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Clacky vs KeyEcho: which keyboard sound app should you use?

Pick KeyEcho if you want a free, open-source keyboard sound app that also runs on Windows and Linux, with recorded packs and your own packs. Pick Clacky if you only use a Mac and want your mouse, trackpad and scroll wheel to sound good too, with a click ripple and a screen recorder.

KeyEcho is free, with 53 crafted packs at $3.99 each or $9.99 for all of them. Clacky is $4.99 once for 1 Mac, after 3 days free with no card.

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Clacky’s keyboard settings: a try-it pad, nine sound families and four Cream sounds, each with a short description

Clacky and KeyEcho side by side

From KeyEcho’s site and GitHub page and Clacky’s own pages, read on 5 November 2026.

ClackyKeyEchoAhead
Price$4.99 onceFree app, packs $3.99 each or $9.99 for allKeyEcho to start
Open sourceNoYes (AGPL-3.0)KeyEcho
PlatformsMac onlyMac, Windows and LinuxKeyEcho
Keyboard sounds29, synthesizedRecorded per key, press and release, 6 featured free packsKeyEcho for recordings
Your own packsClicks and scroll only, no keyboard packsYes, with a custom sounds guideKeyEcho
Mouse, trackpad and scrollYesNot on its pagesClacky
Ripple, recorder, screenshotsYesNot on its pagesClacky
Privacy lineKeys never recorded, stored or sentNothing you type is read or stored, no account or cloud syncSame

Pick KeyEcho if…

KeyEcho is a small app (under 5 MB) built with Tauri and Rust. Its packs are sampled per key, with separate press and release recordings, and you can preview them in your browser. The all-packs unlock is paid once through Stripe, the key arrives by email, and it comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

  • You also use a Windows or Linux computer and want the same app on each.
  • You want open source you can read.
  • You want to record and add your own packs.
  • You want to pay nothing, or only for the packs you like.

Pick Clacky if…

Clacky is a native Mac menu-bar app that plays your whole desk: 37 click sounds for the mouse and trackpad, 8 scroll tick styles and 29 keyboard sounds, with clicks that follow your pointer from left to right. It also draws a ripple on every click and records your screen with the sounds in the video (macOS 15 or later).

Keyboard sounds listen for key down/up only. Clacky never records, stores or sends which keys you type, and respects Secure Input.

  • You only use a Mac and want one app for clicks, keys and scrolling.
  • You want it signed and notarized by Apple, with updates inside the app.
  • You want Only with headphones and Quiet during calls.

Installing KeyEcho on a Mac

KeyEcho’s GitHub page lists Mac builds for Apple silicon and Intel on its Releases page. Our 5 November guide lists macOS 12.4 or later for its Mac App Store version. Like every keyboard sound app on a Mac, it needs a permission to see key presses, usually Input Monitoring in System Settings → Privacy & Security.

You can run both. Turn off the Keyboard Sounds tile in Clacky’s My Kit, and Clacky keeps playing your clicks and scroll ticks while the other app plays your keys.

Where these facts come from

Checked on 5 November 2026. Prices are in US dollars, before tax. Apps change, so check each page before you buy.

Questions

Is KeyEcho free?

Yes. The app and some packs are free. 53 crafted packs cost $3.99 each, or $9.99 once for all of them, future ones included.

Does KeyEcho play mouse sounds?

Its site and GitHub page don’t mention mouse sounds. Clacky plays every mouse and trackpad click, and scroll ticks.

Is Clacky open source?

No. Clacky is a paid Mac app. If you want open source, look at KeyEcho, Mechvibes, Thock or Keyboard Sounds Pro.

Facts checked on 5 November 2026.

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