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Keyboard Maestro

by Stairways Software Pty Ltd · Application

Commercial macOS macro application that runs sequences of actions from hotkeys, typed strings, application, time, device and system triggers

ProprietaryPaidLocal
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Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

Keyboard Maestro is a commercial macOS automation application from Stairways Software, sold as a one-time license with paid major upgrades and a free trial. Its unit of work is the macro: a list of actions grouped into macro groups that control when the macro is available, fired by triggers such as hot keys, typed strings, application launches, time schedules, USB or Wi-Fi changes, folder changes, clipboard changes or remote URL calls.

The action library covers window and application control, keystroke and mouse simulation, clipboard and text manipulation, image recognition on screen, web-form filling, file operations, variables, conditions and loops, and steps that run shell scripts, AppleScript, JavaScript for Automation or Swift. A palette and conflict-menu system lets many macros share a few keys. The wiki serves as the reference manual and a long-running forum carries community macros.

It suits Mac power users who want GUI-level automation with a visual editor rather than code, and it is often used alongside Hammerspoon or Alfred. It is proprietary, macOS-only (10.13 or later for the current version), and heavy GUI scripting via screen-image matching can be fragile when application layouts change.

Capabilities

  • Macros triggered by hot keys, typed strings, apps, time, devices and events
  • Keystroke, mouse and window control with screen-image matching
  • Clipboard, text and variable manipulation with conditions and loops
  • Shell, AppleScript, JavaScript and Swift script actions
  • Macro palettes and per-application macro groups
  • Remote and URL triggers

Typical workflows

  1. Expand typed abbreviations into templates
  2. Set up window layouts when an external display connects
  3. Fill repetitive web forms with recorded steps

Strengths

  • Visual editor with a very large action library
  • One-time purchase, no subscription
  • Mature product with extensive wiki and forum

Limitations

  • macOS only and proprietary
  • Image-based GUI automation breaks when interfaces change
  • Paid upgrades between major versions

Prerequisites

  • macOS 10.13 or later
  • Accessibility permission

Who it is for

  • Mac power users
  • Knowledge workers automating repetitive GUI tasks

Alternatives & comparison

  • Alfred

    macOS launcher and productivity app whose paid Powerpack adds workflows, clipboard history, snippets and custom searches

    ProprietaryFreemium
  • Automator

    Apple's long-standing drag-and-drop workflow builder for macOS that produces apps, Quick Actions, folder actions and calendar-triggered automations

    ProprietaryFree
  • cliclick

    Small open-source macOS command-line tool that emulates mouse clicks, drags, movements, key presses and typing for scripted GUI control

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Hammerspoon

    Open-source macOS automation app that exposes system APIs to a Lua configuration file for hotkeys, window management and event-driven scripts

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Karabiner-Elements

    Free, public-domain keyboard customizer for macOS that remaps keys and defines complex modifications through JSON rules at the driver level

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Raycast

    Extensible launcher for macOS (with Windows and iOS versions) combining app search, clipboard history, snippets, window management and a store of community extensions

    MixedFreemium
  • Shortcuts

    Apple's built-in visual automation app for macOS, iOS and iPadOS that chains app actions, scripts and system functions into runnable shortcuts

    ProprietaryFree
Compare Keyboard Maestro with its alternatives →

Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

Confidence
High
Reviewed
Nov 1, 2026
Links
Verified · Nov 2, 2026

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