Keyboard remapping and hotkey apps for Windows and Mac

How did we pick these keyboard remappers?

We picked tools that change what a key or key combination does. We read each maker's own page on 3 November 2026. Prices are copied exactly as each page shows them. Where a page gives no price, we write "Not published".

We make mouzeclick. It is one of the eight tools below, so its section is labelled as ours and it sits last. mouzeclick is a hotkey and macro tool, not a key-to-key remapper, and this page says where that matters.

Three questions sorted the list:

• Does the tool swap single keys, or does it build shortcuts and macros on top of them?
• Does it work in one app, or everywhere?
• Does it run on Windows, on a Mac, or on both?

Which keyboard remapping software fits which job?

Checked on 3 November 2026. Each price is shown as it appears on the maker's page.

What is key mapping, and how is it different from a hotkey?

Key mapping changes what a physical key sends. A shortcut remap turns one combination into another. A hotkey runs an action, or a chain of actions, when you press a combination. Most of the confusion between these tools comes from mixing up those three jobs.

The tools also work in different ways:

• SharpKeys edits a registry value that Windows reads. The mapping covers the whole machine and takes effect after you log out or reboot.
• Karabiner-Elements changes input events on a layer closer to the hardware. Its key code names are HID usage names, which are similar to scancodes.
• PowerToys intercepts key presses, and its remaps apply only while PowerToys runs. A shortcut remap can target one app.
• AutoHotkey, BetterTouchTool and Keyboard Maestro react to keys and run something: a script, an action or a macro. AutoHotkey can also remap keys and buttons.

Mouse buttons are a separate question:

• SharpKeys can't map mouse clicks.
• Microsoft's Keyboard Manager page describes keys and shortcuts only.
• AutoHotkey remaps keys or buttons.
• BetterTouchTool handles mouse chords.

If buttons matter more than keys, read our guide to the best mouse button mapping software.

Is PowerToys Keyboard Manager the best free remapper for Windows 11?

For most people, yes. Keyboard Manager is part of Microsoft PowerToys, a free, open-source set of Windows utilities. It remaps single keys and shortcuts, and it can map a key to a text sequence.

Its settings offer Remap a key and Remap a shortcut. A shortcut remap can target one app. If you don't name an app, it applies across Windows. Starting in PowerToys 0.100, new installations open a redesigned WinUI 3 editor by default, and a toggle switches back to the legacy editor.

The limits are written down on Microsoft's Keyboard Manager page:

• PowerToys has to be running. Close it and the remaps stop.
• Win + L and Ctrl + Alt + Del are reserved by Windows.
• The Fn key can't be remapped in most cases. F1 to F12 and F13 to F24 can.
• You can't set different mappings for different keyboards, and Mac and Linux profiles aren't included.
• It doesn't work on password screens.
• Elevated windows ignore the remaps unless PowerToys runs as administrator.
• Microsoft says not to use it while playing games, because intercepting key presses currently affects FPS.

PowerToys also has mouse utilities: Find My Mouse, Highlighter, Crosshairs, Mouse Button Lock and others. Mouse Button Lock holds a button down for long drags. It doesn't reassign the button.

Best for: anyone on Windows 11 who wants Caps Lock as another key, or one shortcut swapped in one app, without writing code.

When is AutoHotkey v2 the better pick on Windows?

Pick AutoHotkey when a simple swap isn't enough and you want logic. It is a free, open-source (GNU GPLv2) scripting language for desktop automation.

It covers:

• hotkeys for the keyboard, the mouse and joysticks
• remapped keys or buttons
• abbreviations that expand as you type

The v2 documentation showed version 2.0.31 when we checked. It has pages on remapping keys and buttons, on hotstrings and auto-replace, and a list of keys, mouse buttons and controller controls. The tutorials cover writing hotkeys, sending keystrokes, running programs and managing windows. The site describes AutoHotkey as small, fast and ready to run out of the box. The language supports procedural, object-oriented and command-based styles.

The cost is time. AutoHotkey is a scripting language, so your mappings live in scripts you write and keep. Our guide to remapping mouse buttons on Windows 11 covers the button side.

Best for: people who want conditions, text expansion and mouse buttons in one script, and don't mind writing it.

What does SharpKeys do that PowerToys doesn't?

SharpKeys writes the mapping into Windows itself, so you close the app afterwards. It manages the Scancode Map value under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout. That is the registry value Windows uses to remap one key to another.

1. Launch SharpKeys from the Start menu.
2. Add a new key mapping, or edit an existing one.
3. Click Write to registry and wait for the confirmation.
4. Close SharpKeys, then log out and back in, or reboot.

There are several ways to install it:

• an MSI from GitHub Releases or the Microsoft Store
• a ZIP with an EXE for ARM Windows
• winget install -e RandyRants.SharpKeys
• scoop

The GitHub page lists Windows XP through Windows 10, and its FAQ answers "Yes!" for Windows 11.

It lists just as plainly what it won't do:

• Put a key combination such as Ctrl + C on one key.
• Map mouse clicks.
• Handle hardware keys that never reach Windows, such as most Fn keys.
• Keep separate mappings per user, because the value covers the whole machine.
• Remap triple-byte scancodes, which the Windows Registry can't remap, or the Copilot key. The author points to active remappers such as PowerToys or AutoHotkey for those.

Best for: one permanent swap, such as Caps Lock to Ctrl, that should work for every user with no app running.

Is Karabiner-Elements the best keyboard remapper for a Mac?

For free key-level remapping on a Mac, it is the one to start with. Its maker calls it a powerful and stable keyboard customizer for macOS. It is open source and you can use it without any purchase.

There are three levels:

• Simple modifications, set up from the app's window.
• Predefined complex rules, imported from the internet, such as Diamond cursor, Emacs key bindings anywhere, Vi key bindings, Prevent unintended command-q and Mouse keys.
• Your own rules, written from scratch or adapted from existing ones.

The documentation also covers managing profiles and exporting and importing your configuration. Version 16.3.0 lists macOS 27 Golden Gate, Tahoe 26, Sequoia 15, Sonoma 14 and Ventura 13. It runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Funding is optional. You can use GitHub Sponsors, or a one-time PayPal form to "Pay $10 for Karabiner-Elements". The project says this is effectively a donation, but it takes the form of a software fee because of Japanese law.

Two quirks are documented:

• Key code names follow the physical position on an ANSI keyboard. On a JIS or other non-ANSI layout, the symbols differ from the names, and the project says this is intended.
• Control + eject doesn't work while Karabiner runs. The fix is to import the "Change escape key" rule, enable the option that changes fn + escape to eject, then use control + fn + escape.

Best for: Mac users who want Caps Lock or a modifier changed system-wide, for free, with room to grow into custom rules.

Which keyboard remapper runs on Windows, Mac and Linux?

Kanata does. Its repository describes it as a cross-platform software keyboard remapper for Linux, macOS and Windows. It is licensed under LGPL-3.0, and no price is listed.

Setup differs by system:

• macOS: install the Karabiner driver first, following the macOS documentation on the releases page. Kanata then needs sudo to intercept the keyboard.
• Windows: an optional build uses the Interception driver. Add --features interception_driver when you build or run cargo install.

It is the most technical tool on this list. The instructions live in a GitHub README, and on a Mac they start with another project's driver.

Best for: people who switch between systems, want one remapper everywhere and are comfortable at the command line.

Is BetterTouchTool a keyboard remapper or a macro app?

It is both, and it covers the mouse and trackpad too. folivora.ai lists 600+ triggers across input devices and 600+ built-in actions.

For keys, the keyboard shortcuts page lists:

• global hotkeys, or hotkeys scoped to one app or a group of apps
• separate left and right modifiers
• short and long presses
• key sequences
• a configurable hyper key

For mice, it offers multi-button chords, button + scroll and modifier + button. It also offers full Logitech control with no extra drivers. The site's own examples include Button 4 + left click for a new tab, and Button 3 + scroll for volume.

Radial menus open by gesture or long click. The downloads page also mentions gestures for the trackpad, the Magic Mouse and a normal mouse. BTT Mobile is free if you have bought BetterTouchTool.

Two things were missing from the pages we checked. The licence price was not shown, and the site doesn't mention Windows. The examples are built around the Dock, Spaces and the Magic Mouse. For the mouse side, see remapping mouse buttons on a Mac and our BetterTouchTool alternative comparison.

Best for: Mac users who want keys, mouse chords, trackpad gestures and radial menus in one app.

What does Keyboard Maestro add for custom shortcuts on a Mac?

Keyboard Maestro adds macros, not remaps. Keyboard Maestro 11 is a one-time purchase of US$36 plus applicable tax, with no subscription, and you can use version 11 indefinitely. Upgrading from any earlier version costs US$25 plus applicable tax, and purchases since 1 March 2023 get version 11 free. A free trial is offered, but its length isn't stated. It needs macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon.

Hundreds of built-in actions combine with flow control, conditions and loops. A macro can:

• launch apps, open documents and rearrange windows
• transform text, OCR images and expand snippets
• filter the clipboard and keep a multiple-entry clipboard history
• fill in web forms

Macros run on command or on a schedule. Version 11 adds dozens of actions, a New Macro Wizard, a Prompt for Snippet action and a Security Settings pane. The page title read 11.1.1 when we checked. Our roundup of mouse macro software covers the same job with buttons.

Best for: Mac users whose "shortcut" is really five steps in a row.

Where mouzeclick fits (we make it)

mouzeclick is a hotkey tool, not a key-to-key remapper. Its keyboard hotkeys put any action on any key combination, per app. A hotkey can also block a combination that an app keeps stealing. It doesn't rewrite what a key types everywhere. If you want Caps Lock to become Escape across the system, use PowerToys, SharpKeys or Karabiner-Elements.

What it does:

• Macros. Record a shortcut, or chain keys, clicks, waits, typed text and launches.
• A shortcut library. It has 309 built-in shortcuts on Windows, for Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve and CapCut. The hotkeys you make sit beside them in the picker.
• Mouse buttons. The same actions go on any mouse your computer sees, using up to five buttons. Each button has eleven slots: tap, hold and move in four directions, a chord with another button, or hold and scroll.
• The Options wheel. Press F8 to open 48 favourites per app.
• Per-app profiles. Mouse 4 can cut in Premiere and paste everywhere else.

For editors, that is usually the real need. See Premiere Pro mouse shortcuts, or toolbars against a mouse wheel.

Plain limits:

• The hotkeys, mouse app and wheels run on Windows 10 and 11 and on macOS 12 or newer.
• The Premiere Pro and After Effects workspaces, captions, Retakes, cloud sync and in-app updates are Windows-only.
• It needs an internet connection while it runs. If the connection drops, shortcuts pause until it returns.
• On Windows, apps running as administrator ignore it until you pick Restart as administrator in the tray menu. Ctrl + Alt + F12 stops it at once.
• On a Mac, you allow it once and turn it on under Accessibility and Input Monitoring. The steps are on the Mac install page.

The trial is 3 days with no card. Prices are on the pricing section.

Best for: editors who want per-app hotkeys, macros and mouse buttons in their editing apps, on Windows or Mac.

How do I make custom shortcuts in Windows 11?

The quickest free route is PowerToys Keyboard Manager's Remap a shortcut.

1. Install Microsoft PowerToys and leave it running.
2. Open Keyboard Manager in PowerToys settings and make sure it is enabled.
3. Choose Remap a shortcut, then Add shortcut remapping.
4. Under Select, enter the keys you want to press. Under To send, choose the shortcut they should send.
5. Name a target app to limit the remap to that program, or leave it blank to apply it across Windows.

Microsoft sets three rules for shortcuts:

• A shortcut must begin with a modifier (Ctrl, Shift, Alt or Win).
• It must end with an action key.
• It can't be longer than four keys, or five if it is a chord.

For a single key, use Remap a key, or SharpKeys if it should work with no app running.

If a remap does nothing, check these in order:

• PowerToys is running.
• The target window isn't elevated. If it is, run PowerToys as administrator.
• The combination isn't Win + L or Ctrl + Alt + Del.
• You aren't on a password screen.

In an editor, change the shortcut inside the app first. See how to change keyboard shortcuts in Premiere Pro and in After Effects, or the list of video editing keyboard shortcuts in every editor.

How do I make custom shortcuts on a Mac: Karabiner or BetterTouchTool?

Use Karabiner-Elements to change what keys do, and BetterTouchTool or Keyboard Maestro to make keys run actions.

• Karabiner-Elements is free. It changes input close to the hardware, and its simple modifications need no code. Pick it for modifier swaps, Vi-style navigation or blocking an accidental command + q.
• BetterTouchTool scopes hotkeys to one app or a group of apps. It tells left and right modifiers apart, has long presses and a hyper key, and adds mouse chords and radial menus. We couldn't find its price on the pages we checked.
• Keyboard Maestro is US$36 once, plus applicable tax. Pick it when one key should launch an app, rearrange windows and paste a snippet in a row.
• mouzeclick (ours) puts per-app hotkeys and macros on key combinations and mouse buttons, on a Mac as on Windows.

Kanata also runs on a Mac, but it needs the Karabiner driver installed first.

How do I choose keyboard remapping software?

Start with the job, then the system.

• Swap one key for another, everywhere. On Windows, use PowerToys Remap a key, or SharpKeys if you want no app running. On a Mac, use Karabiner-Elements.
• Swap a shortcut in one app. On Windows, use PowerToys Remap a shortcut with a target app. On a Mac, use BetterTouchTool.
• Logic, text expansion and scripts. Use AutoHotkey on Windows, or Keyboard Maestro on a Mac.
• One config on Windows, macOS and Linux. Use Kanata.
• Hotkeys and mouse buttons per editing app, on Windows and Mac. Use mouzeclick, which we make.

Check the limits before you commit:

• Fn keys mostly can't be remapped on Windows.
• The Copilot key is out of reach for SharpKeys.
• PowerToys can't keep separate mappings per keyboard.
• Gaming and Keyboard Manager don't mix.

Questions people ask

Sources

Checked on 2026-11-03. Prices and features change: each link goes to the maker's own page.

1. AutoHotkey home page
2. AutoHotkey v2 documentation
3. Microsoft PowerToys overview
4. PowerToys Keyboard Manager
5. PowerToys mouse utilities
6. SharpKeys on GitHub
7. Kanata on GitHub
8. Karabiner-Elements home page
9. Karabiner-Elements pricing
10. Karabiner-Elements: symbols with non-ANSI keyboards
11. Karabiner-Elements: control-eject
12. Karabiner-Elements: sleep system function (fn+z example)
13. BetterTouchTool home page
14. BetterTouchTool keyboard shortcuts
15. BetterTouchTool downloads
16. Keyboard Maestro

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