Plugin Alliance - deliver excellent results with a small footprint and low CPU usage, moderate learning curve, possibly the best cost/value ratio available if you buy with discipline (i.e. They also bring a distinct set of characteristics that set them apart: Posters in this thread have also pointed out several other companies that should be viewed on the same level as ST and FF. I'm not a fan of bundles/subscriptions as I agree with earlier posters who recommend cherry picking the best from each product line.
What they have in common is dependable sonic quality and ease of use. Sure Fabfilter has Saturation/Reverb type plugins but no where near the diversity and uniqueness of Soundtoys. Sure, Soundtoys has EQ/Comp type plugins but nothing even close to the sophistication level of Fabfilter. They complement each other more than one vs. The "sweet spot" of these two companies are quite different. I'm going to comment on the specific question in this message but will also add a second response to try and address what I think is the bigger question. So why did I just write that last paragraph? Isn't this thread about Fabfilter vs. You wouldn't have that perspective without trying out different options.
#FABFILTER SATURN VS SOUNDTOYS DETRACTION TRIAL#
How can you have an informed opinion about what "sounds good" or "is a handy tool" without contrasting perspective? The trial and error is an important part of the process of developing techniques and a workflow that will pay dividends in the future. I absolved myself of that sin a long time ago and have no regrets about those purchase decisions. I imagine pretty much all of us have fallen into the trap of building up a large collection of plugins and have some level of remorse over the "spend" and in some cases the specific brand we selected on our more expensive purchases. While the OP asked the question in the context of Trance/Techno, I think a large majority of the comments can be applied to just about any form of music. So many great points and interesting "bold statements" in this thread.