Faders vs SoundSource
SoundSource is the most complete audio mixer on the Mac and it's made by a company that's been doing this since 2002. Faders does less, costs less and focuses on calls and everyday listening. Here's how to pick.
Short answer
Get SoundSource if you want an equalizer, Audio Unit effects, AirPlay or Sonos streaming, or sound on several outputs at once. It does all of that and Faders doesn't.
Get Faders if you mainly want per-app volume, better call audio and working volume keys on your monitor, you'd rather pay $5.99 than $49, or you're still on macOS 14 Sonoma.
At a glance
| Faders | SoundSource 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 once (launch price, $15.99 regular) | $49 once ($25 upgrade from v4/v5) |
| Free trial | No, but there's a live demo in your browser | Yes |
| macOS | 14.2 Sonoma or later | 15 Sequoia or later |
| Per-app volume and mute | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boost above 100 % | ✓ to 200 %, with limiter | ✓ Volume Overdrive, Magic Boost |
| Equalizer | — (planned) | ✓ 10-band, per app and system-wide |
| Audio Unit effects | — | ✓ |
| Send an app to another output | ✓ one output per app | ✓ plus Output Groups (several at once) |
| AirPlay, HomePod, Sonos streaming | — | ✓ |
| Volume keys for HDMI / DisplayPort | ✓ | ✓ |
| Device priority order | ✓ outputs and mics, “never auto-select” | ✓ Preferred Device Order, hide devices |
| Global mic mute | ✓ ⌃⌥⌘M | ✓ “cough button” |
| Other apps duck during calls | ✓ automatic | Not listed |
| AirPods stay high-quality on calls | ✓ keeps the Mac mic | Not listed |
| Shortcuts app actions | — | ✓ |
| Sold through | fadersmac.com | rogueamoeba.com |
“Not listed” means we couldn't find it on SoundSource's site, not that it's confirmed missing. Checked October 2026.
Where SoundSource is better
If any of these matter to you, buy SoundSource. Faders can't do them today.
- Equalizer and effects. SoundSource has a 10-band EQ, Headphone EQ and full Audio Unit plugin hosting, per app or for the whole system. Faders has no EQ yet. It's planned, but there's no date, and it won't be a plugin host.
- Several outputs at once. Output Groups play one app on several devices together. Faders sends each app to exactly one output.
- AirPlay and Sonos. SoundSource can stream any app's audio to Apple TV, HomePod and Sonos. Faders only uses devices macOS already shows as outputs.
- Power-user controls. Device nicknames and icons, per-device volume limits, locked settings, per-app shortcuts and Shortcuts app actions. Faders keeps its settings deliberately small.
- Track record. Rogue Amoeba has been making Mac audio software for over twenty years. Faders launched in 2026 and is made by one developer. If you value a long history of support, that counts.
- You can try it first. SoundSource has a free trial. Faders doesn't. You get a browser demo of the panel, and sales are final.
Where Faders is better
- Price. $5.99 at launch and $15.99 after, against $49. If per-app volume is all you need, most of SoundSource's price pays for features you won't use.
- Calls. Faders notices when Zoom, Teams, Meet, FaceTime, Slack or Discord is using your mic and turns other apps down until the call ends. We couldn't find automatic call ducking in SoundSource.
- AirPods on calls. When a Bluetooth headset's mic is in use, macOS switches it to a low-quality call mode and your music turns muffled. Faders keeps the Mac's built-in mic in use, so AirPods stay at 48 kHz stereo. SoundSource doesn't list this.
- Older macOS. SoundSource 6 needs macOS 15 Sequoia. Faders runs on macOS 14.2 Sonoma. (Rogue Amoeba still offers older SoundSource versions for older systems.)
- Small and quiet. One menu-bar panel, about 15 MB of memory, 0.0 % CPU when nothing is playing. Apps you haven't adjusted are never processed.
What they both do well
Both give every app its own volume and mute, can boost a quiet app past 100 %, can send an app to a different output, make your volume keys work on HDMI and DisplayPort displays, let you rank your devices so macOS stops switching to the wrong one, and include a mic mute that works across the whole system.
Who should pick which
Pick SoundSource if you…
- EQ your headphones or use Audio Unit plugins
- Stream to HomePods, Apple TV or Sonos
- Want audio on several devices at once
- Want to try before you buy, or prefer a long-established vendor
Pick Faders if you…
- Spend your day on calls and want music to get out of the way by itself
- Use AirPods for calls and hate the muffled call mode
- Want monitor volume keys and per-app volume without paying $49
- Are on macOS 14 Sonoma
Questions
Can I run Faders and SoundSource together?
We don't recommend it. Both change the same apps' audio, so they'll fight over the volume. Pick one and quit the other.
Do either of them install a driver?
Faders doesn't. It uses the audio-tap APIs Apple added in macOS 14.2, so there's nothing to install system-wide. Rogue Amoeba's apps use their own audio capture component, which is covered on their site.
Will Faders get an equalizer?
It's planned, but there's no date. If you need an EQ today, SoundSource, FineTune, SoundDial or Sound Control all have one.
Just want a volume slider for every app?
Faders is $5.99 once at launch. Try the live demo on the homepage first.
More comparisons
Sources
- SoundSource product page (macOS 15–27, HDMI volume keys, EQ, Audio Units, AirPlay)
- What's new in SoundSource 6 (Output Groups, device order, cough button, lock settings)
- TidBITS: SoundSource 6.0 ($49, $25 upgrade)