Hyperkey vs Karabiner-Elements (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hyperkey and Karabiner-Elements share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on whether you care more about ease of use, where Hyperkey grades higher, or features, where Karabiner-Elements does.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Karabiner-Elements
Free, open-source keyboard customizer for macOS
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Hyperkey if
- Fits if you want Caps Lock to be a spare modifier key on a Mac
- Works for people who already run Rectangle or Keyboard Maestro
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for window management, as it doesn't resize or move windows
- Not for you if you're not on a Mac, as it's Mac only
- Watch out: remappings do not work in password fields
- Watch out: Keyboard Maestro's recorder needs you to press all modifiers physically
Pick Karabiner-Elements if
- Fits if you want Caps Lock or other keys remapped on a Mac without paying
- Works for PC and JIS keyboards plugged into a Mac whose keys aren't recognized
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only
- Not for you if JSON puts you off, since anything past a simple key swap is a JSON rule
- Not for you if you need to remap the fn key on a non-Apple keyboard, or the eject key on some, like the Apple Wired Keyboard
- Tight if your Mac is older than macOS 13 Ventura, which leaves you on an older version from the download menu
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHyperkeyGood | 2.6GPAKarabiner-ElementsGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. | AFree and open source, downloaded and run with nothing to buy. If you want to give back there's GitHub Sponsors or a $10 PayPal payment, which the author calls effectively a donation. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe app itself is free and has no plans or trial. | AThe complete app is free on Intel and Apple silicon Macs. No paid tier, no trial clock, no licence key. |
| Features | DOne narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. | CIt does keyboard remapping and nothing else: key-to-key swaps, keys that send something different when tapped alone, per-keyboard rules and profiles from the menu bar. Its own notes say it can't change the fn key on non-Apple keyboards. |
| Ease of use | BA Mac app you install and switch on. Remappings do not work in password fields, and Keyboard Maestro needs the shortcut pressed physically. | CNo store rating on record, and there's a learning curve: one-to-one swaps are a couple of clicks in settings, but anything cleverer is a JSON rule you write or import from the community gallery. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. | DMac only. The current release supports macOS 13 Ventura and later, and earlier systems need older versions. It handles PC and JIS keyboards plugged into a Mac, but no integrations are listed. |
| Best for | turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key | remapping a Mac keyboard 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: Hyperkey and Karabiner-Elements. How we grade
Where they differ
- Karabiner-Elements is open source, according to its own site.
- Karabiner-Elements also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planmacOSKeyboard-firstKeyboard and mouse remapping
At a glance
| Hyperkey | Karabiner-Elements | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade. | Free to use without any purchase. Funding is optional, through GitHub Sponsors or a $10 PayPal payment that the author describes as effectively a donation. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ryan Hanson | pqrs.org (Takayama Fumihiko) |
| Price read from | hyperkey.app | karabiner-elements.pqrs.org |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hyperkey
- Remappings do not work in password fields, because macOS hides keystrokes there.
- Keyboard Maestro's shortcut recorder needs the shortcut recorded by physically pressing all modifiers.
- Mac only, on macOS 10.15 or later.
Karabiner-Elements
- macOS only. The current release supports macOS 13 Ventura and later; earlier systems need older versions from the download menu.
- Rules beyond simple key swaps are defined as JSON, either imported from the community gallery or written by hand.
- It cannot modify the fn key on non-Apple keyboards, or the eject key on some keyboards such as the Apple Wired Keyboard.
Key features
Hyperkey
- Hyper key
- Maps caps lock or any modifier key to Control, Option, Command and Shift together.
- Caps lock remap
- Caps lock can be remapped to a different key instead.
- Works with shortcut apps
- The site calls it a companion for Rectangle and other apps that use keyboard shortcuts.
- Intel and Apple Silicon
- Supports macOS 10.15 and later on both chip families.
Karabiner-Elements
- Simple modifications
- Change one key to another key from the settings window, with no rules to write.
- Complex modifications
- Rule-based changes: turn a key into a combination of modifiers, map a modifier plus key to another key, send a different event when a key is pressed alone, or act on keys pressed simultaneously.
- Community rule gallery
- Predefined rules such as Vi and Emacs key bindings, diamond cursor and mouse keys can be imported from the project's rule site, then edited or replaced with your own.
- Per-device settings and profiles
- Apply modifications only to chosen keyboards, keep multiple profiles, and switch between profiles from the menu bar icon.
- Function and extra keys
- Map f1 to f12 to media controls, and enable extra keys on PC keyboards that macOS does not recognize by default, such as international and language keys.
- Works at secure prompts
- Modifications keep working in Secure Keyboard Entry environments, such as password prompts and terminals with that option turned on.
Plans
Hyperkey
Hyperkey$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
Karabiner-Elements
Karabiner-Elements$0
The complete app, open source and usable without any purchase. Supports Intel-based and Apple silicon Macs.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperkey or Karabiner-Elements?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hyperkey and Karabiner-Elements are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Hyperkey or Karabiner-Elements?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Hyperkey and Karabiner-Elements have a free plan.
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.