Logi Options+ is the default app many Mac users install after buying an MX Master, MX Anywhere, MX Keys, Lift, Signature, or other supported Logitech device. It handles button assignments, app-specific shortcuts, pointer and scrolling settings, battery status, Flow, Smart Actions, Actions Ring, and device-specific features that generic macOS settings do not expose.
But it is not the only way to improve mouse control on a Mac. BetterMouse is a lightweight paid replacement for smooth scrolling, button bindings, per-app rules, and some Logitech hardware settings. Mac Mouse Fix is a very affordable way to bring trackpad-like gestures to a normal mouse. LinearMouse is the best free option for separate mouse and trackpad scrolling, pointer acceleration, speed, and button actions. SteerMouse is a long-running paid utility for advanced button, wheel, cursor, chording, and per-app mouse setups.
This guide compares Logi Options+ alternatives for Mac across device support, button mapping, gestures, scrolling, pointer control, Logitech-specific features, app profiles, automation, privacy posture, and current pricing.
Quick Verdict
Choose Logi Options+ if you use supported Logitech hardware and want Logitech-only features such as Flow, Smart Actions, Actions Ring, device battery status, keyboard customization, webcam or light controls, and official device compatibility.
Choose BetterMouse if your main frustration is mouse feel. It is the most complete lightweight replacement here for smooth scrolling, acceleration control, button and gesture bindings, per-app exceptions, Logitech mouse hardware settings, and avoiding a heavy vendor driver.
Choose Mac Mouse Fix if you want a cheap, polished utility that makes a third-party mouse feel more like a Mac trackpad. It is especially good for Mission Control, desktop switching, app Expose, smart zoom, back and forward gestures, and smooth scrolling.
Choose LinearMouse if you want a free, open-source utility for per-device scrolling direction, pointer speed, acceleration, and button actions without paying for a larger mouse driver.
Choose SteerMouse if you want a mature advanced mouse utility with deep button assignments, chording operations, cursor snapping, wheel tuning, per-app profiles, and a long history outside the Logitech ecosystem.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Logi Options+ | BetterMouse | Mac Mouse Fix | LinearMouse | SteerMouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Official Logitech device customization | Full-featured mouse control without a bulky vendor driver | Trackpad-like gestures on a normal mouse | Free per-device mouse and trackpad tuning | Advanced button, wheel, cursor, and chording setups |
| Hardware focus | Supported Logitech mice, keyboards, webcams, lights, touchpads, presentation remotes, and MX Creative Console | Third-party mice and keyboards, with supported Logitech mouse and keyboard hardware settings | Third-party mice with at least five buttons for the richest gesture setup | Mouse and trackpad profiles across devices, apps, and displays | USB and Bluetooth mice; not Apple Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad |
| Button mapping | Yes, with Logitech-supported actions and app-specific customization | Very strong click, drag, hold, hold-scroll, keyboard shortcut, and special-action bindings | Strong, focused on turning mouse buttons into Mac gestures and shortcuts | Button and scroll actions for shortcuts, media controls, Mission Control, and gestures | Very strong, including modifier combinations and button chording |
| Gesture workflow | Mouse gestures and Actions Ring on supported devices | Rich button and gesture mapping | Core strength: Mission Control, desktops, app Expose, show desktop, smart zoom, back and forward, and more | Gesture-driven workflows through button and scroll actions | Chording and action assignments rather than trackpad-style gesture polish |
| Scrolling control | Pointer speed, scrolling speed, scrolling direction, and device presets | Smooth scrolling, discrete scrolling, acceleration, direction, thumbwheel support, and modifier scroll actions | Smooth scrolling, separate mouse direction, modifier scrolling, zoom, and 360-degree drag scrolling | Separate mouse and trackpad direction, speed, acceleration, and per-device tuning | Wheel acceleration, sensitivity, vertical/horizontal scrolling, auto scroll, and trackball scroll behavior |
| Pointer control | Basic pointer and scroller settings for supported devices | Separate acceleration and speed control, acceleration disable, DPI and supported hardware settings | Focuses more on gesture feel and smooth scrolling than deep DPI control | Fine-tune pointer acceleration and speed, or turn acceleration off | Sensitivity plus tracking speed, recommended settings, and cursor snapping |
| Logitech-only features | Best option for Flow, Smart Actions, Actions Ring, Marketplace, Easy-Switch support, battery status, webcams, lights, and keyboards | Some supported Logi mouse and keyboard hardware settings, plus Unifying and Bolt receiver pairing | Some Logitech buttons may not be recognized on proprietary-driver mice | General input utility, not a Logitech feature suite | General input utility, not a Logitech feature suite |
| App-specific profiles | Yes | Yes, with per-app scrolling, button, and keyboard exceptions | Simpler than BetterMouse or SteerMouse | Yes, profiles can vary by device, app, and display | Yes |
| Privacy and install style | Official Logitech app, enterprise deployable, with Logitech support and background components | Notarized regular app, no registration, no login, no custom network access, and no file access according to the developer | Open source, lightweight, and sold through a simple in-app or Gumroad checkout | Open source under the MIT license | Traditional paid utility from Plentycom Systems |
| Current starting price | Free app for supported devices; hardware sold separately | 7-day trial, then $7.99 one-time purchase | 30 days free, then $2.99 plus taxes | Free open-source app, donations accepted | 30-day trial, then $19.99 new license; $12.99 upgrade from version 4 |
Logi Options+
Logi Options+ is still the safest default if your setup is built around supported Logitech gear. Logitech currently lists downloads for macOS 14 or later and positions the app as a way to customize mice, keyboards, webcams, lights, touchpads, presentation remotes, and MX Creative Console devices from one place.
Its biggest advantage is official device support. For a supported MX mouse, you can assign button actions, use gestures, adjust pointer and scrolling settings, create app-specific customizations, and monitor battery state. For supported keyboards, it can assign shortcuts to F-keys, monitor battery, and use Smart Actions. For some devices, it also exposes Flow for controlling multiple computers, Actions Ring, Marketplace profiles, enhanced Easy-Switch behavior, Spotlight presentation effects, webcam settings, and light controls.
That makes Logi Options+ more than a generic mouse remapper. If you rely on Flow to move between computers, Smart Actions to trigger multi-step workflows, or Logitech keyboard and webcam settings, the alternatives in this post are not complete replacements. They mostly improve mouse behavior, button mapping, and scrolling.
The tradeoff is that Logi Options+ can feel like a large vendor app when all you want is better mouse control. Some users also prefer utilities that do not require an account, do not install broad background components, and work across non-Logitech mice. If your Logitech mouse is the only device you need to tune, BetterMouse, Mac Mouse Fix, LinearMouse, or SteerMouse may feel cleaner.
Logi Options+ is currently free. The real cost is the Logitech hardware, plus the fact that many of its best features depend on device compatibility.
Choose Logi Options+ if official Logitech compatibility matters more than keeping the mouse utility small and hardware-agnostic.
BetterMouse
BetterMouse is the strongest Logi Options+ alternative for people who mostly care about how the mouse feels. The developer describes it as a macOS utility for smooth mouse scrolling, cursor speed control, and powerful mouse and keyboard bindings, with a goal of replacing bulky vendor drivers such as Logitech Options.
The feature set is broad. BetterMouse can tune smooth scrolling duration, direction, acceleration, discrete scrolling, modifier-based scrolling, thumbwheel behavior on Logi MX Master mice, pointer acceleration, pointer speed, DPI and onboard profiles for supported Logi mice, and some vendor-defined keyboard settings for supported Logi keyboards. It also includes a Unifying and Bolt receiver pairing tool.
Button mapping is where BetterMouse becomes more than a scrolling fixer. Mouse clicks, drags, holds, hold-scroll actions, modifier variants, keyboard shortcuts, special actions, Mission Control, space switching, app-specific rules, and exception apps can all be configured. That makes it a good fit for users who want different behavior in browsers, design tools, spreadsheets, games, remote desktops, and pro apps.
The install style is also part of the appeal. BetterMouse says it is Apple-notarized, does not install extensions, drivers, or agents, does not require registration or login, and has no custom network access or file access. It is a regular app that can be removed by dragging it to the Trash.
The tradeoff is that BetterMouse is still a mouse and keyboard utility, not a Logitech device suite. It does not replace Logi Options+ for webcams, lights, Flow, Actions Ring, Marketplace profiles, or every device-specific setting. It can also conflict with other mouse helper apps, so you should avoid running it alongside Logi Options+, G Hub, Logi Tune, or similar tools unless you are deliberately testing.
BetterMouse currently offers a 7-day full trial and costs $7.99 as a one-time lifetime purchase, with five reusable activations per license. The current version listed during this review is 1.6.8888, dated July 7, 2026, with macOS 11.0 or later required.
Choose BetterMouse if you want the deepest modern mouse-control replacement for Logi Options+ without turning the Mac into a vendor-driver stack.
Mac Mouse Fix
Mac Mouse Fix takes a more focused approach: make a normal third-party mouse feel natural on macOS. Instead of trying to manage every peripheral, it brings Apple Trackpad-style interactions to mouse buttons and scrolling.
Its best feature is gesture translation. With a typical five-button mouse, you can use side buttons and mouse movement to trigger Look Up, Quick Look, Mission Control, desktop switching, app Expose, show desktop, Launchpad, smart zoom, back and forward navigation, app gestures, and 360-degree drag scrolling. This is especially useful if you like macOS trackpad gestures but prefer the ergonomics or precision of a mouse.
Scrolling is also a major focus. Mac Mouse Fix offers smooth momentum-based scrolling, separate mouse scroll direction, modifier-based scrolling, zooming, and settings that can make third-party mouse wheels feel less jumpy on macOS. The interface is designed to be simple, so it is less intimidating than utilities that expose every possible driver-level option.
The tradeoff is hardware breadth. The developer notes that Mac Mouse Fix is richest with a mouse that has at least five buttons, may not recognize all buttons on some mice designed for proprietary driver software such as Logitech Options, and does not currently support Apple Magic Mouse. It also does not replace Logi Options+ for Logitech keyboard, webcam, light, Flow, or Smart Actions workflows.
Mac Mouse Fix is open source, offers 30 days free, and currently costs $2.99 plus taxes to own, with no subscription or additional payments.
Choose Mac Mouse Fix if you want the best low-cost way to make a normal mouse feel more at home on macOS.
LinearMouse
LinearMouse is the best free alternative in this group. It is a mouse and trackpad utility for Mac that focuses on profiles, scrolling, pointer tuning, and button actions rather than proprietary hardware features.
The practical benefit is separation. macOS can make a mouse and trackpad share settings in ways that feel wrong, especially if you want natural scrolling on the trackpad but reversed scrolling on a mouse. LinearMouse lets you keep device-specific behavior, tune scrolling direction, adjust pointer speed and acceleration, disable acceleration, and set profiles by device, app, and display.
LinearMouse also supports button and scroll actions. You can remap buttons and scroll actions to keyboard shortcuts, media controls, Mission Control, and gesture-driven workflows. That is enough for many people who need a better mouse setup but do not need Logitech Flow, Smart Actions, Actions Ring, webcam settings, or a full paid remapping suite.
The tradeoff is depth. LinearMouse is excellent for clean free tuning, but BetterMouse and SteerMouse are stronger if you want more elaborate button holds, chording, hardware-specific options, thumbwheel controls, receiver pairing, or fine-grained exception rules. Mac Mouse Fix is friendlier if your main goal is trackpad-like gestures.
LinearMouse is currently free and open source under the MIT license. The GitHub repository lists version 0.11.2 as the latest release during this review, dated May 9, 2026, and accepts donations through sponsor links.
Choose LinearMouse if you want a no-cost, open-source way to fix scrolling direction, pointer acceleration, speed, and basic button behavior across devices.
SteerMouse
SteerMouse is the veteran option. Plentycom Systems describes it as a utility for freely customizing buttons, wheels, and cursor speed on USB and Bluetooth mice, with a history going back to 2005.
Its strength is advanced assignment depth. You can assign functions to combinations of buttons and modifier keys, assign functions to combinations of buttons, use keyboard shortcuts, clicks, scrolling, zoom, application switching, Mission Control, system controls, music controls, file and URL opening, cursor snapping, and per-app configurations. If you like building a mouse layout around chording, modifier buttons, or app-specific power workflows, SteerMouse remains relevant.
Pointer and wheel controls are also more detailed than macOS settings. SteerMouse lets you adjust sensitivity in addition to tracking speed, tune scroll acceleration and sensitivity, use auto scroll, turn a trackball into a scroll ball, and snap the cursor to destinations such as default buttons or close buttons.
The tradeoff is compatibility and style. SteerMouse explicitly does not support Apple Magic Mouse or Apple Magic Trackpad, and it may not support some special buttons. It also feels more like a traditional utility than a modern Mac app such as Mac Mouse Fix or LinearMouse. For Logitech-only device features, Logi Options+ is still the official option. For a lighter vendor-driver replacement with some supported Logitech hardware settings, BetterMouse is the more modern choice.
SteerMouse currently offers a 30-day free trial. A new SteerMouse 5 license costs $19.99, an upgrade from version 4 costs $12.99, and version 5 licenses are lifetime for that major version, with free minor updates and paid major upgrades.
Choose SteerMouse if you want an established advanced mouse utility with deep button, wheel, chording, cursor, and per-app control.
Which Logi Options+ Alternative Should You Use?
Use BetterMouse if you want the most complete replacement for everyday mouse control. It is the best pick for smooth scrolling, thumbwheel behavior, cursor acceleration, button mappings, app exceptions, supported Logitech hardware settings, and a small no-login app.
Use Mac Mouse Fix if you miss trackpad gestures when using a mouse. It is the best value here and the easiest recommendation for Mission Control, desktop switching, app Expose, smart zoom, back and forward navigation, and natural-feeling scrolling.
Use LinearMouse if your needs are simple and you prefer free open-source software. It is ideal for separate mouse and trackpad scrolling, per-device profiles, pointer acceleration, speed tuning, and basic button actions.
Use SteerMouse if you want a mature advanced utility and are willing to spend time building a detailed setup. It is especially useful for chording, modifier-based assignments, cursor snapping, wheel tuning, and app-specific profiles.
Stick with Logi Options+ if you use more than just a mouse. Logitech keyboards, webcams, lights, MX Creative Console, Flow, Smart Actions, Actions Ring, Marketplace profiles, Easy-Switch behavior, battery status, and official support are reasons to keep the vendor app installed.
Final Verdict
Logi Options+ is still the best choice for supported Logitech ecosystems. It gives you official compatibility and features the alternatives cannot fully clone, especially across keyboards, mice, webcams, lights, presentation remotes, and MX devices.
BetterMouse is the best overall Logi Options+ alternative for mouse control. It gives Mac users a broad, lightweight, paid tool for scrolling, pointer feel, buttons, gestures, per-app rules, and supported Logitech mouse settings.
Mac Mouse Fix is the best low-cost comfort upgrade. It is not trying to replace every Logitech feature, but it makes many third-party mice feel much more Mac-native.
LinearMouse is the best free choice. It is the right first download if you mainly need separate scroll direction, pointer acceleration control, and device-specific profiles.
SteerMouse is the best veteran power-user option. It remains useful when you want deep button, wheel, chording, cursor, and per-app customization and do not need Logitech's broader device suite.
My practical recommendation: keep Logi Options+ if you rely on Logitech-specific ecosystem features, try BetterMouse if you want a serious replacement for mouse control, start with LinearMouse if you want free basics, pick Mac Mouse Fix if gestures are the priority, and choose SteerMouse if your mouse workflow depends on advanced assignments.
Note: Features and prices are current as of July 2026. Device compatibility, macOS requirements, Logitech-supported feature lists, paid-license terms, trial lengths, app permissions, and hardware-specific button support can change. Verify current details on each developer's official product, download, pricing, GitHub, or support page before replacing your mouse utility.
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