BetterTouchTool vs Magnet

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

Magnet

• Mac users who want simple window snapping for a small one-time price
• People who arrange windows by dragging them to screen edges
• Multi-monitor setups, including vertical displays

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.

Magnet

• macOS only and sold solely through the Mac App Store; it requires macOS 13 Ventura or later.
• The pages read mention no free version or trial; the app is a paid download.
• Windows can be arranged within the active Space but not across different Spaces.
• Non-standard windows cannot be resized, and Adobe Creative Suite and Creative Cloud apps older than the 2017 versions are not supported.

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.

Magnet

Drag-to-snap trigger areas

Drag a window to a screen corner to snap it into a quarter, or to a side edge for a half. The top edge maximizes the window and the bottom edge creates thirds.

Keyboard shortcuts

Window commands can be run from keyboard shortcuts, which are optional and customizable.

Menu bar and green button menus

Commands are also available from a menu bar icon, which can be hidden, and from the menu on a window's green button.

Custom commands

Beyond the built-in set of commands, the App Store listing describes an unlimited number of custom commands and configurable layout properties.

External and vertical displays

Supports up to six external displays. On a vertical screen, thirds are created along the sides, with quarters and halves in the corners and on the bottom edge.

iCloud sync

Settings can optionally be synchronized through iCloud, according to the App Store listing.

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.

Magnet

• Magnet$4.99

  one-time purchase (US Mac App Store price)

  A perpetual license with free updates, no subscription and no in-app purchases. The listing supports Family Sharing.

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.

Magnet

No public discounts listed.