What is Keyboard Maestro?
Keyboard Maestro is a macOS automation tool built around macros: a trigger such as a hot key, a typed string, a device key or a schedule runs a sequence of actions that can control applications, manipulate text and images, fill in web forms and run shell or AppleScript code. It is a one-time purchase of US$36 per user, not a subscription, and one user may install it on up to five Macs; the licence covers version 11.x, and the developer says to expect a paid major upgrade roughly every 12 to 36 months. It requires macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later and ships as a native build for Intel and Apple Silicon, with Hardened Runtime and notarization. It is not sold on the Mac App Store, and the developer states it probably never will be. A fully-functional trial is available for download, and the pages Nuanyue checked state no time limit for it. It suits people who want deep, scriptable automation rather than a fixed set of shortcuts.
Verified product facts
- Type
- automation toolEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Apple Silicon
- Yes
- Pricing
- One-time purchaseDeveloper-stated
- Developer
- Stairways Software Pty LtdDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- Proprietary; licensed per user, usable on up to five Macs, and covering the current major version (11.x).
- Current version
- 11.1.1Developer-stated
- Official website
- www.keyboardmaestro.com
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Keyboard Maestro does at a glance.
Macros triggered
By hot keys, typed strings, device keys, application launches and schedules
Hundreds of built-in actions combined
With flow control, conditions and loops
Controls applications, windows and menus, and can fill in web forms
Manipulates text and images
Including OCR and Apple Text Recognition
Clipboard history and text snippet expansion
keyboardmaestro command line tool
For triggering macros from scripts
What you can use Keyboard Maestro for
- Running a sequence of actions from a single hot key
- Filling in web forms automatically
- Expanding text snippets as you type
- Running shell or AppleScript code from a macro
- Triggering macros on a schedule or when an application launches
Who is Keyboard Maestro for?
- People who want deep, scriptable automation rather than a fixed set of shortcuts
- Mac users who repeat the same multi-step tasks by hand
Who is Keyboard Maestro not for?
- Windows or Linux users — Keyboard Maestro is macOS only
- Anyone who wants to install from the Mac App Store — it is not sold there, and the developer says it probably never will be
- People who only need a keyboard launcher — Keyboard Maestro is built around trigger-and-action macros
Limitations
- Controlling other applications requires Accessibility permission
Strengths and trade-offs
What Keyboard Maestro does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- A one-time purchase of US$36 per user rather than a subscription, and one user can install it on up to five Macs.
- Ships as a native build for both Intel 64-bit and Apple Silicon, with Hardened Runtime, and is notarized.
- Runs on macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later, so it still works on Macs that cannot run a current macOS release.
Trade-offs
- A licence covers the current major version only; the developer describes an informal policy of a paid major upgrade roughly once every 12 to 36 months.Developer-stated
- It is not available from the Mac App Store, and the developer states it probably never will be.
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation Developer-stated
- Download the .zip from the developer, unzip it and move the app to Applications; a fully-functional unlicensed trial is available for download.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Version 11 adds a Security Settings pane that shows the status of the system permissions Keyboard Maestro needs, such as Accessibility, to control other applications.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Controls other applications and sends keystrokes, which requires Accessibility permission; macros can be triggered by hot keys, typed strings, device keys and schedules.
- Apple Silicon
- Supported
What it does
Keyboard Maestro is a macro automation tool for macOS. A macro pairs a trigger — a hot key, a typed string, a device key, an application launch or a schedule — with a sequence of actions that runs when the trigger fires. The actions cover the same ground you would otherwise do by hand: launching apps and opening documents, arranging windows, selecting menus, filling in web forms, transforming text and images, and running shell, AppleScript or JavaScript code.
Triggers and actions
The action set is the product’s core. The developer describes hundreds of
built-in actions that can be combined with flow control, conditions and loops,
so a macro can branch and repeat rather than only run straight through. Version
11 added a New Macro Wizard for starting a macro quickly, Apple Text
Recognition for OCR, and a keyboardmaestro command line tool for triggering
macros from scripts.
Pricing and licensing
Keyboard Maestro 11 is a one-time purchase, not a subscription:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| New licence | US$36 per user |
| Machines per licence | Up to five Macs per user |
| Upgrade from a previous version | US$25 (a US$18 version-10 upgrade ran until 15 December 2023) |
| Major-version cadence | Roughly once every 12 to 36 months |
A licence covers the current major version. The developer states an informal policy of a paid major upgrade roughly every 12 to 36 months, which keeps revenue coming without a subscription but means a new major version is a paid upgrade. Keyboard Maestro is not sold on the Mac App Store, and the developer states it probably never will be.
Apple Silicon
Verified. The developer states that Keyboard Maestro 11 is “native for Intel 64 bit and Apple Silicon”, with Hardened Runtime, and is notarized.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for Keyboard Maestro, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
11.1.1
Current release; fixes the Application Switcher not progressing with repeated Option/Control-Tab presses on Tahoe and later.
Source: Official website
11.0
Major release adding the New Macro Wizard, a Security settings pane, a keyboardmaestro command line tool, Apple Text Recognition and dozens of new actions.
Source: Official website
Questions about Keyboard Maestro
Is Keyboard Maestro a subscription?
No. Keyboard Maestro 11 is a one-time purchase of US$36 per user, and the licence covers version 11.x indefinitely.
How many Macs can I use one Keyboard Maestro licence on?
It is licensed on a per-user basis, and an individual user may use it on up to five Macs.
Which macOS version does Keyboard Maestro require?
Keyboard Maestro 11 requires macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later.
Does Keyboard Maestro support Apple Silicon?
Yes. The developer states Keyboard Maestro 11 is native for Intel 64-bit and Apple Silicon, with Hardened Runtime, and is notarized.
Is there a free trial of Keyboard Maestro?
Yes. A fully-functional unlicensed trial can be downloaded from the developer; the pages Nuanyue checked do not state a time limit for it.Developer-stated
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
Raycast
Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI.
Both are extensible automation and launcher tools; Raycast's paid features are a subscription while Keyboard Maestro is a one-time purchase.
Compared with
Head-to-head comparisons Nuanyue has published.
Alfred
Launcher and automation tool with workflows and snippets.
Both automate the Mac from the keyboard, but Keyboard Maestro is built around trigger-and-action macros while Alfred is a launcher with a workflow editor.
BetterTouchTool
Customize gestures, shortcuts, and input actions across trackpads, mice, and keyboards.
Both trigger actions from input, but BetterTouchTool centres on trackpad, mouse and keyboard gestures plus window management, while Keyboard Maestro centres on macros.
Works well with
Not a replacement — apps commonly used alongside this one.
Hazel
Automated file organization for your Mac.
Keyboard Maestro runs macros from input triggers while Hazel reacts to files arriving in folders; the two are commonly used together for file workflows.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
