EarTrumpet vs Voicemeeter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EarTrumpet grades higher than Voicemeeter: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
EarTrumpet grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. Voicemeeter grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Voicemeeter
Virtual audio mixer for Windows, sold as donationware
Free plan · from $15 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick EarTrumpet if
- Fits if you want the game quiet and the call loud at the same time on Windows
- Works for people who swap between speakers and a headset several times a day
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it only runs on Windows 10 version 1803 or later and Windows 11
- Not for you if you want nothing leaving your PC, since a crash sends diagnostic details to Bugsnag
- Too light for anything beyond volume and output switching, as that's all it does
- Watch out: automatic updates are listed for the Microsoft Store install; winget and Chocolatey are command-line installs
- Watch out: its MIT license has a preface barring three named companies from reproducing or adapting it
Pick Voicemeeter if
- Fits if you stream or record and need to route a mic and app sound on Windows
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay once than rent a mixer
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac, since this is Windows software and the Mac apps are sold separately
- Tight if you want it simple, as there is a routing setup to learn
- Watch out: install and removal both need admin mode and a reboot
- Watch out: Banana and Potato are separate editions with separate prices, and work use is limited to levels P3 to P5
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAEarTrumpetGood | 2.6GPAVoicemeeterGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree on the Microsoft Store with no in-app purchases, a plain install anyone can run, and the source is on GitHub. The project takes sponsors, but nothing is held back if you don't chip in. | A$15 one-time for the base edition and $30 for Banana, both under a year of the typical utility subscription. These are default amounts and the shop offers five levels. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole app is free. The Store terms allow installing it on up to ten Windows devices under one Microsoft account. | BFree to use with every function, but after 30 days the About box asks you to buy a licence. Business use is limited to the higher contribution levels. |
| Features | CVolume is a small job, and EarTrumpet covers it: a slider per app, an app's sound moved to another output, the default device switched in two clicks, a standalone mixer with peak meters, hotkeys and scroll-wheel control. Nothing beyond sound, which is the point of it. | BA virtual device that mixes voice with other audio, plus EQ and recorder in Banana and effects and send/return in Potato. No gap shown in the core job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: install it from the Microsoft Store, click the tray icon, drag a slider. It follows light and dark mode and comes in more than 20 languages. | CNo rating on record, and you have to wire up inputs and outputs yourself. Setup runs in admin mode and needs a reboot after install and after removal. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, a single operating system: Windows 10 version 1803 and later, and Windows 11. There's no Mac or Linux version, and the only tie-in listed is Feedback Hub. | DWindows only. The Mac apps are listed separately in the shop. |
| Best for | a separate volume for each app on Windows | mixing mics and app sound with a virtual mixer on Windows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: EarTrumpet and Voicemeeter. How we grade
Where they differ
- EarTrumpet is open source, according to its own site.
- Voicemeeter can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- EarTrumpet also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planWindows
At a glance
| EarTrumpet | Voicemeeter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $15 one-time (default price; buyer picks from five amounts) |
| Free plan | The US Microsoft Store lists the app as Free with no in-app purchases, and it can also be installed with winget or Chocolatey. The GitHub project accepts sponsors. | Free to use with all functions, except optional features; after 30 days the About box invites you to buy a license or keep evaluating. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | File-New-Project | VB-Audio Software |
| Price read from | apps.microsoft.com | shop.vb-audio.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EarTrumpet
- Windows only. The README lists Windows 10 version 1803 and later and Windows 11 as supported.
- When the app crashes it sends diagnostic details, such as exception, version and system settings, to Bugsnag, as its privacy document describes.
- Automatic updates are listed as coming through the Microsoft Store; winget and Chocolatey are offered as command-line installs.
- The license is the MIT License with a preface that bars three named companies from reproducing, distributing or adapting the software.
Voicemeeter
- Windows only; the vendor's shop lists its Mac apps separately.
- Prices shown are the shop's default amounts; the shop offers five contribution levels, and professional or business use is limited to levels P3 to P5.
- The setup program must be run in administrative mode and needs a reboot after installation and after removal.
- Banana and Potato are separate editions with their own prices; the Potato license is delivered as an activation code.
Key features
EarTrumpet
- Per-app volume
- Controls the volume of both classic and modern Windows apps, app by app, from a flyout opened at the system tray icon.
- Move apps between devices
- An app's audio can be moved from one playback device to another, so different programs can play through different outputs.
- Default device in two clicks
- The flyout manages the default playback device, and the context menu keeps shortcuts to the legacy volume mixer and app volume preferences.
- Standalone mixer with peak meters
- A standalone volume mixer window is included, and audio activity is visualized with peak meters that are aware of multiple channels.
- Hotkeys and scroll wheel
- Hotkeys are configurable and can adjust several devices at once, and optional settings change the volume with the scroll wheel anywhere or over the tray icon.
- Matches the Windows look
- The flyout follows light and dark mode and every accent color, and the interface has been translated into more than 20 languages.
Voicemeeter
- Virtual audio device
- Acts as a virtual input and output so any microphone, application or device can be routed to any other.
- Wide interface support
- Supports MME, DirectX, KS, WDM, WASAPI and ASIO interfaces on Windows XP through Windows 11, including ARM64.
- Mixing a voice with other audio
- The vendor lists mixing a voice with music or a game for a call, a live podcast or a recording.
- Banana: EQ and recorder
- Banana adds a parametric EQ on all buses, effects on input strips and a multi-format audio player and recorder.
- Potato: effects and send/return
- Potato adds two internal effects, reverb and multitap delay, and an external AUX send and return.
- No internet needed
- The vendor says the application does not need an internet connection and does not collect user data.
Plans
EarTrumpet
EarTrumpet$0
The complete app. The Store terms allow installing it on up to ten Windows devices while signed in to a Microsoft account.
Voicemeeter
Free use$0
Install and use the app first; payment is requested but not forced.
Voicemeeter$15
one-time, default price; permanent license for one PC configuration
Mixes 3 inputs to 3 outputs through 2 buses. The shop lets you choose from five contribution levels.
Voicemeeter Banana$30
one-time, default price; permanent license for one PC configuration
Advanced mixer with 3 physical and 2 virtual I/O, effects on input strips and a parametric EQ on every bus.
Voicemeeter Potato$35
one-time, default price; permanent license for one PC configuration
5 physical and 3 virtual I/O, internal reverb and multitap delay, and external send/return.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EarTrumpet or Voicemeeter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EarTrumpet is free, and Voicemeeter starts at $15 one-time (default price; buyer picks from five amounts).
Which has a free plan, EarTrumpet or Voicemeeter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both EarTrumpet and Voicemeeter have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.