eqMac vs FxSound (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FxSound grades higher than eqMac: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FxSound grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
eqMac
System-wide equalizer and per-app volume mixer for macOS
Which one is for you
Pick eqMac if
- Fits if you want one equalizer for everything your Mac plays
- Works for people who want to set volume per app
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, because the unlimited-band equalizer, app mixer and spatial audio are all Pro
- Skip it if you want open source: the public GitHub repo holds only v1.3.2 and newer releases live in a private fork
- Watch out: recording, hotkeys, cloud sync and remote control are listed as in development, not available
- Watch out: the Lifetime licence covers one Mac and current Pro features only
Pick FxSound if
- Fits if you want a free equalizer for Windows speakers or headphones
- Works for people who just want sound louder with a bass boost
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac, Linux, Android or iOS, as it is Windows only
- Watch out: it is run by a small team of contributors and funded by donations
- Watch out: older paid versions are still on the site as legacy downloads, which can confuse which one you get
- Too light for studio work, since it is an equalizer and booster rather than a mixer
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAeqMacFair | 3.0GPAFxSoundVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $30 a year, about $2.50 a month, which is in the cheaper quarter, and Lifetime is $40 for one Mac. | AFree with no paid tier, which is below any price the utilities category charges. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe basic equalizer, headphone presets and volume boost are free for good, with no trial clock. One person could stay there. | AThe whole app is free, with no cap and no trial. It asks for donations. |
| Features | CEqualizers, a per-app mixer and presets, but recording, hotkeys, cloud sync and virtual output are listed as still in development. | BEqualizer, presets, volume and bass boost, voice emphasis and audio routing. The listing shows no gap in the job. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record. Install it and move sliders; it works with any output device. | BNo rating on record. You install it and pick a preset; nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. No Windows, Linux, phone or web version. | DWindows only (Intel/AMD and ARM64). The vendor only hopes for Mac and Linux builds. |
| Best for | a system-wide equalizer on a Mac | a free equalizer and volume booster 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: eqMac and FxSound. How we grade
Price against what you get
eqMac starts at $2.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. FxSound has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
FxSound scores higher and starts $2.50 a month lower. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, 28 score higher than eqMac for less, and none scores higher than FxSound for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- eqMac can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- FxSound is open source, according to its own site.
- eqMac also covers menu bar app.
- FxSound also covers noise cancellation.
At a glance
| eqMac | FxSound | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $3 per month, or $30 per year | Free |
| Free plan | Basic: bass, mids and treble equalizer, 10-band equalizer, headphone presets, volume and balance (including boost beyond 100%), and support for any audio device. | The whole app is free; the project accepts donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Bitgapp Ltd. | FxSound |
| Price read from | eqmac.app | fxsound.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
eqMac
- The unlimited-band equalizer, app mixer and spatial audio are Pro only.
- Recording, hotkeys, cloud sync, virtual output and remote control are listed as in development, not available yet.
- The Pro Lifetime License covers one Mac and current Pro features only.
- The public GitHub repository holds only v1.3.2 without Pro features; newer releases are developed in a private fork, so the current app is not open source.
FxSound
- Windows only; the vendor says it hopes to build Mac and Linux versions if contributions allow.
- System-wide processing is not possible on Android or iOS because of operating system restrictions, the vendor says.
- Funded by donations from users and run by a small team of contributors.
- Older paid versions are kept on the site as legacy downloads.
Key features
eqMac
- Equalizers
- Basic (bass, mids, treble) and 10-band equalizers are free. The Expert equalizer has unlimited bands with gain, Q factor or octave bandwidth, several filter types and a spectrum analyzer, and needs Pro.
- App mixer
- Sets the volume of each application separately across the system. This is a Pro feature.
- Headphone presets
- Reference presets for more than 4,600 headphones, with the site marking the feature as available in both tiers.
- Spatial audio and left/right EQ
- Pro adds spatial audio effects for different listening environments and separate equalization of the left and right channels.
- Super presets and Audio Unit hosting
- Presets can switch automatically when the output device or main audio app changes; Pro can host Audio Units and chain them with eqMac effects.
- Works with any output device
- Supports built-in, Bluetooth, AirPlay 1, USB, HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, aggregate and multi-output devices.
FxSound
- Equalizer and presets
- An equalizer with presets for tuning music, calls, games and spoken audio.
- Volume and bass boost
- Raises volume with controlled peaking, and a Bass effect adds low-end punch.
- Voice emphasis
- The vendor says it targets the frequency range of the human voice, which it presents as useful for transcription work.
- Audio routing and volume control
- Includes audio routing and volume control for matching the sound to your headphones or speakers.
- Windows Intel/AMD and ARM64 builds
- The download page offers installers for x86/x64 PCs and for ARM64, plus legacy DFX Audio Enhancer and FxSound Enhancer versions.
Plans
eqMac
Basic$0
Free features with community support; no access to Pro features.
Pro Subscription$3
per month, starting at; or $30 per year
Expert equalizer, app mixer, spatial audio and all other features; the page says one device license costs $1 per month.
Pro Lifetime License$40
one-time, for one Mac
Lifetime access to current Pro features and security and compatibility updates; future Pro features might require a partial upgrade.
FxSound
Free$0
Full app with equalizer, effects and presets, funded by user contributions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, eqMac or FxSound?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FxSound is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $2.50 a month when paid by the year for eqMac. eqMac starts at $3 per month, or $30 per year, and FxSound is free.
Which has a free plan, eqMac or FxSound?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both eqMac and FxSound have a free plan.
Which platforms do eqMac and FxSound run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only eqMac lists a macOS app and only FxSound lists a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.