BetterTouchTool vs X-Mouse Button Control (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BetterTouchTool and X-Mouse Button Control share a 2.6 GPA, and only X-Mouse Button Control has a free plan.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
BetterTouchTool grades higher on features. X-Mouse Button Control grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
X-Mouse Button Control
Free Windows tool that remaps mouse buttons per application
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 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
| 2.6GPABetterTouchToolGood | 2.6GPAX-Mouse Button ControlGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 optional donations that buy no features or support. |
| 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 whole program is free, with a portable version. |
| 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. | 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 | 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. | CProfiles, layers and functions to set up before it is useful. 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. | DWindows 10, 11 and Server 2012 R2 to 2022 only. No Mac or Linux version. |
| Best for | custom gestures and shortcuts on a Mac | 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: BetterTouchTool and X-Mouse Button Control. 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.
- X-Mouse Button Control also covers screenshots.
At a glance
| BetterTouchTool | X-Mouse Button Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates) | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free, with no paid edition. The author accepts optional donations and says donations do not buy features or support. |
| Free trial | 45-day free trial, no account required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | folivora.AI GmbH | Phillip Gibbons |
| Price read from | folivora.ai | highrez.co.uk |
| 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.
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
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.
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
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.
X-Mouse Button Control
X-Mouse Button Control$0
Free for Windows, in an installer or a portable version. No bundled software.
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.
X-Mouse Button Control
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, BetterTouchTool or X-Mouse Button Control?
As of Nov 13, 2026, BetterTouchTool starts at $15 one-time purchase (Standard License, 2 years of updates), and X-Mouse Button Control is free.
Which has a free plan, BetterTouchTool or X-Mouse Button Control?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only X-Mouse Button Control has a free plan. BetterTouchTool does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do BetterTouchTool and X-Mouse Button Control run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only BetterTouchTool lists a macOS app and only X-Mouse Button Control lists a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.