8 alternativesTuningMac: $14 once
The best TuningMac alternatives
For most people the best alternative to TuningMac is Spotify, and the best free one is Itsyhome.
SpotifyPick it if you already use Spotify on your phone and want the same playlists on your Mac.Free to startCompare at a glance
TuningMac is highlighted, so you can see what you give up and what you gain.
| App | Price | How you pay | Mac | iPhone | iPad | Watch | App Store | Developer | Setapp | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 TuningMac | $14 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
| Spotify | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Doppler | $9 once | Pay once | 4.6 | |||||||
 Bartender | From $20 | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Itsyhome | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Audio Hijack | $69 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Boring Notch | Free, open source | Free | Too few ratings | |||||||
 SideNotes | $19.99 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | |||||||
 Shoji | $14 once | Pay once | Too few ratings |
Swipe the table sideways to see more
The alternatives, in order
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Pick it if you already use Spotify on your phone and want the same playlists on your Mac.
Your Spotify playlists, podcasts and downloads on the Mac, free with ads or ad-free with Premium.
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Pick it if you own MP3 or FLAC files and want a proper player for them on your iPhone and in the car.
A player for the music files you own, with offline playback, CarPlay and tag editing, for $9 once with no subscription.
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Pick it if you have more menu bar icons than space, especially on a MacBook with a notch.
Rescues menu bar icons lost behind the notch and shows each one only when you actually need it.
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Pick it if you have Apple Home devices and want to control them from the Mac without opening another app.
Apple Home and Home Assistant controls in the Mac menu bar, with a $12.99 Pro upgrade.
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Pick it if you record podcasts, calls or app audio on your Mac and want one tool that captures all of it.
Record any app or mic on your Mac, $69 once.
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Pick it if you have a MacBook with a notch and want that space to show your music, calendar and files.
A free, open-source app that turns the MacBook notch into music controls, a file shelf and a calendar.
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Pick it if you take quick notes during calls or while coding and hate hunting for the right window.
A notes drawer on the side of your screen, so writing something down never means switching apps.
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Pick it if you work from cafes, coworking spaces or open offices and step away from your MacBook several times a day.
A soft blur over every screen with one shortcut, so nobody reads your messages while you grab a coffee.
When TuningMac is still the right pick
You want to turn Zoom down, Spotify up and fix thin laptop speakers without paying SoundSource prices.
TuningMac prices and verdict$14 once