Levels vs SoundSource: per-app volume on Mac compared
SoundSource by Rogue Amoeba is the best-known paid app for controlling sound per app on a Mac. Levels is a free app that covers the most common part of that job: a volume slider and a mute button for each app.
Side by side
| Levels | SoundSource 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $49, upgrades from $25, free trial |
| License | Open source (MIT) | Commercial |
| macOS | 11 or later, per-app volume on 14.2 or later | 15 Sequoia or later |
| Per-app volume and mute | Yes | Yes |
| Per-app EQ and effects | No | Yes |
| Play on several outputs at once | Yes, from 1.4, with each device’s delay lined up (AirPlay not included) | Yes, with output groups |
| Send an app to its own output | No | Yes, including AirPlay |
| Output device controls | Volume and mute | Volume, balance, sample rate, maximum volume, device groups |
| How it gets the audio | macOS process taps, nothing else installed | Rogue Amoeba’s ARK audio component, installed during setup |
When SoundSource is the better choice
SoundSource changes how apps sound as well as how loud they are. It has equalizers and audio effects for each app, can send one app to a different output or to an AirPlay speaker, and groups output devices. It is a mature product with paid support behind it. If you work with audio or want that level of control, it is worth the price.
When Levels is enough
If you mainly want to turn one app down and another up, Levels does that for free, installs nothing besides the app, and its code is open. It also covers older systems: per-app volume works from macOS 14.2, while SoundSource 6 requires macOS 15.
Since version 1.4, Levels can also play everything on several outputs at once, such as the Mac’s speakers and a TV, and it delays the faster devices so they don’t echo. How that works is in playing audio on multiple outputs in sync.
Sources
SoundSource prices, requirements and features come from Rogue Amoeba’s SoundSource 6 announcement and the SoundSource page. Prices can change, so check their site before buying. For the other free option, see Levels vs Background Music.