Audio Hijack vs Splitwave
Audio Hijack
rogueamoeba.com
Splitwave
splitwave.appSide by side
| Figure | Audio Hijack | Splitwave |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Audio Enhancement Software | 8.3 (#5) | 7.3 (#25) |
| Privacy | Rogue Amoeba says it does not sell or rent user data and collects as little data as reasonably needed; version checks send the app name, app version, and operating system version without personally identifiable data. | The privacy policy says the desktop app does not collect, track, or transmit audio streams, personal files, or usage telemetry to an external server. |
| Support | The maker offers email support before and after purchase and says it strives to reply within 24 hours. | The site lists [email protected] as a contact and offers voluntary development support through Patreon or cryptocurrency. |
Plans
In their own words
Audio Hijack
Audio Hijack has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Splitwave
Splitwave is a free desktop audio router for connecting sources, effects, and outputs in a real-time node graph. Sources include microphones, system audio, individual app audio, WAV files, and virtual-device loopback. Its listed effects include noise suppression, EQ, compression, gating, reverb, and delay, and it can record audio to files. Splitwave can host CLAP and VST3 plugins as nodes; Audio Unit hosting is available only on macOS. For network audio, WebRTC peers connect in both directions, while UDP sender and receiver nodes support Opus or raw PCM. Splitwave creates virtual audio devices on macOS and Linux; Windows users need VB-Cable or a similar virtual cable. It supports macOS 13 or newer on Apple Silicon or Intel, Linux x86_64 with PipeWire, and 64-bit Windows 10 or newer. Processing is local unless a network node directs audio to a peer. The desktop app does not transmit audio streams, personal files, or usage telemetry to an external server. It is free and open source under the MIT license.