The short version
"Loopback alternatives" tends to bring in two different kinds of reader. Some want the exact same capability, virtual devices that carry one app's audio into another, for less money or with more control over the code. Others typed that search because their real problem is simpler than they realised: they just want their Mac's actual speakers to work together properly. The four options below cover both groups, and the table makes clear which is which.
Loopback alternatives at a glance
| Option | Price | What it is for | Has a user interface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loopback | $99 once | App-to-app virtual routing | Yes |
| BlackHole | Free | App-to-app virtual routing | No |
| Audio MIDI Setup | Free | Combining real devices | Yes, built into macOS |
| Chorus | $4.99 once | Grouping real speakers + per-app control | Yes |
Going through the options
BlackHole
BlackHole is a free, open source virtual audio driver (source on GitHub, donations accepted through GitHub Sponsors, no paid tier). It does the same underlying job as Loopback, carrying audio from one app into another, with zero added latency. It comes in 2, 16 and 64 channel versions and is customisable up to 256 channels or more, covers sample rates from 44.1kHz up to 192kHz, and runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
The trade-off is that BlackHole has no interface whatsoever. It installs as a driver and nothing else, so you configure every route yourself in Audio MIDI Setup or another app that can address it. For anyone comfortable setting that up by hand, it replaces Loopback's core capability at no cost. For anyone who wanted Loopback's actual application, with a window to work in, it will feel like half the product.
Audio MIDI Setup
Audio MIDI Setup is Apple's own utility, built into every Mac, free. It lets you build Multi-Output and Aggregate Devices by hand from the real outputs and inputs already connected to your machine, which covers a decent amount of ordinary device-combining.
What it cannot do is create the kind of app-to-app routing pipeline that is Loopback's actual specialty, sending one app's audio into another app as an input. Without a driver like BlackHole sitting underneath it, Audio MIDI Setup alone has no way to build that pipeline. It is the right free tool for combining real devices, and the wrong one if your problem is virtual, app-to-app audio.
Chorus
Chorus is worth a mention here for one reason only: some readers who search "Loopback alternatives" do not actually need app-to-app routing at all. Their real problem is that two speakers do not work together, or that a call keeps playing out of the wrong device. Chorus is built for exactly that: a native macOS menu-bar app that groups your Mac's real, physical outputs so several play as one, with a single volume, per-device balance, per-app routing between the speakers you own, and setups you can switch with a keyboard shortcut.
Chorus does not create virtual audio devices for app-to-app routing. It cannot pipe one app's sound into another the way Loopback and BlackHole can, and it has no EQ, effects, or DAW-style routing either. If that is genuinely what you need, keep reading, this page will not help. But it is $4.99 once, no subscription, with a 30-day free trial that needs no account and no card details, and one licence covers up to three Macs on macOS 13 or later, Intel and Apple Silicon. No driver and no kernel extension either, so it uses the audio grouping macOS already has.
Every feature free for 30 days. No account, no card details.
Download for MacSo which should you pick?
Want the full, paid, polished virtual-routing tool, with a proper interface and support behind it? Stick with Loopback. Want the same low-level job done for free, and you are comfortable configuring it yourself with no interface to lean on? BlackHole is the answer, and Audio MIDI Setup is where you will do the configuring.
Want to combine your Mac's real, physical outputs, with no app-to-app piping involved at all? That is a different, simpler question, and Chorus is a different, simpler answer to it. It will not replace Loopback for anyone who genuinely needs virtual routing, and it was never trying to.
For the full detail on its app-to-app virtual routing, see Loopback's own product page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Loopback?
Yes. BlackHole is a free, open source virtual audio driver that does the same low-level job as Loopback, carrying audio between apps. It has no interface at all, so you configure the routing yourself in Audio MIDI Setup or another app, but the core capability costs nothing.
Is Chorus a real alternative to Loopback?
Not for the same job. Loopback creates virtual audio devices for app-to-app routing, which Chorus does not do at all. Chorus groups your Mac's real, physical outputs so several play as one, with per-app control between the speakers you own. It is only worth considering here if your actual need turns out to be that, rather than piping audio between apps.
What does BlackHole actually do?
BlackHole is a virtual audio driver with zero latency and no user interface. It supports 2, 16 and 64 channel versions, is customisable up to 256 or more channels, covers sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz, and runs on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. It is a building block, not a finished app, so you still need Audio MIDI Setup or another tool to wire up the routing.
Can Audio MIDI Setup replace Loopback?
Only partly. Audio MIDI Setup is Apple's free built-in utility for building Multi-Output and Aggregate Devices from your Mac's real, physical outputs and inputs. It cannot create the kind of virtual, app-to-app routing pipeline Loopback specialises in, sending one app's audio into another as an input, without a driver like BlackHole underneath it.
What does Loopback cost?
Loopback, from Rogue Amoeba, is $99 once. It creates virtual audio devices that route audio between apps, which is the job behind most streaming and podcasting setups.
