Hardware vs software noise cancelling
For most people on calls, software noise cancellation is the more effective choice, because it works with any microphone, cleans both your outgoing and incoming audio, and removes other people's background noise too, none of which a hardware mic can do. Hardware still matters, but it fixes only your own side, at your own end, and it costs more. Here is the honest split.
What each one actually does
- Hardware noise cancelling means the physical setup: a noise-cancelling or cardioid microphone, a headset, and a quieter, treated room. It reduces how much noise reaches your mic in the first place.
- Software noise cancelling means a tool like Krisp or NVIDIA Broadcast that processes the audio and strips noise after the mic picks it up, in real time, on any app.
Where hardware wins
- It stops noise at the source. A good mic close to your mouth simply hears less of the room.
- No processing artifacts. Nothing is being cleaned up, so nothing can sound over-processed.
- It helps every tool downstream, since the input is already cleaner.
The catch: hardware only cleans your side, it does nothing about a noisy person on the other end, and a good mic plus a treated room is a real cost.
Where software wins
- It cleans both directions. Krisp removes noise from your mic and from the incoming audio, so a noisy participant stops derailing the call.
- It works with the gear you already have, on any laptop, in any calling app.
- It is cheaper and instant. No room treatment, no new hardware.
The catch: heavy processing can occasionally sound slightly synthetic on the most extreme noise.
The practical answer
For a studio recording a single voice, hardware in a treated room is hard to beat. For everyday calls, where the noise is unpredictable and often on the other person's end, software is more effective in practice, because it handles both sides on whatever setup you already own. Many people do both: a decent mic, plus software to clean what the mic still catches.
Try the software route first
Krisp's 7-day free trial cleans both directions on any mic, with no card. It is the fastest way to test software against your current setup.
FAQ
For everyday calls, usually yes. Software like Krisp cleans both your outgoing mic and the incoming audio on any device, while a hardware mic only reduces noise on your own side. Hardware wins mainly for single-voice studio recording in a treated room.
A decent mic helps, since cleaner input means less for the software to do. But you do not need a studio setup. Software fills the gap on whatever mic you already have.
Yes, and it is a strong combination. The mic reduces noise at the source, and the software removes what is left, in both directions.
Related reading
- How to remove background noise from any call: every option, from free to best.
- Noise suppression vs noise cancellation: what the terms really mean.
- Krisp vs NVIDIA Broadcast: two software options compared.
- Is Krisp worth it?: our full verdict.