EXP Soundboard vs Soundplant

EXP Soundboard is a free, open-source soundboard for playing custom clips through speakers or virtual audio devices. Users can load MP3 and WAV files, assign hotkeys for playback, adjust each sound’s volume, and configure the output. It also includes text to speech for playing custom messages. Gamers, streamers, and content creators are among its intended users. Audio can optionally be routed to Discord or OBS through Virtual Audio Cable or similar tools. The software is designed for Windows, with Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 listed as compatible. It is also listed for Linux, macOS, and web: Mac and Linux use is through a virtual machine or Wine, while browser use runs through OnWorks in a virtual Windows environment. After installation, it works offline, except when used through OnWorks. Minimum requirements include Windows 7, a 1 GHz Intel or AMD CPU, 1 GB RAM, 50 MB free disk space, and Java Runtime Environment 8 or later. The site says the installer may be flagged by antivirus software and advises downloading from trusted sources.

Soundplant is a desktop app that turns a computer keyboard into a sample trigger and playable instrument. Users can assign sound files to 88 keys by dragging and dropping them, or trigger sounds with MIDI. It supports playlists, recording, unlimited sound polyphony, and per-key effects such as volume, panning, EQ, pitch, reverb, and distortion. Soundplant runs on Windows and macOS; listed minimums are 64-bit Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.14 or later. The free version is for noncommercial use, supports 16-bit uncompressed WAV files, and includes 25 launches of paid features; after those, a reminder appears every five launches. A Single User License costs $69 as a one-time purchase and covers one user on Windows and Mac, with installation on multiple computers for that person. It lasts for the purchased version and includes 2 years of free upgrades. The standalone app works offline, has no ads or account requirement, and collects no user data.