Best Mac equalizer

If you want one equalizer over everything your Mac plays, take EQBase (the free tier has a system-wide 10-band equalizer) or SoundSource (per app and system-wide, paid). The list below ranks nine Mac equalizer apps, starts with the best per-app one, and says what each does and where it stops.

The 9 best Mac equalizer apps at a glance

1. SoundDial: top pick, best equalizer for each app. A 10-band equalizer per app, with per-app volume, mute and output. Per app only.
2. EQBase: best free system-wide equalizer. A free tier with no time limit; per-app equalizer is Pro.
3. eqMac: best for a long-running free system-wide equalizer. Free Basic and 10-band equalizers, Pro adds unlimited bands.
4. SoundSource: best for per-app and system-wide in one app. Plus Audio Unit effects and AirPlay per app; paid.
5. CoreEQ: best free open-source equalizer with parametric bands. System-wide; it has no volume control.
6. Boom 3D: best for a 31-band equalizer with sound effects. System-wide, on the Mac App Store or direct.
7. Sonance EQ: best system-wide equalizer from the Mac App Store. Free, with a one-time Pro unlock.
8. FineTune: best free per-app equalizer. Open source, macOS 15 or later.
9. Soundish: best one-time-price rival to SoundDial per app. A 10-band equalizer per app; system-wide is not available yet.

Mac equalizer apps compared

App	Equalizer	Price (vendor figures, USD, checked 12 November 2026)	Try before buying	macOS	How it installs
SoundDial (top pick)	Per app: 10 bands, 31 Hz to 16 kHz, ±12 dB, 11 presets, plus left/right balance. Not system-wide	€14.99 one-time purchase, one-time on the Mac App Store, no subscription, no in-app purchases	no free trial; refunds go through Apple	macOS 14.2 or later	Sandboxed Mac App Store app; does not install a virtual audio driver
EQBase	System-wide: 10 bands free, up to 24 bands in Pro. Per-app 10-band equalizer is Pro	Free tier; Pro USD 4.99 a month, USD 39.99 a year or USD 79.99 lifetime (eqbase.app, checked 12 November 2026)	Free tier, no time limit	14.4	Drag to Applications; one System Audio permission. Two optional features install a user-space audio driver
eqMac	System-wide: Basic and 10-band Advanced free, Expert with unlimited bands is Pro. Per-app equalizer: not stated	Free tier; Pro $3/month, $30/year or $40 lifetime for one Mac (eqmac.app, shown as "$", currency code not stated)	Free tier and a 7-day Pro trial	10.13	Installs an audio driver and a helper; administrator password
SoundSource	Per app and system-wide: 10 bands, almost two dozen presets, Audio Unit effects	$49 (Rogue Amoeba's store); $25 upgrade from version 4 or 5	Trial; noise is laid over the audio after 20 minutes until you relaunch	15	Installs the ARK audio plug-in; administrator password
CoreEQ	System-wide: 11-band graphic plus up to 16 parametric bands, 22 presets	Free, open source (Apache-2.0)	Free	14.2	Does not install an audio driver; not notarized by Apple
Boom 3D	System-wide: 10 or 31 bands, headphone EQ, effects	Mac App Store (US): free, in-app lifetime packs $19.99 and $49.99. Direct: sold with a trial; the price shown varies	15-day trial (direct)	11	Installs an audio driver
Sonance EQ	System-wide parametric. Per-app equalizer is listed as a Pro unlock	Free; Pro $9.99, one-time in-app purchase (US Mac App Store)	Free tier	14.4	Does not install an audio driver or kernel extension
FineTune	Per app: 10 bands, 20 presets. System-wide: not stated	Free, open source (GPL v3)	Free	15.0	Drag-install; audio driver not mentioned; Screen & System Audio Recording permission
Soundish	Per app: 10 bands, ±12 dB, nine presets. System-wide: not available yet (vendor lists it as planned for 2.0)	$14.99 once (appish.app)	7-day trial, email needed	14.6	Does not install an audio driver (since version 1.5); System Audio Recording permission

1. SoundDial: top pick, the best equalizer for each app

SoundDial puts a full 10-band equalizer on every app that plays sound. The bands run from 31 Hz to 16 kHz, each up to 12 dB up or down in 0.5 dB steps, with 11 presets: Flat, Bass Boost, Bass Cut, Treble Boost, Vocal, Podcast, Loudness, Late Night, Rock, Electronic and Acoustic. Changes apply instantly, and each app can also have its own left/right balance. That is what makes it the best pick when apps need different sound: a flat curve for a call, extra bass for music, a Podcast curve for speech. See the per-app equalizer in detail.

It is also a full per-app mixer, from the menu bar: volume from 0% to 200% per app, mute, and a separate output device for each app. Other apps are lowered automatically during a call (on by default, 5% to 80%). Profiles save a whole mix, equalizer included. The app is sandboxed, does not install a virtual audio driver, runs on macOS 14.2 or later and comes in 34 languages. It costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, once, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. Trial: no free trial; refunds go through Apple.

How to use it. Open the SoundDial menu, click the "⋯" menu on an app's row and choose "Equalizer & Balance…". Switch the equalizer on, pick a preset from the strip or drag the band sliders (double-click a band to reset it), and set left/right balance if you like. "Reset EQ & Balance" puts the app back to flat. Save the result with "Save current mix as a profile" to bring the whole setup back in one click, and see volume profiles for how that works.

Limits, plainly. The equalizer works per app. SoundDial has no system-wide equalizer, so there is no single curve over all audio. It handles stereo only, it does not record, it cannot load Audio Unit plug-ins, and it controls an app as a whole, not single browser tabs. Profiles do not save the output device. See SoundDial facts for the full list.

2. EQBase: best free system-wide equalizer

EQBase is the one to take if you want a single equalizer over all Mac audio and want to pay nothing to start. Its free tier has no time limit and no account, and it includes a 10-band system-wide equalizer (31 Hz to 16 kHz), recording, global hotkeys and headphone correction for 6,000+ models, per the vendor. Pro adds up to 24 bands, seven filter shapes, Audio Unit hosting and the App Mixer, which brings per-app volume (up to 200%), mute, a 10-band equalizer per app and output per app. Pro is USD 4.99 a month, USD 39.99 a year or USD 79.99 lifetime (eqbase.app, checked 12 November 2026). It needs macOS 14.4 and the interface is English only. Details: SoundDial vs EQBase.

3. eqMac: best for a long-running free system-wide equalizer

eqMac lists a free Basic equalizer and a free 10-band Advanced equalizer for the whole system, 4,600+ headphone presets, and a volume boost beyond 100%. Pro adds the Expert equalizer with unlimited bands and a spectrum analyzer, Audio Unit hosting, Spatial Audio and the App Mixer for per-app volume. A per-app equalizer is not stated. Pro costs $3 a month or $30 a year, or $40 lifetime for one Mac (eqmac.app, checked 12 November 2026; the page shows "$" without a currency code). It installs an audio driver and a helper, may ask for your administrator password, and states support from macOS 10.13 on Intel and Apple silicon. Details: SoundDial vs eqMac.

4. SoundSource: best for per-app and system-wide in one app

Rogue Amoeba's SoundSource gives each app a 10-band equalizer and can also apply effects to all system audio. It adds almost two dozen presets, support for Audio Unit effects, the AutoEq-based Headphone EQ, per-app volume up to 400%, AirPlay per app and Output Groups. It costs $49 (USD, Rogue Amoeba's store, checked 12 November 2026) and installs the ARK audio plug-in with your administrator password. Version 6.2.0 (released 11 November 2026) needs macOS 15. The trial has every feature, but noise is laid over the audio after 20 minutes until you relaunch. Details: SoundDial vs SoundSource.

5. CoreEQ: best free open-source equalizer with parametric bands

CoreEQ is a free system-wide equalizer on GitHub and Homebrew (Apache-2.0, version 1.10 of 23 October 2026). It offers an 11-band graphic equalizer plus up to 16 parametric bands, 22 presets, a built-in AutoEq headphone catalog and a spectrum view. It needs macOS 14.2, does not install an audio driver, and is not notarized by Apple, so macOS may block the first launch. By design it has no volume control and no per-app equalizer. The vendor also states it is not bit-perfect and English only. Details: SoundDial vs CoreEQ.

6. Boom 3D: best for a 31-band equalizer with sound effects

Boom 3D from Global Delight offers a 10-band or 31-band system-wide equalizer with custom presets, headphone EQ for 5,000+ models, 3D surround and effects such as Night Mode, plus an app volume controller. Details: SoundDial vs Boom 3D. It is sold directly with a 15-day trial and on the Mac App Store, where the app is free and lifetime packs cost $19.99 and $49.99 (USD, US storefront, checked 12 November 2026). It needs macOS 11 and installs an audio driver. The vendor warns it may not work while AirPlay and FaceTime are running.

7. Sonance EQ: best system-wide equalizer from the Mac App Store

Sonance EQ is a Mac App Store app that applies a system-wide equalizer through Core Audio process taps. The vendor lists a parametric editor, linear-phase and Mid-Side modes and 8,850 AutoEq headphone corrections. Pro is a $9.99 one-time in-app purchase (USD, US Mac App Store, checked 12 November 2026); the App Store release notes put per-app equalization and recording in Pro. It needs macOS 14.4. The vendor states that some DRM-protected streams, such as certain Apple Music or Netflix titles, bypass the equalizer.

8. FineTune: best free per-app equalizer

FineTune is a free, open-source (GPL v3) menu-bar mixer with a 10-band equalizer per app and 20 presets in five categories, AutoEq headphone correction, per-app volume with a 2x, 3x or 4x boost, per-app output and global hotkeys. System-wide equalizer: not stated. It needs macOS 15.0 and the Screen & System Audio Recording permission. Version 1.9.0 is dated 9 July 2026. On macOS 14, take SoundDial or Soundish instead. Details: SoundDial vs FineTune.

9. Soundish: best one-time-price rival to SoundDial per app

Soundish by Appish is a $14.99 one-time purchase (USD, appish.app, checked 12 November 2026) with a 10-band equalizer per app (±12 dB, nine presets), volume to 200% per app, an output device per app, profiles and hotkeys. The vendor lists a per-output equalizer as planned for version 2.0, so a system-wide equalizer is not available today. It has a 7-day trial (email needed), needs macOS 14.6 and does not support Audio Unit plug-ins.

Also worth knowing

Two other Mac apps show up in equalizer searches but do a different job. Sound Control (Static Z Software) exposes 10- and 31-band graphic equalizers through Audio Units for each app and output device. Audio Hijack (Rogue Amoeba, $69) records and processes audio in sessions and includes a 10-band equalizer block. Neither is a plain menu-bar equalizer.

Per app or system-wide: which equalizer do you need?

Most "Mac equalizer" searches mean one of two jobs, and the two kinds of app solve different ones.

A system-wide equalizer applies one curve to the whole mix the Mac plays. It suits a pair of headphones or speakers you want to correct once: tame a harsh treble, add bass to a laptop speaker, and every app benefits. EQBase, eqMac, CoreEQ, Boom 3D and Sonance EQ work this way, and SoundSource can too.

A per-app equalizer applies a curve to one app. It suits a Mac where different apps need different sound: speech in a call or podcast should be clear and flat, music can have more bass, and a video app might need a Late Night curve. SoundDial, FineTune, Soundish, SoundSource and the Pro tiers of EQBase and Sonance EQ work this way. Because each app has its own volume, mute and output next to its equalizer, a per-app mixer also lets you turn one app down without touching the rest.

If you are unsure, ask what you would change: the speakers (system-wide) or the apps (per app). You can also use one of each; keep one of them flat so the two curves do not pile up.

Which one fits you

• If each app should sound different, take SoundDial. One equalizer per app, plus volume and output.
• If your Mac is on macOS 14.2 to 14.x and you want a per-app equalizer, take SoundDial.
• If you want one purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription, take SoundDial.
• If you want one curve over all system audio for free, take EQBase, eqMac or CoreEQ.
• If you want per-app and system-wide curves plus Audio Units and can pay $49, take SoundSource.
• If you want parametric bands or linear-phase for headphones, take CoreEQ or Sonance EQ.
• If you want a free per-app equalizer and run macOS 15, take FineTune.

See all Mac audio comparisons for the other topics.

How we chose

This list covers Mac apps whose own pages describe an equalizer, and ranks them on four things: where the equalizer applies (per app or system-wide), how many bands and presets it has, price model with a way to try first, and which macOS version and install method it needs. SoundDial comes first because it gives every app its own 10-band equalizer with volume, mute, output and call lowering in one menu-bar app from macOS 14.2. The "best for" labels name the need each other app fits best.

SoundDial's column comes from the app itself (see SoundDial facts). Competitor details last checked on 2026-11-12, on each vendor's own pages: EQBase, eqMac, SoundSource, CoreEQ, Boom 3D, Sonance EQ on the Mac App Store, FineTune, Soundish, Sound Control and Audio Hijack. Prices are each vendor's own US figures; direct-sale and Mac App Store prices are different channels and are not set against each other. "Not stated" means the vendor's pages do not say. None of these apps was run for this page; features are as the vendors describe them.