The free eqMac Alternative for per-app volume
eqMac is a system-wide equaliser for the Mac. Its free tier gives you bass, mids and treble, a 10-band EQ and headphone presets; per-app volume, unlimited bands, spatial audio and Audio Unit hosting are Pro, from $3 a month or $40 for a lifetime licence. Notchy's Sound Mixer, added in version 1.0.158, covers the part most people want Pro for — turning one app down without touching the system volume — for free.
- eqMac price
- Free; Pro from $3/month, $30/year or $40 lifetime
- eqMac requires
- macOS 10.13 or later
- Notchy price
- Free — donations optional
Why use Notchy instead of eqMac?
- Per-app volume is free in Notchy
eqMac lists "adjust volume per application" as a Pro feature. In Notchy, every app making sound gets its own level and mute in the Sound Mixer, with no plan to buy.
- An EQ per app, not just per system
Notchy's three-band equaliser applies to one app at a time, so you can thin out a loud call without changing how your music sounds. Apps left untouched get no processing at all.
- Where eqMac is deeper
eqMac's Pro equaliser has unlimited bands with frequency and Q control, separate left and right channels, spatial audio and Audio Unit chains, plus presets for thousands of headphones. Notchy has none of that — it is a mixer with a simple EQ, not an audio workstation.
- Runs on fewer Macs
eqMac supports macOS 10.13 and later. Notchy's Sound Mixer needs macOS 14.4, because it relies on Core Audio process taps Apple added in that release; the rest of Notchy runs from macOS 13.
How Notchy stacks up
Honest, feature-by-feature comparison of every major macOS notch app — no affiliates.
Swipe the table sideways to see every app.
| Feature | Notchy | Alcove | NotchNook | Boring Notch | DynamicLake | MediaMate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 100% Free | $17 one-time | $25 (or $3/mo) | Free (Open Source) | Paid | Paid |
| Minimum macOS | macOS 13 Ventura+ | macOS 14 Sonoma+ | macOS 14 Sonoma+ | macOS 14 Sonoma+ | macOS 14 Sonoma+ | macOS 14 Sonoma+ |
| Architecture | Pure SwiftUI (Native) | Swift (Native) | Swift (Native) | Swift (Open Source) | Swift (Native) | Swift (Native) |
| Now Playing Controls | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI Usage Tracker (Claude / Codex / Cursor) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Command Palette (⌃⌥K) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Localized (134 languages) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clipboard History | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pomodoro Focus Timer | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| File Stash / Drop Shelf | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| System HUDs (Volume/Brightness) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AirPods Connected Reveal | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
| Lock Screen Widgets | Yes | Yes | — | — | — | — |
| Quick Notes | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Calendar Widget | Yes | — | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Caffeine Toggle | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Synced Lyrics | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Image Converter (HEIC/JPG/PDF) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Apple Reminders Capture | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Audio Output Switcher | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Device Battery (Mouse/Keyboard) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Download Finished Alerts | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Run Apple Shortcuts | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| Camera Mirror / Webcam Preview | Yes | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| Zip & Unzip Files | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hide the Notch | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Window Snapping (drag to notch) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| App Launcher Tab | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| OCR + Searchable Clipboard | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Text Snippets / Expander | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Menu-Bar Icon Hiding | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| System-Wide Mic Mute | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Live System Stats (CPU/RAM) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| iPhone-Style Call Island | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Built-In Terminal | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| Camera Guard (camera-access alerts) | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
Everything Notchy does, for free
- Fluid Dynamic Island animations on the Mac notch
- Command palette (⌃⌥K) — every action one keystroke away
- Knock — double-tap a modifier key to open the notch
- AI usage tracker (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot)
- Detach any tab into a menu-bar popover
- Now Playing music controls (Apple Music & Spotify)
- Time-synced karaoke lyrics under the notch
- Mac clipboard history shelf (password-manager safe)
- Searchable clipboard — filter by text, file name, or OCR'd words
- On-device OCR — copy a screenshot, get its text (Apple Vision)
- Window snapping — drag a window to the notch to tile it
- App Launcher — pin apps to the notch, open with one tap
- Text snippets — TextExpander-style pastes from the ⌘K palette
- One-tap screen capture to clipboard + shelf
- Color eyedropper — sample any pixel, hex auto-copied
- System-wide mic mute for every meeting app at once
- Keystroke HUD for demos & screencasts (secure-input safe)
- Keyboard cleaning lock with countdown island (⌘⎋ unlocks)
- Menu-bar icon hiding — Bartender-style separator & chevron
- Live CPU / memory / network stats flyout
- Open GitHub PR count in the notch (Keychain-stored token)
- iPhone-style call island — Answer/Decline FaceTime on the notch
- Notch Terminal — real VT100/xterm shell in a PTY, its own tab
- Camera Guard — alert (or block) when any app opens your camera
- Caps Lock HUD — brief island on every toggle
- Full Charge island with adjustable threshold + low-battery sound
- Alt HUD styles — edge-pinned bar or circular gauge off the notch
- Audio-reactive Now Playing visualizer (real FFT of system audio)
- Custom closed-notch idle animation — drop in your own Lottie JSON
- Drag-and-drop file drop shelf — persists across relaunches
- Zip & unzip files right from the shelf
- Image converter (HEIC, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PDF) + video → GIF
- Run Apple Shortcuts with one tap
- Screenshots auto-staged on the shelf, ready to drag
- Download finished alerts with Reveal in Finder
- USB drive mount island with one-tap Eject
- Apple Reminders quick capture & due list
- macOS Pomodoro notch timer & stopwatch — streaks + 7-day chart
- Resizable expanded panel (width & height, live preview)
- System HUDs (volume, brightness, battery)
- Audio output switcher (speakers, AirPods, monitor)
- AirPods connection manager & battery
- Magic Mouse, Keyboard & Trackpad battery + low-battery alerts
- Quick notes & Calendar widgets
- Camera Mirror (check your appearance)
- Keep Awake (caffeine toggle)
- Teleprompter (Cuely) for Zoom calls
- Focus-aware alerts & native haptic feedback
- Lock screen widgets & hide-the-notch mode
- 133 languages, fully localized
- Native SwiftUI, tuned for Apple Silicon
The honest verdict on eqMac
If you tune your sound — headphone correction, many bands, spatial effects — eqMac Pro is worth it. If you just want Zoom quieter than Spotify, Notchy does that free from the notch, as long as your Mac runs macOS 14.4 or later.
eqMac alternative — FAQ
Is eqMac free?
The basic equaliser is free. Pro — which includes per-app volume, unlimited bands and spatial audio — starts at $3 a month or $30 a year, or $40 for a lifetime licence, per eqmac.app.
Can I change volume per app on Mac for free?
Yes. Notchy's Sound Mixer does it free on macOS 14.4 or later, and Background Music is a free open-source option that supports older macOS versions.
Does Notchy have a 10-band equaliser like eqMac?
No. Notchy has a three-band equaliser per app. If you want a detailed system-wide EQ or headphone correction presets, eqMac is the better tool.
What permission does Notchy's Sound Mixer need?
System Audio Recording. Notchy builds no audio chain until it is granted, and if Notchy quits, macOS removes its taps and every app plays at full level again.
Is Notchy really free?
Yes — no trial, licence key, subscription or in-app purchase.