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Karabiner VS ProGram

Compare Karabiner VS ProGram and see what are their differences

SuperOps
Modern PSA and RMM Software for MSP's and IT Teams featured
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.
Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Karabiner logo Karabiner

Karabiner, previously called KeyRemap4MacBook, is a very powerful keyboard remapper for Mac OS X.

ProGram logo ProGram

CLI based, self-hosted Instagram-esque gallery
  • Karabiner Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-06
  • ProGram Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-07-06

Karabiner features and specs

  • Customizability
    Karabiner-Elements allows users to remap keys and create complex keyboard configurations that can greatly enhance productivity and convenience.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source tool, Karabiner-Elements is free to use and comes with the potential for community contributions and transparency in development.
  • Flexibility
    The tool supports a wide range of devices and configurations, making it adaptable to various user needs and setups.
  • Ease of Use
    The user interface is designed to be intuitive, allowing both novice and experienced users to easily configure and remap their keyboards.
  • Regular Updates
    The tool is actively maintained with regular updates, ensuring compatibility with the latest macOS versions and adding new features.

Possible disadvantages of Karabiner

  • Compatibility Issues
    Some users may experience compatibility issues with certain applications or hardware, potentially causing unexpected behavior.
  • Learning Curve
    Although the interface is intuitive, mastering its full range of features, especially for complex configurations, can require a steep learning curve.
  • System Performance
    On occasion, Karabiner-Elements may consume significant system resources, which could impact overall system performance.
  • Limited Platform Support
    As of now, Karabiner-Elements only supports macOS, limiting its utility for users on other operating systems such as Windows or Linux.
  • Potential for Errors
    Incorrect configuration or updates may lead to errors in key mappings, which can disrupt the user experience until resolved.

ProGram features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    ProGram is designed to be user-friendly, allowing developers to quickly set up and manage their projects with simple commands.
  • Efficiency
    The tool streamlines the process of managing dependencies and scripts, reducing the overhead associated with setting up project environments.
  • Versatility
    ProGram supports various programming languages and frameworks, making it a versatile choice for developers working on multi-language projects.
  • Automation
    It enables automation of repetitive tasks, thereby freeing up developers to focus more on coding.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, ProGram allows developers to contribute to its improvement and adapt it to their specific needs if necessary.

Possible disadvantages of ProGram

  • Learning Curve
    New users might face a steep learning curve initially as they get accustomed to the command line interface and the tool's features.
  • Limited Support
    Support might be limited, as with many open-source projects, relying heavily on community forums and documentation.
  • Potential Bugs
    Being a community-driven project, there might be undetected bugs that can affect usability, and reliance on the community for fixes could lead to delays.
  • Documentation
    The quality and comprehensiveness of documentation may vary, potentially causing challenges for developers seeking detailed guidance.

Analysis of Karabiner

Overall verdict

  • Karabiner-Elements is considered a good tool for macOS users seeking to customize their keyboard. Its reliability, versatility, and active community support make it a valuable addition to any power user's toolkit.

Why this product is good

  • Karabiner-Elements is highly regarded for its ability to customize and remap keyboard keys on macOS. It offers a powerful and flexible suite of features that allow users to tailor their keyboard setup to their specific needs, enhancing productivity and ergonomics. With an intuitive interface and extensive documentation, both novice and advanced users can benefit from its functionality.

Recommended for

  • Developers who need custom keyboard shortcuts.
  • Mac users experiencing discomfort with standard keyboard layouts.
  • Professionals requiring specific keybindings for software applications.
  • Users transitioning from Windows or Linux who want to emulate key behaviors from those systems.

Karabiner videos

+ Add

REVIEW: Should you play the Vetterli 71 Karabiner? [Hunt Gun Review #1]

More videos:

  • Review - Vim screencast #59: Karabiner Elements
  • Review - Evolution of the Karabiner 98k, From Prewar to Kriegsmodell

ProGram videos

+ Add

PROGRAM REVIEW part 1: Starting Strength/StrongLifts, Texas Method, 5/3/1

More videos:

  • Review - Jeremy Ethier Intermediate Build Program Is Good! (Honest Review)
  • Review - Layne Norton PHAT Program Is INTENSE! (Program Review)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Karabiner and ProGram)

Karabiner

ProGram

Automation
100 100%
Automation
0% 0
Web App
0 0%
Web App
100% 100
Window Manager
100 100%
Window Manager
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
Productivity
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Karabiner and ProGram. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Karabiner seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 277 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Karabiner mentions (277)

  • Ubuntu 26.04 LTS Released
    As a both old Linux and now decade user of MacOS, after I got used to no middle-click paste and no focus-follows-mouse: 1. Keyboard shortcuts are Emacs, Ctrl-A: start of line, E: end of line, K: kill selected or to end of line, Y to paste, etc. https://support.apple.com/en-au/102650#text 2. Karabiner elements (FOSS) fixes keyboard mappings outside of the Settings: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/ 3. I have the... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Show HN: BoringBar โ€“ a taskbar-style dock replacement for macOS
    I've always setup my macbooks with a custom json config using https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/ to avoid the dock, but couldnt convince any friends to give it a try since its high effort, I guess so I hacked together https://dockshortcut.com really quick and that kinda made the difference in how some people use their macbooks these days, but tough market, nobody likes paying for something that should come out... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Claude Code Voice Mode
    I've had success in the past in customizing macOS key bindings using Karabiner: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: What Are You Working On? (July 2025)
    Hey! These kinds of keyboard related things are well solved by Karabiner elements: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/ There you can map (whatever key) to (whatever other key). E.g. I have right command mapped to F20, available to all other apps . - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Ergonomic Mac Keyboard Setup
    I use Karabiner as the driver for keyboard customizations. Karabiner intercepts hardware keystrokes and sends keystrokes to the computer allowing me to configure Karabiner to have a flexible setup and map key(s) presses to other keys(s) or commands. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
View more

ProGram mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ProGram yet. Tracking of ProGram recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Karabiner and ProGram, you can also consider the following products

BTT Remote - A remote control for you Mac, using your iPhone or iPad

Gallery - Gallery is a web based software product that lets you manage your photos on your own website.

Rectangle - Window management app based on Spectacle, written in Swift.

Appolo - Static app portfolio for developers

SteerMouse - Advanced driver for USB and Bluetooth mouses.

Bestfolios - Portfolio website and resume collection from best designers

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