Softwr

Utilities · head to head

BetterTouchTool vs HWiNFO

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
HWiNFO logo

HWiNFO

Utilities

Windows hardware information and sensor monitoring tool, free for personal use only

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only HWiNFO 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.; HWiNFO the free build is licensed for personal use only, so an IT department running it on employee machines is out of compliance and needs the paid edition.
  • They diverge on capability: BetterTouchTool covers Gesture customisation, HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BetterTouchTool and HWiNFO actually diverge.

Attributes where BetterTouchTool and HWiNFO differ
AttributeBetterTouchToolHWiNFO
Starting price$12/one-timeFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchasequote
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 HWiNFO

  • Sensor coverage
  • Hardware inventory
  • Logging
  • Shared memory interface
  • Alerts
  • Portable build

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 HWiNFO
  • Someone with accessibility needs who benefits from remapping input devices away from default behaviournot HWiNFO
  • A user who wants window snapping bundled with much broader system customisation rather than a single-purpose appnot HWiNFO
  • Someone already on a Setapp subscription who wants BetterTouchTool included rather than purchased separatelynot HWiNFO

HWiNFO

  • Diagnosing thermal throttling or power limits on a laptop or workstation under real workloadsnot BetterTouchTool
  • Validating that a new cooler, thermal paste or fan curve changed anything measurablenot BetterTouchTool
  • Logging sensor data across a long stress test to identify what preceded a crashnot BetterTouchTool
  • Confirming exactly which hardware revision is inside a machine before ordering more of themnot 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.

HWiNFO

  • The free build is licensed for personal use only, so an IT department running it on employee machines is out of compliance and needs the paid edition.
  • It is Windows only, so mixed estates need a separate tool for macOS and Linux hardware diagnostics.
  • It reports single machines rather than fleets, with no central console, so it answers a diagnostic question instead of monitoring an estate.
  • The volume of sensors displayed is overwhelming without hardware knowledge, and readings with similar names measure genuinely different things, which leads to wrong conclusions.
  • Sensor access requires a kernel-level driver and administrator rights, which anti-cheat systems and some hardened endpoint configurations block outright.

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

HWiNFO

Free
  • HWiNFO PersonalFree
    • Full sensor and hardware detail
    • Logging and alerts
    • Personal, non-commercial use only
  • HWiNFO Pro$undefined/year
    • Licence required for any business or commercial use
    • Per-seat licensing
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose BetterTouchTool if

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

Choose HWiNFO if

  • You need sensor coverage.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want hardware inventory.
HWiNFO review

Questions people ask

Is BetterTouchTool or HWiNFO better?
Neither clearly leads. BetterTouchTool starts at $12/one-time and HWiNFO at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BetterTouchTool or HWiNFO?
HWiNFO has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $12/one-time for BetterTouchTool and Free for HWiNFO.
Does BetterTouchTool or HWiNFO run on more platforms?
BetterTouchTool runs on Mac. HWiNFO runs on Windows.
Can I use HWiNFO for free?
Yes. HWiNFO 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 HWiNFO is typically brought in for.
What can BetterTouchTool do that HWiNFO cannot?
BetterTouchTool covers Gesture customisation, Keyboard shortcut remapping, Window snapping, Touch Bar customisation. HWiNFO covers Sensor coverage, Hardware inventory, Logging, Shared memory interface.

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.

HWiNFO: Can I use the free version at work?

No. Free use is personal only. Any business use, including internal IT diagnostics, requires the paid licence.

BetterTouchTool: Can I get it without buying it directly?

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

HWiNFO: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. It is Windows only; the older DOS builds are discontinued.

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.

HWiNFO: Why do temperatures differ from the motherboard utility?

Because vendor tools usually show one averaged figure while HWiNFO reports each sensor separately. The difference is labelling and selection, not accuracy.

HWiNFO: Is it safe to run alongside other monitoring tools?

Usually, but several tools polling the same sensors through their own drivers can cause conflicts and bad readings. Run one at a time when the numbers look wrong.

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