What is Karabiner-Elements used for?

Karabiner-Elements is a keyboard customizer for macOS that allows users to remap keys and create custom rules. It is a good fit for remapping keys for productivity, applying Emacs or Vi key bindings system-wide and preventing accidental command-q.

Is Karabiner-Elements open source?

Yes. Karabiner-Elements is open source under the Unlicense. Its source code is on GitHub at pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements and is written mainly in C++.

Is Karabiner-Elements free?

Yes. Karabiner-Elements is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Karabiner-Elements?

Yes. Karabiner-Elements can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Karabiner-Elements an alternative to?

Karabiner-Elements is an open-source alternative to Keyboard Maestro and BetterTouchTool. Other open-source alternatives to Keyboard Maestro include Hammerspoon and AutoHotkey.

Is Karabiner-Elements actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Karabiner-Elements was on 13 October 2026, and the latest release is v16.3.0, published on 6 September 2026. The project has 23k stars on GitHub.

Karabiner-Elements: open-source software

About Karabiner-Elements

Karabiner-Elements is a keyboard customization tool for macOS. It provides a graphical interface for configuring simple key mappings and supports importing predefined rules from the community.

The tool is designed for users who want to modify keyboard behavior, including those who need advanced customization. It supports both Intel-based and Apple Silicon Macs across multiple macOS versions.

Key features

Configure simple key mappings from a GUI
Import predefined rules from the community
Write custom rules to modify existing ones or create new ones
Includes predefined rules such as Diamond cursor, Emacs key bindings, Vi key bindings, prevent unintended command-q, and mouse keys

Good fit for

Remapping keys for productivity
Applying Emacs or Vi key bindings system-wide
Preventing accidental command-q

Built with: C++ tools
Tags: keyboard; customization; macos; remapping; utility

Karabiner-Elements: questions and answers

What is Karabiner-Elements used for?: Karabiner-Elements is a keyboard customizer for macOS that allows users to remap keys and create custom rules. It is a good fit for remapping keys for productivity, applying Emacs or Vi key bindings system-wide and preventing accidental command-q.
Is Karabiner-Elements open source?: Yes. Karabiner-Elements is open source under the Unlicense. Its source code is on GitHub at pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements and is written mainly in C++.
Is Karabiner-Elements free?: Yes. Karabiner-Elements is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Karabiner-Elements?: Yes. Karabiner-Elements can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Karabiner-Elements an alternative to?: Karabiner-Elements is an open-source alternative to Keyboard Maestro and BetterTouchTool. Other open-source alternatives to Keyboard Maestro include Hammerspoon and AutoHotkey.
Is Karabiner-Elements actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Karabiner-Elements was on 13 October 2026, and the latest release is v16.3.0, published on 6 September 2026. The project has 23k stars on GitHub.