A Visual Keyboard Maestro Alternative for Mac
Compare free Keyboard Maestro alternatives, Rulr and Apple Shortcuts. See a real app-launch workflow, pricing, and limits before switching.
Which one is right for you?
Rulr is a Keyboard Maestro alternative for Mac users who want to build and inspect automations on a visual When → If → Do canvas. It requires macOS 26 or later. Whether it can replace your macros depends on the events, Actions, and data each workflow needs.
- Try Rulr if you want to see branches and step results on a canvas, build Rules visually, or use optional AI Builder to help create and edit them. Start with the same app-launch task in both tools.
- Keep Keyboard Maestro if your existing macros already work or depend on its specific Actions, Macro Groups, palettes, or debugger. A different editor alone is not a reason to rebuild a working library.
- Check Apple Shortcuts first if you want a built-in option and its available app Actions cover the task. Apple’s Shortcuts guide explains how to combine steps across apps.
This guide is published by Rulr. It compares Rulr with Keyboard Maestro, including where switching adds configuration work and where an existing macro needs a closer capability check. For a broader introduction, see the Mac automation guide.
Free Keyboard Maestro alternatives for Mac
For a task you want to automate without buying a license, start by checking the steps you need:
- Apple Shortcuts is included with macOS. Try it when the apps and Actions available in Shortcuts can perform the task.
- Rulr’s free version lets you build and import Rules using free components. For example, Launch and Focus App uses a hotkey and Actions available without Pro. Check each Trigger and Action before rebuilding a larger workflow: some require Pro, and optional AI Builder requires your own provider connection.
- Keyboard Maestro offers a free trial. Version 11 is a paid, one-time purchase; the trial is useful for comparing the same task before deciding.
Neither free option is a guaranteed replacement for every Keyboard Maestro macro. Check your macOS version, the required Actions, permissions, and any app-specific behavior first.
If you are starting a new macro rather than replacing an existing one, the Mac macro software guide explains how to choose a tool and try an app-launch shortcut.
For more examples, Sort Downloads moves new files according to the conditions you set, and Watch a Folder and Run a Shortcut runs an Apple Shortcut when a folder changes. Each Rule page lists its setup and component requirements.
Rulr vs Keyboard Maestro
Keyboard Maestro organizes automation as macros activated by Triggers, with Actions and control flow. Rulr organizes automation as visual Rules, keeping Triggers, optional Conditions, Variables, branches, and Actions visible in a When → If → Do structure.
Rulr also offers optional AI Builder. Describe a task to create a Rule, or ask the assistant to find, explain, and update existing Rules, then review the changes on the canvas. AI Builder uses your own supported provider connection and API key; you can build Rules visually or import examples without it. See How to Build Mac Automations with AI for setup.
Both tools provide execution logs. Keyboard Maestro also has a Macro Debugger for pausing a macro and stepping through its Actions. Rulr combines Inspect Mode on the Rule canvas with a separate Execution Logs window. In Inspect Mode, you can follow the executed path and check step results without leaving the Rule.
Rulr’s Execution Logs provide a chronological record with timestamps, Trigger and Action results, durations, and diagnostic details. The Window Switcher example below shows the Trigger received and the Action finishing successfully. Use Inspect Mode to understand the path and the logs to examine the sequence of events.
Compare how you create a workflow, change its logic, and understand a run.
| Rulr | Keyboard Maestro | |
|---|---|---|
| Workflow model | Visual When → If → Do Rules | Macros with Triggers, Actions, and control flow |
| Branching | Branches shown on the Rule canvas | Control-flow Actions inside a macro |
| Variables and data | Trigger outputs and Action results can be used by Conditions and later Actions | Variables and tokens can be used throughout a macro |
| Hotkeys and events | Hotkeys, schedules, files, apps, devices, system events, and more | Hotkeys and a broad range of macro triggers |
| Scripts and Shortcuts | AppleScript, Shell scripts, browser JavaScript, and Apple Shortcuts | AppleScript, Shell scripts, browser JavaScript, and Apple Shortcuts |
| Run inspection | Inspect Mode shows the executed path and step results on the Rule canvas | Macro Debugger supports pausing and stepping through Actions |
| Execution logs | Separate Execution Logs window with timestamps, results, durations, and diagnostic details | Execution logs alongside Macro Debugger |
| System requirements | macOS 26 or later | Version 11: macOS 10.13 or later |
| Pricing | Free version; optional Pro upgrade: US$35.90 one-time, with future Pro updates included | Version 11: US$36 plus applicable tax; future major upgrades sold separately |
Keyboard Maestro’s system requirements and pricing are listed on its official site. Rulr’s Pro overview lists its upgrade terms; the capability library identifies components that require Pro.
The same task in both tools: Launch and focus an app
Suppose you want a shortcut that opens Google Chrome when it is closed and brings it forward when it is already running. This is a small enough task to compare configuration directly, without moving your macro library.
Configure it in Keyboard Maestro
Create a macro in a Macro Group available in the apps where you want to use the shortcut. Add a Hot Key Trigger, record an unused key combination, and add Activate a Specific Application, targeting Google Chrome. That Action launches the app when necessary and activates it. Review its options for what happens when the app is already frontmost.
Configure it in Rulr
The sample connects Hotkey Pressed to Launch Application, then Make Application Frontmost. Both Actions initially target Google Chrome.
- Open Rulr on a Mac running macOS 26 or later.
- Open Launch and Focus App and select Open this Rule in Rulr.
- Keep Chrome or select the same installed app in both Actions. Replace Option + Space if it conflicts with another shortcut.
- Allow Accessibility, enable the Rule, and try it with the target app closed and already running.
The Rulr preview shows the importable Rule; the Keyboard Maestro setup follows its linked official documentation.
Compare the results on your Mac
Give the macro and Rule different shortcuts while comparing them. In each tool, try the target app closed, running behind another app, and already frontmost. Check whether the app opens and comes forward as intended. Neither setup selects a particular Chrome tab or restores a workspace.
| What you change or inspect | Keyboard Maestro setup | Rulr sample |
|---|---|---|
| Shortcut | Hot Key Trigger in the macro | Hotkey Pressed in When |
| Target app | One Activate a Specific Application Action | The app selection in both Actions |
| Already-frontmost behavior | Options on the activation Action | The sample sends launch and frontmost requests again; it has no hide toggle |
| Investigate a run | Use Macro Debugger and logs | Use Inspect Mode to review the Rule path and Action results |
For this task, Keyboard Maestro combines launch and activation in one Action; Rulr makes them two explicit steps. The comparison helps you try each editing model. For a Rule with Conditions, Open Work Apps extends an app-launch routine with time checks.
Check your workflow before switching
Treat switching as rebuilding a workflow, rather than transferring a macro file. The Rulr example here imports a Rulr Rule; it does not demonstrate converting a Keyboard Maestro macro. AI Builder can help construct a Rule from a description, but that is not evidence that the original macro’s behavior has been preserved.
- List the dependencies. Write down the starting event, app restrictions, checks, data passed between steps, scripts, and expected result. Include Macro Groups, palettes, plug-ins, and individual Action options the macro depends on.
- Match each dependency. Check Rulr’s Triggers, Variables, and Actions, including permissions and Pro requirements. If a required behavior has no matching component, keep that task in Keyboard Maestro.
- Rebuild one task. Choose an independent workflow, select your own apps and paths, and give it a different shortcut while comparing it with the original.
- Compare normal and boundary cases. Check the app closed and already running, Conditions that pass and fail, and missing inputs. Review the executed path and results before disabling the old macro.
These examples help distinguish supported tasks from broader expectations:
| Your task | Starting Rule | What the sample actually does |
|---|---|---|
| Find an open Chrome page | Search Chrome Windows and Tabs | Opens an interactive manager for existing Chrome windows and tabs; it does not restore a browser session. |
| Copy text that cannot be selected | Copy Text from Your Screen | Recognizes the configured screen target and copies text; it does not automatically isolate one sentence. |
| Read incoming image files | Extract Text from New Images | Watches a folder and recognizes matching images; it does not process every page of a PDF. |
| Choose an application window | Window Switcher | Opens a visual window picker; it does not rearrange windows or manage Spaces. |
| Move a window after connecting a display | Monitor Workspace | Moves one selected app’s last-used window after a qualifying display change; it does not restore a complete desktop layout. |
Similar Action names do not establish identical inputs, timing, or results. Keep the existing macro available until the replacement works for your task.
Mac automation examples with Rulr
These Rules show how Rulr applies its visual model to practical workflows across files, text, apps, browsers, Shortcuts, and audio.
- Automatically Sort Downloads on Mac — Route new images, PDFs, and archives from Downloads into separate folders.
- Translate Selected Text on Mac — Translate selected text and show the result without leaving the app you are using.
- Watch a Folder and Run a Shortcut — Run an Apple Shortcut when the contents of a watched folder change.
- Set Volume by Audio Device — Apply different volume levels when the audio output changes between devices and open Spotify when needed.
Explore all Rulr capabilities to see the available building blocks, or browse the Rule Gallery for more examples.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Keyboard Maestro alternative for Mac?
Apple Shortcuts is included with macOS and is worth checking when its available app Actions cover your task. Rulr also has a free version: the Launch and Focus App example in this guide uses components available without Pro. Other workflows may require Pro, so check their individual Triggers and Actions. Neither option guarantees a direct replacement for an existing Keyboard Maestro macro.
Is Rulr a replacement for Keyboard Maestro?
Rulr can replace Keyboard Maestro for some workflows, but it is not intended to reproduce every Keyboard Maestro feature. Whether it can replace Keyboard Maestro for you depends on the Triggers, Actions, scripts, and other capabilities your macros use.
Can I recreate Keyboard Maestro macros in Rulr?
Some Keyboard Maestro workflows can be rebuilt in Rulr. Describe what a macro does to AI Builder for help creating a Rule, then review its logic and settings on the canvas. More complex macros may depend on Keyboard Maestro features without a direct equivalent, so it comes down to what each macro does.
How do I get started with Rulr?
Download Rulr on a Mac running macOS 26 or later, then open the Launch and Focus App Rule from the Gallery. Choose your app and shortcut, allow Accessibility, and enable the Rule. You can import and edit the example without connecting an AI provider.
Explore Rulr
The Gallery contains the Launch and Focus App example and other Rules for recurring Mac tasks. Each detail page explains its configuration and provides an import link.