Microsoft PowerToys vs X-Mouse Button Control (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft PowerToys grades higher than X-Mouse Button Control: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Microsoft PowerToys 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.
Microsoft PowerToys
Free Microsoft utilities for customizing Windows 10 and 11
Free
X-Mouse Button Control
Free Windows tool that remaps mouse buttons per application
Free
Which one is for you
Pick Microsoft PowerToys if
- Fits if you want window layouts, a launcher and key remapping from one free install
- Works for people who rename files in bulk or resize images from the right-click menu
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, or on Windows 10 older than version 2004
- Not for you if you need key remaps at the log-in screen, per keyboard, or with PowerToys closed
- Tight if you wanted AI pasting to just work: it's off by default, and online providers need your own API key and may charge
- Watch out: FancyZones can't snap some apps, and elevated apps need PowerToys run as administrator
Pick X-Mouse Button Control if
- Fits if you want extra buttons on a Windows mouse doing different things per app
- Works for people who like a portable program
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, as only Windows is listed
- Not for you if your mouse has more than 5 buttons
- Watch out: the author calls it a hobby project and can't guarantee support
- Too light for you if you want a vendor-backed mouse suite
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMicrosoft PowerToysGood | 2.6GPAX-Mouse Button ControlGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt costs nothing. Every utility is free and open source under the MIT licence, a download anyone can run, with no paid edition to be nudged towards. | AFree, with optional donations that buy no features or support. |
| Free plan and trial | AAll of it is free, from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet, with no cap anywhere. The one thing that can cost money is pasting with AI, and only if you connect an online model provider that charges for usage. | AThe whole program is free, with a portable version. |
| Features | BMore than 30 utilities in one install, covering jobs people usually buy separate apps for: window layouts, a launcher, key remapping, bulk renaming, a colour picker, OCR off the screen. What keeps it off top marks is the rough edges, like remaps that stop when PowerToys isn't running. | CPer-app profiles, 10 layers, many button functions and wheel actions. It supports mice up to 5 buttons only, because of how Windows passes them on. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and there's setting up to do: you enable the utilities you want, draw FancyZones layouts in its grid or canvas editor, and define your own remaps. Apps running elevated need PowerToys run as administrator before FancyZones will snap them. | CProfiles, layers and functions to set up before it is useful. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only: Windows 11, or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer, on x64 or ARM64. Advanced Paste can connect to OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Mistral or Ollama, and it installs through WinGet. Nothing for Mac or Linux. | DWindows 10, 11 and Server 2012 R2 to 2022 only. No Mac or Linux version. |
| Best for | a free box of Windows extras from Microsoft | free mouse button remapping on Windows |
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: Microsoft PowerToys and X-Mouse Button Control. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft PowerToys is open source, according to its own site.
- Microsoft PowerToys also covers launcher, window management and file management.
- X-Mouse Button Control also covers screenshots.
In commonFree planWindowsKeyboard and mouse remapping
At a glance
| Microsoft PowerToys | X-Mouse Button Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Every utility is free and open source; there is no paid edition. Optional AI pasting can incur usage charges from the model provider you connect. | Free, with no paid edition. The author accepts optional donations and says donations do not buy features or support. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Microsoft | Phillip Gibbons |
| Price read from | learn.microsoft.com | highrez.co.uk |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Microsoft PowerToys
- Windows only: it needs Windows 11 or Windows 10 version 2004 or newer on a 64-bit x64 or ARM64 processor.
- Paste with AI is off by default and needs a model provider; online providers require your own API key and may charge for usage.
- Keyboard Manager remaps apply only while PowerToys is running, do not work on the log-in screen and cannot differ between keyboards.
- FancyZones cannot snap some listed apps, and apps running elevated need PowerToys to run as administrator.
X-Mouse Button Control
- Windows only; the author lists Windows 10 and 11 and Windows Server 2012 R2 to 2022 as supported.
- Supports mice with up to 5 buttons, because it relies on the Windows mouse message queue.
- The author calls it a hobby project, cannot guarantee any level of support and is not affiliated with any mouse maker.
Key features
Microsoft PowerToys
- FancyZones
- A window manager for custom zone layouts. Hold Shift while dragging a window to snap it into a zone, or let Win+arrow keys move windows between zones. Layouts are built in a grid or canvas editor.
- Command Palette
- A launcher opened with Win+Alt+Space that starts apps, runs commands, searches files and the web, calculates and switches windows. Community extensions install from a built-in Extension Gallery.
- Keyboard Manager
- Remaps single keys and shortcuts, globally or for one app, and can map a key or shortcut to a text sequence, an app launch or a URI.
- Advanced Paste
- Pastes clipboard content as plain text, Markdown, JSON or a file, extracts text from images with local OCR, and can transform text through an optional AI provider that you configure.
- File Explorer tools
- PowerRename renames files in bulk with search and replace or regular expressions, Image Resizer resizes images from the right-click menu, and File Locksmith shows which processes are using a file.
- Screen and text tools
- Color Picker samples colors anywhere on screen, Text Extractor copies on-screen text with OCR, Screen Ruler measures pixels, and ZoomIt zooms, annotates and records the screen for presentations.
X-Mouse Button Control
- Application and window profiles
- Mouse behavior can differ per application or window, and profiles activate automatically as the pointer moves over the defined target.
- Layers
- Each profile can hold up to 10 layers of button configurations, switched with hot-keys or mouse buttons.
- Many button functions
- Includes simulated keystrokes, button chording, timed actions by hold length, launching programs, clipboard and media control.
- Wheel and screen capture actions
- Remaps the scroll and tilt wheel, can capture the screen or active window to the clipboard, and supports virtual desktops in Windows 10 and 11.
- Portable version
- A portable build is offered beside the installer, and the installer picks the 32-bit or 64-bit version automatically.
Plans
Microsoft PowerToys
PowerToys$0
All utilities, installed from GitHub, the Microsoft Store or WinGet. Free and open source under the MIT license.
X-Mouse Button Control
X-Mouse Button Control$0
Free for Windows, in an installer or a portable version. No bundled software.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Microsoft PowerToys or X-Mouse Button Control?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Microsoft PowerToys and X-Mouse Button Control are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Microsoft PowerToys or X-Mouse Button Control?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Microsoft PowerToys and X-Mouse Button Control 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.