Software Alternatives & Startups

AutoKey VS ShellNewHandler

Compare AutoKey VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

AutoKey

A Python 3 port of AutoKey, the desktop automation utility for Linux and X11.

Rating
0 reviews
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

Rating
0 reviews
This page does not exist

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, AutoKey seems to be a lot more popular than ShellNewHandler. While we know about 37 links to AutoKey, we've tracked only 2 mentions of ShellNewHandler.

social mentions
37 vs 2
Automation popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

AutoKey
ShellNewHandler
Website github.com sourceforge.net
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

AutoKey 5 features
ShellNewHandler 0 features
  • Open Source
    AutoKey is a free and open-source software, which means that the source code is available for modification and improvement. This provides a high level of transparency and flexibility for users who want to customize the software.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    AutoKey runs on multiple Linux distributions and also works on Windows via AutoHotKey compatibility, making it versatile across different operating systems.
  • Customization and Scripting
    The software supports Python scripting, which allows for highly customizable automation tasks. Users can create complex macros and automate repetitive tasks efficiently.
  • Community Support
    Being an open-source project, AutoKey has a community of users and developers who contribute to the project and provide support through forums and other channels.
  • Text Expansion
    AutoKey offers robust text expansion features, enabling users to insert predefined text snippets using abbreviations. This can significantly speed up typing and reduce errors.

Possible disadvantages

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Users who are not familiar with Python scripting or programming in general may find AutoKey difficult to use and set up initially.
  • Linux-Centric
    While AutoKey offers some compatibility with Windows through AutoHotKey, it is primarily designed for Linux, which may limit its appeal or functionality for Windows users.
  • Stability Issues
    As with many open-source projects, there may be occasional bugs and stability issues, depending on the specific Linux distribution or system configuration.
  • Limited Documentation
    Although there is community support, users may find the official documentation lacking, making it harder to find detailed guidance on advanced features.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running multiple scripts and macros can consume significant system resources, which may impact performance on older or less powerful machines.

No features have been listed yet.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

AutoKey
ShellNewHandler

No analysis of AutoKey yet.

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
AutoKey
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using AutoKey and ShellNewHandler. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

AutoKey no reviews yet
ShellNewHandler no reviews yet

We have no reviews of ShellNewHandler yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

AutoKey 37 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions
  • Learn AutoHotKey by stealing my scripts
    I use AutoKey on Linux. It's less powerful than AHK but uses native Python which is nice: https://github.com/autokey/autokey. - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Windows 11 vs. Ubuntu 23.04 Linux Performance
    On Linux, the more direct equivalent to AHK is the similarly named AutoKey. AHK itself is never going to be cross-platform, due to the low-level it interacts specifically with Windows, but AutoKey is the Linux equivalent, designed to... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Text expansion app for Linux
    I've seen people mention AutoKey but I've never used it myself: https://github.com/autokey/autokey. Source: over 3 years ago

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  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to AutoKey and ShellNewHandler

When comparing AutoKey and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.