I think that’s exactly a potential downside, because VS CE (and CE of other IDEs) are not free/open source.
Base Edition
Source Edition
Core Edition
I like the sound of “Community Edition” just fine, but I wonder if any qualifiers on the open-source version name are going to do that same thing in reverse (suggest that it has fewer features than the closed-source version).
If the only difference between the closed-source build and the open-source build (other than the timing of releases and paid support) is that the commercial build has proprietary hooks for the VST, is there a way that the closed-source name could reflect that directly?
VCV Rack Link (with the open-source version still called VCV Rack) is my not-very-good-sounding first attempt.
I’m aware that this is broadly a return to the naming pattern that you want to move away from (Rack for DAWs vs. VCV Rack) 
but I think the issue may be structural: VCV Rack (for CS) vs. VCV Rack [-] (for OS) amounts to the same thing as VCV Rack [+] (for CS) vs. VCV Rack (for OS) unless the [-] or [+] sounds feature-descriptive, rather than value-indicating. And since it would be hard to put the feature description in the [-] (VCV Rack The-Same-Except-Can’t-Link-To-DAWS? VCV Rack Totally-Open-Including-Paid-Plugins-Except-VST-Link?) it might make sense to put it in the [+].
I haven’t seen this suggestion in this thread yet, but I expect it’ll come up soon: VCV Rack VST
Firstly, Steinberg owns the VST trademark which is enough to reject the suggestion, but it would also require all these unnecessary names:
- VCV Rack standalone (with professional support)
- VCV Rack VST2
- VCV Rack VST3
- VCV Rack AU
- etc, as new formats are released
It would also raise the question “If I buy Rack VST, do I get Rack AU for free?” Yes, because Rack standalone/VST/AU/whatever is actually a single product that comes in a single installer.
4 Likes
- VCV Rack
- VCV Rack +Plugin
2 Likes
VCV Rack Fusion - for the plugin
2 Likes
CE is good. It is like IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
2 Likes
Perhaps getting back to “VCV Rack Bridge” for the plugin could work as well
How about Open VCV Rack for the free version and VCV Rack for the commercial version? That would imply that the free version is open source while the commercial version is not
2 Likes
Let us learn from the masters of marketing, Coca Cola.
VCV Classic
7 Likes
what about “VCV Rack” for the open source version and “VCV Rack plugin” for the paid plugin(s)?
1 Like
- Paid: VCV Rack Blessed By Vult
- Free: VCV Rack Slightly Blessed by Vult.
11 Likes
And we have a winner!
3 Likes
and VCV Cherry (perhaps not)
1 Like
Well if we are going to turn to classic branding then…
VCV Rack Hey! - Free version
VCV Rack Guys! - Paid version
1 Like
VCV Rack Deuce
Ok, let me count the votes so far — yes, we have winners:
Open VCV Rack classic - the free blessed basic core community edition - for kids age 3 - 99
aaaaaaaaaaaaand:
VCV Plug
Thank you 
2 Likes
got another one.
VCV Rack - Electric Boogaloo. (vst version)
Free:
- VCV Rack Community Edition
<yeah, name’s perfect, this one should stick>
Paid:
- VCV Rack Studio Edition
- VCV Rack Extended Edition
- VCV Rack Plugin Edition
- VCV Rack “Plugged-In” Edition
I’d tend to think that the paid-for VCV Rack should be called something distinct, rather than just “VCV Rack” - as people are generally just going to call it that when referring to it, free or paid - so it might cause a small amount of confusion if the paid version is not specifically titled…
5 Likes
Standalone = VCV Rack
Plugin = VCV Rack Plugin
is really the only other option that makes sense and sounds good to me and makes sense marketing wise.
Definitely don’t like any of the “pro”, “+”, “lite”, “free”, etc. suggestions.
Community Edition is just on the border where it sounds neutral enough, but VCV Rack Plugin does sound better to me, and would probably appease the stallman-types
2 Likes