Home/Answers/The best controller mapper for each job
Which controller mapper should you use on a Mac?
For most jobs on a Mac we would pick InputConfig: it is free with nothing locked, open source, and maps any controller, MIDI device, keyboard or trackpad to keys, clicks and the pointer. We make it, which is why we also say plainly where a smaller app does a single job better.
Our pick for each common job comes first, then every app in one table, so you can choose by the job, the price and the macOS version you run.
Our pick for each job
| Your job | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Free, open source, nothing locked | InputConfig | MIT licensed, every feature free, macOS 14 or later |
| One Steam game | Steam Input | It is already installed with Steam |
| Joy-Cons only | JoyKeyMapper | Small, free and open source |
| Scripting and an on-screen keyboard | ControllerKeys | JavaScript scripting, a swipe keyboard and OBS integration, after a trial |
| An older Mac | JoyMapper or Gamepad Mapper | JoyMapper runs from macOS 10.14.4, Gamepad Mapper from macOS 12 |
| Layers and radial menus | ConMapper | Layers, radial menus, Shortcuts and app launching |
| Accessibility: one-stick driving, switches, MIDI gear, spoken feedback | InputConfig | None of the other apps list these |
Every Mac controller mapper
| App | Price | Latest version | macOS | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| InputConfig | Free, optional tip | 1.8, Oct 2026 | 14.0 | MIT |
| ControllerKeys | 14 day trial, then paid | 2.10.0, Oct 2026 | 14.6 | Source available, non-commercial |
| Gamepad Mapper | Free download, in-app purchases | 1.8, Aug 2024 | 12.0 | Proprietary |
| JoyMapper | 5 day trial, then $7.99 | 1.22.0, Sep 2026 | 10.14.4 | Proprietary |
| ConMapper | Free, Pro $6.99 | 1.7.0, Sep 2026 | 14.0 | Proprietary |
| Recontrol | Free | 2.1.1, May 2026 | 15.6 | Proprietary |
| GameController Mapper | $7.99 | 1.2.5, Feb 2026 | 14.6 | Proprietary |
| Controlly | 7 day trial, then $3.99 | 1.1.7, Nov 2025 | 11.0 | Proprietary |
| Joystick Mapper | $4.99 | 1.2, Nov 2019 | 10.9 | Proprietary |
| JoyKeyMapper | Free | 1.2.0, Aug 2020 | 10.14 | MIT |
| Enjoyable | Free | 1.2, Oct 2014 | 10.7 | MIT |
| Controllers (Vivid Machine) | Paid, Lite version free | 2.1.0 | 11.3 | Proprietary |
| USB Overdrive | Free to try, then paid | 5.4 | 12.0 | Proprietary |
| Karabiner-Elements | Free | Continuous | Recent macOS | Public domain |
| Steam Input | Free inside Steam | Continuous | Any Steam Mac | Proprietary |
Read from each app's App Store listing, repository or maker's site in September and October 2026. We give no star ratings, because we have not used every app on every macOS version, and a score from a competitor would not be worth much anyway.
What macOS and Steam do before you install anything
System Settings, Game Controllers. It remaps a controller's buttons to other controller buttons, inside games that already support controllers. It cannot send keys or move the mouse.
Steam Input. It maps a controller to keys, but only for Steam games.
Everything else. A keyboard-only game, the Finder, a browser or Anki needs a mapper.
The Windows tool you may be looking for
JoyToKey, Xpadder, reWASD, DS4Windows, InputMapper, x360ce and AntiMicroX have no macOS versions. The apps in the table do the same jobs on a Mac: keys and mouse from a pad, layers and macros, and per-game profiles.
Why accessibility shapes our pick
Most mappers are built for games. Ours started because our founder's hands do not work well, and he needed the whole Mac to answer to the thing he can hold. That is why InputConfig reads MIDI gear, switches and a tap on the MacBook as inputs, offers one-stick driving and spoken feedback, and locks nothing behind a purchase. If your need is one game on one controller, a smaller app in the table is a perfectly good answer.
The full guide
The step by step setup lives on the InputConfig site: the full mapper comparison on inputconfig.com. InputConfig is free on the Mac App Store, open source under the MIT license, and runs on macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
Questions people ask
What is the best free controller mapper for Mac?
Is there a JoyToKey for Mac?
Does Karabiner-Elements map game controllers?
Which Mac mappers support the DualSense touchpad and gyro?
More answers
About these comparisons
Rockstar Health is a nonprofit that makes adaptive mobility hardware and free accessibility software, including InputConfig. Facts about other apps come from their own listings and repositories on the dates given, and we have not tested the community tools named here. If something is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.