9 best Stream Deck alternatives in 2026 (tested and compared)

If you want the Elgato Stream Deck's one-tap control without buying Elgato's hardware, you have real choices. A good Stream Deck alternative can be a touchscreen deck with physical dials, a phone or tablet app, a DIY macro pad, or software that automates the work behind the buttons instead of just launching it.

First, the honest part: we make Buttons, one of the tools on this list, so we have a horse in this race. We'll tell you exactly where Buttons fits and where every other option beats it. No strawman competitors, no fake superlatives.

How we picked these Stream Deck alternatives

We looked at each tool on four things that actually change your decision:

• Platform: whether it runs on Windows, Mac, or a phone, and what it needs on the paired computer.
• What you press: physical keys, dials, a touchscreen, or on-screen software buttons.
• Price and licensing: free tier, one-time purchase, or subscription, with the real numbers from each vendor.
• What it's honestly best at: streaming, creative work, macros, budget setups, or automating no-API workflows.

Every factual claim below comes from the product's own site or store listing. Every review links to a live third-party page. Where we couldn't find a verified review, we say so instead of inventing one.

Key takeaways

• Buttons is best if you're on a Mac and want the work behind the button carried out for you, including on portals with no API. It costs $19.99/month and stays busy on your machine during a run.
• Loupedeck Live is the pick for physical dials plus a touchscreen, though Loupedeck has ended new sales; the Razer Stream Controller X is the current-hardware choice, with 15 tactile LCD keys (no dials).
• Touch Portal, Deckboard, and Stream Deck Mobile turn a phone or tablet into a deck, so you skip buying hardware. The trade-off is a dependency on your phone and local network.
• Keyboard Maestro wins on price and depth for fixed Mac macros at a one-time US$36, but it can break when an app's layout shifts.
• A DIY QMK macro pad gives builders full control for the cost of parts, at the price of time and a soldering iron.

Stream Deck alternatives compared at a glance

Every tool is ranked in the same order as the sections below (1–9). Blank cells mean no verified data was available.

Best hardware and software Stream Deck alternatives

1. Buttons

What it is: Buttons is a Mac app that gives you a dashboard of software buttons, one per recurring task. Press a button and an AI sets up your workspace and runs the task on screen, clicking, typing, and moving through your real apps the way you would. You describe the task once in plain words, and Buttons lays it out as editable steps you can run any time.

The difference from a Stream Deck is the button doesn't just launch a shortcut. It carries out the whole ritual. Because it works at the screen, it reaches apps and web portals that have no API at all, like carrier portals, payer portals, and bank portals. Classic macros can't touch those.

Who it's for: Mac users with a handful of daily rituals they run on autopilot, like inbox triage, filing receipts, or posting the same standup in the same channel. It fits best when the same sequence runs often, crosses apps without APIs, and has a moment mid-run where you want to check something before it sends.

Pros:

• Reaches any app or portal on screen, even with no API.
• Describe a task once in plain words, then rerun it any time with editable steps.
• Checkpoints pause and ask before anything is sent or posted; Escape stops a run instantly.
• One plan at $19.99/month with everything included and a 7-day free trial, no card required.

The honest limits: Buttons drives your Mac while a run executes, so you supervise rather than multitask on the same machine. It's macOS 14+ only (Apple silicon and Intel), and you download it directly from usebuttons.com, not the Mac App Store. During a run, it captures the screen you choose and sends those images to Anthropic's API to decide each step; screenshots are never stored and never used to train models.

Review: Buttons is a new product without coverage on an authoritative review platform yet, so we won't cite a review we can't verify. We'd rather flag the gap than fake it.

2. Loupedeck Live

What it is: Loupedeck Live is a hardware deck built for creators. It pairs a touchscreen with physical controls, so you can turn a dial to scrub video or adjust a slider instead of tapping repeatedly. It has 6 analog dials, 8 tactile buttons, 2 touch bars, and 12 touch-sensitive buttons with haptic feedback.

Its Dynamic Mode switches workspaces and profiles automatically depending on the active software, and it ships with native profiles for OBS Studio, Twitch, Adobe Lightroom Classic, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and more. It runs on Windows 10 or later and macOS 10.15 or later over USB.

Who it's for: Photo and video editors who want physical dials alongside a touchscreen. The catch is availability. Loupedeck's own site now shows "End of Loupedeck Sales and Future Development Plans," so the device is no longer sold new by Loupedeck. Buy it secondhand knowing support has wound down.

Review: TechRadar called it "a well-built, and infinitely customizable piece of kit." Since Loupedeck Live is discontinued, this review dates from its active life. (TechRadar, accessed 2026-08-19.)

3. Touch Portal

What it is: Touch Portal turns a phone or tablet into a customizable button and slider deck. It controls Windows, macOS, and Linux applications from the companion app over your local network. You get the deck experience using a screen you already own.

The free version is limited to a 4×2 grid with one extra page, while the Pro upgrade unlocks unlimited pages and grids up to 110 buttons, animated GIF support, and custom page backgrounds. Pro is a one-time payment for a lifetime license (about $12.99, and prices vary by country), and it integrates with OBS Studio, Streamlabs, Twitch, and Philips Hue.

Who it's for: Streamers and creators who want a cheap, flexible deck without buying hardware. Two honest notes: it depends on a phone and a stable local network, and the free grid is small until you pay.

Review: Touch Portal holds a 4.5 out of 5 star rating on the Google Play store (about 3.7 thousand ratings). (Google Play, accessed 2026-08-19.)

4. Mountain DisplayPad

What it is: The Mountain DisplayPad puts a small screen on every key. It has 12 freely customizable, tactile Display Keys at 104×104 pixels each. You manage it with Mountain's Base Camp software, which has integrated controls for apps such as OBS Studio, Adobe, and DaVinci.

It works standalone or mounts to a Mountain Everest Max or Core keyboard, which is handy if you're already in that ecosystem. It supports animated GIF, JPG, PNG, and BMP icons, uses a removable USB-C cable, and includes an anti-slip stand.

Who it's for: PC users who want per-key screens and modular hardware. Mountain doesn't publish a price on its own site in the sources we reviewed, so treat it as mid-range hardware and check current retail listings.

Review: GamesRadar+ called the DisplayPad and MacroPad "must-see workhorses for gaming and productivity" with "outstanding value for money." The DisplayPad launched in 2022, so reviews date from that period. (GamesRadar+, accessed 2026-08-19.)

5. Razer Stream Controller X

What it is: The Razer Stream Controller X is premium streaming hardware with 15 tactile "switchblade" LCD buttons for control in a few taps. It runs on Loupedeck's software, which gives it dynamic profiles that switch automatically per app and access to the Loupedeck Marketplace of plugins and icon packs. It supports PC and Mac.

Razer has retired the dedicated product page on razer.com, so current specs are drawn from Tom's Hardware's hands-on review: 15 tactile LCD buttons, Loupedeck software, a magnetic swappable faceplate and stand, and a $149.99 launch price. This is a close hardware match for a Stream Deck rather than a reinvention.

Who it's for: Streamers who want polished hardware and don't mind paying for it. It sits at a premium price tier, so check current listings for availability before buying.

Review: Tom's Hardware's 2023 launch review verdict: "The Razer Stream Controller X is compact, tactile, and good for people who like Loupedeck's software but Elgato's form factor." (Tom's Hardware, accessed 2026-08-19.)

6. DIY QMK macro pad

What it is: A DIY QMK macro pad is a self-built deck running open-source firmware. QMK is free, open-source firmware for the microcontrollers inside keyboards and macro pads. You buy or build the hardware, then flash it yourself.

Keys are fully remappable, and the QMK Configurator gives you a graphical interface with no programming needed, while direct keymap editing is more powerful. Macros can send multiple keystrokes from one key, up to 32 defined in a keymap.json file. Because the firmware lives on the device, it works across Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it supports rotary encoders for dials.

Who it's for: Tinkerers who want full control on a budget and enjoy the build. The firmware is free, so you only pay for parts, which vary by build. The trade-off is time and a soldering iron.

Review: A DIY QMK macro pad is a self-built device rather than one product, so there's no single review page to cite. We're flagging the gap instead of citing a review that doesn't match the entry.

7. Deckboard

What it is: Deckboard is a low-cost phone-based deck. It pairs a desktop server app with a phone app and connects over local WiFi by entering an IP address or scanning a QR code. Buttons can trigger keyboard combinations, open a website or folder, run a program, and control OBS Studio, Streamlabs, and Twitch.

The free version gives a 4×3 grid (12 buttons) per board, while Pro moves to a 5×4 grid (20 buttons), removes ads, and adds more buttons. Pro costs roughly $3.99, which makes it one of the cheapest paid options here.

Who it's for: Budget-conscious streamers who want a deck on their phone. The honest note: the free tier shows ads, and it leans on a stable local network.

Review: Deckboard holds a 3.2 out of 5 star rating on the Google Play store (about 935 reviews). (Google Play, accessed 2026-08-19.)

8. Keyboard Maestro

What it is: Keyboard Maestro is the classic Mac macro tool. It's a macOS-only automation utility from Stairways Software, now on version 11. It automates applications or web sites, text or images, on command or scheduled, and you can automate virtually anything.

It's a one-time US$36 purchase plus tax with no subscription, and it supports conditional logic, loops, variables, error handling, and branching. For fixed macros on a Mac, it's far cheaper over time than any subscription tool, including Buttons.

Who it's for: Mac power users who want deep, scriptable macros and don't mind a learning curve. The honest limit is the one it shares with old-school macros: it clicks where a button used to be, so it can break when an app's layout shifts. Buttons' AI reads what's actually on screen instead, but Keyboard Maestro wins on price and raw depth for stable, repeatable macros.

Review: Macworld's review says "you owe it to yourself to try Keyboard Maestro." It's a long-established Mac tool, and Macworld is an authoritative Mac publication. (Macworld, accessed 2026-08-19.)

9. Stream Deck Mobile

What it is: Stream Deck Mobile is Elgato's own app version of the deck. It's an official Elgato app that turns a phone or tablet into a control pad and requires the Stream Deck desktop app on the paired computer. If you already use Elgato's ecosystem, it's the most familiar option.

The free tier gives up to 6 keys, unlimited actions, and hundreds of plugins. Pro unlocks up to 64 keys plus custom layouts and backgrounds, and on iPad you can run two keypads side-by-side for up to 128 keys. Pro is $2.99/month, $24.99/year, or $49.99 for a one-off lifetime license, with prices varying by region.

Who it's for: Existing Stream Deck and Elgato users who want a mobile deck without more hardware. The catch is the dependency: it needs the desktop Stream Deck app running to work.

Review: Stream Deck Mobile holds a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on the Apple App Store (5.6K ratings). (App Store, accessed 2026-08-19.)

How to choose the best Stream Deck alternative

Match the tool to the job:

• You stream or edit and want dials plus a touchscreen: Loupedeck Live if you can find one secondhand.
• You want current, supported hardware with tactile keys: the Razer Stream Controller X (15 tactile LCD keys, no dials).
• You want a deck without buying hardware: Touch Portal for a full-featured phone deck, Deckboard if you want the cheapest paid tier, or Stream Deck Mobile if you're already in Elgato's world.
• You want per-key screens on a PC: Mountain DisplayPad.
• You like building things and want full control cheaply: a DIY QMK macro pad.
• You want fixed, scriptable Mac macros for a one-time price: Keyboard Maestro.
• You want the work behind the buttons carried out for you: Buttons, if you're on a Mac and your tasks cross apps and portals that have no API.

Here's the one-line verdict. If you want a deck to press, buy hardware or a deck app. If you want the repetitive work itself handled while you stay in the loop, that's what Buttons is built for.

Conclusion and next step

If you want physical dials and a touchscreen, hunt down a secondhand Loupedeck Live; for current tactile-key hardware, get the Razer Stream Controller X. If you want a deck without buying hardware, use Touch Portal, Deckboard, or Stream Deck Mobile. If you want per-key screens on a PC, get the Mountain DisplayPad. If you like building, wire up a DIY QMK macro pad. If you want fixed Mac macros for a one-time price, buy Keyboard Maestro. And if you're on a Mac and want the repetitive work itself handled while you stay in the loop, that's what Buttons is built for.

Try Buttons free for 7 days →