PulseAudio vs PipeWire

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

PulseAudio is a Audio & Music solution with tags like sound, audio, server, linux, open-source.

It boasts features such as Audio routing, Volume control, Network audio streaming, Hotplug detection, Mixing/merging of audio streams, Audio effects and pros including 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.

On the other hand, PipeWire is a Audio & Music product tagged with audio, video, streaming, linux.

Its standout features include 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 it shines with pros like 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.

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

Product Overview

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.

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.

Key Features Comparison

PulseAudio Features

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

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

Pros & Cons Analysis

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

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

Pricing Comparison

PulseAudio

• Open Source

PipeWire

• Open Source