BetterTouchTool vs LinearMouse
We give BetterTouchTool a 2.8 GPA and LinearMouse a 3.2, out of 4.0. LinearMouse grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use 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
Free trial · from $15 one-time
How we grade them
| 2.8GPABetterTouchToolGood | 3.2GPALinearMouseVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A$15 once for the Standard License, which covers all your personal Macs with 2 years of updates. Lifetime is $25. For window snapping, a clipboard manager, a launcher and all the gesture stuff in one app, that's a bargain. Prices do vary by country and taxes. | AFree and open source under the MIT licence, with no paid tier or licence key. Donations are optional, and the project says they go only to developer fees, infrastructure and test devices. |
| 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. | AEvery feature is free, as a direct download or a Homebrew cask. There's nothing to upgrade to. |
| Features | ATrackpad and Magic Mouse gestures, global hotkeys, a Hyper Key, text triggers, Stream Deck and 43 macro pad models, game controllers and MIDI. Actions can chain and change with the active app, Wi-Fi or time of day, and run Apple Shortcuts, JavaScript or AppleScript. It goes deep. | ASettings per device, per app and per display. Reverse scrolling on the mouse only, smooth it, change pointer speed or turn acceleration off, and bind buttons to Mission Control, shortcuts or shell commands. Version 0.12.0 added long presses, button combinations and swipes. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. The trial needs no account, so you can just start. But with more than 600 actions, and triggers that change with the app in front, there's plenty to learn before it does what you pictured. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Settings are edited in the app. It asks for Accessibility permission at first launch, and the documentation says some advanced features mean editing a JSON file that doesn't accept comments. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. BTT Mobile for iPhone and iPad is a remote control for the Mac app, not a version of its own. It does hook into a lot, mind: Stream Deck, Apple Shortcuts, OpenAI and Anthropic, and it can be driven by URL scheme, web server or CLI. | DMac only. No integrations are listed, though buttons can fire keyboard shortcuts and shell commands. Worth knowing that the current release is numbered 0.12.0. |
| Best for | custom gestures and shortcuts on a Mac | making a mouse behave on a Mac, for free |
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 LinearMouse. How we grade
Where they differ
- BetterTouchTool starts at $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates). LinearMouse is free.
- LinearMouse has a free plan. BetterTouchTool does not, though it has a free trial.
- BetterTouchTool can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- LinearMouse is open source, according to its own site.
- BetterTouchTool also covers workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager and window management.
In commonmacOSKeyboard and mouse remapping
At a glance
| BetterTouchTool | LinearMouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates) | Free |
| Free plan | None | The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, as a direct download or a Homebrew cask. Donations through GitHub Sponsors, Open Collective or Ko-fi are optional. |
| Free trial | 45-day free trial, no account required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | folivora.AI GmbH | LinearMouse |
| Price read from | folivora.ai | github.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
BetterTouchTool
- Mac users who want custom trackpad, mouse and keyboard gestures in one app
- People automating multi-step tasks triggered from any input device
- Stream Deck and macro pad owners who want to skip the vendor software
- Buyers who prefer a one-time license to a subscription
LinearMouse
- Mac users who want mouse scrolling reversed without changing the trackpad
- People who want pointer acceleration turned off for a specific mouse
- Anyone who prefers a free, MIT-licensed mouse utility
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.
LinearMouse
- macOS only. It needs Accessibility permission at first launch, and a further permission before it can simulate key presses.
- The documentation says some advanced features are reached by editing the JSON configuration file, which does not accept comments.
- Gesture timings are fixed for the whole app, at 500 ms for a long press and 50 points for a swipe, and cannot be set per mapping.
- The current release is numbered 0.12.0, and the sponsors page lists one main developer.
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.
LinearMouse
- Profiles by device, app and display
- A group of settings can apply to all mice or all trackpads, to one device by vendor and product ID, to one app or process, or to a named display, and matching groups are merged.
- Scroll direction and smoothing
- Reverse vertical or horizontal scrolling on a mouse while the trackpad keeps natural scrolling, and add smoothed scrolling from presets with adjustable response, speed, acceleration and inertia.
- Pointer speed and acceleration
- Adjust pointer acceleration and speed per device, switch acceleration off entirely, or return either value to the system default.
- Button mappings
- Bind mouse buttons and wheel movements, with optional modifier keys, to Mission Control, Launchpad, media and brightness controls, keyboard shortcuts or shell commands.
- Long presses, chords and swipes
- Version 0.12.0 added long-press, button-combination and swipe triggers, so one button can do different things on a short press, a long press and a swipe in each direction.
- Click debouncing and hover focus
- Click debouncing filters repeated signals from worn mouse switches, and an optional setting focuses a window when the pointer moves over it.
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.
LinearMouse
LinearMouse$0
Every feature, with no paid tier or license key. The project says donations go only to developer fees, infrastructure and test devices.
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.
LinearMouse
No public discounts listed.
