Hyperkey vs Shortcat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hyperkey grades higher than Shortcat: 2.6 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hyperkey grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. Shortcat grades higher on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
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 Shortcat if
- Fits if you live on a Mac and want to click things from the keyboard
- Works for people who like Vimium-style clicking in every app
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Tight if you want a free tool, since the listing shows no free plan or trial
- Not for you if you need to know the cost first, because the site publishes no price or license terms
- Watch out: it needs macOS 13 or later and Accessibility permission, and some Electron apps expose less than others
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHyperkeyGood | 1.6GPAShortcatWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. | CNo price is published on the site, so there is nothing to set against the category's $8.00 middle or $19 one-time figure. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe app itself is free and has no plans or trial. | FThe listing records no free plan and no trial, and the site shows no price or terms to say otherwise. |
| Features | DOne narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. | CClicking, menu search, window search and emoji search, but results depend on each app's Accessibility support, including some Electron apps. It does that one job fully, and it is a smaller job. |
| 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 it needs macOS 13 or later plus an Accessibility permission before it does anything. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. | CMac only, with Safari, Chrome and Firefox support but no other devices and no integrations listed. |
| Best for | turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key | clicking buttons on a Mac without the mouse |
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 Shortcat. How we grade
Where they differ
- Hyperkey also covers keyboard and mouse remapping.
- Shortcat also covers launcher and window management.
In commonmacOSKeyboard-first
At a glance
| Hyperkey | Shortcat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Paid |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Ryan Hanson | Sproutcube |
| Price read from | hyperkey.app | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Shortcat
- Needs macOS 13 or later and Accessibility permission.
- Results depend on how well each app implements Accessibility, including some Electron apps.
- The site shows no price or license terms, so the cost could not be confirmed.
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.
Shortcat
- Click with the keyboard
- Type what you want to click, such as ok for an OK button; supports right, double and modified clicks.
- Window search
- Searches window titles to bring a window forward without cycling through the app switcher.
- Menu search
- Exposes the front app's menu items to fuzzy search.
- Browser support
- Works in Safari, Chrome, Firefox and some Chromium browsers such as Vivaldi.
- Emoji mode
- Fuzzy search for emojis by several labels.
Plans
Hyperkey
Hyperkey$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
Shortcat
Pricing could not be confirmed. See shortcat.app.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperkey or Shortcat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Hyperkey is free, and Shortcat has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Hyperkey or Shortcat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Hyperkey has a free plan. Shortcat does not.
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.