SoundSource, by Rogue Amoeba, and ZonaReq both live in your menu bar and both let you shape the sound coming out of your Mac. But they approach the problem from different angles: SoundSource is built around controlling each app individually, while ZonaReq is built around processing everything the system plays and layering a full audio toolkit on top. Here is how they actually compare.
What they have in common
- Menu bar access to your Mac's audio without digging through System Settings.
- Equalization applied beyond what macOS offers out of the box.
- Support for Audio Unit effects on your audio.
- Quick switching between output devices.
Where SoundSource shines
Rogue Amoeba has been doing macOS audio for a very long time, and it shows. SoundSource's signature strength is per-app control: setting the volume, effects, and even the output device of each application independently. If your main need is "Spotify to my headphones, Zoom to my speakers, and that one noisy app turned down", SoundSource is excellent at exactly that, with the polish you would expect from its developer. It is paid software (one-time license with a trial), and worth it for that use case.
Where ZonaReq goes further
ZonaReq's answer is a broader toolkit around a deeper system-wide processing chain:
| Capability | ZonaReq | SoundSource |
|---|---|---|
| System-wide parametric EQ | Yes — 10 bands, 7 filter types, 3 modes | Yes — EQ per app and system-wide |
| Per-app volume | Yes — app monitor with independent volume | Yes — its core strength, including per-app effects and routing |
| Local stem separation | Yes — Demucs v4 on Core ML, vocals/drums/bass/other, 100% on-device | No |
| Screen recording with editor | Yes — H.264 at 60 fps, dual system + mic audio, timeline editor | No |
| Virtual microphone | Yes — your EQ applied to your voice on video calls | No |
| Spatial audio / convolution reverb | Yes — 9 acoustic spaces, dry/wet mix | No |
| Local HTTP API | Yes — REST on port 33773, Bearer auth, web panel | No |
| Calibrated presets | Yes — 29 presets for 12 audio systems and 10 genres | Has EQ presets |
| Free tier | Yes — 3-band EQ and 5 presets, no time limit | Trial, then paid |
ZonaReq also ships a 4096-point spectrum analyzer, an AU plugin host with per-plugin bypass, audio recording to WAV/M4A/AIFF, volume boost with a limiter, and global shortcuts — processed by a native HAL driver in C at 48 kHz with under 5 ms of latency, notarized, and with zero telemetry.
Pricing
SoundSource is a one-time purchase (check Rogue Amoeba's site for current pricing). ZonaReq starts free, and the full version costs $4.99 USD per month, $29 per year, or a one-time $59 lifetime license — plus a $199 team option for up to 10 Macs. All paid plans unlock the same features.
The honest verdict
If fine-grained per-app control and per-app routing are the center of your workflow, SoundSource remains the reference and you should buy it. If what you want is a system-wide EQ that grows into a whole audio toolkit — stem separation, screen recording with an editor, a virtual mic, spatial audio, and an API to automate it — ZonaReq covers that ground in one app, and you can start with the free tier today.