BetterTouchTool vs SteerMouse (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BetterTouchTool grades higher than SteerMouse: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BetterTouchTool grades higher on features. SteerMouse grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
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
SteerMouse
Mac utility for customizing mouse buttons, wheels and cursor speed
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 SteerMouse if
- Fits if you have a third-party USB or Bluetooth mouse with extra buttons on a Mac
- Works for per-app button setups
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Apple's Magic Mouse or Trackpad, as neither is supported
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, since it is Mac only
- Pricey if you upgrade often: major upgrades like 5.x to 6.0 are charged
- Watch out: settings from version 4 are not carried over to version 5, and older Macs need older builds
How we grade them
| 2.6GPABetterTouchToolGood | 2.4GPASteerMouseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$19.99 one-time for version 5, a lifetime licence for that version, under a year of this category's typical subscription. |
| 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. | CA 30-day free trial, with no card mentioned. No free edition after it. |
| 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. | CButton assignments, per-app settings, cursor speed, scroll tuning and snapping. It does not support the Magic Mouse or Trackpad, which the listing names as a gap. |
| 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. | CMany settings to work through per mouse and per app. No store rating is on record. |
| 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. | CMac only, macOS 12 or later for version 5.8.2. No other platform. |
| Best for | custom gestures and shortcuts on a Mac | remapping mouse buttons on a Mac |
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 SteerMouse. How we grade
Where they differ
- BetterTouchTool also covers workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager and window management.
At a glance
| BetterTouchTool | SteerMouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates) | $19.99 one-time, lifetime license |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 45-day free trial, no account required | 30-day free trial |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | folivora.AI GmbH | PLENTYCOM SYSTEMS |
| Price read from | folivora.ai | plentycom.jp |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
SteerMouse
- Does not support the Apple Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, and some special buttons may not work.
- Version 5.8.2 needs macOS 12 Monterey or later; older macOS versions use older builds.
- Major upgrades, such as 5.x to 6.0, are charged for.
- Settings from version 4 are not carried over when moving to version 5.
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.
SteerMouse
- Button assignments
- Up to 24 functions per button, with modifier keys or button combinations (chording). Functions include shortcuts, clicks, scrolling, zoom and Mission Control.
- Per-application settings
- The mouse can be configured separately for each application.
- Cursor speed and sensitivity
- Adjusts sensitivity on top of the tracking speed in System Settings, and shows a ranking of settings other users chose.
- Scroll tuning
- Adjusts scroll acceleration and sensitivity, and has an auto-scroll option for hands-free scrolling.
- Cursor snapping
- Moves the cursor to a default or close button automatically, with an option to return it afterwards.
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.
SteerMouse
New license$19.99
one-time, lifetime license for version 5
Minor upgrades such as 5.0 to 5.1 are free; a major upgrade such as 5.0 to 6.0 is charged.
Upgrade from version 4$12.99
one-time upgrade license
For existing SteerMouse 4 users moving to version 5.
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.
SteerMouse
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BetterTouchTool or SteerMouse?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BetterTouchTool starts at $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates), and SteerMouse starts at $19.99 one-time, lifetime license.
Which has a free plan, BetterTouchTool or SteerMouse?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither BetterTouchTool nor SteerMouse has a free plan. Both have 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.