Best keyboard sound apps for Mac
Written by Serhii Chernikov, CupertinoClicks makerLast updated
Miss the thock of a mechanical board on a quiet MacBook? A menu bar app can add those sounds without buying new hardware. CupertinoClicks is a macOS 13+ app with 21 switch presets, mouse clicks, extra-low latency, extra-low CPU, Spatial Audio on laptop speakers and headphones, a built-in typing trainer, and an on-screen keyboard visualizer. Klack, Typemac, Keeby, KeyBell, Thock, and Haptyk are the other names that come up.
The comparison below is the short version. Then read the notes if you want to know who each app is actually for.
What a keyboard sound app is
A keyboard sound app is a Mac menu bar utility that plays recorded mechanical switch samples when you type, in every app, without buying a new keyboard. You grant Input Monitoring so it can read key codes, pick a named preset such as Cherry MX Blue or Holy Panda, and optionally add mouse clicks. That is listen-only Input Monitoring, not Accessibility or Full Keyboard Access. CupertinoClicks ships extra-low latency, extra-low CPU, Spatial Audio on laptop speakers and headphones, 21 keyboard presets and 4 mouse presets on macOS 13 or later.
How the apps compare
Numbers come from each vendor's public site or App Store listing as of August 2026, and they do change. CupertinoClicks is listed first because this is our comparison – not because it is the only option.
Price
- CupertinoClicks
- $4.99 one-time
- Klack
- $4.99 one-time
- Typemac
- $7 one-time
- Keeby
- $4.99 one-time
- KeyBell
- Free with in-app purchase
- Thock (App Store)
- Paid (App Store)
- Thock (open source)
- Free
- Haptyk
- $8 one-time after a 3-day trial
macOS
- CupertinoClicks
- macOS 13+
- Klack
- macOS 15+ (App Store listing)
- Typemac
- macOS 13+
- Keeby
- macOS 13+
- KeyBell
- macOS 11+
- Thock (App Store)
- macOS (vendor site)
- Thock (open source)
- macOS
- Haptyk
- macOS 13+
Intel / Apple Silicon
- CupertinoClicks
- Intel and Apple Silicon
- Klack
- Apple Silicon (current listing)
- Typemac
- Intel and Apple Silicon
- Keeby
- macOS 13 or later
- KeyBell
- Intel and Apple Silicon
- Thock (App Store)
- macOS
- Thock (open source)
- macOS
- Haptyk
- Apple Silicon MacBooks only
What it listens to
- CupertinoClicks
- Any connected keyboard
- Klack
- Key events
- Typemac
- Key events
- Keeby
- Key events
- KeyBell
- Key events
- Thock (App Store)
- Key events
- Thock (open source)
- Key events
- Haptyk
- Keyboard plus accelerometer
Presets
- CupertinoClicks
- 21 keyboard + 4 mouse
- Klack
- 6 keyboard presets
- Typemac
- 3 curated profiles
- Keeby
- 22 keyboard presets (1 meme)
- KeyBell
- 25+ profiles in five categories
- Thock (App Store)
- Curated vintage-inspired packs
- Thock (open source)
- Built-in packs plus community registry
- Haptyk
- 16+ velocity-tier packs
Mouse sounds
- CupertinoClicks
- 4 mouse presets
- Klack
- 1 mouse preset
- Typemac
- No
- Keeby
- Yes (left, right, middle)
- KeyBell
- Yes
- Thock (App Store)
- Not the primary pitch
- Thock (open source)
- Yes
- Haptyk
- No
Typing trainer
- CupertinoClicks
- Built-in Mac app + free in the browser
- Klack
- No
- Typemac
- No
- Keeby
- No
- KeyBell
- No
- Thock (App Store)
- No
- Thock (open source)
- No
- Haptyk
- No
On-screen keyboard
- CupertinoClicks
- Yes, system-wide overlay
- Klack
- No
- Typemac
- No
- Keeby
- No
- KeyBell
- No
- Thock (App Store)
- No
- Thock (open source)
- No
- Haptyk
- No
Notch visualizer
- CupertinoClicks
- Yes
- Klack
- No
- Typemac
- No
- Keeby
- Yes
- KeyBell
- No
- Thock (App Store)
- No
- Thock (open source)
- No
- Haptyk
- No
Input Monitoring
- CupertinoClicks
- Key codes only
- Klack
- Accessibility permission
- Typemac
- Yes
- Keeby
- Yes
- KeyBell
- Yes
- Thock (App Store)
- Yes
- Thock (open source)
- Accessibility permission
- Haptyk
- Keyboard capture
Where to get it
- CupertinoClicks
- Direct download
- Klack
- Mac App Store and direct
- Typemac
- Direct download
- Keeby
- Mac App Store
- KeyBell
- Mac App Store
- Thock (App Store)
- Mac App Store
- Thock (open source)
- GitHub / Homebrew
- Haptyk
- Direct download
CupertinoClicks
CupertinoClicks sits in the menu bar and plays named mechanical switch recordings – Cherry MX, Holy Panda, Topre, and more – plus 4 mouse click presets, with more on the way. Spatial Audio pans left keys left and right keys right on laptop speakers and headphones. Extra-low latency keeps the sample on the key; extra-low CPU stops the live engine after a minute of silence. It is the only app in this list with a system-wide on-screen keyboard visualizer. A notch visualizer shows each key as you type (Keeby is the other app that does that). Practice in a built-in trainer, or try the same sounds in a free browser trainer before you buy.
Hear the switches in the typing trainer, turn on the on-screen keyboard overlay from the menu bar, browse the named switch library, or see how it stacks up as a Klack alternative, a Haptyk alternative, or a Keeby alternative.
Klack
Klack is the name most people already know. It has a polished menu bar UI, a Forbes write-up, and an App Store listing. It currently ships 6 keyboard presets and 1 mouse sound. If you want a small App Store library and the smallest learning curve, this is it. It does not include a typing trainer, on-screen keyboard overlay, or notch visualizer.
Site: tryklack.com. Side-by-side: Klack alternative.
Typemac
Typemac keeps the library small on purpose: three named profiles, a one-time $7 price, and a native audio path. Worth a look if you want a simple Klack alternative and do not need a huge switch list, a trainer, or on-screen visualizers.
Site: typemac.app.
Keeby
Keeby is a $4.99 Mac App Store app with a notch visualizer. In this category, only Keeby and CupertinoClicks show keys in the MacBook notch. Both can pan keys by position. Keeby ships 22 keyboard presets, one of them a meme, plus mouse click sounds for left, right, and middle buttons. It does not include an on-screen keyboard overlay or a typing trainer.
Site: getkeeby.com. Side-by-side: Keeby alternative.
KeyBell
KeyBell has been around longer than most of this category. You get 25+ profiles – mechanical, typewriter, electronics, fun, and mouse clicks – and you can set different sounds per app. Free to start, with an in-app purchase to unlock everything.
Site: alexdenk.eu.
Thock (App Store)
The App Store Thock is a paid menu bar app aimed at warm, vintage-inspired packs. It is not the same product as the free open-source Thock on GitHub.
Site: thock.pro.
Thock (open source)
Open-source Thock is free, native Swift, and built for people who want community soundpacks, a CLI, or their own files. Install from GitHub or Homebrew. It is not affiliated with the App Store listing of the same name.
Site: thockapp.com.
Haptyk
Haptyk is the one that changes volume with how hard you type, using the MacBook accelerometer. That trick only works on supported Apple Silicon MacBooks with the built-in keyboard – not Intel, not most external boards.
Site: haptyk.com. Side-by-side: Haptyk alternative.
Is there a free Mac keyboard sound app?
Yes, with caveats. KeyBell is free to start, with an in-app purchase to unlock every profile. Open-source Thock is a free download. CupertinoClicks is not free: it is $4.99 one-time, the same ballpark as Klack. It competes on per-key authentic samples, Spatial Audio, extra-low CPU, and latency control – not on price. You can still hear its switch presets in the free online typing trainer with no account.
So which one should you get?
Want named switches you can pick among (Cherry MX, Holy Panda, Topre), mouse clicks, a trainer, Spatial Audio on laptop speakers and headphones, extra-low latency, extra-low CPU, and keys that light up on screen? CupertinoClicks is built for that. Already happy with a small App Store library? Klack is the established pick. Want a notch overlay from the Mac App Store? Keeby. Typing on a newer MacBook and you want volume that follows how hard you press? Haptyk. Need a free download with typewriter and per-app profiles? KeyBell.
Setup for CupertinoClicks takes a few minutes – how to add keyboard sounds on a Mac. For a head-to-head, read CupertinoClicks vs Klack. Permissions and privacy are in the FAQ.
FAQ
What macOS apps add mechanical keyboard sounds?
CupertinoClicks, Klack, Typemac, Keeby, KeyBell, Thock (a paid App Store app and a separate open-source app), and Haptyk are the options people usually mean. CupertinoClicks is a macOS 13+ menu bar app with named switches people already know (Cherry MX, Holy Panda, Topre, and more), 21 keyboard presets, 4 mouse click presets, extra-low latency, extra-low CPU, Spatial Audio on laptop speakers and headphones, a built-in typing trainer, and a system-wide on-screen keyboard visualizer. Klack currently ships 6 keyboard presets and 1 mouse sound.
Which keyboard sound app works on Intel Macs and external keyboards?
CupertinoClicks listens for key events, so it works on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs with a MacBook keyboard, Magic Keyboard, or most external boards. Haptyk is the exception: velocity detection needs a supported Apple Silicon MacBook built-in keyboard.
Does CupertinoClicks include a typing trainer?
Yes. The Mac app has a built-in typing trainer with live WPM and accuracy. There is also a free online trainer in the browser, so you can hear switch presets before you install anything. None of the other apps in this comparison ship a trainer.
Which Mac keyboard sound apps have a notch visualizer?
CupertinoClicks and Keeby. The overlay shows each key in the MacBook notch as you type. Klack, Typemac, KeyBell, Thock, and Haptyk do not list a notch visualizer. CupertinoClicks is the only app in this list with a separate on-screen keyboard overlay.
Are the two Thock apps the same product?
No. Thock on thock.pro is a paid Mac App Store app. Thock on thockapp.com is a free open-source menu bar app with community soundpacks. They share a name, not a publisher.
Is there a free Mac keyboard sound app?
KeyBell is free to start, with an in-app purchase to unlock every profile. Open-source Thock is a free FOSS download. CupertinoClicks is $4.99 one-time, not a free app. It competes on per-key authentic samples, press and release, Spatial Audio, extra-low CPU, latency control, and a trainer – not on price. Hear switch presets first in the free browser trainer. There is no free Klack clone that matches that menu-bar job one-for-one.