Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenAL Soft VS PortAudio

Compare OpenAL Soft VS PortAudio and see what are their differences

OpenAL Soft logo OpenAL Soft

OpenAL Soft is an LGPL-licensed, cross-platform, software implementation of the OpenAL 3D audio API.

PortAudio logo PortAudio

PortAudio is a cross platform, open-source, audio I/O library.
  • OpenAL Soft Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18
  • PortAudio Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-06-15

OpenAL Soft features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    OpenAL Soft is compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, and Linux, allowing for a wide range of application deployments.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, OpenAL Soft allows developers to view and modify the source code, promoting community contributions and transparency.
  • Hardware-Accelerated
    The software can leverage hardware acceleration for sound processing, which can improve performance and reduce CPU load.
  • 3D Audio Support
    OpenAL Soft provides advanced 3D audio capabilities, allowing for immersive sound positioning and panning in applications and games.
  • Customizable
    Users can customize the audio settings and enhance functionalities according to the application’s needs, thanks to the configurability of OpenAL Soft.

Possible disadvantages of OpenAL Soft

  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup and configuration of OpenAL Soft can be complex and time-consuming, especially for users who are not familiar with audio libraries.
  • Limited Documentation
    While OpenAL Soft is widely used, the documentation can be sparse, making it difficult for newcomers to learn or troubleshoot issues.
  • Performance Overhead
    In some cases, using OpenAL Soft can lead to higher performance overhead compared to other, more lightweight audio libraries.
  • Sparse Community Support
    Compared to other popular audio libraries, community support and forums specifically for OpenAL Soft are less active.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Some users report issues with compatibility on certain hardware configurations, which can lead to inconsistent audio experiences.

PortAudio features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    PortAudio supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a versatile choice for developers looking to create audio applications that run on different platforms.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source library, PortAudio is free to use and can be modified to fit specific needs. This allows developers to customize the library as necessary without licensing costs.
  • Low Latency
    PortAudio is designed to provide low-latency audio performance, which is essential for real-time audio processing applications such as live performances and interactive audio software.
  • Rich API
    PortAudio offers a comprehensive API that supports a wide range of audio functions, providing developers with the tools they need to create complex audio applications.
  • Community Support
    Being open source, PortAudio has a community of users and developers who contribute to its development, provide support, and help troubleshoot issues.

Possible disadvantages of PortAudio

  • Limited Documentation
    The documentation for PortAudio can be limited or outdated, which can make it difficult for new users to understand and implement the library effectively.
  • Complexity for Beginners
    PortAudio's extensive features can be overwhelming for beginners, making it challenging for those new to audio programming to get started quickly.
  • API Instability
    As with many open-source projects, updates and changes to the API can cause instability or deprecated features, potentially leading to maintenance challenges in long-term projects.
  • Platform-Specific Issues
    While PortAudio is cross-platform, certain features might not work consistently across all operating systems, requiring extra testing and platform-specific adjustments.

OpenAL Soft videos

F.E.A.R. w/ EAX & 3D spatial sound 🎧 (OpenAL Soft HRTF)

More videos:

  • Review - F.E.A.R DirectSound3D: Creative Alchemy vs OpenAL Soft (Headphone only)
  • Review - Counter-Strike 1.0 WON w/ 3D spatial sound (OpenAL Soft HRTF audio) 20th Anniversary!

PortAudio videos

No PortAudio videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenAL Soft and PortAudio)
Game Engine
51 51%
49% 49
Development Tools
47 47%
53% 53
Game Development
56 56%
44% 44
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenAL Soft seems to be a lot more popular than PortAudio. While we know about 11 links to OpenAL Soft, we've tracked only 1 mention of PortAudio. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

OpenAL Soft mentions (11)

  • Audio Library
    OpenAL is probably the best middle ground. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Prey (2017) Director: Using That Name Was A Mistake
    OpenAL Soft - Greatly improves audio. (Enable EAX effects in SS2 settings after this OpenAL Soft is installed). System Shock 2 used hardware accelerated audio effects and those work only if you have sound card that supports them. OpenAL Soft implements all those effects in software so you get good audio. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Death lamp worth?
    .MHR cannot be opened without a file viewer (Binary data). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Anyone know a good OpenAL alternative or wrapper which works on Apple platforms?
    Sounds like you want OpenAL Soft a cross platform LGPL software implementation of OpenAL. Source code and issue tracker are [on Github](0https://github.com/kcat/openal-soft). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Latest versions of Creative ALchemy and OpenAL
    OpenAL. I found OpenAL v1.1 Windows Installer from OpenAL: Cross Platform 3D Audio but OpenAL Soft v1.21.0 from here https://openal-soft.org/. What is the difference and which should I download? Source: about 3 years ago
View more

PortAudio mentions (1)

  • Python speech recognition for pulseaudio
    FYI PyAudio built on this software: http://portaudio.com/ which interfaces directly with Alsa/OSS (refer to the sounds system page, I'm not saying Open-Source Software here) which PulseAudio also does. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenAL Soft and PortAudio, you can also consider the following products

OpenAL - OpenAL is a cross-platform 3D audio API appropriate for use with gaming applications and many other...

JUCE - JUCE is a wide-ranging C++ class library for building rich cross-platform applications and plugins...

Wwise - Game audio engine, designed to give artists more control and save programmers' time.

SoLoud - Easy to use, free, portable c/c++ audio engine for games.

RtAudio - RtAudio is a set of C++ classes that provide a common API for realtime audio input/output across...

FMOD - FMOD Studio is an audio middleware solution and engine for games.