NoNoise Mac
NoNoise Mac is a free macOS menu-bar app for reducing microphone background noise and room echo as audio arrives.
What NoNoise Mac is
NoNoise Mac is a free macOS menu-bar app for reducing microphone background noise and room echo as audio arrives. It uses DeepFilterNet3 compiled to CoreML, with processing on Apple Neural Engine and Metal. Meeting, Podcast, Tutorial and Custom modes combine suppression with voice-polish controls. Optional Broadcast Voice adds presence and de-essing; Mouth Noise provides de-plosive and de-click suppression. The Clean Incoming / Guest mode can denoise system audio and requires macOS 14.4 or later. Cleaned microphone audio is routed through the NoNoise Mic virtual microphone for use in apps including Zoom, Meet, Discord, OBS, Slack and QuickTime. It accepts built-in, USB and XLR microphones through an interface. Global hotkeys, a URL scheme and a bundled CLI provide additional controls; the CLI can clean audio files locally. The project says audio stays on the Mac, without telemetry or an account. NoNoise Mac requires an Apple Silicon Mac such as M1 or newer; Intel Macs are unsupported. Its installer is not notarized and may require allowing it in macOS Privacy & Security settings.
Good
- Free and open source under the MIT license.
- Offers four modes with suppression and voice-polish controls.
- Routes cleaned microphone audio to common communication and recording apps.
- CLI can clean audio files locally.
- Project says audio stays on the Mac without telemetry or an account.
Watch out
- Requires Apple Silicon; Intel Macs are unsupported.
- Incoming-audio cleanup requires macOS 14.4 or later.
- Installer is not notarized and may require manual permission.
Who it suits
It suits Mac users who want to clean microphone audio for calls, recording or streaming. It is also relevant to users who need local file cleanup or system-audio denoising, provided their Mac meets the requirements.
Verdict
NoNoise Mac combines real-time microphone cleanup with audio-file processing and controls for different voice uses. Check the Apple Silicon requirement and installer permission step before choosing it.
Plans and prices
From NoNoise Mac's own pricing page, checked 30 Sep 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free · open source · MIT licensed |
The facts
Each one read from NoNoise Mac's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Incoming audio
- Clean Incoming / Guest can denoise system audio in real time and requires macOS 14.4 or later.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Input support
- The README says it works with built-in, USB, and XLR microphone inputs via an interface.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Installation
- The project provides a downloadable installer package that installs the app and virtual microphone driver together.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Integrations
- The app routes cleaned microphone audio through its NoNoise Mic virtual microphone for use in apps including Zoom, Meet, Discord, OBS, Slack, and QuickTime.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Modes
- It offers Meeting, Podcast, Tutorial, and Custom modes, with suppression and voice-polish controls.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Notarization
- The README says the installer is not notarized and may require the user to choose Open Anyway in macOS Privacy & Security settings.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Offline file cleanup
- The CLI can clean audio files locally; the README says video-container support is planned separately.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Privacy
- The project says audio stays on the Mac, with no telemetry and no account.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Processing
- It uses DeepFilterNet3 compiled to CoreML and processes audio on the Apple Neural Engine and Metal.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Purpose
- NoNoise Mac is a menu-bar app that removes microphone background noise and room echo in real time.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Stream Deck and CLI
- It supports configurable global hotkeys, a nonoisemac:// URL scheme for Stream Deck or shell actions, and a bundled CLI.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Updates
- The app uses Sparkle to check for stable releases at launch and daily and can prompt users to update.checked 30 Sep 2001
- Voice controls
- Optional Broadcast Voice adds presence and de-essing, while Mouth Noise offers de-plosive and de-click suppression.checked 30 Sep 2001
Where it runs
- Platform requirement
- It requires an Apple Silicon Mac such as M1 or newer and does not support Intel Macs.checked 30 Sep 2001
The full review of NoNoise Mac
Overview
NoNoise Mac is a Mac menu-bar tool for cleaning microphone audio during calls, recordings, and streams. It best suits Apple Silicon users who want local noise reduction with more voice shaping than a simple mute filter. The trade-off is a Mac-only setup and an installer that may need an extra security approval.
It processes audio with DeepFilterNet3 compiled to CoreML, using the Apple Neural Engine and Metal. The project says audio stays on the Mac, with no telemetry or account, which will appeal to privacy-conscious users who prefer not to route voice audio through a service.
Key features
Modes and voice controls
Meeting, Podcast, Tutorial, and Custom modes give different starting points, with suppression and voice-polish controls for adjustment. Broadcast Voice adds presence and de-essing, while Mouth Noise targets plosives and clicks. These options make the app more adaptable to speech than a single-strength filter, though the available controls are centered on voice cleanup rather than broader audio editing.
Routing and incoming audio
Cleaned microphone audio is routed through the NoNoise Mic virtual microphone, which can be selected in Zoom, Meet, Discord, OBS, Slack, and QuickTime. Built-in and USB microphones are supported, as are XLR microphones connected through an interface. Clean Incoming / Guest can denoise system audio in real time, but requires macOS 14.4 or later.
Shortcuts and file cleanup
Configurable global hotkeys, a nonoisemac:// URL scheme, and a bundled CLI support Stream Deck or shell actions. The CLI can also clean audio files locally, a useful extra for users who want offline processing beyond live calls. Video-container support is planned separately, so this is not a video-cleanup workflow.
Pricing
NoNoise Mac is free: its Free plan costs nothing and is open source under the MIT license. There is no free trial because the app is already free, and there are no paid tiers, seat limits, or quotas in the stated plan. That makes it a straightforward choice for individual Mac users, though users seeking a supported paid service or cross-platform plan should compare alternatives.
Platforms
The app requires an Apple Silicon Mac such as M1 or newer; Intel Macs are not supported. The downloadable installer package installs both the app and virtual microphone driver. The project says the installer is not notarized, so macOS may require choosing Open Anyway in Privacy & Security. Stable-release checks run at launch and daily through Sparkle, and the app can prompt for updates.
Who it's for
NoNoise Mac is a strong fit for Mac users who take calls, record, or stream and want on-device microphone cleanup with selectable voice character and hotkey or Stream Deck control. Its local processing and lack of account or telemetry also suit people wary of cloud audio processing. It is a poor fit for Intel Mac owners, people who need other desktop platforms, or anyone unwilling to approve an installer that is not notarized.
Pros and cons
- Pros: Local processing with no account or telemetry suits privacy-conscious users.
- Pros: Distinct modes, voice shaping, and mouth-noise controls provide more than basic background suppression.
- Pros: The virtual microphone, hotkeys, URL scheme, and CLI cover both live-app routing and automation.
- Pros: Free and open source, with offline audio-file cleanup through the CLI.
- Cons: Apple Silicon is mandatory, excluding Intel Macs.
- Cons: The installer may require manual approval because it is not notarized.
- Cons: Incoming system-audio cleanup requires macOS 14.4 or later.
- Cons: Video-container cleanup is not part of the current CLI capability.
Alternatives
- Kleervox is worth considering if you need Linux, Windows, or web support; its free plan includes an hour of cleaning per day, neural noise cancellation, echo cancellation, and a virtual microphone.
- DeskBroadcast is another macOS option. Its free edition is described as fully functional forever but adds a video watermark, while Pro costs $79, paid once for three Macs.
- neep supports Linux, macOS, and Windows and may suit users willing to pay for unlimited use; its annual Individuals & small teams plan costs $9 a year and includes a 14-day free trial.
- NVIDIA Broadcast is a free alternative for Windows users with RTX PCs or workstations.
- SoliCall Noise Firewall is an alternative for teams evaluating a paid product across desktop, web, and self-hosted platforms; pricing is custom.
- SoliCall Pro is a Windows-only paid alternative with a free trial and custom pricing.
- Alt Denoiser is a free alternative available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- NoiseTorch-ng is a free Linux alternative for PulseAudio or PipeWire.
- Browse AI Noise Cancellation Software to compare more options.
Verdict
Choose NoNoise Mac if you have an Apple Silicon Mac and want free, local microphone cleanup with voice-shaping controls and practical routing tools. Its combination of privacy-minded processing and live-app integration is the clearest reason to choose it. Look elsewhere if you need Intel support, a cross-platform product, or an installer that does not require a manual security exception.
Alternatives to NoNoise Mac
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