Sound · 5 min read
Tegaro vs SoundSource: Mac Volume Control Compared
SoundSource is the deeper audio tool: equalizers, effects, per-app outputs and AirPlay. Tegaro's Sound is enough, and free, if you only need volume and mute for each app.
Both put a volume slider and a mute button for every app in the menu bar. SoundSource goes much further into sound shaping and routing; Tegaro's Sound stays small, free and next to the rest of the toolkit.
SoundSource is the deeper audio tool, and Tegaro's Sound is the lighter, free one. Both give each app that is playing its own volume and a mute button from the menu bar, and both let you rank your audio devices. SoundSource goes much further: a 10-band equalizer and Audio Unit effects for single apps or the whole Mac, sending one app to a different output or to AirPlay, output groups, saved configurations and Shortcuts. It costs a $49 license key after a free trial. Tegaro has none of that. Its Sound does volume (0 to 100 %, up to 150 % if you allow boost) and mute per app, a priority list for outputs and microphones, half and quarter volume steps, and a switch that stops the play key from opening Music. It stays free after Tegaro's 14-day trial. If you only want to turn one app down, Tegaro is enough. If you want to shape the sound or send apps to different devices, buy SoundSource.
Free after the trial
Tegaro's Sound has no license and no time limit. It stays free after the 14-day trial; SoundSource is a $49 license key after its trial.
Small on purpose
Per-app volume and mute, device priority, finer volume keys and a Music guard. No equalizer, effects or routing, so there is little to set up.
One app for other jobs
Sound sits in the same menu-bar app as dictation, clipboard, screenshots, typing, displays and power, with nothing extra to install.
At a glance
| Capability | SoundSource | Tegaro |
|---|---|---|
| Volume and mute for each app Both give every playing app a slider and a mute button | Yes | Yes: 0 to 100 % (150 % if you allow boost), saved per app |
| Equalizer and effects SoundSource is the clear choice for shaping sound | Yes: 10-band equalizer and Audio Unit plug-ins for single apps or the whole system, plus built-in Volume Overdrive, Magic Boost and Headphone EQ | No equalizer, no effects, no plug-ins |
| Send one app to a different output Tegaro only changes the level of an app's sound | Yes, including AirPlay speakers and output groups | No: every app plays to the system output |
| Device order Both can keep AirPods off the microphone | Yes: a Preferred Device Order for when a device goes away, and an Output Only mode that stops AirPods and other Bluetooth headsets being used as a microphone | Yes: one list for outputs and one for microphones. Put the Mac's microphone first and AirPods stop taking over the mic. The first time a new pair connects, macOS's choice is kept; from the next connection on, the Mac's microphone stays |
| Volume keys Different jobs | Makes the keys work on HDMI and DisplayPort outputs that ignore them | Half or quarter steps on outputs whose volume can be set; others stay with macOS |
| Play key never opens Music Needs Accessibility and Input Monitoring | Not listed on the pages checked | Yes, off by default |
| Menu bar Tegaro adds no extra menu-bar icon | Menu-bar control; apps and devices can be added to the menu bar too | A Sound tile in the Tegaro panel for up to four apps |
| AirPlay and multi-output devices A real limit of Tegaro's Sound | Supported, per app | Per-app volume does not work there; muting still does |
| Shortcuts and saved setups SoundSource suits automation | Shortcuts actions and saved Quick Configs | No |
| macOS version Check your macOS version first | SoundSource 6: macOS 15 to 27 on its product page; older versions as legacy downloads | Tegaro runs on macOS 13+; per-app volume needs 14.2 |
| Pricing Checked on 2026-10-11; taxes may apply | $49 USD license key for one user on one or more Macs; $25 upgrade from SoundSource 4 or 5; free trial | Sound is free, no license, after the 14-day trial; the paid Pro tools cost $1.99 first month, then $4.99/month, $29.99/year or $100 lifetime |
When to Choose SoundSource
People who want to shape and route sound: a per-app or system-wide equalizer, Audio Unit effects, one app on a different output or AirPlay speaker, output groups, saved audio setups and Shortcuts.
When to Choose Tegaro
Mac users on macOS 14.2 or newer who only want to turn one app down or mute it, set an order for outputs and microphones, and have these in a free tool beside clipboard, screenshots, typing and the rest.
Tegaro tools, one icon
Typing · Clipboard · Screenshots · Dictation · Displays · Power · Disk · Sound · AI Usage · Critter
Current Tegaro access
Try every Pro tool for 14 days without a card or account. Afterward, Free keeps Classic, Cat and Dog, Power, Sound, AI Usage, normal Displays and Disk analysis; it includes 100 successful automatic layout fixes per calendar month and 2,000 delivered dictation words per Monday-starting week. Pro unlocks Clipboard, Screenshots, Disk cleanup and app removal, unlimited layout automation and dictation, more critters and compatible EDR brightness. A $100 lifetime license covers one person on up to three Macs.
Pricing and terms: SoundSource
$49 USD license key for one user on one or more Macs; $25 upgrade from SoundSource 4 or 5; free trial
SoundSource: $49 USD license key (single user, one or more Macs), $25 upgrade from SoundSource 4 or 5, free trial that adds noise after 20 minutes. Checked 2026-10-11 on Rogue Amoeba's pages; taxes may apply. Tegaro: Sound is free after the 14-day trial; Pro is $1.99 for the first month, then $4.99/month, $29.99/year or $100 lifetime for one license on up to three Macs.
Offers: SoundSource
No public promotion is asserted here; check the official checkout for current offers.
Tegaro trial offer
Eligible trial users may receive a one-time 30% annual or lifetime offer valid for 48 hours. It is optional, not a promised public price.
Privacy and footprint
Tegaro's Sound passes an app's sound through at the level you chose and keeps no copy; it saves only the per-app levels and your device lists, on this Mac. The first time you change an app, macOS asks for System Audio Recording. Mixing, device priority and the volume keys make no network calls. Per-app volume is in the build from this site, not the Mac App Store version. Everything is off until you turn it on in Settings, Sound.
Native macOS app built with Swift.
Core typing, copied-content and downloaded-model dictation workflows stay local. Licensing, optional renewal lookups, model downloads, opted-in diagnostics and direct AI-provider checks are separate network actions. AI Usage uses existing provider sign-in and does not send provider credentials to Tegaro.
How to Switch from SoundSource to Tegaro
- Note which apps you adjust in SoundSource and whether you rely on its equalizer, effects or per-app outputs; Tegaro does none of those.
- Quit SoundSource, then in Tegaro open Settings → Sound and switch it on. Every app that is playing gets a slider; the first change makes macOS ask for System Audio Recording.
- To keep your Mac's microphone when AirPods connect, put it first on the microphone list and switch on "Use the top connected microphone". The first time a new pair connects, macOS's choice is kept; from the next connection on, the Mac's microphone stays.
- Keep SoundSource if you miss equalizers, effects or sending one app to a different speaker. The two can stay installed.
Frequently asked questions
Can Tegaro change the volume of one app like SoundSource?
Yes, on macOS 14.2 or newer. Switch Sound on in Settings → Sound; every app that is playing gets a slider from 0 to 100 % (up to 150 % if you allow boost) and a mute button, saved per app. The first change asks macOS for System Audio Recording. It does not work on AirPlay or multi-output devices, and an app's first fraction of a second after a pause can still play at full volume.
Does Tegaro have an equalizer or audio effects?
No. Sound changes only how loud each app is. For a per-app or system-wide equalizer, Audio Unit effects, or sending one app to a different output, SoundSource is the right tool.
Is Tegaro a free SoundSource alternative?
For per-app volume and mute, device priority and finer volume keys, yes: Sound stays free after the 14-day trial. It is not a full replacement, because it has no equalizer, effects, per-app outputs or AirPlay routing.
How much does SoundSource cost?
Its purchase page lists a $49 USD license key for a single user on one or more Macs, and a $25 upgrade for owners of SoundSource 4 or 5. The free trial has every feature; after 20 minutes it overlays noise on the audio SoundSource is adjusting, until you quit and reopen it. Taxes may apply; checked on 2026-10-11.
Does Tegaro record my audio?
No. It passes the sound through at your chosen level and nothing is recorded, stored or sent. macOS asks for System Audio Recording because that is the permission its sound routing needs.
Sources and disclosure
Published by Tegaro. App information is checked against the linked official pages on the date shown. Checked: 2026-10-11.