Free EQ and compression plugins that actually sound professional

[OliverB]

EQ and compression are the bread and butter of mixing. What free EQ and compression plugins do you use that actually deliver professional results? I've tried a bunch of free limiter and compressor plugins, and some are surprisingly good while others... not so much. Looking for options that are transparent when they need to be, but also have character when you want it. What are your go-to free mixing plugins for beginners when it comes to these essential tools?

[Aubrey.T]

For free EQ and compression plugins that sound professional, Tokyo Dawn Labs is the king. Their Nova dynamic EQ and Kotelnikov compressor are better than many paid options. For simpler needs, the ReaPlugs from Reaper are excellent and CPU-light. These free limiter and compressor plugins from TDL are so good I use them on commercial releases.