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

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	LinearMouse	Open source	Yes	macOS	4 of 4	64.8
2	Mos	Free	No	macOS	5 of 5	61.8

1. LinearMouseTop pick
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
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 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)
2. 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
Visit Mos Details and reviews
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)

The best CursorSense alternative for…

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

Best CursorSense alternative for most people

SteerMouse

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

Best CursorSense alternative for a free option

LinearMouse

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

Best CursorSense alternative for open source

LinearMouse

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

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.