Equaliser vs EqLume

Equaliser8.7Visit EEqLume8.6Visit

Higher score Equaliser #6 in Audio Equalizer Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Equaliser

vs

E EqLume #7 in Audio Equalizer Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit EqLume

• Equaliser fits best

  Mac users wanting a free high-band EQ

• EqLume fits best

  Mac users wanting automated genre-based EQ

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Side by side

Feature	Equaliser 8.7/10 Visit ↗	EEqLume 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.7	8.6
Ranking	#6 in Audio Equalizer Software	#7 in Audio Equalizer Software
Best for	Mac users wanting a free high-band EQ	Mac users wanting automated genre-based EQ
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	macOS	macOS
Integrations	2 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features Equaliser 2/4 · EqLume 3/4
System-wide control	✓	✓
Per-app controls	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Parametric EQ	✓	✓
Device profiles	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Desktop operating systems	Macos	Macos
EQ band count	64 bands	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	System-wide processing across multiple applications Up to 64-band parametric EQ with independent channel control Room EQ Wizard and EasyEffects preset support	System-wide parametric and shelf EQ with per-device profiles Automatic genre detection and preset selection run on-device Free, open-source menu-bar app with no virtual audio driver
Cons	Requires Apple Silicon hardware Requires macOS 15 or later Limited to macOS devices	Supports macOS only Requires an Apple Silicon Mac Requires macOS 26.0 (Tahoe) or later
Our verdict	Equaliser is a free, open-source audio equalizer for Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 15 or later. It processes audio system-wide, allowing sound from multiple applications to pass through one audio pipeline. The app runs from the macOS… Read the review →	EqLume is a free, open-source macOS menu-bar equalizer for people who want system-wide control over music playback. It applies audio processing through Core Audio across audio on the Mac, rather than limiting equalization to one player.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Equaliser — where it wins

  • System-wide processing across multiple applications
  • Up to 64-band parametric EQ with independent channel control
  • Room EQ Wizard and EasyEffects preset support

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires Apple Silicon hardware
  • Requires macOS 15 or later
  • Limited to macOS devices

• EqLume — where it wins

  • System-wide parametric and shelf EQ with per-device profiles
  • Automatic genre detection and preset selection run on-device
  • Free, open-source menu-bar app with no virtual audio driver

  Where it doesn't

  • Supports macOS only
  • Requires an Apple Silicon Mac
  • Requires macOS 26.0 (Tahoe) or later

• Equaliser8.7/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source 64-band EQ for system-wide audio control on Apple Silicon Macs.

  Visit EqualiserFull verdict →
• EEqLume8.6/10 · Free plan

  A local Mac equalizer combining automatic genre presets with detailed manual control.

  Visit EqLumeFull verdict →