The Hyperkey Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Hyperkey in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Hyperkey
The Insider’s Guide
Free Mac utility that turns a key into the Hyper modifier
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among window managers and launchers, read from Hyperkey’s own pages.
Made by Ryan Hanson · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Hyperkey’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Hyperkey’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 14 of the 28 other window managers and launchers we grade
Hyperkey converts the caps lock key, or any modifier key, into a hyper key that presses Control, Option, Command and Shift together. This gives apps such as window managers a spare modifier for shortcuts. Caps lock can alternatively be remapped to a different key.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Hyperkey, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's free, but it doesn't move or size windows, so it needs a shortcut app like Rectangle or Keyboard Maestro to be of use.
- 1
Best for turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key
Hyperkey remaps keys on the Mac, such as Caps Lock, into a Hyper key you can bind shortcuts to.
- 2
It is free
Hyperkey has no paid plan at all. Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade.
- 3
It runs on macOS
macOS.
- 4
Hyper key
Maps caps lock or any modifier key to Control, Option, Command and Shift together.
- 5
Caps lock remap
Caps lock can be remapped to a different key instead.
- 6
Works with shortcut apps
The site calls it a companion for Rectangle and other apps that use keyboard shortcuts.
- 7
A 2.6 GPA, above 14 of 28
That is against the other window managers and launchers we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Hyperkey is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Hyperkey at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- macOS
- Made by
- Ryan Hanson
- Category
- Window Managers & Launchers
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for turning Caps Lock into a Hyper key
Hyperkey remaps keys on the Mac, such as Caps Lock, into a Hyper key you can bind shortcuts to. It's free, but it doesn't move or size windows, so it needs a shortcut app like Rectangle or Keyboard Maestro to be of use.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The app itself is free and has no plans or trial. |
| Features | D | One narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app. It does not manage windows. |
| Ease of use | B | A Mac app you install and switch on. Remappings do not work in password fields, and Keyboard Maestro needs the shortcut pressed physically. |
| Platforms and integrations | D | Mac only, on macOS 10.15 or later, for Intel and Apple Silicon. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Hyperkey is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Mac users who run out of free shortcut combinations
- People who pair a window manager with a hyper key
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Hyperkey is free to use.
Free, with an optional paid upgrade app, Superkey, promoted on the same site.
Hyperkey
$0
Free download for macOS 10.15 and later.
The free plan
Hyperkey is free; the same site promotes the separate Superkey app as an upgrade.
Read from hyperkey.app on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: macOS
Free Mac utility that turns a key into the Hyper modifier. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: keyboard-first, keyboard and mouse remapping.
One narrow job, remapping modifier keys, and it only does something when paired with a shortcut app.
- 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.
Where it runs
- macOS
What it works with
- Rectangle
- Keyboard Maestro
Hyperkey is made by Ryan Hanson.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
14/28
Other window managers and launchers it is graded above
Hyperkey's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 14 of the 28 other window managers and launchers we grade, and level with 6.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 16 of 28) and worst on features (D, above 0).
Hyperkey has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 29 window managers and launchers we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hyperkey’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 10 of 28
- AFree plan and trialAbove 16 of 28
- DFeaturesAbove 0 of 28
- BEase of useAbove 17 of 28
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 28
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 15 window managers and launchers. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Hyperkey is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
Hyperkey is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could not
- Keys and buttons remapped below the level of apps.
- A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Hyperkey’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Karabiner-Elements, BetterTouchTool, Keyboard Maestro and Rectangle
The 4 tools Hyperkey is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Karabiner-Elements
Free
Free, open-source keyboard customizer for macOS.
- Karabiner-Elements is open source, according to its own site.
- Karabiner-Elements also covers menu bar app.
- 2.6GPA
BetterTouchTool
Free trial · from $15 one-time
Mac input customization: gestures, shortcuts and automation.
- Hyperkey has a free plan. BetterTouchTool does not, though it has a free trial.
- BetterTouchTool can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- BetterTouchTool also covers workflow automation, launcher, clipboard manager and window management.
- 2.2GPA
Keyboard Maestro
Free trial · from $36 one-time
Macro automation for macOS with triggers and actions.
- Hyperkey has a free plan. Keyboard Maestro does not, though it has a free trial.
- Keyboard Maestro can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Hyperkey also covers keyboard and mouse remapping.
- 2.8GPA
Rectangle
Free
Free, open-source window snapping for macOS.
- Rectangle is open source, according to its own site.
- Hyperkey also covers keyboard and mouse remapping.
- Rectangle also covers window management.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Hyperkey free?
Yes. Hyperkey is free to use.
How much does Hyperkey cost?
Hyperkey lists one plan. Hyperkey: $0.
What platforms does Hyperkey work on?
Hyperkey is available on macOS.
Does Hyperkey have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Hyperkey is listed for macOS.
Does Hyperkey have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Hyperkey is listed for macOS.
Is Hyperkey open source?
Hyperkey is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Hyperkey integrate with?
Hyperkey's listing names Rectangle and Keyboard Maestro. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Hyperkey?
Hyperkey is made by Ryan Hanson.
What are the alternatives to Hyperkey?
The closest alternatives to Hyperkey in our directory are Karabiner-Elements, BetterTouchTool, Keyboard Maestro and Rectangle.
How does Hyperkey compare with other window managers and launchers?
Hyperkey's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 14 of the 28 other window managers and launchers we grade, and level with 6.
Is Hyperkey good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Hyperkey A for value for money. Hyperkey has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Hyperkey?
Hyperkey is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Hyperkey’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Ryan Hanson's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Ryan Hanson. Prices change, so check hyperkey.app before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Hyperkey, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hyperkey
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Hyperkey: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hyperkey
Know someone choosing between window managers and launchers?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hyperkey/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded window managers and launchers after Hyperkey, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Window Managers & Launchers Insider's GuideEvery one of the 29 window managers and launchers we grade, compared
- Flow Launcher Insider's GuideFree, open-source app launcher and file search for Windows3.0 GPA
- DockDoor Insider's GuideFree Dock window previews and Alt-Tab switcher for macOS2.8 GPA
- Loop Insider's GuideFree, open-source macOS window manager with a radial menu2.8 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Hyperkey’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Hyperkey is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Ryan Hanson. Prices and plans change: check hyperkey.app before you buy.