Teclo vs KeyBell
Updated
KeyBell is one of the oldest keyboard sound apps on the Mac App Store: free to download since 2020 and still running on macOS 11. Teclo is newer, paid, and built around its own synthesized packs and a pet.
Side by side
| Teclo | KeyBell | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 once | Free; lifetime unlock listed at USD 9.99 and 4.991 |
| Free trial | 7 days, no account | Not listed |
| Macs per licence | Up to 3 | Not listed |
| macOS | 13 or later | 11.0 or later1 |
| Where to get it | Direct, at teclo.app, through Polar | Mac App Store, since 20201 |
| Sounds | 16 packs in 5 categories, synthesized | More than 25 profiles in 5 categories, including typewriters and mouse clicks1 |
| Press, release and variation | Separate press and release; 5 variants for ordinary keys plus Space, Return and Delete; small random pitch and level changes | Not listed |
| Stereo by key position | Yes | Not listed |
| Mouse and trackpad | A click pair for every pack; trackpad swipe and pinch sounds | Yes1 |
| Scroll sounds | Yes, optional | Not listed |
| Your own sounds | Yes, folders of WAV files | Not listed |
| Muting | Pause from the menu bar; no per-app or automatic mute | Per-app profiles; headphones-only mode1 |
| Typing pet | Yes, a keycap pet with moods and power-ups | Not listed |
| Worth knowing | Rain, marimba, typewriter, arcade and sci-fi packs next to nine keyboards | Not listed |
- KeyBell on the Mac App Store (US), read October 2026
Teclo's column is ours. Other apps change their prices and features; check their pages before you buy.
The short answer
- Pick KeyBell if you want to start free, need per-app profiles or a headphones-only mode, or run macOS 11 or 12.
- Pick Teclo if you want packs no other app has, separate press and release sounds with stereo by key position, trackpad and scroll sounds, or the keycap pet.
Categories of sound
KeyBell sorts its more than 25 profiles into five categories: mechanical keyboards, typewriters, electronics, fun and mouse clicks. Teclo has five categories too, with different contents: nine mechanical keyboards, Night (Rain, Marimba), Retro (Typewriter, Terminal), Arcade (Pixel, Bubble) and Scifi (Laser). Mouse clicks are not a category in Teclo: every pack has its own pair.
Free or one price
If price decides it, free keyboard sound apps for Mac lists what “free” means in each app. Teclo is not free: it is a 7-day trial, then $4.99 once for up to 3 Macs.
Questions
Is KeyBell free?
KeyBell is free to download; its App Store page lists optional lifetime unlocks at USD 9.99 and 4.99.
Can KeyBell play only in headphones?
Yes, its listing has a headphones-only mode, and per-app profiles. Teclo has neither; you pause it from the menu bar.
Which runs on an older Mac?
KeyBell needs macOS 11 or later; Teclo needs macOS 13 or later.
Sources
Other facts on this page come from these pages, read on or before the date above.