LinearMouse vs Scroll Reverser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Scroll Reverser grades higher than LinearMouse: 3.0 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
Scroll Reverser grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
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 Scroll Reverser if
- Fits if you use a trackpad and a mouse on the same Mac and want opposite scroll directions
- Works for people who want an AppleScript on/off switch
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want swipe gestures reversed, as they follow the system Scroll Direction setting
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, since it is Mac only
- Watch out: it doesn't work in iPhone Mirroring or Calendar, which scroll by gesture
- Watch out: it needs macOS 13.5 or later
How we grade them
| 2.6GPALinearMouseGood | 3.0GPAScroll ReverserVery 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 under Apache 2.0, with voluntary donations. |
| 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, and donations are voluntary, so nothing is charged 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. | CSeparate direction per device, horizontal control and wheel step size. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller one. |
| 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. | BInstall and tick a box: nothing to set up. 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, macOS 13.5 or later for version 2.1.1. Intel and Apple silicon builds. |
| Best for | making a mouse behave on a Mac, for free | different scroll directions for mouse and trackpad |
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 Scroll Reverser. 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. Scroll Reverser has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
Scroll Reverser 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 Scroll Reverser 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
- Scroll Reverser also covers menu bar app.
In commonFree planmacOSOpen sourceKeyboard and mouse remapping
At a glance
| LinearMouse | Scroll Reverser | |
|---|---|---|
| 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; the author accepts voluntary donations. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | LinearMouse | Pilotmoon Software |
| Price read from | github.com | pilotmoon.com |
| 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.
Scroll Reverser
- Swipe gestures cannot be reversed; they follow the system Scroll Direction setting.
- Does not work in iPhone Mirroring or Calendar, which use gesture-based scrolling rather than scroll events.
- Version 2.1.1 requires macOS 13.5 or later; the page lists Intel and Apple silicon builds.
- Mac only, with no Windows or Linux version.
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.
Scroll Reverser
- Separate direction per device
- Choose Natural, Classic or Unchanged for each trackpad and mouse. By default trackpads use Natural and mice use Classic.
- Horizontal scrolling control
- Horizontal scrolling follows the vertical setting by default and can be set to Reversed or Unchanged in the settings popover.
- Step size for wheel mice
- Scrolls a fixed number of lines with each wheel click instead of macOS scroll acceleration. The control can be turned off.
- Scrolling from apps
- Scroll events that come from other apps, such as remote access software, can be reversed or left unchanged.
- AppleScript on/off switch
- An enabled property lets a script turn the app on or 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.
Scroll Reverser
Free$0
Full app, open source under Apache 2.0. Voluntary donations are accepted.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, LinearMouse or Scroll Reverser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LinearMouse and Scroll Reverser are free to use.
Which has a free plan, LinearMouse or Scroll Reverser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both LinearMouse and Scroll Reverser 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.