Keeby alternative for Mac: Kiiwi vs Keeby

Updated October 2026. Prices and features checked against each app's own Mac App Store listing and website.

Keeby and Kiiwi both play real mechanical keyboard recordings as you type on your Mac. Keeby launched in April 2026 on the Mac App Store with 12 switches. Kiiwi sells direct, has 32 switches, and adds mouse click sounds and typing stats.

Here's the honest comparison, written by the person who makes Kiiwi.

The short answer

• Choose Keeby if you want an App Store app, you're on macOS 13 Ventura, or you like the idea of a keyboard visualizer in your MacBook's notch.
• Choose Kiiwi if you want more switches to choose from, mouse click and scroll sounds, or typing stats, and you'd like to hear every switch in your browser before you pay.

Kiiwi vs Keeby at a glance

Every Keeby switch is in Kiiwi too

Keeby's App Store listing names ten of its twelve switches: Gateron Red, Holy Panda, Alps Blue, Box Navy, Cream, Buckling Spring, Ink Black, Turquoise Tealios, Alpaca and Topre. Kiiwi has all ten, and you can type on each one in your browser: the Holy Panda, Topre, Alpaca, Turquoise Tealios and the buckling spring of an IBM Model M, for example.

On top of those, Kiiwi has 22 more, including Cherry MX Blue, Brown, Red and Black, Gateron Brown, Glorious Panda, Everglide Crystal Purple and Kailh Box White. Several are recorded more than one way, stock and lubed, or on ABS and PBT keycaps, for 38 recordings in total.

How they sound

Both apps use real recordings and place each key's sound by where it sits on the keyboard, so Q comes from your left and P from your right.

Kiiwi goes a step further on the recordings: the number, top, home and bottom rows were each recorded separately, the way a real board sounds slightly different across its rows. Every sample is trimmed so the sound lands with your finger, and each key picks one of five pitch variants so a long sentence never sounds like one sample on repeat.

Keeby lets you shape the sound yourself instead, with a pad that moves between a deeper thock and a brighter clack, and between lower and higher pitch. It also adjusts the stereo width when you wear headphones.

The best way to choose is to listen. Type in the playground on Kiiwi's homepage, or open any switch to type on it.

Beyond the keyboard

Kiiwi also plays sounds for your mouse and trackpad: 8 click packs and scroll wheel ticks. It counts your typing (keys per day, streaks, your best WPM over a full minute and the apps you type in most) and turns your week into a share card. It counts how many keys, never which ones.

Keeby's standout extra is a notch visualizer: a small keyboard in your MacBook's notch that ripples as you type.

Privacy

Both apps only notice that a key was pressed, never what you type. Keeby says it makes no network connections at all. Kiiwi sends two things: a licence check and a daily check for updates. Your typing and your stats stay on your Mac.

Price and where to buy

Keeby is $4.99 on the Mac App Store. Kiiwi is $4.99 once for its first 100 buyers, then $6.99, sold at kiiwi.app. Neither is a subscription.

Keeby installs like any App Store app. Kiiwi downloads from its website and isn't notarized by Apple yet, so the first time you open it, macOS asks you to confirm in System Settings, under Privacy & Security, Open Anyway. It's a one-time step.

Which should you pick?

• Pick Keeby if you're on macOS 13, prefer the App Store, or want the notch visualizer.
• Pick Kiiwi if you want 32 switches instead of 12, sounds for your mouse and scroll wheel, typing stats and share cards, or the chance to hear every switch before buying.

Questions

What's the difference between Kiiwi and Keeby?

Both play real mechanical switch recordings with spatial audio. Kiiwi has 32 switches to Keeby's 12, plus mouse click sounds, scroll ticks and typing stats. Keeby has a notch visualizer, a tone and pitch pad, and runs on macOS 13.

Does Kiiwi have the same switches as Keeby?

Yes. All ten switches Keeby names on its App Store listing are in Kiiwi, including the Holy Panda, Topre, Alpaca, Turquoise Tealios and a buckling spring, along with 22 more.

Does Keeby have mouse click sounds?

No. Keeby is keyboard sounds only. Kiiwi includes 8 mouse click packs and scroll wheel ticks.

Can I try Kiiwi before buying?

Yes, and you don't need to download anything. Try how each switch sounds in the playground on the homepage, then open any switch in the switch library to type on it and hear every key, including the space bar, return and the separately recorded rows. If it still isn't right for you, Kiiwi has a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Does Kiiwi work on macOS 13 Ventura?

No. Kiiwi needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Keeby runs on macOS 13.

Keeby is a product of its developer, Adrian Angelo Abelarde. Kiiwi isn't affiliated with Keeby. Details were checked on 5 October 2026 and may have changed since.

Sources: Keeby's Mac App Store listing (switches, features, price, macOS requirement, privacy).