# KeyCastr Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Open-source keystroke visualizer Category: System Utilities · Free · Open source · Replaces Keystroke Pro ($25) · [Official website](https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask keycastr` ## Quick take KeyCastr remains the standard free keystroke visualizer for macOS in August 2026: simple, open-source, and still maintained (v0.10.5). It solves one problem, making shortcuts visible on recordings and live shares, without subscriptions or telemetry. New rivals add mouse visualization, but for classic keystroke casting KeyCastr is still the install-first choice. The 4.4 reflects niche utility and basic UI, not neglect. Best for: Screencast creators and YouTube tutorial makers, Conference speakers and live demo presenters, Developers doing pair programming over video calls, Educators teaching keyboard-driven workflows ## What is KeyCastr? KeyCastr is a free, open-source keystroke visualizer for macOS. It shows your keyboard shortcuts on screen as you press them, a floating overlay that displays each key combination in real time. When you press Cmd+Shift+P, the overlay shows '⌘⇧P' on your screen. As of August 2026 the project remains actively maintained on GitHub (keycastr/keycastr). The latest release is v0.10.5, which improved handling of different input sources so language/layout switches no longer delay or mis-render the overlay. Earlier 0.10.x releases added options to apply modifiers when displaying keystrokes, display all modified keys, and fix Intel modifier detection and ShortcutRecorder quirks, so the project is not abandoned. It is a mature utility that still ships compatibility and quality-of-life fixes. The primary use case is screencasting. When you record a tutorial, viewers cannot see your keyboard. They watch your cursor move and things happen on screen, but they do not know what you pressed. KeyCastr solves this by displaying each keystroke as a visual overlay in the recording. A coding tutorial becomes more useful when viewers see 'Cmd+P' appear when you open the command palette, or 'Cmd+S' when you save. The second use case is live presentations and pair programming. During a conference demo or Zoom share, the audience follows shortcuts far more easily when they appear on screen. This is especially true for editors, terminals, and IDEs where the shortcut *is* the lesson. KeyCastr is highly customizable: position (any corner or center), font size, colors, opacity, fade duration, and whether to show individual keys or full modifier combinations. Filter to command/modifier combinations only so regular typing stays hidden, important both for clarity and for not leaking draft text or secrets. The app is lightweight: menu bar only, event-driven overlay, no recording, no analytics, no network access. It reads keyboard events through macOS Accessibility APIs, so you must grant Accessibility permission in System Settings. Builds support Apple Silicon and Intel Macs; macOS 10.13+ compatibility is still a stated goal of recent releases. KeyCastr is completely free and open-source (BSD license). There is no paid tier, registration, or feature limit. In 2026 new open-source rivals such as Keyty have appeared for demos that also visualize mouse input, but KeyCastr remains the default recommendation for pure keystroke overlays on Mac. The honest take: KeyCastr does one thing and does it well. If you make screencasts, record tutorials, or give live presentations where keyboard shortcuts matter, install it. If you do not, you will never need it. ## Features - **Real-Time Keystroke Display.** Every key combination you press appears on screen as a floating overlay. Press Cmd+S and '⌘S' appears; press Ctrl+Option+Delete and '⌃⌥⌦' appears. The overlay fades after a configurable duration (typically 1-2 seconds). Rapid keystrokes queue and display sequentially. This is the core product: making invisible keyboard input visible to anyone watching your screen. - **Customizable Appearance.** Configure font (size, family, weight), text color, background color, opacity, corner radius, and position on any monitor. Place the overlay in any corner, edge, or center. Adjust fade-out duration. Large high-contrast overlays suit conference projectors; subtle small ones suit desktop screencasts. - **Modifier-Only and Modified-Key Filtering.** Enable display of command/modifier combinations only so every letter you type does not spam the overlay. Newer 0.10.x options also let you apply modifiers when displaying non-command keys and show all modified keys, useful when teaching Option-character entry or multi-modifier chords without dumping pure typing. - **Multi-Monitor Support.** Choose which display shows the keystroke overlay. Put keystrokes on the projector for talks, or only on the monitor being recorded for tutorials. - **Menu Bar Control and Global Toggle.** KeyCastr lives in the menu bar. Toggle the overlay on and off, open preferences, or quit without a dock icon. Toggle off before passwords or API keys; toggle on for shortcut-heavy demo segments. - **Input-Source Aware Rendering (v0.10.5).** The latest release improves handling when you switch keyboard input sources (languages/layouts) so the overlay does not lag or show stale glyphs, important for multilingual presenters and dual-layout developers. ## How to Install KeyCastr on Mac KeyCastr installs via Homebrew or direct download from GitHub Releases (latest v0.10.5, still the current release through August 2026). 1. **Install via Homebrew or GitHub.** Run: brew install --cask keycastr. Or download the latest release DMG from github.com/keycastr/keycastr/releases and drag KeyCastr to Applications. 2. **Grant Accessibility Permission.** On first launch, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility and enable KeyCastr. Without this, the app cannot receive keyboard events. 3. **Configure and Start.** Click the menu bar icon, open Preferences for position/appearance/filtering, then toggle the overlay on. Prefer 'command keys only' for coding demos. ## Pros - Free and open-source with no upsells - Focused: real-time keystroke overlay without bloat - Strong appearance and position controls for any monitor layout - Modifier-only filtering protects clarity and reduces accidental leaks - Works with any recording or conferencing tool that captures the screen - Lightweight menu bar app with low resource use - Still shipping compatibility fixes (v0.10.x through input-source handling) ## Cons - Niche, useless if you never demo or record shortcuts - No built-in shortcut analytics (Keystroke Pro territory) - Must remember to toggle off for sensitive typing - UI is utilitarian compared with paid visualizers - Requires Accessibility permission (blocked on some managed Macs) - Keys-only focus means no first-class mouse click visualization (unlike newer Keyty) ## Closer look: Why Keystroke Visualization Still Matters in 2026 AI coding demos, livestreamed pair programming, and conference talks all still hide the keyboard. Overlay tools remain essential. ## FAQ ### What is the latest KeyCastr version in 2026? GitHub lists v0.10.5 as the latest release (improved handling of different input sources). Earlier 0.10.x builds added modifier display options and Intel fixes. Install via Homebrew or the GitHub Releases page to stay current. ### Does KeyCastr show everything I type? By default it can show every keystroke. Enable command/modifier-only modes in Preferences so only meaningful shortcuts appear, better for tutorials and safer for sensitive text. ### Will KeyCastr show my passwords? It can if the field does not use secure input and the overlay is on. Toggle KeyCastr off before passwords, recovery codes, or API keys. Many password fields suppress accessibility events, but not all apps do. ### Does KeyCastr work with OBS, Zoom, or Screen Studio? Yes. It is a normal screen overlay, so any capture or share of that display includes it. Position it away from facecam, chat, and critical UI. ### Is KeyCastr free, and is there a paid version? KeyCastr itself is fully free and open-source. There is no official paid KeyCastr tier. Paid alternatives like Keystroke Pro exist if you want analytics or extra visual styles. ### Does KeyCastr support Apple Silicon and macOS Tahoe? Yes, current builds target modern Macs including Apple Silicon. Recent releases also keep compatibility work for older macOS where practical. Grant Accessibility permission after install or after major OS upgrades. ### KeyCastr vs Keyty, which should I use? Use KeyCastr for a minimal, proven keys-only overlay. Try Keyty (newer open-source, 2026) if you also want mouse input visualization for demos. Many creators still start with KeyCastr and only switch if they need mouse cues. ## Sources - [KeyCastr GitHub repository](https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr) - [KeyCastr releases (v0.10.5 latest)](https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr/releases) - [KeyCastr on MacUpdate](https://keycastr.macupdate.com/) - [KeyCastr SourceForge mirror](https://sourceforge.net/projects/keycastr.mirror/) - [Keyty announcement (X)](https://x.com/esphynox/status/2084251672453292506) - [Homebrew cask ecosystem (KeyCastr install docs)](https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr#readme) - [KeyCastr issue tracker](https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr/issues) ## Related - [Maccy](https://bundl.run/apps/maccy) - [Stats](https://bundl.run/apps/stats) - [SuperWhisper](https://bundl.run/apps/superwhisper) - [MacWhisper](https://bundl.run/apps/macwhisper) - [HyperWhisper](https://bundl.run/apps/hyperwhisper) - [Aqua Voice](https://bundl.run/apps/aqua-voice) - [Free alternative to Keystroke Pro](https://github.com/keycastr) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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