AppBreakup

CursorSense alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 29, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave CursorSense: sensitivity changes don't work on built-in trackpads or Magic devices, and mac only. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces CursorSense, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. SteerMouse currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1StSteerMousePaidNomacOS5 of 566.5
2LinearMouse logoLinearMouseOpen sourceYesmacOS4 of 464.8
3Mos logoMosFreeNomacOS5 of 561.8
4BetterTouchTool logoBetterTouchToolPaidNomacOS5 of 559.4
  1. St

    1. SteerMouseTop pick

    Best for: Mac users with multi-button mice or trackballs who want one driver for every brand

    PaidmacOS

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from CursorSense

    Same developer and the same cursor controls, plus button remapping, chords and scroll tuning.

    Pros

    • Works across mouse brands instead of separate vendor apps
    • Per-app button mappings and chord combinations
    • Cursor and scroll speed controls beyond System Settings
    • One-time licence with a 30-day trial

    Cons

    • No support for Apple Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad
    • Mac only
    • Major version upgrades cost extra
    • Some special buttons on certain mice may not be recognised
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is SteerMouse a good CursorSense alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    US$19.99 new licence
    Checked Oct 29, 2026plentycom.jp(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    30 days
    Checked Oct 29, 2026plentycom.jp(opens source in a new tab)
    Supported mice
    USB and Bluetooth
    Checked Oct 29, 2026plentycom.jp(opens source in a new tab)
    First released
    2005
    Checked Oct 29, 2026plentycom.jp(opens source in a new tab)
    System requirements
    macOS 12 Monterey or later
    Checked Oct 29, 2026plentycom.jp(opens source in a new tab)
  2. LinearMouse logo

    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 CursorSense

    Free and open source, with pointer acceleration and speed settings alongside scroll fixes.

    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
    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 CursorSense 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)
  3. Mos logo

    3. Mos

    Best for: Mac users with a non-Apple mouse who find wheel scrolling jerky or want separate scroll directions

    FreemacOS

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from CursorSense

    Free and open source; a good pick if smooth wheel scrolling is the main annoyance.

    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
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    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 CursorSense 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)
  4. BetterTouchTool logo

    4. BetterTouchTool

    Best for: Mac power users who want to remap gestures, mice and keys and automate with them

    PaidmacOS

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from CursorSense

    Covers mouse, trackpad and keyboard customisation in one app if you want more than cursor speed.

    Pros

    • Huge range of triggers and actions
    • Window snapping, clipboard and launcher included
    • Low one-off price with a lifetime option
    • Long free trial

    Cons

    • Dense, complicated settings
    • Mac only
    • Standard licence only covers two years of updates
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    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 BetterTouchTool a good CursorSense alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Standard licence
    $15, 2 years of updates
    Checked Oct 29, 2026folivora.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Lifetime licence
    $25
    Checked Oct 29, 2026folivora.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    45 days
    Checked Oct 29, 2026folivora.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Built-in actions
    600+
    Checked Oct 29, 2026folivora.ai(opens source in a new tab)
    Setapp
    Included
    Checked Oct 29, 2026folivora.ai(opens source in a new tab)

The best CursorSense alternative for…

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

St

Best CursorSense alternative for most people

SteerMouse

Same developer and the same cursor controls, plus button remapping, chords and scroll tuning.

LinearMouse logo

Best CursorSense alternative for a free option

LinearMouse

Free and open source, with pointer acceleration and speed settings alongside scroll fixes.

LinearMouse logo

Best CursorSense alternative for open source

LinearMouse

Free and open source, with pointer acceleration and speed settings alongside scroll fixes.

Mos logo

Best CursorSense alternative for Mac

Mos

Free and open source; a good pick if smooth wheel scrolling is the main annoyance.

CursorSense alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to CursorSense?

SteerMouse ranks first right now. Same developer and the same cursor controls, plus button remapping, chords and scroll tuning. LinearMouse and Mos follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to CursorSense?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to CursorSense?

Yes: LinearMouse.

Why do people switch from CursorSense?

The complaints we hear most: sensitivity changes don't work on built-in trackpads or Magic devices; mac only; does nothing for buttons or scrolling; that needs SteerMouse.

How is this list ranked?

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