Automation apps for MacHead to head
Keyboard Maestro vs Hazel
Keyboard Maestro ranks #1 and Hazel ranks #2 in our guide to the best automation apps for Mac. Keyboard Maestro is our pick for most people.
Keyboard MaestroPick Keyboard Maestro if you repeat the same clicks and keystrokes at work every day and want macros to do them.$36 once#2 in the guide
HazelPick Hazel if what you repeat is filing and renaming downloads, bills and scans.$42 onceWhat decides it
- Keyboard Maestro costs less over 3 years: $36, against $42 for Hazel.
- Both run on Mac.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Keyboard Maestro | Hazel |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $36 once, no subscription. Free trial available | $42 once after a 14-day free trial. Family Pack is $65 |
| How you pay | Pay once | Pay once |
| 3 years of use | $36 Cheaper | $42 |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac |
| Where to buy | Developer | Developer |
| Features | Free trial | Free trial |
Who should get which
Get Keyboard Maestro if
You repeat the same clicks and keystrokes at work every day and would rather your Mac did them.
Get Hazel if
You download a steady stream of bills and scans and want them renamed and filed without touching them.
Skip Keyboard Maestro if
You need 2 or 3 simple automations, and Apple's free Shortcuts app already covers them.
Skip Hazel if
You keep a tidy Desktop already, and Finder's smart folders and stacks cover light sorting for free.
Our verdicts
Keyboard Maestro
Build a macro once and your Mac will fill that web form, arrange your windows or clean up copied text whenever you press a hotkey, type a string or reach a set time. Keyboard Maestro has hundreds of built-in actions plus conditions and loops, which takes it well past Apple's free Shortcuts app. It costs $36 once, but expect a learning curve, which is why version 11 added a wizard for your first macro.
Hazel
If your Downloads folder fills with invoices, statements and screenshots, Hazel files them using rules you set up once. It reads the text inside scanned PDFs, so a bank statement gets renamed by date and moved to the right folder, and version 6 can undo any change from Finder. Finder's smart folders only show files and never move them, but Hazel costs $42, and after the trial its demo mode watches just 1 folder.
What each one helps you do
Keyboard Maestro
- Fill the same web form with 1 hotkey
- Open your apps in a set window layout
- Clean up copied text before you paste it
- Run tasks on a schedule in the background
Hazel
- Sort new downloads into the right folders
- Rename scanned statements by their date
- Clear out old files and empty the Trash
- Remove leftover files when you delete an app
Where to get them
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best automation apps for Mac.
AlfredPick it if you want automations you start by typing a keyword, plus community workflows to borrow.Free to start
BetterTouchToolPick this if you want a trackpad gesture or mouse button to run a script or paste a snippet.$15 once
Read the full guideAll Keyboard Maestro alternativesAll Hazel alternatives