Hyperkey vs Sol (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Sol grades higher than Hyperkey: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Sol grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use 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 Sol if
- Fits if you want one free keyboard window for launching apps on a Mac
- Works for developers who like open source and extra commands
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as the site lists neither
- Too light for tiling and window snapping, where a dedicated manager does more
- Skip it if you want support, since the listing names no company behind it
- Watch out: the site gives few details on what each built-in tool does
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAHyperkeyGood | 2.8GPASolGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. | AThe whole app is free and open source under the MIT license. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe app itself is free and has no plans or trial. | AFree outright, with no plan to buy and no cap. |
| Features | DOne narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. | CApp and file search, window resizing, clipboard, calculator, emoji, calendar and notes. It is a launcher first, so its window management is a smaller part than in a dedicated manager. |
| 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. | BNo store rating is on record, but you install it and press a shortcut to start. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, on macOS 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. | DmacOS only. The site lists no Windows or Linux version. |
| Best for | turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key | a free keyboard launcher for 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 Sol. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hyperkey has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Sol has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
Sol scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other window managers and launchers on the chart, none scores higher than Hyperkey for less, and none scores higher than Sol for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Sol is open source, according to its own site.
- Hyperkey also covers keyboard and mouse remapping.
- Sol also covers launcher, clipboard manager, window management and calculator.
In commonFree planmacOSKeyboard-first
At a glance
| Hyperkey | Sol | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| 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 | ospfranco |
| Price read from | hyperkey.app | sol.ospfranco.com |
| 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.
Sol
- Runs on macOS only; the site lists no Windows or Linux version.
- Window management is one feature of a launcher, not a dedicated tiling tool.
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.
Sol
- App and file search
- Finds apps, files and folders from a single launcher window opened with a keyboard shortcut.
- Window manager
- Resizes and moves windows with keyboard shortcuts, such as the Control-Option-Return example shown on the site.
- Clipboard manager
- Keeps a history of copied items that can be searched and pasted back through a shortcut.
- Calculator and emoji picker
- Does quick math in the launcher and offers an emoji picker the site presents as an alternative to the system one.
- Calendar, bookmarks and notes
- Shows calendar events, searches browser bookmarks and takes quick notes from the same window.
- Developer commands
- Includes commands such as cleaning Xcode derived data and launching scripts.
Plans
Hyperkey
Hyperkey$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
Sol
Free$0
The whole app is free; the site calls it free and open source.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hyperkey or Sol?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hyperkey and Sol are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Hyperkey or Sol?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Hyperkey and Sol 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.