SoundDial vs SoundSource

SoundDial vs SoundSource at a glance

	SoundDial	SoundSource
Price model	€14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, no in-app purchases	One-time license key, $49 USD on Rogue Amoeba's store; $25 USD upgrade from SoundSource 5 or 4
Where you buy it	Mac App Store	Rogue Amoeba's own store (license key)
Try before buying	no free trial; refunds go through Apple	Free trial; noise is laid over adjusted audio after 20 minutes until you relaunch
macOS	macOS 14.2 or later	macOS 15 or later (SoundSource 6)
How it installs	Mac App Store app, sandboxed; does not install a virtual audio driver	Installs the ARK audio plug-in; needs the administrator password and System Audio and Microphone access
Per-app volume	0% to 200%, soft limiter above 100%	Yes, up to 400% with Volume Overdrive
Per-app mute	Yes, plus Control-Option-M to mute all apps	Yes, plus timed mute (30 seconds, 1 or 2 minutes)
Equalizer	Per app: 10 bands, 11 presets, plus left/right balance	Per app and system-wide: 10 bands, almost two dozen presets, Audio Unit effects; Balance & Pan effect
Output device per app	Yes (Play Through)	Yes, plus Output Groups and AirPlay per app
Lowering other apps during calls	Yes, on by default, 5% to 80%	Not stated
Profiles	Saved mixes (volume, mute, EQ, balance; not the output device)	Quick Configs
Shortcuts and automation	Global hotkeys, six Shortcuts actions, sounddial:// links	Global keyboard shortcuts, Shortcuts actions
Checked on	SoundDial 2.0	Vendor pages, 12 November 2026 (version 6.2.0)

Why SoundDial is the better pick

• It runs on an older macOS. SoundDial needs macOS 14.2 or later; Rogue Amoeba states that SoundSource 6 needs macOS 15.
• One App Store purchase. SoundDial is bought, installed and updated through the Mac App Store: €14.99 one-time purchase, no subscription, no in-app purchases. People who bought SoundDial 1.x got 2.0 as a free update.
• 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. Rogue Amoeba's pages do not state call ducking for SoundSource. More on this in lower music during calls.
• Installed by the App Store. SoundDial does not install a virtual audio driver. Its guided setup asks for one macOS audio permission and tests that it works.
• Everything per app in one place. Volume, mute, a 10-band equalizer per app, left/right balance and an output device, from the menu bar, in 34 app languages.

When SoundSource fits better

• You use Audio Unit plug-ins. SoundSource can load Audio Unit effects on an app or on the whole system; SoundDial has no plug-in support.
• You want one EQ over all system audio, or the AutoEq-based Headphone EQ. SoundDial's equalizer is per app only.
• You need more than 200%. SoundSource's Volume Overdrive goes to 400%.
• You stream single apps to AirPlay or to several outputs at once. SoundSource documents AirPlay per app and Output Groups.

Is SoundSource free?

No. SoundSource is a paid license: $49 USD on Rogue Amoeba's store, checked 12 November 2026 (local taxes may be added). The vendor describes a trial with every feature, but after 20 minutes noise is laid over the audio SoundSource adjusts until you quit and relaunch. For refunds, Rogue Amoeba asks you to contact it within 14 days of purchase and issues them case by case, because it cannot recover a license key that was sold.

How much does SoundSource cost?

Rogue Amoeba's store lists a new license at $49 USD, and an upgrade price of $25 USD for owners of SoundSource 5 or 4. The license is for a single user on one or more Macs. All charges are in US dollars; local taxes may be added. The vendor says it has no hard and fast upgrade policy and that paid major upgrades are possible; how long updates are included is not stated. SoundDial is €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, with no subscription and no in-app purchases. The two are sold through different channels and currencies, so compare what each includes rather than subtracting the numbers.

Is SoundSource worth it?

That depends on the job. What the license lists, per the vendor: per-app volume with a boost to 400%, a 10-band EQ per app and for the whole system, Audio Unit effects, Headphone EQ based on AutoEq, Output Groups, AirPlay for a single app, Quick Configs and Shortcuts actions. If you need one of those, SoundSource is the app that has it. If you need per-app volume, mute, an EQ for each app, balance, an output per app and call ducking on macOS 14.2 or later, SoundDial is the top pick and is €14.99 one-time purchase.

Does SoundSource lower other apps during calls?

Not stated. Rogue Amoeba's pages do not mention call detection or ducking for SoundSource. SoundDial does it by default: when Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, Discord, Slack, Webex, Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram or a listed browser uses the microphone, the other playing apps drop to 30% of their level (adjustable from 5% to 80%) and return when the call ends. SoundDial does not read or record microphone audio; it only sees that the microphone is in use. A listed browser using the microphone for something else, such as dictation, also triggers it. See audio ducking on Mac.

What does SoundDial not do that SoundSource does?

Plainly: SoundDial's equalizer is per app, not system-wide. It is stereo only, does not host Audio Unit plug-ins, tops out at 200% per app, and has no AirPlay-per-app or multi-output grouping. Profiles save volume, mute, EQ and balance but not the output device. Control is per app, not per browser tab. SoundSource's pages also document level meters for every app; in SoundDial, meters for every playing app are an opt-in setting that is off by default.

SoundSource review: what the vendor states

SoundSource is made by Rogue Amoeba Software, Inc. and sold on its own store. Version 6.2.0 was released on 11 November 2026. It is a menu-bar app. Per Rogue Amoeba's privacy page, the update check sends the app name and version and the OS version, "generalized usage statistics" are sent when update checks are on, and the license key is sent for validation; the page also says it does not sell or rent data to third parties. Apple silicon and Intel support, and UI languages, are not stated. These points are the vendor's own wording, not a test. SoundDial has 34 app languages.

Does SoundSource install an audio driver?

SoundSource needs Rogue Amoeba's ARK plug-in to handle audio, and installing it asks for the administrator password. It also needs System Audio Access and Microphone Access. SoundDial does not install a virtual audio driver.

Which macOS does each need?

SoundDial: macOS 14.2 or later. SoundSource 6 (version 6.2.0, released 11 November 2026): macOS 15 or later, per Rogue Amoeba's release notes.

How do I switch from SoundSource to SoundDial?

1. Note the levels and EQ settings you use most in SoundSource.
2. Quit SoundSource, so two apps don't 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 are on macOS 14.2 to 14.x, take SoundDial.
• If you want other apps lowered automatically during calls, take SoundDial.
• If you want a per-app mixer bought once on the Mac App Store, take SoundDial.
• If you mainly need per-app volume, mute, EQ and output, take SoundDial.
• If you want a mixer that does not install an audio plug-in, take SoundDial.
• If you depend on Audio Unit plug-ins, a system-wide EQ or AirPlay for one app, take SoundSource.

Can I use both?

They do the same kind of job, so running both means two tools adjusting the same audio. Neither vendor describes using them together and it was not tested for this page. Pick one as your mixer, or quit one before opening the other.

How we compared

SoundDial's column comes from the app itself (see SoundDial facts). SoundSource's column comes only from Rogue Amoeba's own pages, checked on 2026-11-12: the SoundSource page, the store page, the manual, the release notes and the trial and refund articles in Rogue Amoeba's knowledge base. "Not stated" means the vendor's pages do not say. SoundSource was not run for this page; its features are as the vendor describes them. A shorter overview is on the SoundSource alternative page, and every comparison is on Compare.