Dropzone vs Keyboard Maestro

Dropzone

• Mac users who move, copy and upload files by drag and drop all day
• People who want a temporary shelf for files while switching apps
• Scripters who want to write their own drop actions in Ruby or Python

Keyboard Maestro

• Mac users who repeat the same multi-step tasks and want to automate them
• People who prefer paying once per major version to a subscription
• Users who want clipboard history, text expansion and app switching in one tool

Dropzone

• macOS only; Dropzone 5 requires macOS 13 or later.
• Amazon S3 and SFTP uploads, add-on actions, action keyboard shortcuts and unlimited grids are Pro features.
• On the Mac App Store, Pro is a subscription unless you buy the $34.99 lifetime unlock, and Pro features stop when a subscription ends.
• Dropzone 5 Pro is a paid upgrade for Dropzone 4 owners, at up to 50% off with a Dropzone 4 serial number.

Keyboard Maestro

• macOS only; version 11 requires macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later.
• The license covers version 11.x. Later major versions are paid upgrades, which the vendor says it releases roughly every 12 to 36 months.
• There is no free plan: the programs are free to download and try, but continued use requires a license.
• Licensed per user for up to five Macs; customers with ten or more users are asked to contact the vendor for a volume quote.

Dropzone

Action grid

Dragging a file makes Dropzone appear at the top of the screen; dropping it on an action moves, copies, shares or uploads it. The grid also opens from the menu bar item.

Drop Bar

A temporary holding place for files: drag items on, then drag them off into another app or onto an action. Pro can detach it into a floating window and name its stacks.

Multiple grids

Actions can be arranged in several grids and switched between, with adjustable columns and grid size. Adding unlimited grids and categories is listed as a Pro feature.

Sharing and uploads

Built-in actions send files by AirDrop, upload images to Imgur for a shareable link and shorten URLs with TinyURL. Amazon S3 and SFTP uploading need Pro.

Add-on actions

A library of add-on actions installs from inside the app, and new actions can be written in Ruby or Python. Installing or developing add-ons is listed as a Pro feature.

Keyboard and terminal control

F3 or a custom shortcut opens the grid from any application, and the dz command-line tool runs actions, adds files to Drop Bar and switches grids.

Keyboard Maestro

Macros built from triggers and actions

A macro pairs one or more triggers with a list of actions, created by hand or by recording. Built-in actions include control flow, conditions and loops, and third-party plug-in actions can be added.

Many trigger types

Macros can fire from a hot key, a typed string, a time of day or cron schedule, an application launching, a folder change, a USB or MIDI device, a Wi-Fi network change or a remote web link.

Clipboard history and named clipboards

The Clipboard History Switcher browses and pastes past clipboard entries, and an unlimited number of Named Clipboards are saved permanently.

Text, image and web actions

Type or paste strings, expand typed snippets, run calculations, OCR and capture images, and work with the front page in Safari or Chrome, including filling in forms.

Application and window control

Launch, quit, show or hide applications, move and resize windows, and switch between running apps and open windows with the Application and Window Switchers.

Scripting and syncing

Macros can run AppleScript, shell scripts and JavaScript, and can be triggered from scripts, a URL or the keyboardmaestro command-line tool. Macros sync across Macs through Dropbox or other file sharing.

Dropzone

• Dropzone 5 (free)$0

  Free download from aptonic.com or the Mac App Store with the action grid, Drop Bar and built-in actions.

• Dropzone 5 Pro Monthly$4.99

  per month, auto-renewing (US Mac App Store)

  Pro features and all app updates while subscribed, after a 14-day free trial. Pro features stop if the subscription is cancelled.

• Dropzone 5 Pro Yearly$19.99

  per year (US Mac App Store in-app purchase)

  The same Pro subscription billed once a year through the Mac App Store.

• Dropzone 5 Pro Lifetime (App Store)$34.99

  one-time in-app purchase (US Mac App Store)

  Lifetime unlock of the Pro features in the Mac App Store edition.

• Dropzone 5 Pro Lifetime (direct)$35

  one-time purchase, lifetime license

  Lifetime license for the version downloaded from aptonic.com, registered with a serial number.

Keyboard Maestro

• Keyboard Maestro 11US$36

  one-time purchase, plus applicable tax

  A per-user license for version 11.x that an individual may use on up to five Macs. Not a subscription; version 11 can be used indefinitely.

• Upgrade to version 11US$25

  one-time upgrade, plus applicable tax

  For owners of any previous version. Purchases made since 1 March 2023 were issued a free upgrade to version 11.

Dropzone

• Lifetime license

  Lifetime Pro license for $35

  Dropzone 5 Pro is sold as a lifetime license for $35 from aptonic.com, or as a $34.99 lifetime in-app purchase on the Mac App Store.

• Annual discount

  Yearly Pro subscription for $19.99

  On the Mac App Store, Pro costs $4.99 a month or $19.99 a year. Twelve monthly payments would come to $59.88.

• Other savings

  Up to 50% off for Dropzone 4 owners

  Entering a Dropzone 4 serial number on the vendor's upgrade page gives a discount of up to 50% on Dropzone 5 Pro.

Keyboard Maestro

• Other savings

  US$25 upgrade from any previous version

  Owners of an earlier version can buy an upgrade to version 11 for US$25 plus tax instead of the US$36 new-license price.

• Other savings

  Volume discount for ten or more users

  The user manual asks customers with ten or more users to contact Stairways Software for a volume discount quote.