The 7 Best Noise Gate Pedals of 2026: Not Hiss Problem (or Hers)
Less hum, more freedom!
There are those who use noise gate pedals and those who see no need. But as soon as the second overdrive is engaged, it’s a humfest on stage that isn’t really all that brilliant for their “tone”. The best noise gate pedals solve this, depending on your style and genre, and keep your signal hum-free. Check out seven pedals for any budget!
Key Takeaways
- A noise gate pedal helps you prevent hiss or hum in your signal chain.
- Typical parameters on noise gate pedals are threshold (level under which the pedal lowers the signal), decay (how fast the noise gate closes), and release (how quickly it lets go)
- The more distortion pedals you have in your signal chain, the higher the noise floor
- Best budget noise gate pedal: Behringer NR300
- Best all-round noise gate pedal: Boss NS-2; the 1987 industry standard.
- Best noise gate pedal for metal and djent: Revv G8
Best Noise Gate Pedals: Our Picks
What to Look for When Buying the Best Noise Gate Pedal
Sidechain clean. Even the best noise gate pedals in the world, sitting at the end of your chain, will gate too late, because by that point the noise they’re listening to is almost as loud as the note you actually played. The fix is to let the gate key off a clean signal.
Many pedals on our list allow this with a send/return loop: your drives and fuzzes go inside the loop, your guitar hits the Input, and the detector reads the clean signal while the loop output gets muted.
In terms of controls, noise gate pedals are simple. Threshold plus Decay or Release plus Hold lets you separate “how quiet before it shuts” from “how fast it shuts”, which is the difference between tight palm mutes and a chord that gets chopped off mid-sustain.
And finally, know that even the best noise gate pedals will likely change your sound. Some affect the higher frequencies, some aren’t fast enough and change how you play, others don’t lower the volume enough. There is almost always a trade-off. But if the alternative is a hum and feedback fest, it’s and easy decision.
Let’s get to the seven best noise gate pedals of 2026, sorted by price!
Behringer NR300
Behringer’s noise gate pedal gives you Threshold, Decay, and a Reduction/Mute switch for roughly the price of two decent patch cables. It’s a very close approximation of a 1987 design, and for any bedroom player with maybe one noisy overdrive, it just does the job.
The compromise is its plastic enclosure, which is fine on a board at home, but can be a risk on a stage floor. The gating itself sounds a little cruder than the pedal it copies, and you’ll notice it more the higher you set the threshold. Still, it’s one of the best noise gate pedals if you’re looking for a budget solution. Grab one at Thomann*.
NUX Huminator
The Huminator offers something the competition at this price often doesn’t: a proper send/return loop. The pedal also features threshold and decay knobs, an all-analog signal path, a Reduction/Mute switch, and an LED that shows how hard the gate is working in real time.
If you’re looking for a little more than what Behringer offers, espically a Send/Return to keep that sustain, this is one of the best noise gate pedals on the market. Check it out at Thomann*.
TC Electronic Sentry
Alongside Threshold, Damp and Decay, the Sentry offers multiband noise gating across three frequency bands. That means you can clamp down on low-frequency hum while leaving your midrange and treble alone. The pedal also features a send/return and a hard-gate mode, which is great for choppy metalcore riffs.
The LED changes color to indicate whether the gate is open, making it far less of a guessing game to dial in the threshold than on some single-knob units. Get it from Thomann*.
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
The “industry standard” on noise gate pedals, the NS-2 from Boss, is a no-nonse affair: Threshold and Decay knobs, a Reduction/Mute switch, and a send/return loop. There’s also a well-known workaround to get it into an amp’s effects loop: guitar into Input, Send to the amp input, amp Send into the gate’s Return, gate Output into the amp’s Return.
What you trade is top end. This contender on our list for best noise gate pedals is a solid all-rounder for classic rock, hard rock and anything where notes are allowed to ring. And if you want the more modern take, the NS-1X adds MDP processing and separate Reduction, Gate and Mute modes. Grab one at Thomann*.
ISP Technologies Decimator X
One knob. That’s the Decimator X’s entire interface, and for two decades it’s been enough to make it the pedal other noise gate pedals get measured against. Instead of working from a fixed threshold, it continuously tracks the input signal, which is why players describe it as ducking the noise floor rather than slamming a door shut.
Besides the Decimator X, ISP Techologies offer a couple of noise gate pedals with additional features: the Decimator X G-String gates in two places at once, in front of the amp and inside the effects loop, keyed off the same detection. And the Deci-Mate squeezes the circuit into a micro enclosure. Buy it from Thomann*.
Revv G8
Revv took the gate circuit out of its Generator 120 MK3 head and put it in a box with Threshold, Hold and Release plus a send/return loop. That combination is rare: most noise gate pedals give you either speed or control, but the G8 gives you both. Hold sets how long the gate stays open once the signal drops below threshold, Release sets how fast it then closes.
If you’re into brutal, choppy riffing from the likes of Architects, this is one of the best noise gate pedals on the market, as its threshold closes pretty much instantly. Get yours at Thomann*.
Fortin Zuul+
The Zuul+ adds Hold and Release to the original’s single Threshold knob, but the reason to buy it is the key input: split off your clean, pre-gain signal and feed it in, and the gate triggers from what you actually played rather than from the noise sitting in the chain.
If this contender among the best noise gate pedals is a little too bulky for you, there is also the Mini Zuul. It Hold and Release for a side-mounted two-position switch. Buy it from Thomann*.
Conclusion on the Best Noise Gate Pedals
We deliberately didn’t crown a single winner, because in this category the right answer depends almost entirely on whether you need a loop, a key input, or neither. Roughly: the Sentry does the most for the least money, the NS-2 is the safe all-rounder, the Decimator X wins on transparency, the G8 wins on speed, and the Zuul+ wins the moment there’s a fuzz in front of it.
So which noise gate pedal is on your board, and what did it cost you in tone? Is a gate essential on every high-gain rig, or a crutch for a badly wired one? Let us know in the comments!
FAQ: Best Noise Gate Pedals
What are the Best Noise Gate Pedals for Metal?
For fast palm-muted riffing, you want a gate that closes quickly and lets you control how quickly. The Revv G8 is the strongest option here thanks to its Hold and Release controls.
Where Does a Noise Gate Pedal Go in the Signal Chain?
Either at the very front of the chain, or in your amp’s effects loop after the preamp, or both. The front position deals with noise from your guitar and pickups, the loop position deals with preamp hiss.
Will a Noise Gate Pedal Kill My Sustain?
It might. Set the threshold just above the noise floor and no higher, use a slower release or the soft setting if the pedal offers one, and use the loop or key input if it has one.
Do I Still Need a Gate With a Modeler or Amp Sim?
Less than you would with a valve amp, because there’s no real preamp hiss and no microphonic feedback path. But your pickups still pick up mains hum and your interface still has a noise floor.
*Disclaimer: This post about the best noise gate pedals contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!
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