SoundDial vs Sound Control

SoundDial vs Sound Control at a glance

	SoundDial	Sound Control (Static Z Software)
Price model	€14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, no in-app purchases	Mac App Store: free download with in-app purchases, Monthly $1.99, Yearly $14.99, Buy Once $29.99 (US storefront, 12 November 2026). Direct: price not stated on its pages
Where you buy it	Mac App Store	Direct from Static Z Software and the Mac App Store; the two purchases are not interchangeable
Try before buying	no free trial; refunds go through Apple	Trial download from the vendor's site; length and limits not stated
macOS	macOS 14.2 or later	macOS 14.6 or later on the vendor's site; 15.6 or later on the Mac App Store
How it installs	Mac App Store app, sandboxed; does not install a virtual audio driver	macOS 14 and earlier: System Extension, installed from Recovery mode; macOS 15 and later: not stated
Per-app volume	0% to 200%, soft limiter above 100%	Yes; range not stated
Per-app mute	Yes, plus Control-Option-M to mute all apps	Yes
Equalizer	Per app: 10 bands, 11 presets, plus left/right balance	Per app and per output device through Audio Units: 10 or 31 band graphic EQ; balance per app; AutoEq headphone calibrations
Output device per app	Yes (Play Through)	Yes
Lowering other apps during calls	Yes, on by default, 5% to 80%	Not stated; Do Not Disturb mutes background apps while a chosen app is in front
Profiles	Saved mixes (volume, mute, EQ, balance; not the output device)	Priority device list and Audio Unit presets; named profiles not stated
Shortcuts and automation	Global hotkeys, six Shortcuts actions, sounddial:// links	Hotkeys for the foreground app, hotkey to mute background apps, MIDI control
App languages	34	English (App Store listing)
Checked on	SoundDial 2.0	Vendor pages and US App Store listing, 12 November 2026 (version 3.4.1)

Why SoundDial is the better pick

• One purchase, no plans. SoundDial is a Mac App Store purchase: €14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, no in-app purchases, and 1.x buyers got 2.0 as a free update. Sound Control's Mac App Store listing is a free download with a monthly, yearly or buy-once in-app purchase.
• It runs on an older macOS. SoundDial needs macOS 14.2. Sound Control's Mac App Store listing requires macOS 15.6, and its site lists 14.6, so Macs on 14.2 to 14.5 are covered only by SoundDial.
• Calls are handled for you. During a Zoom, Teams, FaceTime or Discord call, other playing apps drop to 30% of their level by default and come back afterwards. You can set that level from 5% to 80%. See lower music during calls.
• No system extension. SoundDial does not install a virtual audio driver. Its guided setup has 6 pages, asks for one macOS audio permission and tests it. Sound Control on macOS 14 and earlier uses a System Extension installed from Recovery mode.
• Volume, EQ, balance and output for each app. Volume runs from 0% to 200%, the 10-band equalizer has 11 presets, and the app is available in 34 languages. See per-app volume control on Mac.

When Sound Control fits better

• You use Audio Unit effects. Sound Control hosts in-process Audio Units on apps and output devices. SoundDial has no plug-in support.
• You want headphone calibration. It includes thousands of searchable AutoEq headphone calibrations. SoundDial has none.
• You want hotkeys for the front app or MIDI. Sound Control sets volume, mute and EQ for the foreground app by hotkey, and all hotkeys can be controlled by MIDI.
• You want a 31-band graphic EQ. SoundDial's equalizer has 10 bands, per app only.

Is Sound Control free?

The Mac App Store version is a free download, but the in-app purchases are the paid part: Monthly $1.99, Yearly $14.99 or Buy Once $29.99 on the US storefront. Static Z Software says all of its software is available as a demo, and offers a trial download on its site. What the free App Store version locks is not stated.

How much does Sound Control cost?

On the US Mac App Store, checked 12 November 2026, Sound Control is a free download with in-app purchases: Monthly $1.99, Yearly $14.99 and Buy Once $29.99. Static Z Software also sells it directly through Paddle; that price appears only at checkout and is not stated on its pages. The vendor says App Store and direct purchases are not interchangeable, and its direct refund window is 14 days. App Store purchases follow Apple's refund policy.

Does Sound Control install a system extension?

On macOS 14 and earlier, Static Z Software states that Sound Control uses a System Extension, and that installation requires booting into Recovery mode. The steps for macOS 15 and later are not stated on its pages. SoundDial does not install a virtual audio driver.

Which macOS does each need?

SoundDial: macOS 14.2 or later. Sound Control 3.4.1: macOS 14.6 or later on the vendor's site, macOS 15.6 or later on the Mac App Store.

Sound Control review: what its pages state

• Maker. Static Z Software. The Mac App Store seller name is Dominic Feira, and the listing links to Static Z Software's Sound Control page.
• Version and date. 3.4.1. Static Z Software's release notes are dated 2 October 2026 and the App Store listing was updated on 8 October 2026.
• Features it lists. Per-app volume and mute, left/right balance per app and output device, rerouting an app to any output device, Audio Unit effects, a 10 or 31 band graphic EQ, AutoEq headphone calibrations, Virtual Volume, Prevent Sleep, Do Not Disturb, hotkeys and MIDI control.
• Limits the vendor lists. Audio Units must support in-process loading. Sound Control 2 and 3 cannot coexist. Release notes mention a macOS bug that affected AirPlay Receiver when the output sample rate is not 48 kHz, worked around in 3.4.0.
• Upgrades. Sound Control 3 is a paid upgrade from Sound Control 2; owners who bought in 2023 got it free.
• Privacy. The US App Store listing says the developer does not collect any data from the app.
• Not stated. Direct price, trial length, volume range, level meters, recording and Apple silicon or Intel support.

What SoundDial does not do

• It has no Audio Unit plug-in support and no AutoEq headphone calibrations.
• Its equalizer has 10 bands and works per app, not system-wide.
• It is stereo only, and it controls apps, not single browser tabs.
• Profiles do not save the output device.
• It does not record audio and does not read microphone audio.
• Its global hotkeys are two: show or hide SoundDial, and mute or unmute all apps. Per-app volume is set from the menu bar, Shortcuts actions or sounddial:// links.

How do I switch from Sound Control to SoundDial?

1. Note the volumes, EQ and output devices you use in Sound Control.
2. Quit Sound Control, so two apps do not adjust the same audio at once.
3. Get SoundDial from the Mac App Store and follow its guided setup, which grants and tests audio access.
4. Click SoundDial in the menu bar and set each app's volume, EQ and output.
5. Choose "Save current mix as a profile" to keep that setup for one click later.

Who should pick which

• If you want a per-app mixer bought once on the Mac App Store, take SoundDial.
• If you are on macOS 14.2 to 15.5, take SoundDial.
• If you want other apps lowered automatically during calls, take SoundDial.
• If you mainly need per-app volume, mute, EQ and output, take SoundDial.
• If you depend on Audio Unit effects, AutoEq headphone calibrations or MIDI control, take Sound Control.

How we compared

SoundDial's column comes from the app itself (see SoundDial facts). Sound Control's column comes only from Static Z Software's own pages and the app's US Mac App Store listing, checked on 2026-11-12: the Sound Control page, its support articles and the Mac App Store listing. "Not stated" means those pages do not say. The vendor's own pages disagree on the minimum macOS in places; this page uses the figure on its main page. Sound Control was not run for this page; its features are as the vendor describes them. Another per-app mixer is covered in SoundDial vs SoundSource, and every comparison is on Compare.