Airfoil and SoundSource can both send audio from your Mac to HomePod and AirPlay-compatible Sonos speakers. Airfoil is built around streaming to many outputs, including Chromecast and its Airfoil Satellite companion app. SoundSource is a per-app audio utility that streams to AirPlay devices and also supports Bluetooth and mixed output groups. If the music is already playing on the speaker and you only want to control it, a controller such as Playstate is a third option.
Disclosure: Published by the Playstate team. Playstate is our app; Airfoil and SoundSource are made by Rogue Amoeba, which is not affiliated with us. This comparison is based on Rogue Amoeba's published documentation and store pages, not on independent hands-on tests. Details were checked on October 16, 2026.
What both apps do
Both apps come from Rogue Amoeba, and both can send audio from your Mac over AirPlay to HomePod and to Sonos speakers that support AirPlay 2. Either one lets a Mac app such as Spotify, or audio from a web page, play on a speaker in another room. Both sell a one-time license for the current major version, and both offer a free trial with limitations applied until you enter a license key.
They start from different jobs. Airfoil is built around streaming Mac audio to many outputs and companion devices. SoundSource is built to control the audio of each app on your Mac, and version 6 added AirPlay streaming to that.
Choose Airfoil for Chromecast, companion devices, or a phone remote
Rogue Amoeba lists Airfoil outputs well beyond AirPlay: Apple TV, HomePod, third-party AirPlay hardware, Sonos, Google Chromecast and Cast speakers, Bluetooth speakers and headphones, and other computers, phones, and tablets through the free Airfoil Satellite app. It documents playing to multiple outputs in sync, “even between different speaker types,” and saving speaker groups or zones.
Airfoil Satellite, available for iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows, can also remotely control Airfoil and many supported audio sources, and can receive audio from Airfoil. Airfoil sends track titles and album art with its stream to compatible outputs, and includes an equalizer and a silence monitor that can disconnect when the audio goes quiet.
Airfoil is the documented choice if a Chromecast or Cast speaker is part of the setup, if you want Airfoil Satellite to receive audio on another computer or phone or to act as a remote, or if you want one stream sent to a group that mixes speaker types. Bluetooth speakers alone are not a reason to choose it, because SoundSource documents Bluetooth outputs too. Its current version, Airfoil 5.13.0, lists macOS 14.4 to macOS 27.
Choose SoundSource when you want per-app control
SoundSource is a menu-bar utility for adjusting each app's audio. Rogue Amoeba documents per-app volume and mute, per-app output redirection, and per-app or system-wide effects with a built-in 10-band equalizer and Audio Unit plug-ins. It also covers system device settings and volume keys for outputs that ignore them.
SoundSource 6 added AirPlay. Rogue Amoeba's AirPlay page says it uses technology provided by macOS, so it supports the same AirPlay devices as Music and the Mac itself, including HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple TV, and Sonos hardware. You can stream a single app to one AirPlay device, build an output group of several AirPlay devices that play in sync, or send different apps to different speakers at the same time.
SoundSource's output groups manual says a group can contain “a mix of any kind of output device: built-in outputs, external audio interfaces, Bluetooth devices, and even AirPlay devices.” So a mixed setup, such as a HomePod plus a Bluetooth speaker plus your Mac's own speakers, is not limited to Airfoil. The pages we reviewed describe in-sync playback for groups of AirPlay devices, but do not describe sync for groups that mix output types, while Airfoil's page explicitly says playback stays in sync “even between different speaker types.” If tight sync across mixed outputs matters, test it in each app's trial.
SoundSource is the more natural fit when you also want to keep a video call on your Mac's speakers, send only one music app to the living room, or equalize individual apps, whether your outputs are all AirPlay or a mix. The current version, SoundSource 6.1.5, lists macOS 15 to 27.
Side-by-side summary
| Airfoil | SoundSource | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Stream Mac audio to many speaker types | Per-app volume, routing, and effects |
| HomePod and AirPlay 2 Sonos | Yes | Yes, through AirPlay |
| Chromecast and Cast speakers | Yes | Not listed on the pages we reviewed |
| Bluetooth speakers and headphones | Yes | Yes, as output devices and in output groups |
| Groups of several outputs | Yes; speaker groups and zones | Yes; output groups can mix built-in outputs, audio interfaces, Bluetooth, and AirPlay devices |
| Documented in-sync playback | Yes, including “between different speaker types” | Yes for AirPlay devices; not described for mixed output types |
| Different apps to different speakers | Not described on its product page | Yes |
| Phone remote and companion receivers | Airfoil Satellite (free) | Not listed |
| Current version and macOS | 5.13.0, macOS 14.4 to 27 | 6.1.5, macOS 15 to 27 |
| Price | US$35; upgrade from older versions US$15 | US$49; upgrade from SoundSource 4 or 5 US$25 |
Prices are as listed in Rogue Amoeba's online store on October 16, 2026, in US dollars before local taxes. Rogue Amoeba's SoundSource 6 announcement describes the license as a one-time charge with a discounted paid upgrade for existing owners. Both downloads act as the free trial.
A third option when the music is already on the speaker
Airfoil and SoundSource both make your Mac the source of the audio. Your Mac has to keep playing, and the Mac app stays the player. That is the right model when the music lives on your Mac. It is not what everyone needs.
If the music is already playing on the speaker, for example a playlist started on an iPhone, a request to Siri, or the Sonos app, you may only want to see and control it from your desk. Playstate, the app made by the team that publishes this site, is a menu-bar controller for that case. It shows the current song and offers playback controls and speaker volume for supported HomePod and Sonos speakers, including HomePod music started from an iPhone or Siri, without Music running on the Mac. It also follows Music.app, Spotify, VOX, Doppler, and VLC on the Mac. See how HomePod playback sources differ.
Playstate does not stream or route your Mac's audio, create synchronized speaker groups, or apply equalizer effects, and it is not a music library browser. If you need to stream, route, group, or equalize audio, Airfoil or SoundSource is the better tool. To browse and choose music, keep using your music app. Playstate requires macOS 15 or later, lists a personal license at US$7 as a one-time purchase, and has a 1-day trial with no card. Compatibility depends on the speaker's software and how playback started, so test your own speakers during the trial. See requirements and what it controls on HomePod and Sonos.
How to decide
- Find where the music comes from. If an app on your Mac plays it, you need a streaming tool. If the speaker already plays it, you may only need a controller.
- List your outputs. If one is a Chromecast or Cast speaker, or you want to receive or control audio on a phone or another computer through Airfoil Satellite, look at Airfoil first. Bluetooth speakers and mixed groups are documented by both apps, so they do not decide it.
- Decide whether you want per-app control. If you want one app on the HomePod and the rest on your Mac, or per-app equalizer settings, look at SoundSource first.
- If you need several speakers to stay in sync across different output types, note that Airfoil documents this explicitly and SoundSource documents it for AirPlay groups. Test your own mix in each trial.
- Check your macOS version against each app's listed requirements.
- Use the free trials with your own speakers, including a group if you plan to use one, before buying.
Frequently asked questions
Can SoundSource replace Airfoil?
For many Mac setups, yes. SoundSource 6 documents AirPlay to HomePod and Sonos, Bluetooth outputs, output groups that can mix built-in, interface, Bluetooth, and AirPlay devices, and per-app control. Airfoil documents things SoundSource does not on the pages we reviewed: Chromecast and Cast speakers, Airfoil Satellite, and explicit in-sync playback between different speaker types. If you need one of those, Airfoil is the documented choice.
Do I need Airfoil for a mixed setup of HomePod and Bluetooth speakers?
Not necessarily. SoundSource documents output groups that contain Bluetooth and AirPlay devices together. Airfoil is the one that explicitly documents in-sync playback between different speaker types, so test sync with your own speakers in either trial.
Do I need Airfoil or SoundSource to control music started on my iPhone?
Not necessarily. Both stream audio from the Mac. Music already playing on a HomePod or Sonos speaker can be controlled from the device that started it, or from a controller such as Playstate on supported speakers.
Does Playstate stream Mac audio to a HomePod?
No. Playstate controls supported HomePod and Sonos playback and selected Mac music apps. Use AirPlay, Airfoil, or SoundSource to send audio from the Mac.
Sources
- Rogue Amoeba: Airfoil for Mac (checked October 16, 2026)
- Rogue Amoeba: Airfoil store (checked October 16, 2026)
- Rogue Amoeba: SoundSource (checked October 16, 2026)
- Rogue Amoeba: AirPlay in SoundSource (checked October 16, 2026)
- Rogue Amoeba: SoundSource output groups manual (checked October 16, 2026)
- Rogue Amoeba: SoundSource store (checked October 16, 2026)
- Rogue Amoeba: SoundSource 6 press release (December 2025)
- Playstate: download and requirements
- Playstate: HomePod AirPlay vs direct playback
Try it on your Mac
The full app is free for 1 day, starting when it first connects to a speaker or you use a playback or volume control. No card is required. A personal license is US$7, paid once.
Try free for 1 day