cava Alternatives

cava is described as 'Cava is a bar spectrum audio visualizer for terminal (ncurses) or desktop (SDL)' and is an app. There are more than 10 alternatives to cava for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and Steam apps. The best cava alternative is Cavalier, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like cava are projectM, MilkDrop, WaveBar and Kauna.

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Get a badge for your sitecava alternatives page was last updated May 15, 2026

Cavalier
9 likes
Cavalier is an audio visualizer based on CAVA with customizable interface.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Origin
United States
Platforms
Linux
Snapcraft
Flathub
United States
+2
Good alternative?Is Cavalier a good alternative to cava?
projectM
20 likes
projectM is an LGPL'ed reimplementation of Milkdrop under OpenGL. All projectM requires is a video card with 3D acceleration and your favorite music.
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Good alternative?Is projectM a good alternative to cava?
MilkDrop
22 likes
MilkDrop is an open source, hardware-accelerated music visualization plugin for Winamp, which was originally developed by Ryan Geiss. It uses DirectX and intelligent beat detection to render iterated images which blend seamlessly.
36 MilkDrop alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Origin
United States
Platforms
Windows
Windows Media Player
Kodi
Winamp
United States
+6
Good alternative?Is MilkDrop a good alternative to cava?
WaveBar
1 like
WaveBar transforms your music experience with dynamic visualizations on your Mac.
33 WaveBar alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Platforms
Mac
+3
Good alternative?Is WaveBar a good alternative to cava?
Kauna
8 likes
Kauna is a music visualizer. Kauna renders any sound reproduction in system. It can also capture audio from a microphone.
34 Kauna alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Platforms
Windows
Windows Mobile
Windows Phone
Xbox
+3
Good alternative?Is Kauna a good alternative to cava?
Cavasik
2 likes
Audio visualizer based on CAVA.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Platforms
Linux
Linux Mobile
+7
Good alternative?Is Cavasik a good alternative to cava?
C
C
caway
1 like
Cava in waybar.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (MIT)
Platforms
Linux
Wayland
C
Good alternative?Is caway a good alternative to cava?
G
G
GLava
1 like
A general-purpose, highly configurable OpenGL audio spectrum visualizer for X11. Displayed to the left is the radial shader module, or for a more extensive demonstration see this demo. Development is active, and reporting issues is encouraged.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (GPL-3.0)
Origin
Norway
Platforms
Linux
G
Good alternative?Is GLava a good alternative to cava?
VIZZ
1 like
Free browser-based music visualizer with dozens of variants. Connect it to an audio source, customize it, and save your own presets.
10 VIZZ alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Origin
United States
Platforms
Online
United States
Good alternative?Is VIZZ a good alternative to cava?
Whitecap
3 likes
WhiteCap is a sleek and sophisticated music visualizer and screensaver that features futuristic, wireframe mesh visuals with dynamic backgrounds and colors.
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Platforms
Mac
Windows
+2
Good alternative?Is Whitecap a good alternative to cava?
NestDrop
1 like
NestDrop allows you to perform with high-resolution high-fps visuals which react in realtime to the music and then broadcasts the video via Spout. Since the Milkdrop engine is at the core you can easily bring in your own Milkdrop presets.
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Platforms
Windows
+5
Good alternative?Is NestDrop a good alternative to cava?
Audio Glow Music Visualizer
1 like
Audio Glow music visualizer brings your music to the screen in an explosion of bright colors. A special premium version feature lets you use the visualizer as live wallpaper.
36 Audio Glow Music Visualizer alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Origin
United States
Platforms
Android
Android Tablet
United States
Good alternative?Is this a good alternative to cava?