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Utilities · head to head

BetterTouchTool vs Everything

BetterTouchTool logo

BetterTouchTool

Utilities

Mac gesture, shortcut and automation customisation tool sold as a one-time licence with a lifetime tier

From
$12/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Everything logo

Everything

Utilities

Instant filename search for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Everything has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BetterTouchTool the preferences interface has hundreds of settings across many tabs, so getting one custom gesture working can take longer than with a dedicated single-purpose app.; Everything searches filenames only, not file contents, which is the deliberate trade for its speed
  • They diverge on capability: BetterTouchTool covers Gesture customisation, Everything covers Instant results.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BetterTouchTool and Everything actually diverge.

Attributes where BetterTouchTool and Everything differ
AttributeBetterTouchToolEverything
Starting price$12/one-timeFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchaseFree; donations accepted
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsMacWindows

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BetterTouchTool

  • Gesture customisation
  • Keyboard shortcut remapping
  • Window snapping
  • Touch Bar customisation
  • Scripted actions
  • Floating menus and widgets

Only in Everything

  • Instant results
  • MFT-based indexing
  • Tiny footprint
  • Regex and filters

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BetterTouchTool

  • A power user who wants every trackpad gesture and shortcut on the machine remapped to a specific actionnot Everything
  • Someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviournot Everything
  • A user who wants window snapping bundled with much broader system customisation rather than a single-purpose appnot Everything
  • Someone already on a Setapp subscription who wants BetterTouchTool included rather than purchased separatelynot Everything

Everything

  • Finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on Windows Searchnot BetterTouchTool
  • Locating duplicates and stray files across large drivesnot BetterTouchTool
  • Navigating a machine with hundreds of thousands of filesnot BetterTouchTool

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BetterTouchTool

  • The preferences interface has hundreds of settings across many tabs, so getting one custom gesture working can take longer than with a dedicated single-purpose app.
  • The Standard Licence stops receiving updates after two years unless renewed or upgraded to Lifetime, which is easy to miss and can leave a user on an outdated build.
  • It is Mac only, offering nothing for a Windows machine in a mixed household.
  • Because it can intercept almost any input, misconfiguration can make gestures or shortcuts behave unpredictably across different apps, which takes time to debug.
  • It overlaps in function with several single-purpose tools such as Rectangle for windows or Karabiner-Elements for key remapping, so a new user has to decide whether they want one broad tool or several focused ones.

Everything

  • Searches filenames only, not file contents, which is the deliberate trade for its speed
  • Windows and NTFS only: no macOS or Linux build, and non-NTFS volumes fall back to slower indexing
  • Requires administrator rights to read the Master File Table

Pricing, plan by plan

BetterTouchTool

$12/one-time
  • Standard Licence$12/one-time
    • Free updates for two years
    • App keeps working on the last version after that
    • Single user licence
  • Lifetime Licence$24/one-time
    • Free updates for as long as the app exists
    • Single user licence
    • Also available bundled through Setapp

Everything

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core functionality
    • Personal use

Which should you pick?

Choose BetterTouchTool if

  • You need gesture customisation.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want keyboard shortcut remapping.
BetterTouchTool review

Choose Everything if

  • You need instant results.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want mft-based indexing.
Everything review

Questions people ask

Is BetterTouchTool or Everything better?
Neither clearly leads. BetterTouchTool starts at $12/one-time and Everything at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BetterTouchTool or Everything?
Everything has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/one-time for BetterTouchTool and Free for Everything.
Does BetterTouchTool or Everything run on more platforms?
BetterTouchTool runs on Mac. Everything runs on Windows.
Can I use Everything for free?
Yes. Everything has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BetterTouchTool starts at $12/one-time.
What is BetterTouchTool best used for?
BetterTouchTool is most often used for a power user who wants every trackpad gesture and shortcut on the machine remapped to a specific action, someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviour, a user who wants window snapping bundled with much broader system customisation rather than a single-purpose app, someone already on a setapp subscription who wants bettertouchtool included rather than purchased separately. Of those, a power user who wants every trackpad gesture and shortcut on the machine remapped to a specific action and someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviour are not what Everything is typically brought in for.
What can BetterTouchTool do that Everything cannot?
BetterTouchTool covers Gesture customisation, Keyboard shortcut remapping, Window snapping, Touch Bar customisation. Everything covers Instant results, MFT-based indexing, Tiny footprint, Regex and filters.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BetterTouchTool: Is BetterTouchTool a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase, either a Standard Licence with two years of updates or a Lifetime Licence with updates indefinitely.

Everything: Is Everything free?

Yes, free to use with donations accepted.

BetterTouchTool: Can I get it without buying it directly?

Yes, it is included in the Setapp subscription bundle alongside other Mac utilities.

Everything: Why is it so much faster than Windows Search?

It reads the NTFS Master File Table directly instead of crawling the filesystem, so indexing a whole volume takes seconds.

BetterTouchTool: Does it replace Rectangle or Karabiner-Elements?

It can cover much of what both do, since it includes window snapping and key remapping, but each of those apps is more focused on its single job.

Everything: Can it search inside files?

Only in a limited way. It is built for filename search, and full content search is not what it is for.

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