SotF vs EqLume

SotF9.1Visit EEqLume8.6Visit

Higher score SotF #3 in Audio Equalizer Software 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit SotF

vs

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

• SotF fits best

  Cross-platform room and headphone EQ workflows

• EqLume fits best

  Mac users wanting automated genre-based EQ

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Side by side

Feature	SotF 9.1/10 Visit ↗	EEqLume 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.1	8.6
Ranking	#3 in Audio Equalizer Software	#7 in Audio Equalizer Software
Best for	Cross-platform room and headphone EQ workflows	Mac users wanting automated genre-based EQ
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	macOS
Integrations	6 integrations	5 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business	Solo, Small business
Features SotF 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	Both	Macos
EQ band count	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free and open-source across Windows, macOS, and Linux Measurement-based room EQ plus headphone target-curve optimization Exports to CamillaDSP, Equalizer APO, EasyEffects, Wavelet, PipeWire, and Roon	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	System-wide routing through a HAL driver is limited to macOS The broad processing toolkit may exceed the needs of simple EQ users Surround upmixing is specified up to 9.1.6 Atmos	Supports macOS only Requires an Apple Silicon Mac Requires macOS 26.0 (Tahoe) or later
Our verdict	SotF is a free, open-source desktop application for music playback, equalization, room correction, headphone optimization, and audio processing. It supports FLAC, MP3, AAC, ALAC, Vorbis, and other common formats, while its Windows, 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

• SotF — where it wins

  • Free and open-source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Measurement-based room EQ plus headphone target-curve optimization
  • Exports to CamillaDSP, Equalizer APO, EasyEffects, Wavelet, PipeWire, and Roon

  Where it doesn't

  • System-wide routing through a HAL driver is limited to macOS
  • The broad processing toolkit may exceed the needs of simple EQ users
  • Surround upmixing is specified up to 9.1.6 Atmos

• 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

• SotF9.1/10 · Free plan

  Free, open-source EQ and room-correction software for cross-platform audio workflows.

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

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

  Visit EqLumeFull verdict →