Custom cursor
Juno
Download

Mac automation

Juno vs BetterTouchTool

BTT makes the workflows you already have faster. Juno takes the ones you would rather not do at all.

BetterTouchTool is one of the great Mac power user apps. Custom trackpad gestures, remapped keyboard shortcuts, window snapping, and a deep configuration surface for people who enjoy that sort of thing. If you want a three finger swipe to open Terminal, BTT is how you get it.

Juno does something else. Instead of binding an input to an action, you describe a task in plain English and it carries it out, reading the screen through the macOS accessibility APIs and working the mouse and keyboard across whatever apps are involved.

They are not really competitors, and the comparison is only useful because both get filed under Mac automation. BTT makes your existing workflows faster. Juno handles the work you would otherwise do step by step yourself.

Side by side

  • What it is for

    Juno
    Finishing tasks

    BetterTouchTool
    Customising inputs and gestures

  • How you drive it

    Juno
    Plain English, typed or spoken

    BetterTouchTool
    Gestures, keys, and triggers you configure

  • Works in any app

    Juno
    Yes, it reads the screen

    BetterTouchTool
    Yes, through system wide input hooks

  • Tasks it has not seen

    Juno
    Works them out

    BetterTouchTool
    Only what you configured

  • Voice

    Juno
    Built in, wake word or key

    BetterTouchTool
    No

  • Setup

    Juno
    None

    BetterTouchTool
    Configure each trigger and action

  • Window management

    Juno
    It arranges them if you ask

    BetterTouchTool
    Snap areas and resize triggers

  • Trackpad gestures

    Juno
    None

    BetterTouchTool
    Custom gestures for anything

  • Runs offline

    Juno
    Dictation yes, agent no

    BetterTouchTool
    Yes, entirely

  • Price

    Juno
    Free, you bring the model

    BetterTouchTool
    Around $12 for two years, $22 for life

Where BetterTouchTool is the better pick

  • Custom trackpad and keyboard gestures, which no agent will ever be faster at.
  • Window snapping and management, instantly and identically every time.
  • Deterministic shortcuts with no latency, no model and no ambiguity.
  • Fully offline with a one time fee, no subscription and no API key.
  • Muscle memory generally. Speed and consistency are the whole point, and BTT has both.

Where Juno pulls ahead

  • Work that takes several steps across several apps.
  • Anything you would have to explain to a person rather than bind to a gesture.
  • Tasks that involve reading something, understanding it, and responding.
  • Research and comparison, where the answer is not known in advance.
  • Hands free operation by voice.

Where the line falls

BTT cannot handle anything that needs a judgment. Research the top five project management tools and compare their pricing is not something you can bind to a three finger swipe. Neither is fill this form in with my resume, or find every invoice from March and move it into a folder. Juno handles those because it sees what is on screen, understands the context, and decides what to click next. The flip side is just as clear: Juno will never beat a gesture at the things a gesture already does.

Running both

Most Mac power users already have BTT for gestures and window management, and should keep it exactly as it is. Juno adds a different layer on top: handing off whole tasks. Use BTT for the fast repetitive things your hands already know. Use Juno for the ones you would rather not do.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between Juno and BetterTouchTool?
BTT customises gestures, shortcuts and window snapping. Juno completes whole tasks by reading your screen and driving the mouse and keyboard. BTT gives you faster shortcuts. Juno handles work that needs several steps and a judgment call.
Can Juno replace BetterTouchTool?
No, and it is not trying to. BTT is better at instant input customisation. Juno is better at multi step tasks you would describe to a person. Most people who want both should run both.
What is the best BetterTouchTool alternative?
It depends which slice you mean. For keyboard remapping, Karabiner-Elements, which is free. For window management, Rectangle or Magnet. For macro sequences, Keyboard Maestro. For describing a task instead of configuring a trigger, Juno.

Free, and the source is public. macOS 14+.

Download Juno