BetterTouchTool vs Hyperkey (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BetterTouchTool and Hyperkey share a 2.6 GPA, and only Hyperkey has a free plan.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
BetterTouchTool grades higher on features. Hyperkey grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
BetterTouchTool
Mac input customization: gestures, shortcuts and automation
Which one is for you
Pick BetterTouchTool if
- Fits if you want your own trackpad, mouse and keyboard gestures in one Mac app
- Works for Stream Deck or macro pad owners who want to skip the vendor software
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want something free, as a license or Setapp is needed after the 45-day trial
- Not for you if you're on Windows; it's macOS only, and BTT Mobile is just a remote for the Mac app
- Tight if you buy the $15 license and expect updates for good, because Standard stops getting them after 2 years
- Not for you if you want it working in minutes, with more than 600 actions and app-specific triggers to set up
- Watch out: prices vary by country and taxes, and refunds outside the EU are decided case by case
Pick Hyperkey if
- Fits if you want Caps Lock to be a spare modifier key on a Mac
- Works for people who already run Rectangle or Keyboard Maestro
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for window management, as it doesn't resize or move windows
- Not for you if you're not on a Mac, as it's Mac only
- Watch out: remappings do not work in password fields
- Watch out: Keyboard Maestro's recorder needs you to press all modifiers physically
How we grade them
| 2.6GPABetterTouchToolGood | 2.6GPAHyperkeyGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$15 once for the Standard License, covering all your personal Macs with 2 years of updates, and $25 for Lifetime. Pay-once utilities here sit right around $15, and this one includes window snapping, a clipboard manager and a launcher too. Prices do vary by country and taxes. | AFree, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free version. The trial is a long one, though: 45 days with no account required. After that it's a license or a Setapp subscription. | AThe app itself is free and has no plans or trial. |
| Features | AIt covers the whole input job: gestures, hotkeys, a Hyper Key, text triggers, more than 600 actions that chain and change by app, Wi-Fi or time. It adds window snapping, a clipboard manager, a launcher, a screenshot tool, 43 macro pads and game controllers, which its rivals don't put in one app. | DOne narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating is on record, and this is the deep end. More than 600 actions, triggers that behave differently depending on the app in front, and scripting underneath: you'll spend an evening setting it up before it does what you pictured. | BA Mac app you install and switch on. Remappings do not work in password fields, and Keyboard Maestro needs the shortcut pressed physically. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, so one operating system. BTT Mobile for iPhone and iPad is a remote control for the Mac app, not a version of its own. It connects to Stream Deck, Apple Shortcuts, OpenAI and Anthropic, and can be driven by URL scheme, web server or CLI. | DMac only, on macOS 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. |
| Best for | custom gestures and shortcuts on a Mac | turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key |
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: BetterTouchTool and Hyperkey. How we grade
Where they differ
- BetterTouchTool can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- BetterTouchTool also covers workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager and window management.
At a glance
| BetterTouchTool | Hyperkey | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates) | Free |
| Free plan | None | Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade. |
| Free trial | 45-day free trial, no account required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | folivora.AI GmbH | Ryan Hanson |
| Price read from | folivora.ai | hyperkey.app |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
BetterTouchTool
- macOS only. BTT Mobile for iPhone and iPad is a companion remote control for the Mac app, not a standalone version.
- There is no free version: after the 45-day trial a license or a Setapp subscription is needed.
- The Standard License stops receiving updates after 2 years, though the last version received keeps working.
- Listed prices vary by country and taxes, and refunds outside the European Union are decided case by case.
Hyperkey
- Remappings do not work in password fields, because macOS hides keystrokes there.
- Keyboard Maestro's shortcut recorder needs the shortcut recorded by physically pressing all modifiers.
- Mac only, on macOS 10.15 or later.
Key features
BetterTouchTool
- Trackpad and Magic Mouse gestures
- Map multi-finger taps, clicks, swipes and drawn shapes on a MacBook trackpad, Magic Trackpad or Magic Mouse to any action.
- Keyboard shortcuts and Hyper Key
- Global hotkeys that tell left and right modifiers apart, short and long presses, typed key sequences, text triggers and a configurable Hyper Key.
- Window snapping and built-in tools
- Window snapping, resizing and switching, plus a clipboard manager and a screenshot tool. The vendor says the snapping is the same technology as its separate BetterSnapTool app.
- Spotlight-style launcher
- Searches apps, windows, files, actions and calendar events, calculates inline and browses clipboard history. Several launchers can run in parallel, each with its own pinned items.
- Stream Deck, macro pads and controllers
- Drives Elgato Stream Deck and 43 recognized macro pad models without vendor software, and maps Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch controllers, MIDI devices and the Touch Bar.
- Conditional automations and scripting
- A trigger can run different actions by active app, Wi-Fi or time of day. It can run Apple Shortcuts, JavaScript or AppleScript, and BTT itself is controllable by URL scheme, web server or CLI.
Hyperkey
- Hyper key
- Maps caps lock or any modifier key to Control, Option, Command and Shift together.
- Caps lock remap
- Caps lock can be remapped to a different key instead.
- Works with shortcut apps
- The site calls it a companion for Rectangle and other apps that use keyboard shortcuts.
- Intel and Apple Silicon
- Supports macOS 10.15 and later on both chip families.
Plans
BetterTouchTool
Standard License$15
one-time purchase, 2 years of updates
Updates for 2 years, after which the last version received keeps working. Covers all of the buyer's personal Macs and unlocks BTT Mobile.
Lifetime License$25
one-time purchase, lifetime updates
All updates for as long as BetterTouchTool exists, plus any other Mac apps the developer releases in the 2 years after purchase.
Hyperkey
Hyperkey$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
Ways to pay less
BetterTouchTool
- Lifetime license
Lifetime License with all future updates
The $25 Lifetime License receives every update for as long as BetterTouchTool exists, where the $15 Standard License covers 2 years of updates.
- Other savings
Included with a Setapp subscription
BetterTouchTool is also available through Setapp, a subscription service that bundles many Mac apps for a monthly fee.
Hyperkey
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BetterTouchTool or Hyperkey?
As of Nov 12, 2026, BetterTouchTool starts at $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates), and Hyperkey is free.
Which has a free plan, BetterTouchTool or Hyperkey?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hyperkey has a free plan. BetterTouchTool does not, though it has a free trial.
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.