KeyCastr
Open SourceDisplay your keystrokes live on screen
AI Summary
KeyCastr is a macOS tool that displays all keystrokes in real-time on screen. It is ideal for screencasts, tutorials, and live presentations to show viewers which keys are being pressed.
✓ Pros
- + Free and open-source
- + Simple and intuitive operation
- + Significantly improves the clarity of video tutorials
✗ Cons
- − Only available for macOS
- − Minimal configuration options
Use Cases
- → Creating software tutorials and screencasts
- → Live coding sessions and programming workshops
- → Presentations and lectures with keyboard demonstrations
- → Technical documentation and educational content
Who is it for?
Ideal for content creators, trainers, and developers who produce tutorials and live demonstration videos.
Tags
What is KeyCastr?
KeyCastr is a free, open-source macOS tool that displays keystrokes in real time as an on-screen overlay. Anyone recording a screencast or presenting live knows the problem: viewers can see the cursor, but not which keys are being pressed. KeyCastr closes that gap by making every keystroke visible while the tool is active.
The project is maintained on GitHub and released under an open-source license. No registration is required, and it costs nothing to install and run.
Core features
- Real-time display of keystrokes as an on-screen overlay
- Support for modifier keys including Cmd, Shift, Option and Control
- Easy activation and deactivation via the menu bar
- Customisable appearance (position and look of the overlay)
- Open-source codebase, actively maintained on GitHub
Who is KeyCastr for?
The primary audience is developers who produce tutorial videos or screencasts. Anyone explaining complex keyboard shortcuts during a live coding stream saves viewers from having to guess what is being typed. The overlay is also genuinely useful in presentations or workshops where participants are expected to follow along with a workflow directly.
For purely private use or productive work without an audience, the tool adds no value. The macOS restriction excludes Windows and Linux users entirely.
Context & alternatives
KeyCastr belongs to the small category of keystroke visualisers. On macOS there are few direct alternatives that are also free and open source. Commercial screencast tools such as ScreenFlow sometimes include their own keystroke displays, but these are tied to their respective recording workflows. KeyCastr operates system-wide and independently of any recording application. That makes it a practical companion tool for anyone using OBS, QuickTime or another recording tool that does not include a built-in keystroke display.
