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Mos alternatives: 3 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Mos: licence is non-commercial (CC BY-NC), not true open source, and needs Accessibility permission to work. We ranked 3 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Mos, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Karabiner-Elements currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Karabiner-Elements logoKarabiner-ElementsOpen sourceYesmacOS4 of 466.5
2BetterTouchTool logoBetterTouchToolPaidNomacOS5 of 562.6
3Hammerspoon logoHammerspoonOpen sourceYesmacOS4 of 450.3
  1. Karabiner-Elements logo

    1. Karabiner-ElementsTop pick

    Best for: Mac users who want to remap keys, build a hyper key or customise external keyboards

    Open sourcemacOS

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mos

    Free, open-source input remapper that handles mouse buttons and scroll direction with deeper rules.

    Pros

    • Free and open source
    • Simple remaps in a GUI, complex ones as rules
    • Large library of community rules
    • Per-device and per-app rules

    Cons

    • Complex rules require editing JSON
    • Setup needs a system extension and permissions
    • Keyboard-only; no gestures or window tools
    Visit Karabiner-Elements Details and reviews
    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 Karabiner-Elements a good Mos alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Unlicense (public domain)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Apple Silicon
    Supported, as is Intel
    Checked Oct 25, 2026karabiner-elements.pqrs.org(opens source in a new tab)
    GUI remapping
    Yes, for simple mappings
    Checked Oct 25, 2026karabiner-elements.pqrs.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Community rules
    Importable from the web
    Checked Oct 25, 2026karabiner-elements.pqrs.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. BetterTouchTool logo

    2. BetterTouchTool

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

    PaidmacOS

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mos

    Paid app with extensive mouse button and gesture customisation, if remapping matters more than smoothing.

    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
    Visit BetterTouchTool Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    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 BetterTouchTool a good Mos alternative?

    Verified facts

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

    3. Hammerspoon

    Best for: Developers who want to script their own Mac utilities instead of buying several

    Open sourcemacOS

    50.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mos

    Free Lua automation that can intercept scroll and mouse events, for people who want to script their own behaviour.

    Pros

    • Can replace many small utilities with code
    • Broad APIs across windows, input, network and devices
    • Spoons provide ready-made modules
    • Free and open source

    Cons

    • Requires writing Lua
    • No graphical editor for automations
    • Debugging configs can be fiddly
    Visit Hammerspoon Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    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 Hammerspoon a good Mos alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Scripting language
    Lua
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hammerspoon.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Default behaviour
    Does nothing until configured
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hammerspoon.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Plugins
    Spoons
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hammerspoon.org(opens source in a new tab)

The best Mos alternative for…

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

Karabiner-Elements logo

Best Mos alternative for most people

Karabiner-Elements

Free, open-source input remapper that handles mouse buttons and scroll direction with deeper rules.

Hammerspoon logo

Best Mos alternative for a free option

Hammerspoon

Free Lua automation that can intercept scroll and mouse events, for people who want to script their own behaviour.

Karabiner-Elements logo

Best Mos alternative for open source

Karabiner-Elements

Free, open-source input remapper that handles mouse buttons and scroll direction with deeper rules.

BetterTouchTool logo

Best Mos alternative for Mac

BetterTouchTool

Paid app with extensive mouse button and gesture customisation, if remapping matters more than smoothing.

Mos alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Mos?

Karabiner-Elements ranks first right now. Free, open-source input remapper that handles mouse buttons and scroll direction with deeper rules. BetterTouchTool and Hammerspoon follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Mos?

Yes. Karabiner-Elements (open source) and Hammerspoon (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Mos?

Yes: Karabiner-Elements and Hammerspoon.

Why do people switch from Mos?

The complaints we hear most: licence is non-commercial (CC BY-NC), not true open source; needs Accessibility permission to work; macOS only; no pointer acceleration controls.

How is this list ranked?

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