BetterMouse alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 29, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave BetterMouse: paid, unlike free tools such as Mos and LinearMouse, and can conflict with Logitech's own apps, which need removing. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces BetterMouse, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Mos currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Mos	Free	No	macOS	5 of 5	68.8
2	LinearMouse	Open source	Yes	macOS	4 of 4	64.8

1. MosTop pick
Best for: Mac users with a non-Apple mouse who find wheel scrolling jerky or want separate scroll directions
FreemacOS
68.8
score / 100
Why switch from BetterMouse
Free and open source if smooth scrolling and scroll direction are all you need.
Pros
Trackpad-like smooth scrolling for any wheel mouse
Separate scroll direction for mouse and trackpad, per axis
Per-app profiles and mouse button bindings
Free, with support back to macOS 10.13
Cons
Licence is non-commercial (CC BY-NC), not true open source
Needs Accessibility permission to work
macOS only; no pointer acceleration controls
Visit Mos Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Mos a good BetterMouse alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Price
Free
Checked Oct 29, 2026mos.caldis.me(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
macOS 10.13 and later
Checked Oct 29, 2026mos.caldis.me(opens source in a new tab)
Per-app profiles
Yes
Checked Oct 29, 2026mos.caldis.me(opens source in a new tab)
License
CC BY-NC 4.0
Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Install via Homebrew
Yes
Checked Oct 29, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
2. LinearMouse
Best for: Mac users with a third-party mouse who want Windows-like scrolling and no acceleration
Open sourcemacOS
64.8
score / 100
Why switch from BetterMouse
Free, open-source option for disabling acceleration and remapping buttons.
Pros
Separate scroll direction for mouse and trackpad
Can turn off pointer acceleration completely
Per-device, per-app and per-display profiles switch automatically
Free and MIT-licensed, with no account or upsell
Cons
macOS only
Button remapping is basic compared with BetterTouchTool or Karabiner-Elements
No smooth-scrolling engine or vendor features such as DPI and lighting control
Visit LinearMouse Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is LinearMouse a good BetterMouse alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 4 verified
License
MIT
Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
macOS
Checked Oct 29, 2026linearmouse.org(opens source in a new tab)
Disable acceleration
Yes
Checked Oct 29, 2026linearmouse.org(opens source in a new tab)
Homebrew
brew install --cask linearmouse
Checked Oct 29, 2026linearmouse.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best BetterMouse alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Best BetterMouse alternative for most people

Mos

Free and open source if smooth scrolling and scroll direction are all you need.

Best BetterMouse alternative for a free option

LinearMouse

Free, open-source option for disabling acceleration and remapping buttons.

Best BetterMouse alternative for open source

LinearMouse

Free, open-source option for disabling acceleration and remapping buttons.

Best BetterMouse alternative for Mac

SteerMouse

Long-running paid utility with deep button, chording and cursor settings.

BetterMouse alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to BetterMouse?

Mos ranks first right now. Free and open source if smooth scrolling and scroll direction are all you need. LinearMouse and SteerMouse follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to BetterMouse?

Yes. Mos (free) and LinearMouse (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to BetterMouse?

Yes: LinearMouse.

Why do people switch from BetterMouse?

The complaints we hear most: paid, unlike free tools such as Mos and LinearMouse; can conflict with Logitech's own apps, which need removing; mac only.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces BetterMouse, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.