PipeWire vs PulseAudio

Struggling to choose between PipeWire and PulseAudio? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

PipeWire is a Audio & Music solution with tags like audio, video, streaming, linux.

It boasts features such as Low latency audio, Unified audio and video streams, Replaces PulseAudio and JACK, Supports Bluetooth audio, Built-in echo cancellation, Screen sharing support, Can emulate PulseAudio and JACK APIs and pros including Simplifies audio setup on Linux, Improves audio quality and reduces glitches, Allows easy audio routing between applications, Enables advanced audio use cases like pro audio production, Unifies audio and video streaming.

On the other hand, PulseAudio is a Audio & Music product tagged with sound, audio, server, linux, open-source.

Its standout features include Audio routing, Volume control, Network audio streaming, Hotplug detection, Mixing/merging of audio streams, Audio effects, and it shines with pros like Allows multiple apps to share audio devices, Good audio quality and low latency, Wide range of audio formats supported, Easy volume control per application, Works across network for streaming.

Feature	PipeWire	PulseAudio
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Audio & Music	Audio & Music

Product Overview

PipeWire

Description: PipeWire is a server for handling audio and video streams on Linux. It aims to improve upon and replace PulseAudio and JACK to provide a unified audio/video server.

PulseAudio

Description: PulseAudio is an open source sound server that routes audio from applications to audio devices on Linux computers. It allows multiple applications to share audio devices and provides features like audio volumes control, network streaming, and device hotplug detection.

Key Features Comparison

PipeWire Features

• Low latency audio
• Unified audio and video streams
• Replaces PulseAudio and JACK
• Supports Bluetooth audio
• Built-in echo cancellation
• Screen sharing support
• Can emulate PulseAudio and JACK APIs

PulseAudio Features

• Audio routing
• Volume control
• Network audio streaming
• Hotplug detection
• Mixing/merging of audio streams
• Audio effects

Pros & Cons Analysis

PipeWire

Pros

• Simplifies audio setup on Linux
• Improves audio quality and reduces glitches
• Allows easy audio routing between applications
• Enables advanced audio use cases like pro audio production
• Unifies audio and video streaming

Cons

• Still relatively new software, may have bugs
• Breaking changes from PulseAudio and JACK
• May require adjustment for some existing applications
• Limited hardware support on some distributions

PulseAudio

Pros

• Allows multiple apps to share audio devices
• Good audio quality and low latency
• Wide range of audio formats supported
• Easy volume control per application
• Works across network for streaming

Cons

• Can have compatibility issues with some apps
• Configuration can be complex for advanced setups
• Resource heavy compared to simpler audio systems
• Buggy behavior in some Linux distributions

Pricing Comparison

PipeWire

• Open Source

PulseAudio

• Open Source