The BlackHole Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about BlackHole in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
BlackHole
The Insider’s Guide
Virtual audio loopback driver for routing sound between Mac apps
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among desktop utilities, read from BlackHole’s own pages.
Made by Existential Audio · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from BlackHole’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on BlackHole’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 35 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade
BlackHole is a macOS virtual audio driver that lets one application send its audio to another with no added driver latency. It comes in 2-channel, 16-channel and 64-channel versions, and its source code is on GitHub under the GPLv3. The installer is offered for a suggested donation, or free through Discord or Homebrew.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about BlackHole, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It has no mixer or window of its own, so you build the routing yourself.
- 1
Best for routing audio between Mac apps for free
BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver for Mac that passes sound from one app to another.
- 2
It is free
BlackHole has no paid plan at all. Free: get it through Homebrew or the vendor's Discord instead of donating.
- 3
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 4
Audio loopback between apps
Lets applications pass audio to other applications through a virtual device, with zero additional latency according to the vendor.
- 5
2, 16 and 64 channel versions
The download page names 2-channel and 16-channel versions, and Homebrew offers blackhole-2ch, blackhole-16ch and blackhole-64ch.
- 6
All standard sample rates
Supports 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192 kHz.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 35 of 186
That is against the other desktop utilities we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
BlackHole is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
BlackHole at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Existential Audio
- Category
- Desktop Utilities
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for routing audio between Mac apps for free
BlackHole is a free virtual audio driver for Mac that passes sound from one app to another. It has no mixer or window of its own, so you build the routing yourself.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free, with a Homebrew or Discord route instead of donating. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright with no cap, under GPLv3. No cap, no trial and no donation needed. |
| Features | D | It is a driver and not a mixer: sound goes to other apps or devices you set up, so it needs another product to be useful. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. Routing needs aggregate or multi-output devices to be set up by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac only. The vendor's Windows page says it is not ready. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who BlackHole is for
- Fits if you record or stream your Mac's own sound
- Works for people who already use an audio app that can pick an input device
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want a mixer, since it has no interface of its own
- Skip it if you use Windows, as the vendor says it isn't ready there
- Watch out: projects that aren't GPLv3 need a licence from Existential Audio, and the readme gives no price
- Watch out: the readme advises against the AirPods microphone as the clock device
Good to know
Good for
- Streamers and podcasters capturing one app's sound in another
- Instructors and producers who record or process a Mac's audio
- Developers who want a driver whose source they can build
Worth knowing
- Mac only; the vendor's Windows page says BlackHole is not ready for Windows.
- It is a driver with no mixer of its own; sound is sent to other apps or devices that you set up.
- Projects that are not GPLv3 need a license from Existential Audio; the readme gives no price.
- The readme advises against using the AirPods microphone as the clock device in an aggregate or multi-output device.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
BlackHole is free to use.
Free, with a Homebrew or Discord route instead of donating.
Free
$0
Open source under the GPLv3; the download page's button is a $10 donation that also gives the installer, and Homebrew and Discord are free.
The free plan
Free: get it through Homebrew or the vendor's Discord instead of donating.
Read from existential.audio on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Virtual audio loopback driver for routing sound between Mac apps. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, works offline.
It is a driver and not a mixer: sound goes to other apps or devices you set up, so it needs another product to be useful.
- Audio loopback between apps
- Lets applications pass audio to other applications through a virtual device, with zero additional latency according to the vendor.
- 2, 16 and 64 channel versions
- The download page names 2-channel and 16-channel versions, and Homebrew offers blackhole-2ch, blackhole-16ch and blackhole-64ch.
- All standard sample rates
- Supports 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4 and 192 kHz.
- Customizable build
- The GitHub readme says channel count, latency and hidden devices can be customized.
- Intel and Apple silicon
- Built for both, and compatible with macOS 10.10 Yosemite and newer.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
BlackHole is made by Existential Audio.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
35/186
Other desktop utilities it is graded above
BlackHole's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 35 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 33.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 107 of 186) and worst on features (D, above 0).
BlackHole has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 187 desktop utilities we grade, cut by the letter each got. BlackHole’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 55 of 186
- AFree plan and trialAbove 107 of 186
- DFeaturesAbove 0 of 186
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 186
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 186
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 103 desktop utilities. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. BlackHole is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
BlackHole is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 118 of the 186 other desktop utilities grade higher.
What you could not
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. BlackHole’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Voicemeeter, eqMac, SoundSource and FxSound
The 4 tools BlackHole is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Voicemeeter
Free plan · from $15 one-time
Virtual audio mixer for Windows, sold as donationware.
- Only BlackHole lists a macOS app.
- Only Voicemeeter lists a Windows app.
- BlackHole is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
eqMac
Free plan · from $3/mo
System-wide equalizer and per-app volume mixer for macOS.
- BlackHole is open source, according to its own site.
- eqMac can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- eqMac also covers menu bar app.
- 2.2GPA
SoundSource
Free trial · from $49 one-time
Per-app volume, output routing and audio effects for the Mac.
- BlackHole has a free plan. SoundSource does not, though it has a free trial.
- BlackHole is open source, according to its own site.
- SoundSource can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 3.0GPA
FxSound
Free
Free open-source Windows equalizer and volume booster.
- Only BlackHole lists a macOS app.
- Only FxSound lists a Windows app.
- FxSound also covers noise cancellation.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is BlackHole free?
Yes. BlackHole is free to use.
How much does BlackHole cost?
BlackHole lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does BlackHole work on?
BlackHole is available on macOS.
Does BlackHole have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. BlackHole is listed for macOS.
Does BlackHole have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. BlackHole is listed for macOS.
Is BlackHole open source?
Yes. BlackHole is open source, according to its own site.
Does BlackHole work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Who makes BlackHole?
BlackHole is made by Existential Audio.
What are the alternatives to BlackHole?
The closest alternatives to BlackHole in our directory are Voicemeeter, eqMac, SoundSource and FxSound.
How does BlackHole compare with other desktop utilities?
BlackHole's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 35 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 33.
Is BlackHole good value for money?
ToolGPA grades BlackHole A for value for money. BlackHole has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of BlackHole?
BlackHole is free, so making your own would save you nothing. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 118 of the 186 other desktop utilities grade higher.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from BlackHole’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Existential Audio's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Existential Audio. Prices change, so check existential.audio before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- BlackHole, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/blackhole
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "BlackHole: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/blackhole
Know someone choosing between desktop utilities?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/blackhole/guide
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Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what BlackHole’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. BlackHole is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Existential Audio. Prices and plans change: check existential.audio before you buy.