Best Audio Enhancement Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Buddi is ranked #1 of 32 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of JACK Audio Connection Kit and RØDE UNIFY. The best-ranked option with a free plan is JACK Audio Connection Kit. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Patchd at $3.33/mo.
If you want more control over computer audio, enhancement software can offer tools for shaping sound and managing its routing. Compare equalizer options and bands, noise reduction, virtual surround, and audio routing to see what matches your setup. App-specific profiles and supported platforms add useful distinctions, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing help you weigh costs. Buddi, RØDE UNIFY, and EasyEffects are among the software shown. Consider which listed controls you need and where you plan to use them.
32 audio enhancement software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
13 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BuddiWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 2 | JACK Audio Connection KitWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 3 | RØDE UNIFYWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 4 | SplitwaveWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | DTS Sound UnboundWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 6 | EasyEffectsLinux | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | Elgato Wave LinkWindows · Mac | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | eqMacMac | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | FxSoundWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | NVIDIA ShadowPlayWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | PatchdWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $3.33/mo | 6.4 | |
| 12 | SteelSeries MomentsWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | NVIDIA BroadcastWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.2 | |
| 14 | VoicemeeterWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | Krisp AI Meeting AssistantWindows · Mac · Android · iPhone · Extension | Two bars | — | — | 4 of 6 | $8/mo | 5.3 |
| 16 | VB-CABLEWindows · Mac | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | JamesDSPLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | WaveletAndroid | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 19 | BlackHoleMac | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 20 | EarTrumpetWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 21 | Equalizer APOWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 22 | HelvumLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 23 | MicMixerWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 24 | qpwgraphLinux | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.1 |
| 25 | Poweramp EqualizerAndroid | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Noise reduction | Equalizer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buddi | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 2 | JACK Audio Connection Kit | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | No | No |
| 3 | RØDE UNIFY | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Splitwave | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | DTS Sound Unbound | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | No | — | No | No |
| 6 | EasyEffects | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Elgato Wave Link | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | eqMac | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 1 /mo | — | Yes |
| 9 | FxSound | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | NVIDIA ShadowPlay | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Patchd | 6.4 | Free plan | $3.33/mo | Yes | 5.99 /mo | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | SteelSeries Moments | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | NVIDIA Broadcast | 6.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Voicemeeter | 5.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Krisp AI Meeting Assistant | 5.3 | No | $8/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 16 | VB-CABLE | 5.3 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | JamesDSP | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 18 | Wavelet | 5.2 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 19 | BlackHole | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 20 | EarTrumpet | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Equalizer APO | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | Yes |
| 22 | Helvum | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 23 | MicMixer | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | No | — |
| 24 | qpwgraph | 5.1 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 25 | Poweramp Equalizer | 5.0 | No | — | — | — | No | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which audio enhancement software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Buddi is ranked #1 of 32 with a score of 6.5. JACK Audio Connection Kit is second and RØDE UNIFY third.
How many of these have a free plan?
13 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Patchd has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.