Krisp vs Steelseries Sonar

Quick Answer

Pick SteelSeries Sonar if you are a Windows gamer, streamer, or Discord user who wants a free app with virtual audio routing, separate game/chat/media/mic lanes, and more hands-on mixer control. Pick Krisp if you want a broader work-call tool that works across meeting apps and includes a more meeting-focused ecosystem.

The biggest point of confusion is that many people are comparing three different things:

Discord’s built-in Krisp toggle
The standalone Krisp app
SteelSeries Sonar with ClearCast AI noise reduction

If you only remember one setup rule, remember this: use one main noise suppression layer at a time. Stacking Discord Krisp, standalone Krisp, Sonar noise reduction, or other voice enhancements usually makes audio worse, causes pumping or cutouts, or creates control conflicts.

Fast verdict table

Scenario	Better pick	Why
Discord-only on Windows	SteelSeries Sonar	Free, designed around PC audio routing, and officially documented for Discord device setup.
Streaming and creator setups	SteelSeries Sonar	Its separate game, chat, media, aux, and mic channels give you more control over what you hear and what your stream gets.
Work calls across apps	Krisp	Krisp is built around real-time communication and broader meeting use, with microphone and speaker processing through virtual devices.
Best free value	SteelSeries Sonar	Sonar’s core appeal is free Windows audio control and noise reduction.
Lowest setup complexity	Krisp	It still uses virtual devices, but Sonar’s multi-lane routing and app assignment usually take longer to configure.
Recorded MP3, WAV, M4A, or video file	Neither	Both are aimed at live communication. For uploaded files, use SimpleClean recorded-audio cleanup instead.

Krisp vs Sonar at a glance

Category	Krisp	SteelSeries Sonar
What it is	Real-time communication app with virtual microphone and speaker devices	Windows audio suite inside SteelSeries GG with virtual devices, mixer, and routing
OS	Broader work-call tool	PC-only
Price/value	Paid plans available	Core appeal is free
Setup complexity	Moderate	Higher
Routing control	Basic virtual input/output workflow	Strong virtual channel and mixer control
Discord fit	Good, but often overlaps with Discord’s own Krisp option	Very strong for Windows Discord users if configured correctly
Streaming fit	Usable, but not the main draw	Excellent for stream-friendly lane separation
Work-call fit	Excellent	Good if you want Windows routing, less meeting-centric overall
Best for	Cross-app meetings and office calls	Gamers, Discord users, and streamers on Windows

What each tool actually is

Krisp is a live communication tool built around noise cancellation for calls. Krisp’s help documentation says it works through virtual devices called Krisp Microphone and Krisp Speaker, letting it process both your outgoing mic signal and incoming speaker audio in real time. Krisp also describes itself as designed for real-time communication rather than post-production cleanup. Source Source

SteelSeries Sonar is different. It is part of the SteelSeries GG software suite and works as a broader Windows audio control layer. Sonar creates multiple virtual audio devices and channels so you can route and mix categories like game, chat, media, aux, and microphone. That added complexity is exactly why many streamers like it. Source

So this is not just “one denoiser vs another.” It is really:

Krisp: communication-first
Sonar: routing-and-mixer-first, with noise reduction included

Discord Krisp vs standalone Krisp vs Sonar

This is the sidebar most comparison pages skip.

Discord Krisp: a built-in Discord noise suppression option you can toggle inside Discord. Source
Standalone Krisp: the separate Krisp app that creates its own virtual microphone and speaker devices for use across apps. Source
SteelSeries Sonar: a separate Windows audio suite that creates Sonar virtual devices and can apply ClearCast AI noise reduction. Source Source

If you use Sonar on Discord, SteelSeries specifically warns against stacking Discord noise cancellation with ClearCast AI. In practice, the same logic applies more broadly: pick one primary processor, then disable the others unless you have a very specific reason and know exactly how the signal chain is routed. Source

Pricing and value

The value story here is simple.

SteelSeries Sonar: best known for being free, which is a major reason it is attractive to gamers and streamers.
Krisp: offers paid plans, so it is more of a “do you want the wider meeting workflow?” decision. Source

If your goal is just to clean live voice chat on a Windows gaming PC, Sonar has the easier value argument. If your day is split across Discord, meetings, office calls, and other communication apps, Krisp makes more sense as a broader communication tool.

Platform and compatibility

Sonar is PC-only. SteelSeries also states that Sonar works with any headset or audio device on PC, not just SteelSeries hardware. That is important because many buyers wrongly assume Sonar is locked to SteelSeries headsets. Source

Krisp is the broader work-call tool. In this comparison, it is the better fit when you need one communication-oriented solution across different call apps rather than a Windows gaming audio hub.

If you are deciding today, the platform question alone can eliminate one option fast:

If you want a Windows audio routing suite, Sonar is the natural candidate.
If you want a meeting-centric communication app, Krisp is the better match.

Setup complexity and routing: where Sonar asks more of you

This is one of the biggest real-world differences.

Krisp still requires virtual device selection, but the mental model is fairly straightforward: choose the Krisp virtual microphone and speaker so the app can process your call audio. Source

Sonar usually takes longer because it adds multiple virtual devices and lanes. You may need to:

Set the correct Sonar playback device in Windows
Set the correct Sonar microphone device in your app
Assign apps to the right Sonar channels
Verify Discord is using Sonar Chat and Sonar Microphone where appropriate
Check that your physical headset and mic are mapped correctly behind the virtual devices

The payoff is better control. The downside is more opportunities to route audio incorrectly. Source Source

Noise suppression scope: where each one tends to fit better

Both tools are aimed at live cleanup, especially the kind of noise that shows up during calls or voice chat. That includes common problems like steady background noise, keyboard noise, and general room distractions.

Based on the supplied sources, the practical split is:

Krisp is stronger as a communication-first tool because it can process both your microphone and incoming speaker audio through its virtual devices. Source
Sonar is stronger when you care about live routing control as much as suppression, especially in gaming and creator setups. Source Source

Neither should be oversold for audio that is already badly baked into a finished recording. Krisp specifically says it is for real-time communication rather than post-production. Source

Discord-specific advice: do not stack processors

If Discord is your main use case, your best result often comes from choosing one suppression layer and turning the others off.

Good rules of thumb:

If you use Sonar ClearCast AI, disable Discord’s Krisp noise suppression.
If you use standalone Krisp as your main processing layer, do not also pile extra Discord suppression on top unless you have tested it carefully.
If your mic suddenly sounds thin, choppy, or weirdly gated, assume double processing first.

SteelSeries’ Discord setup guidance specifically points users to Sonar Microphone and Sonar Chat devices and warns not to combine Discord noise cancellation with ClearCast AI. Source

Streamer angle: why Sonar often wins

If you stream, Sonar is usually the more compelling app because its value is not just noise reduction. It is the lane separation.

Sonar’s channel structure gives you more control over:

Game audio
Voice chat
Media playback
Auxiliary sources
Microphone feed

That makes it easier to build a cleaner live setup where Discord is not fighting game audio, alerts, music, or stream mix decisions. If you care about balancing what you hear versus what your audience hears, Sonar is the more streamer-friendly pick. Source

Work-call angle: why Krisp often wins

Krisp is the better fit when your priority is not gaming audio lanes but cross-app call quality and a more meeting-oriented workflow.

That means Krisp is usually the better choice if you are:

Jumping between multiple call apps
Using noise suppression mainly for office calls
Less interested in virtual mixer control
More interested in communication and meeting features

If your PC is both a work machine and a gaming machine, the real question is which side matters more day to day.

Common failure modes before you blame the app

Double processing: Discord Krisp plus Sonar, or Discord Krisp plus standalone Krisp.
Wrong virtual device selected: the app is still listening to your raw mic instead of Krisp or Sonar Microphone.
Playback routed to the wrong lane: especially common in Sonar when game/chat/media assignments get mixed up.
Automatic gain control or enhancements fighting the processor: other app-level enhancements can change how suppression behaves.
Backup device confusion: Windows or the call app falls back to a physical device instead of the intended virtual one.

How to choose between Krisp and SteelSeries Sonar

Decide whether your main job is calls or routing. If it is calls, lean Krisp. If it is routing and stream control, lean Sonar.
Check your platform. If you specifically want Sonar, remember it is PC-only.
Map your apps. Discord-only users can keep this simple; streamers usually benefit most from Sonar’s separate channels.
Pick one suppression layer. Do not start by stacking Discord Krisp, standalone Krisp, and Sonar.
Test with a friend or local recording. Confirm the selected input device is actually the processed one.
If the audio is already recorded, stop here. Export the file and clean recorded audio with SimpleClean instead of forcing a live-call app into a post-production job it was not designed for.

Who should choose which tool?

Choose Krisp if:

You want one communication-oriented tool across work apps
You care about meeting-focused extras more than mixer lanes
You want a simpler mental model than Sonar’s multi-channel routing

Choose SteelSeries Sonar if:

You are on Windows
You want a free solution
You use Discord heavily
You stream or want separate game/chat/media/mic control
You are comfortable spending a little more time on setup

When neither is the right tool

Krisp’s help documentation says it is designed for real-time communication, not post-production cleanup. Sonar is also fundamentally a live Windows audio routing and processing tool. So if the noise is already baked into an MP3, WAV, M4A, or video file, neither is the ideal fix. Source Source

In that case, export the file and use SimpleClean for recorded file noise removal. That is the better workflow when the meeting, stream, interview, or voice note has already been recorded.

If you want more context on file-based cleanup workflows, see our guides on removing background noise in Audacity without robotic artifacts and Krisp vs Zoom Personalized Audio Isolation.