SoundSource vs Voicemeeter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Voicemeeter grades higher than SoundSource: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
SoundSource grades higher on ease of use. Voicemeeter grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
SoundSource
Per-app volume, output routing and audio effects for the Mac
Voicemeeter
Virtual audio mixer for Windows, sold as donationware
Which one is for you
Pick SoundSource if
- Fits if you want a different volume level for each app on your Mac
- Works for sending music to other speakers while everything else stays on the laptop
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows, or on a Mac older than macOS 15, which needs a legacy download
- Pricey if all you need is the odd volume tweak, at $49 for the license
- Not for you if you expect free upgrades for good: a license covers the current major version, and upgrades are $25
- Watch out: the trial overlays noise on adjusted audio after 20 minutes until you relaunch
- Watch out: refunds must be asked for within 14 days and are decided case by case
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
| 2.2GPASoundSourceFair | 2.6GPAVoicemeeterGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$49 once per user, on one or more of your own Macs, with no subscription. Against the $2.99 a month utilities here charge in the middle, that's inside two years' subscription. A license covers the current major version, and upgrading from 4 or 5 is $25. | 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 | CThere's no free version. The trial has every feature and asks for no card, but after 20 minutes noise is overlaid on any audio you've adjusted until you relaunch the app. Good enough to judge it, not to live on. | 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 | CMac audio is its one job and it covers it fully: per-app volume and mute, per-app output device, a 10-band equaliser and Audio Unit plugins, AirPlay to HomePods and Sonos, output groups, and Quick Configs that switch a whole setup in one click. It does nothing beyond audio. | 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 on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's one menu bar list of your apps with a slider each, which anyone can picture. Effects and output groups ask a bit more of you. | 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 | DMac only. SoundSource 6 runs on macOS 15 to 27, and older systems need a legacy download. It has actions for Apple Shortcuts and plays to AirPlay, Sonos and HomePod speakers. No Windows version. | DWindows only. The Mac apps are listed separately in the shop. |
| Best for | a separate volume knob for every app on your Mac | 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: SoundSource and Voicemeeter. How we grade
Where they differ
- SoundSource also covers menu bar app.
At a glance
| SoundSource | Voicemeeter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $49 one-time purchase | $15 one-time (default price; buyer picks from five amounts) |
| Free plan | None | 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 | Free trial with every feature; after 20 minutes noise is overlaid on adjusted audio until the app is relaunched | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Rogue Amoeba Software, Inc. | VB-Audio Software |
| Price read from | rogueamoeba.com | shop.vb-audio.com |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
SoundSource
- macOS only. SoundSource 6 runs on macOS 15 to 27; older systems need a legacy download.
- There is no free version. In trial mode, noise is overlaid on adjusted audio after 20 minutes until the app is relaunched.
- A license covers the current major version; owners of SoundSource 4 or 5 pay $25 to upgrade to version 6.
- Refunds must be requested within 14 days of purchase and are issued case by case.
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
SoundSource
- Per-app volume control
- Sets the volume of each application relative to the others from one list, or mutes an app entirely.
- Per-app output routing
- Sends an individual app to a chosen output device, for example music to external speakers while everything else plays through the Mac's built-in output.
- Audio effects
- A built-in 10-band equalizer, Volume Overdrive, Magic Boost and Headphone EQ, plus Audio Unit plugins, applied to a single app or to all system audio.
- AirPlay and output groups
- Streams one app or all audio to AirPlay devices such as HomePods, Apple TVs and Sonos speakers. Output groups play to several devices at once.
- System devices and volume keys
- Volume, balance, input level and sample rate for the output, input and sound-effects devices. Super Volume Keys make the keyboard volume keys work with HDMI and DisplayPort outputs.
- Shortcuts and Quick Configs
- Actions for the Shortcuts app automate audio changes, and Quick Configs save a whole setup of devices, volumes and effects to switch to in one click.
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
SoundSource
SoundSource License Key$49
one-time purchase, per user (USD; local taxes may apply)
Unlocks the current version, SoundSource 6, for a single user on one or more personally owned Macs.
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.
Ways to pay less
SoundSource
- Education
Academic discount for students and educators
Rogue Amoeba gives an academic discount to students, educators and others affiliated with academia who enter a school email address. The page does not state the amount.
- Other savings
$25 upgrade from SoundSource 4 or 5
Owners of a SoundSource 5 or SoundSource 4 license can upgrade to SoundSource 6 for $25 instead of the $49 full price.
- Other savings
50% off for Airfoil owners
People who own an Airfoil license get 50% off when they move to SoundSource, applied after entering the Airfoil license key.
- Other savings
Entire Rogue Amoeba Lineup bundle
The deals page offers a discounted bundle of every Rogue Amoeba product, SoundSource included, and says mailing-list members receive exclusive discounts.
Voicemeeter
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, SoundSource or Voicemeeter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SoundSource starts at $49 one-time purchase, and Voicemeeter starts at $15 one-time (default price; buyer picks from five amounts).
Which has a free plan, SoundSource or Voicemeeter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Voicemeeter has a free plan. SoundSource does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do SoundSource and Voicemeeter run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SoundSource lists a macOS app and only Voicemeeter 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.