eqMac vs SoundSource
eqMac
eqmac.appSoundSource
rogueamoeba.comSide by side
| Figure | eqMac | SoundSource |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 2 |
| Spec score · Menu Bar Apps | 7.8 (#8) | 7.5 (#14) |
| Spec score · Audio Equalizer Software | 7.7 (#12) | 7.4 (#16) |
| Spec score · Audio Enhancement Software | 7.7 (#17) | 7.4 (#25) |
| Founded | 2016 | 2002 |
| Headquarters | London, England, United Kingdom | Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| Purpose | eqMac is a system-wide audio equalizer and volume mixer for macOS. | SoundSource gives users audio control of their Mac from the menu bar. |
| Support | The maker says Pro customers can contact support through the website, while the project also uses GitHub issues and a Discord community for help. | The maker offers email support and says it strives to reply within 24 hours. |
Plans
SoundSource
- SoundSource 6 Upgrade$25, paid once
- SoundSource License Key$49, paid once
In their own words
eqMac
eqMac is a system-wide audio equalizer and volume mixer for macOS. The free tier includes basic bass, mids and treble controls and a fixed 10-band equalizer. AutoEQ provides automatic headphone equalization from frequency responses, with support listed for 4,600 headphone presets. Pro adds unlimited customizable bands, a real-time spectrum analyzer, separate left and right channel EQ, AudioUnit hosting, spatial audio and per-application volume mixing. The maker says its driver captures system audio and passes it to the app through a secure memory tunnel for processing; it also says the driver runs in user space rather than the kernel. Downloads are listed for macOS 10.13 or later on Intel and Apple Silicon. The maker lists a free HTTP API for controlling eqMac, and remote control from iOS, iPadOS or Android devices on the same local network as a Pro feature. The free plan has no Pro features. Paid access is listed from $1/mo, while the Pro subscription page does not state a yearly price. Public GitHub code corresponds to version 1.3.2 without Pro features; newer releases are developed on a private fork.
SoundSource
SoundSource has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.