Hyperkey vs Keyboard Maestro (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hyperkey grades higher than Keyboard Maestro: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hyperkey grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Keyboard Maestro grades higher on features. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Keyboard Maestro
Macro automation for macOS with triggers and actions
Free trial · from $36 one-time
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 Keyboard Maestro if
- Fits if you repeat the same many-step chore on a Mac and want it on one key
- Works for people who'd rather pay once per major version than subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, or on a Mac older than macOS 10.13 High Sierra
- Not for you if you want something free: the trial's length isn't stated, and carrying on needs a US$36 license
- Watch out: the license covers 11.x only, and later major versions are paid upgrades, released every 12 to 36 months
- Tight if you're new to automation: triggers, actions, conditions and loops take an evening or more to learn
- Watch out: licenses are per user for up to five Macs, and 10 or more users have to ask for a quote
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHyperkeyGood | 2.2GPAKeyboard MaestroFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. | BUS$36 once, which one person may use on five Macs. Utilities here run about $2.99 a month in the middle, so that's a shade over a year's subscription and then nothing, and it takes in clipboard history and text expansion too. Upgrades are US$25. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe app itself is free and has no plans or trial. | CNo free plan. You can download a fully functional trial with no card asked for, but the pages read for this listing don't say how long it lasts, and carrying on needs a licence. |
| Features | DOne narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. | BThis covers the whole automation job. Macros built by hand or recorded, with conditions and loops, fired by hot keys, typed strings, cron schedules, folder changes or a Wi-Fi network. It fills web forms, does OCR, moves windows, runs AppleScript and shell scripts, and keeps clipboard history. |
| 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 real learning curve: triggers, actions, conditions and loops are a lot to meet at once, even though you build macros in the app rather than in a file. Expect to spend an evening on your first few. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. | DMac only, and version 11 needs macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later. It works with Safari, Chrome, Stream Deck and 1Password, and macros sync between Macs through Dropbox. One operating system, though. |
| Best for | turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key | automating repeated jobs 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: Hyperkey and Keyboard Maestro. How we grade
Where they differ
- Keyboard Maestro can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Hyperkey also covers keyboard and mouse remapping.
- Keyboard Maestro also covers workflow automation, clipboard manager, window management and text expansion.
In commonmacOS
At a glance
| Hyperkey | Keyboard Maestro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | US$36 one-time purchase for version 11, plus applicable tax |
| Free plan | Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Fully functional trial download; the pages read do not state how long it lasts |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ryan Hanson | Stairways Software Pty Ltd |
| Price read from | hyperkey.app | keyboardmaestro.com |
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
Plans
Hyperkey
Hyperkey$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
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.
Ways to pay less
Hyperkey
No public discounts listed.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperkey or Keyboard Maestro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hyperkey is free, and Keyboard Maestro starts at US$36 one-time purchase for version 11, plus applicable tax.
Which has a free plan, Hyperkey or Keyboard Maestro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hyperkey has a free plan. Keyboard Maestro does not, though it has 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.