Roadie vs AudioPriorityBar vs SoundLock vs SoundSource.
Four tools claim to stop macOS from grabbing the wrong mic or speakers. Two are free. Here is what each actually does, from their source or documentation, and which one fits which person. Roadie is ours, so read the table before the prose.
Comparison by Yash Raj, published 7 September 2026. Facts checked against each project's source or documentation on that date.
The table
| Roadie | AudioPriorityBar | SoundLock | SoundSource | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 once, 3 Macs | Free, MIT | Free, source-available | Paid, full audio suite |
| Microphone priority | Yes | Yes | Yes | Per-app input selection |
| Output priority | Yes | Yes | Yes | Per-app routing, not a ranked list |
| Speakers vs headphones modes | Yes, automatic | Yes, manual mode switch | No | No |
| Respects a manual pick | Yes, until devices change | Only in Custom mode | Only with guard off | Not applicable |
| Notifies on correction, with undo | Yes | No | No | No |
| Avoid list (never auto-pick) | Yes | Ignore per category | No | No |
| Bluetooth settling window | Yes | No | Retries after pairing | No |
| Stops runaway switch loops | Yes, after 3 tries | No | No | No |
| In-app updates | Sparkle | GitHub releases | Manual re-download | Yes |
| Signed / notarized | Not yet | No | No | Yes |
| Needs mic permission | No | No | No | See vendor |
| macOS | 13+ | 13+ | 13+ | See vendor |
Disclosure: Roadie is ours. The AudioPriorityBar and SoundLock columns come from reading their public source. The SoundSource column comes from Rogue Amoeba's product page, which describes per-app routing rather than a priority list.
AudioPriorityBar
Free, MIT licensed, written by Tobi Lütke and published in December 2025. It does the core job well: ranked lists for mics and outputs, separate speaker and headphone modes, device memory with last-seen timestamps, and volume control in the menu. Roadie borrowed its keyword approach to headphone detection, with credit in our README.
Where it falls short: it enforces the list on every event, so a device you picked by hand gets reverted unless you first switch to Custom mode. There is no notification, no undo, no Bluetooth settling window, and the builds are unsigned. If you are comfortable building from source or approving an unsigned app, and you rarely pick devices by hand, it is the best free choice.
SoundLock
Free, source-available but not open source, one release from July 2026. Ranked input and output lists, offline device persistence, retries after Bluetooth pairing, volume and mute in the menu. Its privacy write-up is excellent.
Its enforcement is a single check: if the current default is not the top-ranked connected device, set it. That runs on every change without knowing whether you or macOS caused it, so manual picks flip back unless the guard is off. No notifications, no undo, no avoid list, no updater, and it is also unnotarized.
SoundSource
Rogue Amoeba's audio suite: per-app output routing, per-app volume, effects, and a full menu bar mixer. It is the tool if you want music on the speakers while calls stay on headphones. It is not a priority list. It will not notice that macOS moved your default mic to the webcam, because that is not the problem it solves. Buy it for routing and effects, not for this.
Roadie
$9.99 once for up to 3 Macs, 7-day trial with no account. It only does device priority, and the difference is in how it handles the edge cases: a manual pick stays the rule until your devices change, every correction shows a notification with one-click undo, an avoid list keeps display speakers and webcam mics out of the running, Bluetooth gets a settling window so reconnects do not double-switch, and a runaway fight with another app stops after three tries. Not yet notarized; that is what early sales are funding.
Try Roadie free for 7 days No account, no audio access, $9.99 once after that.
Which one should you use?
- You never pick devices by hand and want free: AudioPriorityBar.
- You want per-app routing and effects: SoundSource.
- You switch devices by hand sometimes and want to know when something changed: Roadie.
- You want free and the simplest possible thing: SoundLock, with the guard toggle in reach.
Quick answers
What is the best free app to stop macOS switching audio devices?
AudioPriorityBar by Tobi Lütke is the strongest free option. It is MIT licensed, handles both microphones and outputs, and has separate speaker and headphone modes. It reverts manual picks unless you switch it to Custom mode, and it ships as unsigned nightly builds.
Is there a paid alternative to SoundSource just for device switching?
Yes. Roadie is a $9.99 one-time menu bar utility that only does device priority: ranked microphones and outputs, an avoid list, notifications with undo, and respect for manual picks. SoundSource is a full audio suite with per-app routing and effects, and device priority is not its focus.
Which audio switcher respects a device I pick manually?
Roadie keeps a manual pick as the rule until your connected devices change. AudioPriorityBar and SoundLock both switch back to the top-ranked device on the next event unless you first toggle them into a manual or guard-off mode.
Do any of these apps need microphone permission?
Roadie, AudioPriorityBar, and SoundLock set the system default device through CoreAudio without opening an audio stream, so none of the three appears in the macOS microphone permission list. SoundSource captures per-app audio, so check Rogue Amoeba's documentation for its permissions.