Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

24 alternatives to SoundBar

Realtime audio level meter for mac menu bar

Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes.

1. 1
   Soundbar▲213

   A lightweight SoundCloud player for Mac

   2016 · its alternatives →

2. 2
   AudioPriorityBar▲217

   Priority-based audio switching for macOS menu bar

   Dec 2025 · github.com · its alternatives →

3. 3
   PaceBar▲130

   A quiet pace instrument for your Mac

   May 2026 · pacebar.app · its alternatives →

4. 4
   SoundSource 3.0▲102

   The sound control that should be built into MacOS

   2017 · rogueamoeba.com · its alternatives →

5. 5
   Background Music▲218

   Control the audio on your Mac apps from the menu bar

   2016 · github.com · its alternatives →

6. 6
   MenuBar Stats▲173

   Advanced Mac system monitor right from the menu bar

   2017 · seense.com · its alternatives →

7. 7
   Klack▲179

   Satisfying sound with every keystroke

   2025 · tryklack.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   VolumeHub▲195

   Per-app volume control for macOS with no driver installs

   Feb 2026 · volumehub.app · its alternatives →

9. 9
   mectrics▲268

   Your Mac's vitals in the menu bar. Free and open source.

   Jul 2026 · mectrics.app · its alternatives →

10. 10
    Cumulus▲160

    A SoundCloud player that lives in your Mac menu bar

    2015 · gillesdemey.github.io · its alternatives →

11. 11
    AVTouchBar▲129

    An audio visualizer for the touch bar

    2021 · avtouchbar.com · its alternatives →

12. 12
    SpotMenu▲259

    Spotify and iTunes in your macOS menu bar

    2017 · kmikiy.github.io · its alternatives →

13. 13
    eqMac▲92

    A free menubar equalizer for macOS

    2017 · eqmac.app · its alternatives →

14. 14
    VolumeGlass▲94

    Bring iOS-style elegance to your Mac’s volume control.

    Mar 2026 · apps.techfixpro.net · its alternatives →

15. 15
    MacMonitor▲106

    Real-time Apple Silicon system monitor for your menu bar

    Mar 2026 · github.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    Soundboard Mac App▲92

    Play your favorite sound samples all across over macOS

    2021 · app.gumroad.com · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Thyme▲117

    Mac menubar timer

    2015 · joaomoreno.github.io · its alternatives →

18. 18
    eqMac2▲127

    The open-source macOS audio optimizer 🎛️

    2018 · eqmac.app · its alternatives →

19. 19
    AudioNotes▲185

    Easily record and share audio messages from your Mac menubar

    2017 · audionot.es · its alternatives →

20. 20
    SoundPipe▲142

    SoundPipe is a mixing board for your Mac

    Jul 2026 · soundpipe.app · its alternatives →

21. 21
    my new app Timebar has a clever UI (I think)▲81

    Howdy, gang; After almost two weeks of sitting in Apple's approval queue, my new app Timebar is finally available. I think it has a pretty innovative UI feature, so I wanted to float it by Hacker News. It's a timer app that turns your Mac's menu bar into a sort of virtual hourglass. Your menu bar starts out tinted blue (or whatever colour you pick) and it slowly drains from right-to-left until your time is up. It works very well for situations where you want to keep track of time, but don't need to be super precise. The menu bar is easy to glance up at, and it doesn't take long to happen…

    2013 · whimsicalifornia.com · its alternatives →

22. 22
    Usagebar▲172

    A macOS menu bar app that tracks your Claude Code 5-hour and weekly usage limits. See reset timers, get notifications, and never hit the wall unexpectedly.

    Jan 2026 · usagebar.com · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Mic Audio Level▲108

    Monitor your microphone input level from the menu bar

    2024 · apps.apple.com · its alternatives →

24. 24
    Baritone▲116

    Spotify controls that live in your menubar.

    2017 · tma02.github.io · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →