Best Jitouch Alternatives for Mac in 2026

Jitouch is one of the most beloved Mac gesture apps ever made. It is free, open source, and it has a feature almost nothing else has: character gestures. You draw a letter on the trackpad, and it runs the command. For a certain kind of Mac user, that is still magic.

The problem is maintenance. Jitouch’s last release was 2.82.1 on January 2, 2023. The official build is Intel-only, so Apple-silicon Macs run it through Rosetta. It is not notarized, and there is no confirmed support for macOS 26 or 27. The code still works for many people; it is just not being updated.

We make TrackStudio, so read this with that bias in mind. The list below includes free and paid alternatives, and it names when staying with Jitouch is the rational choice.

What Jitouch still does well

Jitouch supports multi-finger gestures, Magic Mouse gestures, per-app gesture sets, and character gestures. The character gestures are the signature: draw “N” for a new document, “S” to save, or any letter you assign. It is free and open source under GPL-3.0, and it still runs on many recent Macs.

If those specific features are what you use, no paid app in this list fully replaces them. TrackStudio does not have character gestures. GestureCraft does not have character gestures. Curflow can draw shapes, but it is a different model. Be honest with yourself: if Jitouch works and you rely on letter gestures, keep it until it breaks.

Why people look for an alternative

• No release since January 2023. No fixes for new macOS versions, new hardware, or security changes.
• Intel-only official build. Apple-silicon Macs run it through Rosetta; a community arm64 fork exists but is unofficial and not notarized.
• Not notarized. macOS requires manual approval on first launch.
• No confirmed macOS 26/27 support. It may work today and break on the next update.
• No support contract. If a gesture stops working, there is no vendor to call.

The short list

Prices, trials, and macOS requirements checked on vendor pages on November 2, 2026. Regional pricing and taxes vary.

1. GestureCraft — the best simple maintained alternative

GestureCraft is the easiest replacement for the “few gestures, few shortcuts” use case. It maps trackpad taps, holds, swipes, keyboard shortcuts, and mouse buttons to Shortcuts, apps, window snaps, keystrokes, or scripts. It costs $7.99 one-time for up to three Macs, with a 14-day money-back guarantee and macOS 14 or later. It is native, notarized, and event-driven.

Choose it if: you want a maintained app, a low price, and rules that read like a sentence. Do not choose it if: you need character gestures or Magic Mouse pinch/rotate. It does not have either.

2. Multitouch — the best deep-gesture alternative

Multitouch is the closest replacement for Jitouch’s multi-finger gesture range. It supports trackpad and Magic Mouse gestures, key and mouse-button remapping, scripts, and Rectangle Pro in full. It costs $15.99 one-time with a 30-day trial and three devices. The vendor lists macOS 14 or later.

Choose it if: you want the deepest maintained gesture engine, you use a Magic Mouse, or you want Rectangle Pro. Do not choose it if: you want a visual surface or character gestures. It is a rules-and-actions app.

3. TrackStudio — the best visual whole-surface alternative

TrackStudio is the app we make. It maps the whole trackpad as a surface: left, right, and bottom edges, four corners, custom areas, center gestures, per-app scenes, media scrub, and haptics. It costs ₹499 one-time and runs on macOS 13 or later. There is no trial listed.

Choose it if: you want to see and arrange the surface, and you care about per-app scenes and haptics. Do not choose it if: character gestures are essential. TrackStudio does not have them, and it is not a scripting or key-remapping platform.

4. Curflow — the best drawn-gesture alternative

Curflow is the closest thing to a drawing-based gesture app. On a mouse, hold the right button and draw; on a trackpad, hold Option and pan. It maps the shape to navigation, tabs, clipboard actions, app switching, keyboard shortcuts, and AppleScript actions, per app. It costs $15.99 Standard or $29.99 Pro, with a 14-day trial and macOS 14 or later.

Choose it if: you like drawing paths and want them to work on any mouse. Do not choose it if: you want letter recognition specifically, or discrete taps and swipes. Curflow recognizes the dominant direction of a drawn path; it is not a character recognizer.

5. Trill — the best guided alternative

Trill starts with ready-made gesture sets for Everyday, Browser, Windows, Media, Writing, and Developer. You can record a gesture by doing it. It adds haptics on Force Touch trackpads, a Hyper Key, and window snapping. It costs $29 one-time for three Macs, with a 24-hour trial and macOS 14 or later.

Choose it if: you want a guided start and a polished all-in-one. Do not choose it if: you need character gestures or a long trial. The trial is only 24 hours.

6. Free alternatives — StrokeMouse and Tapestry

StrokeMouse is free and open source under AGPL-3.0. It covers mouse draw, side buttons, modifier draws, and experimental touch gestures on macOS 14 or later. Tapestry is free and open source under MIT. It maps taps, holds, and diagonal swipes to keys, Shortcuts, apps, or links on macOS 15 or later.

Choose them if free matters most and you do not need character gestures. Both are newer and smaller than Jitouch, with their own caveats around signing and private frameworks.

Jitouch vs the alternatives

“Signed; check current notarization” means the app is Developer ID signed; confirm the notarization status of the current build before relying on it. Features checked on vendor pages in November 2026.

Choose Jitouch if…

You rely on character gestures, it still works on your Mac, and you do not need support or notarization. Keep a backup of the installer and your settings. If it breaks after a macOS update, you will not get a fix from the original developer.

Choose an alternative if…

• You want a maintained app: GestureCraft, Multitouch, TrackStudio, Curflow, or Trill.
• You want free: StrokeMouse or Tapestry.
• You want character gestures specifically: stay with Jitouch; none of these fully replaces that feature.
• You want a visual surface: TrackStudio.
• You want drawn shapes: Curflow or StrokeMouse.
• You want ready-made sets: Trill.

The bottom line

Jitouch is still a legitimate choice if it works and you need character gestures. It is not a safe long-term platform. If you want maintenance, notarization, and support, choose a maintained app and accept that the character-gesture feature has no exact replacement. If free is the priority, StrokeMouse and Tapestry are the closest current options.