of the first to try it. Every listed skill passes our trust checks below.
Security scanned
Passed our 8-point scan before listing
1 install
Downloaded by developers to date
Free forever
No account required to browse
Trust & safety
Security scanned
Verified clean 1 month ago
- Free to download with an account