ControllerKeys alternative for Mac

InputConfig is completely free on the Mac App Store. You don't have to make an account, there are no subscriptions, and nothing is locked. Optimized for Apple silicon.

There is a free, open-source alternative to ControllerKeys on the Mac App Store: InputConfig, which I make, so weigh that. ControllerKeys, by Kevin Tang, is a capable Mac mapper that turns a game controller into a keyboard and mouse. It is sold from its own site with a 14-day trial, its source is on GitHub as NSEvent/xbox-controller-mapper under the PolyForm Noncommercial license, and it needs macOS 14.6 or later. I compare the two below, including what ControllerKeys does better. The full comparison of Mac mappers covers every other option too.

Steps

Install InputConfig from the Mac App Store and allow Accessibility access.
Pair the controller.
Pick a built-in preset or search the Smart Preset Maker for the game or app.
Press Scan on any row to change it, then press Activate.

Compare them side by side

	ControllerKeys	InputConfig
Price	14-day trial, then a paid license	Free, nothing locked
License	Source available, non-commercial	MIT, open source
Where	Own site, Gumroad, Homebrew	Mac App Store, Homebrew
macOS	14.6 or later	14 or later
Inputs	Game controllers, including the Siri Remote	Game controllers, MIDI devices, keyboards, mice, the trackpad, screen regions, and a tap on the MacBook, which was tested on M4 MacBooks and did not work on an M1 Pro in our testing; the calibrator's status chip tells you whether yours listens

Checked on 22 October 2026 against each app's App Store listing, GitHub or Codeberg page, and the maker's own site.

Choose ControllerKeys for these

JavaScript scripting. InputConfig has macros, not scripts.
An on-screen swipe keyboard. Typing by swiping on a keyboard drawn on screen is a ControllerKeys feature.
OBS integration. InputConfig drives OBS through keyboard shortcuts instead.
The Siri Remote. ControllerKeys lists it as an input.

If you need any of those, ControllerKeys is the better choice.

Choose InputConfig for these

MIDI in and out. A MIDI keyboard as input, a controller as a MIDI instrument.
The Mac's own devices as inputs. The keyboard, mouse, trackpad and screen regions. InputConfig listens to the keyboard; it does not block or remap the key itself, and keys from every keyboard count as the same key.
A tap on the MacBook. It was tested on M4 MacBooks and did not work on an M1 Pro in our testing; the calibrator's status chip tells you whether yours listens.
Accessibility features. One-stick driving, spoken feedback, the Access and Adaptive controllers.
Ready layouts. 450+ in the Smart Preset Maker.
An App Store install. At no cost, updated like any other App Store app.

The Smart Preset Maker in InputConfig with a game name typed in the search field and its ready layout listed below. — Figure 1. Search the Smart Preset Maker before you build: most games and apps already have a layout.

The short version

Scripting, a swipe keyboard or OBS. Choose ControllerKeys.
Free, MIT licensed, on the App Store. Choose InputConfig.
Inputs beyond controllers. InputConfig reads MIDI, the Mac's own keyboard, mouse and trackpad, and screen regions.

Both do the core job well, so I would pick by the extras you need.

Questions

Is ControllerKeys free?

No. It has a 14-day trial, then a paid license.

Is there a free, open-source alternative to ControllerKeys?

Yes. InputConfig is free, MIT licensed, and on the Mac App Store.

Is ControllerKeys open source?

Its source is public on GitHub, but the PolyForm Noncommercial license does not allow commercial use, so it is source-available rather than open source in the usual sense. InputConfig is MIT licensed, which allows any use.

Is ControllerKeys on the Mac App Store?

No. It is sold from the developer's site and Gumroad, and there is a Homebrew tap. InputConfig is on the Mac App Store, so it installs and updates like any other App Store app.

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Open source on GitHub.

Updated November 4, 2026