A free TourBox 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.
If there is a game controller in a drawer, it can be a free TourBox on a Mac. A TourBox, a Clip Studio Tabmate, a Wacom ExpressKey Remote and a Huion Keydial all do one job, shortcuts in the hand that is not holding the pen or the mouse. InputConfig, the free app I make, turns any button on a controller into any shortcut, with holds, toggles, chords and a different deck for every app. I compare it with them below, including where the dedicated devices are simply better.
On this page
Steps
- Install InputConfig and allow Accessibility access.
- Pair the controller.
- Pick your art or photo app in the Smart Preset Maker.
- Change any row with Scan.
Compare them side by side
| TourBox | Tabmate, ExpressKey Remote, Keydial | Game controller with InputConfig | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | About $95 (Lite) to about $270 (Elite Plus) | Sold by Celsys, Wacom and Huion | Free if you own a controller |
| Controls | Buttons, a knob, a scroll wheel and a dial | Buttons with a wheel, ring or dial | Face buttons, D-pad, bumpers, triggers, two sticks, stick clicks. A touchpad on a DualSense |
| Software | TourBox Console | Clip Studio Paint, or the tablet maker's driver | InputConfig, free on the Mac App Store |
| Works in | Any app, with presets for popular ones | Clip Studio for the Tabmate. Any app through the driver for the others | Any Mac app, with ready decks for 450+ games and apps |
TourBox prices from a 2026 buyer's guide, checked in September 2026. Prices change. Check the maker's store.
Where a dedicated remote is better
- Dials. Turning a knob to size a brush, zoom or rotate is more natural than holding a stick. This is the real reason to buy one.
- It sits flat. A TourBox or Keydial stays put on the desk. A controller is held or rests in a lap.
- App integration. The Tabmate lives inside Clip Studio Paint, and some remotes ship ready profiles for their partner apps.
If dials are the reason, there is a free route to that too: a small MIDI controller with endless knobs.
See what a controller and InputConfig add
- More controls than most remotes. Plus two sticks: one for the pointer in menus and panels, one for zoom or layers.
- Up to four jobs per button. A press, a hold, a double tap and a triple tap, and chords with a bumper held.
- Latched modifiers. Toggle mode holds Shift or Option down until the next press, for a hand that cannot hold a button while drawing.
- A deck per app. Auto-switch brings up the Photoshop deck in Photoshop and the Lightroom deck in Lightroom.
- Rumble on a row. Undo can buzz, so you know it fired without looking.
- Free and open source. It has no account and no network access.
Get a dial for free with a MIDI knob
InputConfig reads MIDI devices as input. A knob set to Turn mode fires one output for each few steps clockwise and another counterclockwise.
- Brush size. Put the bracket keys on it and it is a brush-size dial in Photoshop, Krita or Clip Studio.
- Zoom. Put Command plus and minus on another and it is a zoom wheel.
The knob box and the controller can run from one preset. For Lightroom Classic develop sliders, where you want a knob per slider rather than a key per nudge, the free MIDI2LR plugin is the better tool.
Set it up in five minutes
- Install InputConfig from the Mac App Store and allow Accessibility access.
- Pair the controller. A single Joy-Con or a small 8BitDo pad sits well beside a tablet.
- In the Smart Preset Maker, pick your app: Photoshop, Lightroom, Clip Studio Paint, Krita, Affinity Photo and more.
- You: Change any row with Scan: press the button, choose the shortcut.
- InputConfig: Sends that shortcut to the app in front whenever you press the button.
- Check: Press it in the app and the tool changes.
Follow the drawing and photo editing guide for a full Photoshop deck you can download.
The short version
- Own a controller. It is a free shortcut remote with InputConfig.
- Want a dial. Add a small MIDI knob box in Turn mode.
- Want a flat desk device with dials and ready profiles. Buy the TourBox.
Try the pad in your drawer before you buy a remote.
Questions
Is there a free TourBox alternative?
Yes: a game controller you already own and InputConfig, a free Mac app. It maps every button to any shortcut, with a separate deck for each app.
What is a cheap TourBox alternative for drawing?
A controller you already own costs nothing. If you want a dial as well, a small MIDI knob controller set to Turn mode in InputConfig works as a brush-size or zoom dial.
Is there a TourBox alternative for Lightroom?
For culling, yes: a controller with the Lightroom deck does next, pick, reject and ratings from one hand. For develop sliders, a MIDI knob box with the free MIDI2LR plugin is closer to what a TourBox or Loupedeck does.
Is there a Tabmate alternative on a Mac?
A game controller does the same job in Clip Studio Paint through InputConfig, and the same pad works in every other app too. The Tabmate's wheel is the thing you give up.
Does InputConfig work on Windows or the iPad?
No. It is a Mac app, for macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
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