Softwr

Utilities · head to head

Karabiner-Elements vs Sedaru

Karabiner-Elements logo

Karabiner-Elements

Utilities

Free open source keyboard remapper for macOS, working at driver level before the OS sees a keystroke

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sedaru logo

Sedaru

Utilities

Water utility asset management and field operations built on top of Esri ArcGIS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Karabiner-Elements has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Karabiner-Elements it requires granting significant system-level permissions, including input monitoring, which some security-conscious users are reluctant to allow.; Sedaru the Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • They diverge on capability: Karabiner-Elements covers Low-level key remapping, Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Karabiner-Elements and Sedaru actually diverge.

Attributes where Karabiner-Elements and Sedaru differ
AttributeKarabiner-ElementsSedaru
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsMacWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

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 Karabiner-Elements

  • Low-level key remapping
  • Complex modifications
  • Per-app and per-device rules
  • Complex modification rule library
  • Simple modifications GUI
  • Apple Silicon native

Only in Sedaru

  • Esri-native asset model
  • Field crew mobile
  • Hydraulic model integration
  • SCADA alarm context
  • Capital planning
  • Customer service linkage

What people use each for

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

Karabiner-Elements

  • A developer who wants to remap Caps Lock to Escape or Control and needs tap versus hold behaviournot Sedaru
  • Someone switching from a Windows or Linux keyboard layout who wants familiar modifier positions on a Macnot Sedaru
  • A user with an accessibility need around key repeat rate or modifier key behaviour that macOS settings cannot covernot Sedaru
  • Anyone who wants serious keyboard customisation without paying for BetterTouchTool or a similar all-in-one toolnot Sedaru

Sedaru

  • A water utility whose crews already work from ArcGIS maps and that wants work orders on the same map rather than in a separate CMMSnot Karabiner-Elements
  • A wastewater authority prioritising collection system renewal by risk and condition rather than by age alonenot Karabiner-Elements
  • Giving field crews offline access to network asset data and work history in areas with no mobile coveragenot Karabiner-Elements
  • A utility trying to connect SCADA alarms to the physical assets and recent work that explain them, instead of reading alarms in isolationnot Karabiner-Elements

Where each one falls short

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

Karabiner-Elements

  • It requires granting significant system-level permissions, including input monitoring, which some security-conscious users are reluctant to allow.
  • Writing custom complex modification rules by hand means editing JSON, which is a real barrier for a non-technical user without the community rule library.
  • It only remaps keyboard input, so a user who also wants gesture or window management customisation needs a second tool such as BetterTouchTool or Rectangle.
  • Being an unpaid open source project, support depends on GitHub issues and community forums rather than a vendor support desk with guaranteed response times.
  • It is Mac only, so it does nothing for remapping needs on a Windows or Linux machine in the same household.

Sedaru

  • The Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • Sedaru inherits GIS data quality, so a utility with an incomplete or stale geodatabase discovers the gaps in front of field crews rather than fixing them, and the data remediation project is not in the Sedaru quote.
  • The North American water focus means limited relevance and limited implementation support outside that market, particularly for utilities operating under European or Australian regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Nothing is published on price and the product is sold within a large corporate portfolio, so a small utility has little basis for judging whether the quoted subscription is competitive.
  • It is a water and wastewater product; a municipality wanting one asset system across water, roads, parks and facilities will need a broader public works platform alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Karabiner-Elements

Free
  • Karabiner-ElementsFree
    • Free and open source under the MIT licence
    • Full functionality with no paid tier
    • Optional donation via GitHub Sponsors or PayPal

Sedaru

On request
  • Sedaru$undefined/year
    • Subscription sized on utility scale and module selection
    • Esri ArcGIS licence required and purchased separately from Esri
    • Implementation and GIS data preparation quoted as services

Which should you pick?

Choose Karabiner-Elements if

  • You need low-level key remapping.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want complex modifications.
Karabiner-Elements review

Choose Sedaru if

  • You need esri-native asset model.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want field crew mobile.
Sedaru review

Questions people ask

Is Karabiner-Elements or Sedaru better?
Neither clearly leads. Karabiner-Elements starts at Free and Sedaru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Karabiner-Elements or Sedaru?
Karabiner-Elements has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Karabiner-Elements and On request for Sedaru.
Does Karabiner-Elements or Sedaru run on more platforms?
Karabiner-Elements runs on Mac. Sedaru runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
Can I use Karabiner-Elements for free?
Yes. Karabiner-Elements has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sedaru starts at On request.
What is Karabiner-Elements best used for?
Karabiner-Elements is most often used for a developer who wants to remap caps lock to escape or control and needs tap versus hold behaviour, someone switching from a windows or linux keyboard layout who wants familiar modifier positions on a mac, a user with an accessibility need around key repeat rate or modifier key behaviour that macos settings cannot cover, anyone who wants serious keyboard customisation without paying for bettertouchtool or a similar all-in-one tool. Of those, a developer who wants to remap caps lock to escape or control and needs tap versus hold behaviour and someone switching from a windows or linux keyboard layout who wants familiar modifier positions on a mac are not what Sedaru is typically brought in for.
What can Karabiner-Elements do that Sedaru cannot?
Karabiner-Elements covers Low-level key remapping, Complex modifications, Per-app and per-device rules, Complex modification rule library. Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model, Field crew mobile, Hydraulic model integration, SCADA alarm context.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Karabiner-Elements: Is Karabiner-Elements really free?

Yes, entirely. It is open source under the MIT licence with no paid tier, though the project accepts voluntary donations.

Sedaru: Do I need Esri ArcGIS to use Sedaru?

Yes. Sedaru is built on the ArcGIS geodatabase and the Esri licence is a separate purchase from Esri, not part of the Sedaru subscription.

Karabiner-Elements: Does it work on Apple Silicon Macs?

Yes, versions from 14 onward run natively on M1 through M4 chips.

Sedaru: Who owns Sedaru?

Aquatic Informatics, which is part of Veralto, the water quality group spun out of Danaher in 2023.

Karabiner-Elements: Do I need to write JSON to use it?

Not necessarily. Simple key swaps use a GUI, and complex modifications can be imported from a public community rule library instead of writing rules by hand.

Sedaru: Does Sedaru replace a CMMS?

For water network assets, largely yes. For plant equipment and facilities maintenance many utilities still run a separate CMMS.

Sedaru: Is pricing published?

No. Subscriptions are sized on the utility and quoted, with implementation and data preparation charged as services.

Share

Related pages

More on Karabiner-Elements

More on Sedaru

Keep looking

Other head to heads