copypaster is the dedicated auto typer on macOS: paste, set WPM, click into any app, press play. Native on Apple Silicon and Intel. Free trial of 5 pastes, then from €4.99/mo or €49 lifetime.
The Mac field is thinner than Windows because AutoHotkey does not exist here. The real alternatives are Keyboard Maestro (USD 36 one-time, full macro suite), Hammerspoon (free, Lua), and the text expanders TextExpander (from USD 3.33/user/month annually) and Espanso (free, GPL-3). All of them need Accessibility permission.
The Accessibility permission, explained
This is the part that surprises people coming from Windows, so it goes first. On macOS, one app cannot send keyboard events to another app unless you have explicitly trusted it. Synthetic key events are posted through the Core Graphics event API, and macOS gates that capability behind a permission you grant per app.
How to grant it:
- Open System Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security, then Accessibility.
- Switch the app on in the list. If it is not listed, add it with the plus button.
- Quit and reopen the app so it picks up the new permission.
Two practical notes. macOS shows the automatic prompt only once per app launch, so if you dismissed it you will need to relaunch the app or add it by hand. And because the permission is stored against the specific app binary, updating or moving the app can occasionally require re-granting it.
This applies to Keyboard Maestro, Hammerspoon, TextExpander, Espanso and copypaster alike. It is not a copypaster requirement; it is how macOS works, and it is a reasonable design. An app that can type into other apps can do a lot of damage, so Apple makes you say yes out loud. If a Mac tool claims it types into other applications without this permission, be sceptical.
One limit the permission does not remove: macOS secure input fields, such as password prompts, deliberately reject synthetic keystrokes. No auto typer types into those, and none should.
Why the Mac auto typer field is thin
On Windows, "auto typer" is a crowded category largely because AutoHotkey exists: free, open source, and able to send any keystroke you can script. AutoHotkey is Windows only, with no official macOS build. The gap it leaves is filled by broader and mostly paid macOS automation tools rather than by dedicated auto typers.
Mac options compared
Prices checked against each vendor's own site in August 2026.
| Tool | Price | What it is | Human-like timing | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| copypaster | Free trial (5 pastes), then from €4.99/mo or €49 lifetime | Dedicated auto typer | Built in | Install, grant permission, go |
| Keyboard Maestro | USD 36 one-time | Full macro and automation suite | Only if you build it | Build a macro |
| Hammerspoon | Free, open source | Lua-scripted macOS automation | Only if you script it | Write Lua |
| TextExpander | From USD 3.33/user/month billed annually | Snippet manager | No, instant expansion | Define snippets |
| Espanso | Free, GPL-3 | Snippet expander | No, instant expansion | Edit YAML config |
Straight recommendation. If you want one tool that automates your whole Mac and you are happy to build macros, buy Keyboard Maestro. It is a better product than copypaster at almost everything except the one thing copypaster does. If you want free and you write Lua, use Hammerspoon. If you want ;addr to expand into your address, you want an expander, not an auto typer: Espanso free, or TextExpander if you need team sync. Choose copypaster when you have a block of text and you want it typed into an app at a believable human pace with nothing to configure. More detail on the alternatives page.
copypaster on macOS
- Native on Apple Silicon and Intel. Ships as a DMG.
- Floating pill. Always-on-top, sits at the top of the screen, hides in the menu bar area when idle.
- 20 to 250 WPM, default 65. A 3-2-1 countdown gives you time to click into the target window.
- Human timing. LogNormal keystroke intervals, bursts of 3-15 words, pauses at clause, sentence and paragraph boundaries, speed drift, optional adjacent-key typos that get backspaced and corrected.
- Live progress, ETA, pause and stop.
- Code mode for indentation and bracket pairs in Xcode, VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Vim and Terminal. See auto typer for code.
- Free trial: 5 pastes, all features, no credit card. Then from €4.99/mo, or €49 for a lifetime founders licence (first 100 customers, then €99).
What Mac users use it for
- Screencasts and tutorials recorded on a Mac, where a paste-jump reads badly on video. See screencasts.
- Live coding demos at a pace that matches your narration. See live coding demos.
- Web forms that block Command+V in JavaScript. See why paste does not work.
- Remote sessions into a Windows desktop from a Mac, where clipboard redirection is disabled. See clipboard not working in Citrix.
- Accessibility and RSI relief for long-form text entry. See accessibility.
What it does not do
An auto typer changes how text arrives, not what the text is or what you are permitted to do with it. copypaster does not defeat AI-content detectors, does not bypass macOS security or any monitoring, does not type into secure input fields, and is not sold as undetectable. If a system or a policy forbids entering data a particular way, typing it is the same act as pasting it.
Frequently asked.
Is there an auto typer for Mac?
Yes. copypaster is a dedicated auto typer that runs natively on macOS on both Apple Silicon and Intel. You paste text into a small floating pill, click into any app, and it types the text there at 20-250 WPM with human rhythm. The broader macOS alternatives are Keyboard Maestro (USD 36 one-time, a full macro suite), Hammerspoon (free, Lua-scripted), and text expanders such as TextExpander and Espanso.
Why does an auto typer need Accessibility permission on Mac?
Because macOS will not let one app send keyboard events to another unless you have explicitly trusted it. Synthetic key events are posted through the Core Graphics event API, and macOS gates that behind System Settings, Privacy & Security, Accessibility. Grant the permission there and the app can type; refuse it and nothing is typed. Every auto typer, macro tool and text expander on macOS needs this, not just copypaster.
How do I grant Accessibility permission on macOS?
Open System Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Accessibility, and switch the app on in the list. If the app is not listed, add it with the plus button. macOS only shows the automatic prompt once per launch, so if you dismissed it, quit and reopen the app or add it manually. After changing the setting, restart the app so it picks up the new permission.
Is there an AutoHotkey for Mac?
No. AutoHotkey is Windows only and there is no official macOS build, which is why the Mac auto-typer field is thinner. Keyboard Maestro is the closest full equivalent at USD 36 one-time for a per-user licence usable on up to five Macs. Hammerspoon is the free, Lua-scriptable option. For the narrow job of typing text into an app, copypaster is the dedicated tool. See copypaster vs AutoHotkey.
Is TextExpander an auto typer?
Not really. TextExpander is a snippet manager: you type a short abbreviation and it expands into a stored block of text, instantly. That is a different job from typing a long piece of text into an application at a controlled pace. TextExpander's individual plan is USD 3.33 per user per month billed annually. Espanso does the same job for free and open source under GPL-3. Many people run an expander and an auto typer side by side.
Does copypaster run on Apple Silicon?
Yes, natively on Apple Silicon (M-series) and on Intel Macs. The free trial is 5 pastes with all features unlocked and no credit card, then a licence from €4.99/mo or €49 for a lifetime founders licence.
Can an auto typer type into any Mac app?
Once Accessibility permission is granted, it types into any application that accepts keyboard input: Pages, Word, Safari, Chrome, Terminal, Xcode, Slack, a remote desktop client. Because it sends key events rather than a clipboard paste, it also works in fields that block or sanitise Command+V. It does not bypass any security control, and secure input fields such as password prompts deliberately block synthetic input.
Get the auto typer for Mac
Free trial - 5 pastes, no credit card. Native on Apple Silicon and Intel.
Download free →