The Best SoundSource Alternatives for Mac in 2026 (5 Options, One Is $9.99)
SoundSource is the best per-app sound app on the Mac. It is also around $49, and more than most people need. If you just want a volume slider and a mute for each app, here are the real alternatives, compared honestly on price and trust, including one that costs $9.99 once.
Why look for a SoundSource alternative
Let's be fair to SoundSource first, because it earns it. Rogue Amoeba builds serious audio software, and SoundSource does a lot: a volume slider for every app, a per-app equalizer, the ability to send one app's audio to a different output, and Audio Unit effects on top. Nothing else in this roundup matches that range. If you want that, skip the rest of this article and go buy SoundSource. You will be happy.
But most people reading a "SoundSource alternative" search are not after a per-app EQ rig. They want three things:
- A slider and a mute for each app. Turn Chrome down, mute Discord, leave the music where it is. That's it.
- To not pay around $49 for it. If you only need volume and mute, most of SoundSource's price is power you'll never touch.
- No driver and no subscription. Some people would rather not install a virtual sound device, and would rather pay once than rent an app forever.
If that's you, this is the honest shortlist.
The options at a glance
| App | Price | Best at | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| SoundSource | ~$49 once | The most capable: per-app volume, EQ, output routing, effects | Price, and more than many people need |
| Sound Control | ~$15 to $25 (or subscription) | Per-app volume plus EQ, actively maintained | Pricing model and EQ you may not want |
| Background Music | Free (open source) | Per-app volume, mute, auto-pause, at no cost | Installs a virtual driver; Apple silicon support is rough |
| eqMac | Free / Pro subscription | System-wide EQ for free | The per-app Volume Mixer is Pro-only |
| Levels | $9.99 once | Simple per-app volume, mute, and a focus hotkey, no driver | No EQ and no audio routing, on purpose |
The honest rundown on each one
SoundSource (~$49) and when it's the right buy
SoundSource is the premium incumbent, and it deserves the reputation. Per-app volume is the least of it: you also get a per-app equalizer, the ability to route a single app to headphones while everything else stays on speakers, and Audio Unit effects in the chain. Buy SoundSource if you genuinely want EQ, routing, or pro-level audio control, because it is the most capable app here and nothing on this list beats it for that. The only knock is the obvious one: it is around $49, which is a lot if all you wanted was a mute button.
Sound Control (~$15 to $25)
Sound Control from Static Z Software is a real, current alternative: it does per-app volume and EQ, and it is actively maintained, including support for recent macOS. It usually lands somewhere around $15 to $25, with a subscription option in the mix depending on where you buy. It is cheaper than SoundSource and very capable. The honest reasons to look elsewhere are the pricing model (a subscription rubs some people the wrong way) and the fact that you are still paying for an equalizer you might never open.
Background Music (free)
Background Music is the free, open-source pick, and it punches above its price: per-app volume, mute, and even auto-pause your music when other audio starts. The trade-off is real, though. It installs a virtual audio driver to do its job, and on Apple silicon its support is rough: the project itself flags Apple silicon as not tested. If you are comfortable installing a sound device, like tinkering, and the price tag of zero is the whole point, it is worth a look. If you want something that just works and leaves nothing behind, this is the fiddly route.
eqMac (free / Pro)
eqMac is EQ-first, and that framing matters. The free version gives you a system-wide equalizer, which is great if EQ is what you came for. But the per-app Volume Mixer, the feature you actually want as a SoundSource alternative, sits behind a paid Pro subscription. So "free" eqMac is an equalizer, not a mixer. If you mostly want to shape your sound and per-app volume is a nice-to-have, it's a fair choice. If per-app volume is the point, you are back to paying.
Levels ($9.99) the simple, cheap, no-driver pick
Levels is the one I make, so take this with the appropriate pinch of salt, but the pitch is simple. It puts a volume slider and a mute on every app, grouped by the app instead of cryptic helper processes. It adds a focus-mode hotkey, ⌘⌥M, that mutes every app except the one in front; switch apps and the live one follows you, press again and everything comes back exactly as it was. You can save setups as profiles (Work, Call, Playtest) and switch in a click.
The part that matters for trust: there is no driver and no kernel extension. Levels is built on Apple's Core Audio process taps, so there's nothing system-level to install and nothing to uninstall. It runs fully on-device with no account and no telemetry. Apps left at full volume are bit-perfect passthrough, untouched; only the apps you actually turn down or mute get processed. It's one small menu-bar app, a signed and notarized direct download, with a free 14-day full trial. It does not do EQ and it does not do audio routing. That's deliberate. If you need those, you want SoundSource. If you want sliders, mute, and a focus key for $9.99 once, this is built for exactly that. (If you're new to all this, here's how to control app volume on a Mac.)
Coming from Windows? (EarTrumpet for Mac)
If you switched from Windows and miss EarTrumpet, the little per-app volume mixer that lived in your system tray, here's the straight answer: there is no EarTrumpet for Mac. It is a Windows-only app and there is no Mac build, official or otherwise. What you actually want is the Mac equivalent of that per-app mixer, and that's any of the apps above. The closest thing in spirit, simple sliders and a mute with no driver to install, is Levels. If you also want EQ and routing, SoundSource is the heavier-duty option.
How to choose
- You want EQ, routing, or pro audio control: buy SoundSource (~$49). It's the most capable, full stop.
- You want EQ plus volume and don't mind a subscription option: look at Sound Control (~$15 to $25).
- You want free and don't mind installing a driver and some rough edges: try Background Music.
- You mainly want a system-wide equalizer: eqMac's free tier covers it (per-app volume is Pro).
- You want simple, cheap, no driver, no subscription: Levels ($9.99 once) is built for exactly that.
The $9.99 SoundSource alternative.
Levels gives every app a slider and a mute, plus a focus hotkey, with no driver and no subscription. The free 14-day trial is the whole app, so try it before you spend a cent.
FAQ
Is there a free SoundSource alternative?
Yes. Background Music is free and open source, and it does per-app volume, mute, and auto-pause. The catch is that it installs a virtual audio driver, and its Apple silicon support is rough and listed as not tested. eqMac is also free, but its per-app Volume Mixer sits behind a paid Pro subscription, so the free tier is really an equalizer, not a mixer. If you want free with no driver there isn't a clean option; if you want cheap with no driver, Levels is $9.99 once.
What is the cheapest per-app volume app for Mac?
Background Music is free if you are willing to install a virtual audio driver and deal with rough Apple silicon support. For a paid app that just works with no driver, Levels is the cheapest at $9.99 one-time, with a 14-day free trial. SoundSource is around $49 and Sound Control is roughly $15 to $25 or a subscription.
Is there an EarTrumpet for Mac?
No. EarTrumpet is Windows only and there is no Mac version. The Mac equivalent of that per-app volume mixer is one of the apps on this page. If you want the closest match to EarTrumpet's simple sliders and mute with no driver, Levels is the nearest thing at $9.99. SoundSource is the heavier, pricier option with EQ and routing.
Do I need SoundSource if I just want to mute background apps?
No. SoundSource is excellent, but a lot of its value is in per-app EQ, audio routing, and Audio Unit effects. If all you want is a slider and a mute for each app, plus a hotkey to silence everything except what's in front, that's most of what Levels does for $9.99 instead of around $49.
Why is SoundSource so expensive, and is it worth it?
SoundSource is around $49 because it's genuinely the most capable app in this category: per-app volume, per-app EQ, per-app output routing, and Audio Unit effects in one place. If you use those features it's worth every cent and nothing else here matches it. If you only need volume and mute, you're paying for power you won't touch, and a cheaper app like Levels covers the basics.
The short version
SoundSource is the right buy if you want EQ and routing, and I'd tell you that to your face. But if you got here because SoundSource felt too expensive for what you actually need, which is a slider and a mute for every app and a key to silence the noise, that's the whole reason Levels exists. Grab the free 14-day trial, use it on a genuinely noisy afternoon, and if it earns its place it's $9.99 once. No driver, no subscription, no account. See everything Levels does if you want the full tour first.