Free noise cancelling apps for calls, ranked by how much free you get
Two winners: NVIDIA Broadcast if your PC has an RTX card (unlimited, $0), Krisp free for everyone else (60 real minutes a day, Windows and Mac). The other three options below are situational — and the ranking is by free-ness, not by fondness.
1. NVIDIA Broadcast — unlimited, if you're invited
No meter, no account, no upsell: Broadcast removes background noise and room echo from your mic (and your speakers) all day for free. The invitation is the catch — it requires a GeForce RTX 2060, Quadro RTX 3000, TITAN RTX or higher on Windows 10/11 64-bit. If that's already under your desk, this category is solved for you and the only bill is some GPU headroom. A gaming GPU you already own is the best coupon in this category.
2. Krisp free — the 60-minute workhorse
Krisp's permanent free plan is the strongest no-hardware option: two-way noise cancellation (two-way: cleans your outgoing mic and incoming speaker audio), on-device processing, and it works in front of every call app on Windows and macOS. The meter: 60 minutes per day, resets at midnight GMT, on 1 device. That's one honest meeting a day — the full receipt, and what fits in an hour, is on the Krisp free plan audit.
3. SteelSeries Sonar — unlimited, Windows, gamer-flavored
Free with no meter, works with any headset (works with any headset and any mic — no SteelSeries hardware required), and ClearCast suppression covers your mic plus incoming teammates. The flavor is the caveat: it arrives inside the SteelSeries GG suite and thinks in game-chat terms, and it's windows 10 (rs5+) only. Details in the free noise suppression comparison.
4. Discord's built-in Krisp toggle
Inside Discord, you already own Krisp: Discord's built-in suppression is powered by Krisp, runs on-device, free for all users. Flip it at User Settings → Voice & Video → Advanced → Noise Suppression → Krisp. It only exists inside Discord and filters only your own outgoing noise — teammates need their own toggle — but for Discord-only social calls, installing anything else is buying a second umbrella.
5. The toggles already in your meeting app
Before installing anything: Zoom: Settings → Audio → Microphone → Noise removal (Auto/Low/Medium/High) + Personalized audio isolation. Teams (new client): Settings → Devices → Noise suppression toggle; admins can lock it by policy. Each works only inside its own app and offers one knob instead of a system — but they're free, already installed, and often enough for a mildly noisy room.
The free-ness table
| App | Free allowance | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Broadcast | unlimited | RTX 2060+, Windows only |
| Krisp free | 60 min/day, forever | meter resets midnight GMT; 1 device |
| SteelSeries Sonar | unlimited | Windows only; GG suite tags along |
| Discord Krisp | unlimited | Discord calls only |
| Zoom / Teams toggles | unlimited | each works in its own app only |
Fair questions
- What's the best free noise cancelling app for meetings?
- With an RTX GPU on Windows: NVIDIA Broadcast — unlimited and free. Without one: Krisp's free plan, 60 minutes a day on Windows or macOS, working in front of Zoom, Teams, Meet or anything else.
- Is there a free noise cancelling app for my phone?
- Mostly no — and beware lookalikes: Krisp's mobile apps do meeting transcription, not live noise cancellation. On mobile, your realistic free options are the noise reduction built into the meeting app itself.
- Do Zoom and Teams already do this for free?
- Yes, within their own walls: Zoom ships adjustable noise removal and Teams (new client) has a suppression toggle under Settings → Devices. They're worth trying first — a separate app earns its install by working across every app and cleaning incoming audio too.