LinearMouse vs Mos (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mos grades higher than LinearMouse: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mos grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick LinearMouse if
- Fits if you want the mouse wheel reversed and the trackpad left alone
- Works for giving a mouse's extra buttons jobs like Mission Control or a keyboard shortcut
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only
- Not for you if you want a different long-press time per button: timings are fixed at 500 ms and 50 points app-wide
- Watch out: some advanced settings mean editing a JSON file that doesn't accept comments
- Watch out: it needs Accessibility permission at first launch, and another before it can simulate key presses
- Not for you if you want a big team behind your tools: it's version 0.12.0, and the sponsors page lists one main developer
Pick Mos if
- Fits if you use a wheel mouse on a Mac and want it to scroll like a trackpad
- Works for per-app scroll settings
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Watch out: the CC BY-NC 4.0 licence is non-commercial, not a standard open source one
- Too light for you if you want paid support: its own comparison page points those users to commercial tools
- Watch out: it needs the macOS Accessibility permission
How we grade them
| 2.6GPALinearMouseGood | 3.2GPAMosVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree and open source under the MIT licence, a download anyone can run, with no paid tier or licence key. Donations are optional, and the project says they go only to developer fees, infrastructure and test devices. | AFree to use, with a donate link offered, and no paid plan is listed on the site. |
| Free plan and trial | AEvery feature is free, as a direct download or a Homebrew cask. There's nothing to upgrade to and no cap to hit. | AThe whole app is free, with no paid edition, limit or trial on record. |
| Features | CMouse and trackpad behaviour is its one job: scroll direction and smoothing, pointer speed, acceleration off, button bindings, long presses and swipes, all per device, app or display. It does that job fully, and its own notes say gesture timings are fixed for the whole app. | BSmooth scrolling, per-app profiles, separate axes, button bindings and Logitech support. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job, though pointer acceleration is left to other tools. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and it isn't quite install-and-go: it wants Accessibility permission at first launch, another before it can simulate key presses, and the documentation says some advanced settings mean editing a JSON file that doesn't accept comments. | BA menu bar app that works once the Accessibility permission is granted. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only. No integrations are listed, though buttons can fire keyboard shortcuts and shell commands. Worth knowing that the current release is numbered 0.12.0. | CMac only. No Windows, Linux or phone version. |
| Best for | making a mouse behave on a Mac, for free | smoother mouse wheel scrolling 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: LinearMouse and Mos. How we grade
Price against what you get
LinearMouse has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mos has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Mos scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than LinearMouse for less, and none scores higher than Mos 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
- Mos also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceKeyboard and mouse remapping
At a glance
| LinearMouse | Mos | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, as a direct download or a Homebrew cask. Donations through GitHub Sponsors, Open Collective or Ko-fi are optional. | The whole app is free; a Donate link is offered. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | LinearMouse | Caldis |
| Price read from | github.com | mos.caldis.me |
| Checked | Oct 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
LinearMouse
- macOS only. It needs Accessibility permission at first launch, and a further permission before it can simulate key presses.
- The documentation says some advanced features are reached by editing the JSON configuration file, which does not accept comments.
- Gesture timings are fixed for the whole app, at 500 ms for a long press and 50 points for a swipe, and cannot be set per mapping.
- The current release is numbered 0.12.0, and the sponsors page lists one main developer.
Mos
- Mac only; it needs the macOS Accessibility permission to work.
- Licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0, which is a non-commercial license rather than a standard open source one.
- Its own comparison page says users who want paid support or a commercial product lifecycle may prefer commercial tools.
- Pointer acceleration and broader device settings are better handled by other tools, according to the vendor.
Key features
LinearMouse
- Profiles by device, app and display
- A group of settings can apply to all mice or all trackpads, to one device by vendor and product ID, to one app or process, or to a named display, and matching groups are merged.
- Scroll direction and smoothing
- Reverse vertical or horizontal scrolling on a mouse while the trackpad keeps natural scrolling, and add smoothed scrolling from presets with adjustable response, speed, acceleration and inertia.
- Pointer speed and acceleration
- Adjust pointer acceleration and speed per device, switch acceleration off entirely, or return either value to the system default.
- Button mappings
- Bind mouse buttons and wheel movements, with optional modifier keys, to Mission Control, Launchpad, media and brightness controls, keyboard shortcuts or shell commands.
- Long presses, chords and swipes
- Version 0.12.0 added long-press, button-combination and swipe triggers, so one button can do different things on a short press, a long press and a swipe in each direction.
- Click debouncing and hover focus
- Click debouncing filters repeated signals from worn mouse switches, and an optional setting focuses a window when the pointer moves over it.
Mos
- Smooth wheel scrolling
- Turns raw wheel steps into continuous motion, with step, speed and duration values that can be tuned.
- Per-app profiles
- Each app can inherit the defaults or override its own scroll and button behavior.
- Separate axes and reversal
- Vertical and horizontal scrolling are configured independently, and direction can be reversed per axis.
- Mouse button bindings
- Record a mouse, keyboard or custom event and bind it to an action such as Mission Control, Spaces, screenshots or a script.
- Logitech button support
- Handles button events from Logitech devices connected over Bolt, Unifying or Bluetooth.
- Scroll hotkeys
- Keys can be bound to accelerate scrolling, convert the axis or temporarily turn smoothing off.
Plans
LinearMouse
LinearMouse$0
Every feature, with no paid tier or license key. The project says donations go only to developer fees, infrastructure and test devices.
Mos
Free$0
Full app, distributed through GitHub Releases and Homebrew.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LinearMouse or Mos?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LinearMouse and Mos are free to use.
Which has a free plan, LinearMouse or Mos?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LinearMouse and Mos 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.