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Utilities · head to head

Karabiner-Elements vs PeaZip

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
PeaZip logo

PeaZip

Utilities

Open-source archive manager for Windows and Linux supporting more than two hundred formats

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; PeaZip there is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.
  • They diverge on capability: Karabiner-Elements covers Low-level key remapping, PeaZip covers Wide format support.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Karabiner-Elements and PeaZip differ
AttributeKarabiner-ElementsPeaZip
PlatformsMacWindows, Linux, BSD

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Open source, no licence fee), free tier (Yes), 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 PeaZip

  • Wide format support
  • Strong encryption
  • Secure delete
  • Checksums and hashes
  • Split and join
  • Portable builds

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 PeaZip
  • Someone switching from a Windows or Linux keyboard layout who wants familiar modifier positions on a Macnot PeaZip
  • A user with an accessibility need around key repeat rate or modifier key behaviour that macOS settings cannot covernot PeaZip
  • Anyone who wants serious keyboard customisation without paying for BetterTouchTool or a similar all-in-one toolnot PeaZip

PeaZip

  • Opening old or unusual archive formats that current tools refusenot Karabiner-Elements
  • Sending encrypted archives outside the organisation with a keyfile as well as a passwordnot Karabiner-Elements
  • Deploying one archiver across Windows and Linux desktops with the same interface and behaviournot Karabiner-Elements
  • Running from a USB stick on machines where software cannot be installednot 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.

PeaZip

  • There is no supported macOS build, so any organisation with Mac users has to standardise on something else or maintain two tools.
  • It is effectively a single-maintainer project, and for software deployed to every desktop in a company that concentration of risk deserves an explicit decision.
  • The interface exposes a great many options at once and looks dated next to the system archiver, which generates support questions from non-technical users.
  • Bundled backend binaries sometimes trigger antivirus heuristics on managed Windows fleets, so deployment usually needs an allowlist entry prepared in advance.
  • Its own PEA and ARC formats are not readable by other tools, so using them for anything you send externally creates a dependency for the recipient.

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

PeaZip

Free
  • PeaZipFree
    • LGPLv3 licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • All formats and encryption features included

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 PeaZip if

  • You need wide format support.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, BSD.
  • You also want strong encryption.
PeaZip review

Questions people ask

Is Karabiner-Elements or PeaZip better?
Neither clearly leads. Karabiner-Elements starts at Free and PeaZip at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Karabiner-Elements or PeaZip?
Karabiner-Elements starts at Free and PeaZip at Free.
Does Karabiner-Elements or PeaZip run on more platforms?
Karabiner-Elements runs on Mac. PeaZip runs on Windows, Linux, BSD.
Can I use Karabiner-Elements for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 PeaZip is typically brought in for.
What can Karabiner-Elements do that PeaZip cannot?
Karabiner-Elements covers Low-level key remapping, Complex modifications, Per-app and per-device rules, Complex modification rule library. PeaZip covers Wide format support, Strong encryption, Secure delete, Checksums and hashes.

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.

PeaZip: Is PeaZip free for business use?

Yes. It is LGPLv3 licensed with no personal-use restriction and no paid edition.

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

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

PeaZip: Does it work on macOS?

No supported build is offered. Mac users need a different archiver.

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.

PeaZip: How does it differ from 7-Zip?

It uses similar backends but adds far wider format support, a password manager, keyfile two-factor encryption, secure deletion and a graphical front end that also runs on Linux.

PeaZip: Should I use the PEA format?

Only for your own storage. Nothing else reads it, so anything sent to another party should be 7z or ZIP with AES-256.

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