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cava vs projectM: catalog facts
cava	projectM
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Linux
Works with PulseAudio, PipeWire, ALSA and sndio without extra glue Colours, gradients and smoothing are all configurable	Compatible with Milkdrop presets GPU-accelerated rendering
Purely decorative; it is not an analysis or measurement tool Capturing system audio needs a monitor source configured	The main repository is a library; the standalone app is a separate build Visual only, it does not play music on its own
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: GPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.