Guitar amp sims, explained properly

An amp sim is software that makes your guitar sound like it's playing through a real amplifier — in your DAW or standalone. But "amp sim" covers three very different technologies: captures (snapshots of a real amp at one setting), modeled amps (hand-tuned recreations), and circuit simulation (the amp's actual electronics, solved live while you play).

Which one you want depends on what you're chasing. These guides cover all three honestly — including the free tools we compete with.