SoundSource vs SoundDial: Per-App Volume on Mac

macOS still has one output volume and no per-app mixer. Move the system slider and every app moves with it. SoundSource and SoundDial both exist to fill that gap, but they're different kinds of products. Here's how to choose.

The short version

• SoundSource is made by Rogue Amoeba and costs $49. It's sold directly by Rogue Amoeba, not on the Mac App Store. It's a broad audio utility; see Rogue Amoeba's site for its current features and requirements.
• SoundDial is a menu-bar app focused on one job: a volume slider and a mute button for each running app, from 0% to 200%. It costs €14.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, no subscription.

Price and how you buy it

This is the clearest difference. SoundSource is $49, bought and downloaded from Rogue Amoeba's website. SoundDial is €14.99 one-time purchase through the Mac App Store, installed and updated like any other App Store app.

Which buying route you prefer is personal. Some people like having all their apps in the App Store; others are happy buying directly from developers they know.

What SoundSource is for

SoundSource covers more than per-app volume. If you need more from an audio tool than volume and mute, or you already use other Rogue Amoeba apps, it's worth a look. We don't list its features here because they change between versions and we can't keep them current; Rogue Amoeba's site has the up-to-date list.

What SoundDial does

SoundDial is deliberately small. Open it from the menu bar and you see every app you have open, each with:

• A volume slider from 0% to 200%: lower Spotify without touching Zoom
• Boost above 100%: make a quiet call, podcast or video louder without raising everything else. See per-app volume boost on Mac
• Mute: one click silences an app while the others keep playing

It works per app, not per browser tab: all tabs of one browser share a slider. It needs macOS 14.2 or later and it does not record anything.

Around that it adds a few extras: a master volume slider and a picker for the Mac's system output (not per app), named profiles for your levels and mutes, auto-ducking that lowers other apps during calls (on by default; adjustable or off), and a memory of each app's level (mute is not remembered). If per-app volume, boost and mute are what you need, there's little else to learn.

Free options

You'll also see free tools in the same searches. Background Music is a free, open-source app, and FineTune is a per-app audio project many people find through GitHub. Check each project's page for what it currently supports on your macOS version. We compare them in more detail on our Background Music page and our FineTune page.

Which should you choose?

Ask yourself one question: do you need more than per-app volume, boost and mute?

• Yes, or you're not sure: look at SoundSource's current feature list on Rogue Amoeba's site and decide whether those extras are worth $49 to you.
• No, you just want each app at its own level: SoundDial does that from the menu bar for €14.99 one-time purchase, bought once on the Mac App Store.

A shorter side-by-side is on our SoundSource alternative page. If you're still deciding, is SoundSource worth it on Mac looks at the question from the other side.

SoundDial, a per-app volume mixer for Mac is on the Mac App Store, no subscription.

Get SoundDial on the Mac App Store.