Comparison · Equalizer
TONO vs eqMac
Both put an equalizer in front of every app on your Mac. Choose eqMac for a free, EQ-first app that also runs on Intel Macs and older macOS; choose TONO for the equalizer plus 3D sound, per-app outputs, recording, a clean mic and display tools on Apple silicon.
Facts as of
From each vendor’s own website – the sources are at the end.
TONO 2.3.0macOS 15+Apple silicon
About this comparisonTaken from each app’s own website (sources below). Features and prices change – please check the vendor’s site before you decide. We make TONO. eqMac is a trademark of its owner; TONO is not affiliated with eqMac or its developers.
Side by side
| Feature | TONO | eqMac |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | All-in-one audio and display control app | System audio equalizer with extras |
| Equalizer, free | 10 faders, 4 quick controls, 60+ presets | Basic (bass, mids, treble) and Advanced (10 fixed bands) |
| Equalizer, paid | Up to 24 parametric bands, cuts to 96 dB/oct, L/R and mid/side per band | Expert: unlimited bands, filter types, spectrum analyzer; separate L/R equalization |
| Headphone presets | Import AutoEQ / EqualizerAPO files · one preset per output | Reference presets for 4,600+ headphones (free) |
| Per-app volume | Yes (Pro), with mute, meter and an output per app | App Mixer: volume per application (Pro) |
| Spatial audio | 3D Surround, 8D Orbit, 4D Impact, rooms, AirPods head tracking (Pro) | Spatial Audio effect simulating listening environments (Pro) |
| Audio Unit plug-ins | No | Yes, hosting and chaining (Pro) |
| Also included | Recording, Mic Studio (noise-filtered virtual mic), hearing test, visualizer, brightness, window snapping, Stream Mode, Auto Rules | Volume booster, balance, HDMI volume support |
| How it gets system audio | Core Audio process taps, no audio driver for the sound | Its own user-space audio driver (a loopback/passthrough device) |
| Requirements | macOS 15+, Apple silicon | macOS 10.13+, Intel and Apple silicon |
| Price | Free; Pro €3.99/month, €29/year or €79 once (EUR, incl. VAT) | Free; Pro from $3/month or $30/year, lifetime $40 (USD) |
| Source code | Closed | Open source (Apache-2.0) up to v1.3.2 without Pro features; newer releases from a private fork |
Where eqMac is a good fit
- You use an Intel Mac or a macOS version older than 15 – eqMac supports macOS 10.13 and later.
- You want a free equalizer with ready-made headphone presets built in.
- You want to host Audio Unit plug-ins on your system audio.
- You value an open-source base you can read and build.
Where TONO is a good fit
- You want the equalizer, 3D and 8D, per-app volume with its own output per app, recording and a clean virtual mic in one app instead of several.
- You don’t want an audio driver for the sound: TONO uses the process taps built into macOS.
- You also care about your screens: brightness below the minimum for every display and window snapping for ultrawide and portrait monitors.
- You use a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later.
Can you use both?
Not at the same time. If eqMac’s device is your output, TONO notices it and tells you that the sound would be equalized twice. Use one app: quit eqMac and choose your real speakers or headphones as the output in System Settings → Sound, then switch TONO on.
Moving your headphone correction
If you used one of eqMac’s headphone presets, look up the same model on AutoEQ, download its ParametricEQ.txt and import it in TONO – it becomes a preset you can tie to those headphones, so TONO applies it whenever they’re the output.
Questions
Is TONO an eqMac alternative?
Yes, on Macs with Apple silicon and macOS 15 or later. Both are system-wide equalizers; TONO adds 3D and 8D sound, per-app outputs, recording, a noise-filtered virtual mic, a hearing test and display tools. On Intel Macs or older macOS versions, eqMac runs and TONO doesn’t.
Which one is free?
Both have a free tier that doesn’t expire. TONO Free includes a ten-fader equalizer, 60+ presets, AutoEQ import, brightness and the everyday tools. eqMac’s free tier includes the Basic and Advanced equalizers and its headphone presets.
Does TONO install an audio driver like eqMac?
Not for the sound: TONO uses Core Audio process taps, available since macOS 14.2. Only Mic Studio’s virtual microphone uses a small audio driver, and only if you set it up.
Sources
All checked on .
- eqMac website, features and pricing: eqmac.app
- eqMac source repository and README: github.com/bitgapp/eqMac
- TONO: fact sheet and How TONO works
Turn up your Mac.
Download free. All of Pro for one day. No account.
Download for Mac Hear it first
Free to keepPro from €3.99 a monthmacOS 15+Apple silicon