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Looking for free alternatives to BetterTouchTool? Here are the best open source and free options for Mac.

PublishedUpdated

What is the best free alternative to BetterTouchTool?

The best free alternative to BetterTouchTool ($18) is Karabiner Elements, which is open source. Install Karabiner Elements with Homebrew: brew install --cask karabiner-elements.

Free Alternative to BetterTouchTool

Save $18 with these 1 free and open source alternatives that work great on macOS.

BetterTouchTool ($18)
FREE alternatives below

Our Top Pick

Karabiner Elements icon

Karabiner Elements

FREEOpen Source

Powerful keyboard customizer

brew install --cask karabiner-elements
View DetailsOfficial Website

Why we recommend it:

  • Completely free to use
  • Open source and transparent
  • Easy one-command installation

Quick Comparison

Comparison of BetterTouchTool and free alternatives
AppPriceOpen SourceCategory
BetterTouchTool$18No—
Karabiner ElementsFreeYesSystem Utilities

Best free alternative to BetterTouchTool for Mac (2026)

Looking for a free alternative to BetterTouchTool (BTT)? Answer first: there is no single free app that clones every BTT surface. If you bought BTT mainly for keyboard remaps, Karabiner-Elements is the free replacement and often the stronger keyboard tool. If you bought it for window snapping, Rectangle free covers halves, thirds and corners. If you live on custom trackpad gestures or Touch Bar widgets, budget for BTT; free tools still lag there in August 2026. Official BTT pricing on folivora.ai/buy lists Standard around $15 with two years of updates (keep the last build forever after), and Lifetime around $25 that also covers other folivora macOS apps released in the following two years. Exact totals vary by country and tax. A 45-day free trial remains the right evaluation window. Search variants map to different jobs. Free alternative to BetterTouchTool is usually keyboard-plus-windows shoppers. BetterTouchTool alternative free is the same intent. BetterTouchTool vs Karabiner is the keyboard comparison: Karabiner wins depth and price; BTT wins gestures and all-in-one GUI. BTT vs Rectangle is the window-management comparison: Rectangle free wins if snaps are the only pain. Karabiner version pin used here is 16.1.0 (5 July 2026) with active macOS tracking including Tahoe-class releases. macOS Tahoe 26 did not invent a first-party gesture engine that makes BTT obsolete. System Settings gestures remain limited. That gap is why BTT still has a market, and why free alternatives must be combined rather than treated as one-to-one clones. This page maps free tools to BTT jobs, migration order, dealbreakers and a 45-day trial playbook so you spend $0 or about $15 with intent.

Detailed Alternative Reviews

Karabiner Elements icon

Karabiner Elements

The definitive free keyboard customizer for macOS

brew install --cask karabiner-elements

Karabiner-Elements 16.1.0 (July 2026) is the definitive free keyboard customizer for macOS, with builds that track new OS trains including Tahoe-class releases. Simple Modifications handle key swaps. Complex Modifications cover dual-function keys, layers, device-specific profiles and app-aware rules via JSON or the community rules library. It is open source, widely trusted, and often more capable than BTT for pure keyboard work. It does not replace trackpad gestures, Touch Bar layouts or BTT's visual gesture editor. Pair it with Rectangle for window management if that is all you needed from BTT. Practical notes: install with brew install --cask karabiner-elements, then start with Simple Modifications for Caps Lock to Escape or Control. Move to Complex Modifications and the community rules library when you need dual-role keys, layers or app-aware rules. Export JSON backups of working configs. On new macOS versions, Karabiner's release cadence is a major reason people trust it as a free daily driver. For Hyperkey setups (Caps Lock as Command+Control+Option+Shift), Karabiner is the usual free recipe and often cleaner than rebuilding the same idea inside BTT.

Key Features:

  • Free open-source keyboard remapping
  • Simple and complex modifications with conditions
  • Per-device profiles for internal and external keyboards
  • Active releases including v16.1.0 in July 2026
  • Community complex modifications library
  • Native Apple Silicon support

Limitations:

  • • No trackpad gesture customization
  • • No Touch Bar widget designer
  • • JSON configuration can intimidate beginners
  • • Not a window manager or mouse gesture suite

Best for: Power users who primarily need advanced keyboard customization, developers who want hyperkey setups, and anyone frustrated by macOS's limited native key remapping, provided they do not rely on trackpad gestures or Touch Bar widgets

Rectangle icon

Rectangle

Free window snapping that replaces many BTT gesture actions

brew install --cask rectangle

Many people buy BetterTouchTool mainly to snap windows with gestures or shortcuts. Rectangle does the snapping part for free with keyboard shortcuts and menu actions. It is actively maintained, light and available on Homebrew. It will not read multi-finger trackpad draws the way BTT does, but combined with Karabiner hyperkeys it covers a huge slice of productivity setups without $15-$25. Rectangle Pro is paid if you want more, but the free app is enough for classic halves, thirds and corners. Practical notes: rebind snap actions to hyperkeys created in Karabiner and you may never miss BTT window gestures. Install with brew install --cask rectangle. If your BTT config is 80% snap gestures and 20% keys, Rectangle plus Karabiner is the free stack to try before you pay.

Key Features:

  • Free window snapping and sizing
  • Keyboard-first controls
  • Active maintenance and Apple Silicon support
  • Homebrew cask install
  • Simple onboarding

Limitations:

  • • No arbitrary trackpad gesture drawing like BTT
  • • Not a keyboard remapper
  • • Advanced layouts may need Rectangle Pro
  • • No Touch Bar customization

Best for: Users who used BTT primarily for window management shortcuts

Hammerspoon icon

Hammerspoon

Scriptable macOS automation for people willing to write Lua

brew install --cask hammerspoon

Hammerspoon is a free automation bridge that can bind keys, react to events, move windows and call system APIs through Lua. In skilled hands it can recreate pieces of BTT and more. In unskilled hands it is a blank editor with outage potential. Maintenance is slower than Karabiner's rapid OS-tracking releases, so verify compatibility on your macOS version. Hammerspoon is free automation for people willing to maintain scripts instead of a gesture GUI. Start from known spoons, keep config in Git, and do not use it as your first free BTT alternative unless you already write Lua. For most free-alternative searches, Karabiner plus Rectangle should come first; Hammerspoon is the third layer when you need custom event logic.

Key Features:

  • Free and highly programmable
  • Keyboard, window, and system event hooks
  • Large spoon plugin ecosystem
  • capable for custom multi-step automations

Limitations:

  • • Requires Lua programming comfort
  • • No polished gesture GUI like BTT
  • • Slower OS-adaptation cadence than Karabiner
  • • Easy to break your config with a bad spoon

Best for: Hackers who want free automation and enjoy scripting

Which Alternative is Right for You?

Caps Lock as Escape/Control and deep keyboard layers

Use Karabiner-Elements. Simple Modifications handle basic swaps; Complex Modifications and community rules cover layers and app-specific behavior. Skip BTT if keyboard work is all you paid for.

Window snapping that used to be a BTT gesture

Install Rectangle free and bind snap shortcuts. If you insist on trackpad drawing gestures, budget for BTT; free tools do not fully clone that surface.

Mixed keyboard plus scripted automations

Karabiner for keys, Hammerspoon for scripted hooks, Rectangle for snaps. That three-app free stack replaces many BTT setups at the cost of configuration time.

Touch Bar widget layouts on older MacBook Pro hardware

BTT remains the practical answer. Free tools do not match its Touch Bar designer. If you no longer have a Touch Bar, ignore this lane entirely.

Evaluating whether BTT is worth ~$15-25

Run the 45-day trial with only the features you already use daily. If the trial period is all keyboard and snapping, migrate to Karabiner + Rectangle before the trial ends.

External mechanical keyboard with per-device remaps

Karabiner-Elements excels at per-device profiles. Keep BTT only if mouse gestures or other non-keyboard surfaces still matter.

Hyperkey plus window snapping without paying

Karabiner for Hyperkey, Rectangle for snaps. Skip BTT unless a gesture remains after a week.

Someone shared a huge BTT preset you barely use

Inventory the ten actions you hit daily. Rebuild only those in free tools. Ignore the rest of the preset before you assume you need to pay.

Migration Tips

Inventory BTT actions by surface

Export or screenshot your BTT configuration grouped by keyboard, trackpad, mouse, and Touch Bar. Anything in the keyboard group is a Karabiner candidate. Window snaps are Rectangle candidates. Everything else may still need BTT or Hammerspoon.

Migrate keyboard rules first

Rebuild the ten shortcuts you hit every day in Karabiner before you touch obscure gestures. A week of keyboard parity makes it easier to decide whether trackpad features justify payment.

Do not run BTT and Karabiner on the same keys blindly

Overlapping remaps create confusing input bugs. Disable BTT keyboard triggers you have already rebuilt, or quit BTT during Karabiner testing.

Keep a JSON backup of Karabiner

Complex Modifications live in config files you can version. Back them up before macOS upgrades. BTT has its own backup/export; save that too until migration is done.

Accept the free trackpad gap

If custom multi-finger gestures are load-bearing, pay for BTT. Searching endlessly for a perfect free gesture clone wastes more time than the Standard license costs.

Trial clock discipline

Set a reminder at day 30 of the 45-day BTT trial. By then you should know whether Karabiner + Rectangle removed enough pain to cancel.

Hyperkey first, gestures later

If Caps Lock Hyperkey is part of your muscle memory, rebuild it in Karabiner on day one. Many BTT users discover that Hyperkey plus Rectangle removes half their paid config before they touch trackpad gestures. Winning an early keyboard victory makes the later pay-or-not decision calmer.

Quick comparison

FeatureBetterTouchToolKarabiner-ElementsRectangleHammerspoon
Price~$15 standard / ~$25 lifetimeFreeFreeFree
Keyboard remapsYesBest-in-classNoScriptable
Trackpad gesturesExcellentNoNoLimited/scripty
Window snappingYesNoYesScriptable
Touch BarYesNoNoLimited
Config styleGUIGUI + JSONGUILua
Maintained 2026YesYes (16.1.0)YesCommunity

The verdict

Top pick

Karabiner-Elements

Free, actively maintained (16.1.0 in July 2026), and stronger than BTT for serious keyboard work including Hyperkey and per-device profiles.

Runner-up

Rectangle

Free window snapping that replaces a large class of BTT productivity gestures when paired with keyboard shortcuts. Pair it with Karabiner when keyboard shortcuts trigger the snaps.

Bottom line

Replace BTT with Karabiner when your pain is keys. Add Rectangle when your pain is window layout. Keep or buy BTT (about $15-$25) when custom trackpad gestures or Touch Bar layouts are load-bearing. Hammerspoon is the free escape hatch for programmers who will maintain Lua. There is still no complete free clone of BTT's full surface, and that honesty matters more than a ranked list of lookalikes. If your search was free alternative to BetterTouchTool, start with Karabiner the same day and only open the BTT payment dialog after a failed free week on your real shortcuts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a completely free version of BetterTouchTool?
BetterTouchTool offers a 45-day free trial with full functionality, but after that period you must purchase a license to continue using the app. There is no permanently free tier. The standard license currently costs approximately ~$15-21 as a one-time purchase, or you can opt for a lifetime license at a higher price point. While this is significantly cheaper than subscription-based utilities, users seeking a permanently free solution must look to alternatives like Karabiner Elements for keyboard customization, though no single free app matches BetterTouchTool's full feature set across trackpad, mouse, keyboard, and Touch Bar. For keyboard-only users, Karabiner-Elements is the free off-ramp.
Can Karabiner Elements replace all BetterTouchTool features?
No, Karabiner Elements cannot fully replace BetterTouchTool because it focuses exclusively on keyboard customization. While it exceeds BTT's keyboard capabilities in many areas, offering more sophisticated key remapping, layers, and conditional rules, it completely lacks trackpad gesture support, mouse customization, Touch Bar widgets, and window management features. If you rely on trackpad swipes to snap windows, custom mouse button actions, or Touch Bar modifications, you will need to supplement Karabiner Elements with other tools or accept that some workflows require keeping BetterTouchTool or finding alternative approaches. For users who only use BTT for keyboard shortcuts and key remapping, Karabiner Elements is a complete and superior free replacement. Combine Karabiner for keys with Rectangle for windows when that matches your real BTT usage.
Is Karabiner Elements safe to use on macOS?
Yes, Karabiner Elements is safe and widely trusted in the Mac community. It is open-source software hosted on GitHub with over 17,000 stars, meaning its code is publicly auditable. The app requires system extension permissions and accessibility access to intercept keyboard events, this is normal and necessary for any keyboard customization tool, including BetterTouchTool. The developer, Takayama Fumihiko, has maintained the project since 2008, and Karabiner Elements receives regular updates for new macOS versions, including day-one support for macOS 26 Tahoe in 2026. Enterprise users and developers worldwide rely on it daily. As with any system-level tool, download only from the official pqrs.org website or GitHub releases page to ensure you have the authentic, unmodified software.
How do I migrate my BetterTouchTool keyboard shortcuts to Karabiner Elements?
Migrating from BetterTouchTool to Karabiner Elements requires manual recreation of your shortcuts because the two apps use fundamentally different configuration systems. BTT uses a graphical rule builder, while Karabiner Elements uses JSON configuration files. Start by listing all your BTT keyboard shortcuts, then use Karabiner Elements' Simple Modifications tab for basic key remaps. For complex shortcuts involving modifiers or application-specific triggers, you will need to write or import JSON rules. The Karabiner Elements community maintains an extensive library of pre-built complex modifications at ke-complex-modifications.pqrs.org that may include equivalents to your BTT setups. Many users find that the migration process actually improves their shortcuts, as Karabiner's layer system allows more sophisticated behaviors than BTT's rule engine. Plan to spend an hour or two recreating your most-used shortcuts; the investment pays off in a free, permanent solution with no license expiration concerns.
Will Karabiner Elements work with my external mechanical keyboard?
Yes, Karabiner Elements excels with external keyboards and is actually the preferred customization tool for mechanical keyboard enthusiasts on Mac. Unlike many utilities that only recognize the built-in keyboard, Karabiner Elements can detect and apply separate modifications to each connected keyboard. This means you can have caps lock behave as escape on your MacBook keyboard but as control on your external mechanical board. The app also enables 'extra keys' on PC keyboards that macOS normally ignores, such as the menu key, print screen, scroll lock, and international layout keys. Mechanical keyboard users particularly benefit from Karabiner's ability to create layers (like QMK firmware on custom keyboards), enabling access to function keys, media controls, or macros without leaving the home row. The only limitation is that Karabiner cannot modify the fn key on non-Apple keyboards, as this key is handled at the hardware level on third-party boards.
What free options exist for BetterTouchTool's trackpad gestures?
Replacing BetterTouchTool's trackpad functionality with free alternatives is challenging in 2026. macOS natively offers limited trackpad gestures in System Settings, but they are nowhere near as customizable as BTT's gesture engine. Rectangle is a popular free window manager that can partially replace trackpad window-snapping, though it uses keyboard shortcuts or menu bar actions rather than gestures. Multitouch (paid, with a free tier limitation) offers gesture customization but requires a purchase for serious use. Some users have experimented with Hammerspoon's touch API, but it is poorly documented and largely abandoned. The reality is that BetterTouchTool's trackpad gesture engine, built over years of refinement, has no fully free equivalent that matches its capabilities. If trackpad customization is your primary use case for BTT, the ~$15 license fee may be justified compared to the incomplete free alternatives currently available.
Does Karabiner Elements work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes, Karabiner Elements fully supports Apple Silicon Macs with native arm64 builds. Version 16.1 and later are optimized for M1, M2, and M3 chips, offering excellent performance and battery efficiency. The system extension that powers Karabiner Elements works with macOS security architecture on Apple Silicon, including the DriverKit framework. Installation requires granting system extension approval in System Settings during the initial setup, which is a one-time process. The app runs efficiently in the background, consuming minimal CPU and memory resources, typically under 50MB RAM usage and negligible CPU when idle. Users transitioning from Intel Macs will notice that Karabiner Elements actually performs better on Apple Silicon than it did on older hardware, with faster key response times and smoother profile switching.
Can I use Karabiner Elements and BetterTouchTool together?
Yes, Karabiner Elements and BetterTouchTool can coexist on the same Mac, and some advanced users deliberately run both for different purposes. A common setup is using Karabiner Elements for all keyboard customization (where it is more capable and free) while keeping a paid BetterTouchTool license exclusively for trackpad gestures and Touch Bar customization. Because both apps hook into macOS input systems at different levels, conflicts are rare but possible with overlapping shortcuts. To avoid issues, designate one app as the 'owner' of each input type, for example, let Karabiner handle all keyboard modifications while BTT manages only trackpad and mouse actions. If you do encounter conflicts, check the event viewer in both apps to see which is intercepting the input first. This hybrid approach lets you minimize what you pay for in BTT while getting superior keyboard customization for free.
Is BetterTouchTool worth paying for in 2026?
Whether BetterTouchTool is worth its ~$15 license depends entirely on your use case. If you rely heavily on trackpad gestures for window management, use custom Touch Bar buttons, or need the iOS remote control features, BetterTouchTool remains unmatched and the price is reasonable for the time saved. The app receives consistent updates and has supported every macOS version promptly. However, if you only use BetterTouchTool for keyboard shortcuts and key remapping, it is absolutely not worth paying for in 2026, Karabiner Elements provides superior keyboard customization at no cost. Similarly, if you only need window snapping, free alternatives like Rectangle handle that specific need. The value proposition is strongest for users who use multiple BTT features across different input devices. For those seeking a single free replacement for everything BTT does, the reality is that no such app exists, and the ~$15 license fee is modest compared to the productivity gains for multi-modal input customization.
What is the best free alternative to BetterTouchTool in 2026?
Karabiner-Elements if your pain is keyboard remaps. Rectangle if your pain is window snapping. Karabiner plus Rectangle if you need both. There is still no complete free clone of BTT's trackpad gesture engine and Touch Bar designer. Match the free tool to the surface you actually use.
Is BetterTouchTool free?
BTT offers a 45-day free trial with full functionality. After that you need a paid licence. There is no permanent free tier. Standard is about $15 for two years of updates; Lifetime is about $25 with the multi-app window described on folivora.ai/buy. Country and tax change the checkout total.
BetterTouchTool or Karabiner for a Hyperkey?
Use Karabiner-Elements. Hyperkey setups (Caps Lock as Command+Control+Option+Shift) are a solved free pattern in Karabiner with community complex modifications. Paying for BTT only to build a Hyperkey is usually unnecessary.
Can Rectangle replace BetterTouchTool gestures?
Rectangle replaces the window-snapping outcome, not the gesture drawing input. You get halves, thirds and corners via shortcuts and menu actions. You do not get arbitrary multi-finger trackpad drawings. If the gesture itself is the product, keep BTT. If the snapped layout is the product, Rectangle free is enough for most people.
What are the dealbreakers that mean you should pay for BTT?
Dealbreakers for free stacks: custom trackpad gesture drawing is load-bearing for your day, Touch Bar widgets still matter on your hardware, or advanced mouse button chords free tools cannot see cleanly. Any one of those justifies Standard around $15 more than another weekend of hunting clones.
Is Multitouch a free BetterTouchTool alternative?
Multitouch is a real gesture-oriented competitor people mention next to BTT, but it is not a permanently free full replacement. Treat it as another paid option when you evaluate gesture apps. For a free path, stay on Karabiner, Rectangle and optionally Hammerspoon.
Should I uninstall BetterTouchTool before trying free alternatives?
No. Install Karabiner and Rectangle beside BTT, rebuild your top ten actions, then disable the matching BTT triggers. Uninstall only after a full work week without reaching for paid features. Quitting BTT cold on Monday morning is how people lose a day to missing shortcuts and blame the free tools unfairly.

Related Technologies & Concepts

BetterTouchToolKarabiner-ElementsRectangleHammerspoonfolivora.aiTrackpad gesturesKeyboard remapping
BetterTouchTool (Paid input customizer being replaced), Karabiner-Elements (Primary free keyboard alternative), Rectangle (Free window management alternative), Hammerspoon (Free scriptable automation alternative), folivora.ai (Publisher of BetterTouchTool), Trackpad gestures (BTT strength with weak free replacements), Keyboard remapping (Domain where Karabiner exceeds BTT)

Sources & References

  1. 1
    folivora.aiBuy BetterTouchTool , official pricing

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  2. 2
    folivora.aiBetterTouchTool home

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  3. 3
    karabiner-elements.pqrs.orgKarabiner-Elements

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  4. 4
    karabiner-elements.pqrs.orgKarabiner-Elements release notes

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  5. 5
    rectangleapp.comRectangle window manager

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  6. 6
    hammerspoon.orgHammerspoon

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

  7. 7
    github.comKarabiner-Elements GitHub releases

    Accessed Aug 9, 2026

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About the Author

Jordan Kim

Productivity & Workflow Analyst

Productivity ApplicationsNote-Taking & Knowledge ManagementTask & Project Management

Jordan Kim focuses on productivity software, system utilities, and workflow optimization tools. With a background in operations management and process improvement, Jordan evaluates how well applications integrate into daily workflows and enhance overall productivity.

8+ years in operations management · PMP certified
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