AutoHotkey vs X-Mouse Button Control (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, AutoHotkey and X-Mouse Button Control share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about features, where AutoHotkey grades higher, or ease of use, where X-Mouse Button Control does.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
X-Mouse Button Control
Free Windows tool that remaps mouse buttons per application
Free
Which one is for you
Pick AutoHotkey if
- Fits if you're on Windows and want your own hotkeys and key remaps at no cost
- Works for people who type the same phrases or fill in the same forms all day and can write short scripts
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it's Windows only
- Not for you if you never want to see code, since everything is a plain-text script with its own syntax
- Tight if you want it for games, because cheat-prevention tools like GameGuard or Hackshield are likely to block it
- Watch out: antivirus programs sometimes raise false alarms, more often on compiled and compressed scripts
Pick X-Mouse Button Control if
- Fits if you want extra buttons on a Windows mouse doing different things per app
- Works for people who like a portable program
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, as only Windows is listed
- Not for you if your mouse has more than 5 buttons
- Watch out: the author calls it a hobby project and can't guarantee support
- Too light for you if you want a vendor-backed mouse suite
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAutoHotkeyGood | 2.6GPAX-Mouse Button ControlGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing, and it's a plain download anyone can run. The whole program is free and open source under the GNU GPLv2, and the AutoHotkey Foundation says it was created to prevent the software being monetized. Donations are optional. | AFree, with optional donations that buy no features or support. |
| Free plan and trial | AYou get the full scripting language, as an installer or a ZIP, with the English documentation included. There's no paid edition, so nothing is held back. | AThe whole program is free, with a portable version. |
| Features | BThis isn't one trick: hotkeys for keyboard and mouse, window-specific ones, key remapping, abbreviations that expand as you type, keystrokes sent to fill forms, and Ahk2Exe to turn a script into a standalone program. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in Windows automation itself. | CPer-app profiles, 10 layers, many button functions and wheel actions. It supports mice up to 5 buttons only, because of how Windows passes them on. |
| Ease of use | DEverything lives in plain-text script files, so you're learning AutoHotkey's syntax before anything happens. The built-in commands suit beginners, but it's still code, and no rating is on record to argue otherwise. Antivirus tools also raise false alarms, more often on compiled scripts. | CProfiles, layers and functions to set up before it is useful. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, so a single operating system. The vendor describes it as a scripting language for Windows and lists no other platform. No integrations are listed either, though a script can run programs and open websites. | DWindows 10, 11 and Server 2012 R2 to 2022 only. No Mac or Linux version. |
| Best for | scripting your own hotkeys on Windows | free mouse button remapping on Windows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: AutoHotkey and X-Mouse Button Control. How we grade
Price against what you get
AutoHotkey has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. X-Mouse Button Control has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than AutoHotkey for less, and none scores higher than X-Mouse Button Control for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- AutoHotkey is open source, according to its own site.
- AutoHotkey also covers workflow automation and text expansion.
- X-Mouse Button Control also covers screenshots.
In commonFree planWindowsKeyboard and mouse remapping
At a glance
| AutoHotkey | X-Mouse Button Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole program is free and open source under the GNU GPLv2. The AutoHotkey Foundation says it was created to prevent monetization of the software. | Free, with no paid edition. The author accepts optional donations and says donations do not buy features or support. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | AutoHotkey Foundation LLC | Phillip Gibbons |
| Price read from | autohotkey.com | highrez.co.uk |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
AutoHotkey
- Windows only: the vendor describes it as a scripting language for Windows and lists no other platform.
- Everything is defined in plain-text script files, so using it means learning AutoHotkey's scripting syntax.
- Games with cheat-prevention measures such as GameGuard or Hackshield are likely to block AutoHotkey.
- Antivirus programs sometimes raise false-positive alerts, more often for compiled and compressed scripts.
X-Mouse Button Control
- Windows only; the author lists Windows 10 and 11 and Windows Server 2012 R2 to 2022 as supported.
- Supports mice with up to 5 buttons, because it relies on the Windows mouse message queue.
- The author calls it a hobby project, cannot guarantee any level of support and is not affiliated with any mouse maker.
Key features
AutoHotkey
- Hotkeys
- Bind keys, key combinations and mouse buttons to scripted actions. Hotkeys can be made window-specific so they work only in certain applications.
- Hotstrings
- Abbreviations that expand into longer text as you type, which also serve as autocorrect-style replacements.
- Key and button remapping
- Remap keyboard keys or mouse buttons to other keys, alongside the hotkeys defined in the same script.
- Sending input and running programs
- Scripts can send keystrokes to simulate typing, run programs and open websites, which covers jobs such as form filling, auto-clicking and macros.
- Compile scripts to EXE
- Ahk2Exe turns a script into a standalone executable that contains the interpreter, so it runs on a PC without AutoHotkey installed.
- A full scripting language
- Built-in commands suit beginners, while experienced developers get a language that supports procedural, object-oriented and command-based styles and can build GUIs.
X-Mouse Button Control
- Application and window profiles
- Mouse behavior can differ per application or window, and profiles activate automatically as the pointer moves over the defined target.
- Layers
- Each profile can hold up to 10 layers of button configurations, switched with hot-keys or mouse buttons.
- Many button functions
- Includes simulated keystrokes, button chording, timed actions by hold length, launching programs, clipboard and media control.
- Wheel and screen capture actions
- Remaps the scroll and tilt wheel, can capture the screen or active window to the clipboard, and supports virtual desktops in Windows 10 and 11.
- Portable version
- A portable build is offered beside the installer, and the installer picks the 32-bit or 64-bit version automatically.
Plans
AutoHotkey
AutoHotkey$0
The full scripting language as an installer or ZIP download, with English documentation included. Donations are optional.
X-Mouse Button Control
X-Mouse Button Control$0
Free for Windows, in an installer or a portable version. No bundled software.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, AutoHotkey or X-Mouse Button Control?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both AutoHotkey and X-Mouse Button Control are free to use.
Which has a free plan, AutoHotkey or X-Mouse Button Control?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both AutoHotkey and X-Mouse Button Control have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.