JACK Audio Connection Kit vs Splitwave

JACK Audio Connection Kit is a free sound server API and daemon implementation for connecting audio and MIDI applications with real-time, low-latency operation. Client applications can connect to an audio device and share audio with one another. JACK emphasizes synchronous execution among clients. Applications communicate through callbacks and registered ports to send and receive data, and audio is represented internally as 32-bit floating-point values. Compatible applications listed by the project include Audacity, Ardour, Blender, Mixxx, QjackCtl, and VLC. JACK is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Linux users are directed to their distribution’s package manager for binaries; listed macOS installers are for macOS 10.12 or higher, and Windows installers are for Windows 7 or higher. The project hosts JACK1 and JACK2 source repositories on GitHub. The server uses the GPL, while the library uses the LGPL, which permits proprietary programs to link with it. The project directs users to mailing lists, IRC channels, and community forums for help. The software is distributed without warranty, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

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.