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Thock for Mac

Thock for Mac: which Thock is which?

Search for Thock and you'll find two Mac apps with the same name, different makers and different prices. Here's how to tell them apart and install the one you want, checked November 2, 2026.

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Short answer: there are two Mac apps called Thock, made by different people. Thock (open source) is free under the MIT license, made by Kamil Lobinski, installed from GitHub or Homebrew, and needs macOS 13.5 or later. Thock - Mechanical Keyboard is a $4.99 Mac App Store app by Alan Agon, with its site at thock.pro, and needs macOS 13.0 or later. The open-source project says it is not distributed on the App Store and is not affiliated with any app that has taken this name. Neither one says it reads the MacBook motion sensor. Keyslam does, for $3.99 once.

The two Thocks, side by side

Thock (open source)Thock - Mechanical Keyboard (App Store)
Made byKamil LobinskiAlan Agon (App Store seller)
Websitethockapp.comthock.pro
PriceFree, MIT license$4.99, no trial
Where you get itGitHub releases or HomebrewMac App Store
macOS13.5 Ventura or later13.0 or later
Latest version1.23.0, 1.01,
SoundsBuilt-in packs, custom packs in a simple JSON format, and a community pack registry in Settings22 Cherry MX and Gateron packs listed on its site
Key-up soundsNot stated in its README or llms.txtYes: plays on key down and key up
Typing forceNot advertisedIts site calls the packs velocity aware without saying how velocity is measured
ExtrasMutes while music plays, spatial audio by key position, a Raycast extension and a command-line toolA custom hotkey to pause or resume, a 15-minute snooze, Family Sharing
PrivacyNot stated on the pages we checkedThe app itself does not collect, store, or transmit personal data. Its website uses Microsoft Clarity and Vercel Analytics

From thockapp.com llms.txt, kamillobinski/thock on GitHub, Thock - Mechanical Keyboard on the Mac App Store, thock.pro and thock.pro privacy policy, checked November 2, 2026. We left out GitHub star counts: they change daily and the numbers we found disagreed.

Version and price log

What we could date from each app's own release records, as of November 2, 2026.

DateThockWhat happenedSource
App StoreVersion 1.01 released. Still the current version on November 2, 2026, at $4.99.iTunes Lookup API record
Open sourceRelease 1.23.0. Still the latest release on November 2, 2026, with 13 more commits on its main branch since.Thock 1.23.0 release notes
BothChecked by us. Open source: free, MIT. App Store: $4.99, Family Sharing for up to six people.GitHub, App Store

How to tell which Thock you have

  1. Think back to how you got it. Paid $4.99 in the App Store? It's Alan Agon's Thock. Downloaded it free from GitHub, or installed it with Homebrew? It's Kamil Lobinski's open-source Thock.
  2. Check your App Store purchases. Open the App Store and click your name at the bottom of the sidebar. If Thock is in your purchased apps, it's the App Store one.
  3. Ask Homebrew. In Terminal, run brew list --cask. If thock is in the list, Homebrew installed the open-source app.
  4. Look at the version. Select Thock in Applications and choose File › Get Info. On November 2, 2026, 1.01 was the App Store version and 1.23.0 the latest open-source release.

How to install each Thock

Thock (open source)

Install it with Homebrew, using the command from its README: brew install --cask kamillobinski/thock/thock. Or download the ZIP from the GitHub releases page. It needs macOS 13.5 Ventura or later, and like any keyboard sound app it needs a macOS privacy permission before it can see your key presses.

Thock - Mechanical Keyboard (App Store)

Buy it from its Mac App Store listing for $4.99. It needs macOS 13.0 or later, installs and updates through the App Store, and Family Sharing lets up to six family members use it.

How Keyslam compares with each Thock

  • It feels how hard you type. On MacBook Pro with M1 Pro or M1 Max and later, and MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with M2 and later, Keyslam reads the built-in motion sensor about 800 times a second. Each keystroke then plays a real strike from the matching soft, medium, hard or slam band. See how force sensing works.
  • More than switches. Alongside the mechanical boards there are two typewriters (Selectric and Olivetti) and a MacBook keyboard (Laptop), all real recordings. App Store Thock lists Cherry MX and Gateron packs; the open-source Thock takes custom and community packs.
  • macOS 13 Ventura, Apple silicon or Intel. That's the same minimum as App Store Thock, and a little lower than the open-source Thock's 13.5.
  • $3.99 once, after a 7-day free trial. App Store Thock is $4.99 with no trial. The open-source Thock is free.
  • No network connections at all. The license key is verified offline on your Mac. App Store Thock's privacy policy says it runs entirely on your Mac too; the open-source Thock's pages we checked don't say either way.

When a Thock is the better pick

The open-source Thock if you want it free, like the idea of a CLI or a Raycast extension, or want to install community packs from inside the app. App Store Thock if you'd rather buy through Apple and share with your family, or want its 22 Cherry MX and Gateron packs. Keyslam is available; until then, every board plays in the browser simulator.

Thock questions

Is Thock free?

The open-source Thock is: it's free under the MIT license. The App Store app called Thock - Mechanical Keyboard costs $4.99, with no trial. Prices checked November 2, 2026.

Are the open-source Thock and the App Store Thock the same app?

No. They have different developers, websites and version numbers. The open-source project's llms.txt says Thock is not distributed on the App Store and is not affiliated with any app that has taken this name.

Does Thock react to how hard you type?

Neither says it reads the MacBook motion sensor. The open-source Thock doesn't advertise it. App Store Thock's site calls its packs velocity aware but doesn't say how velocity is measured. Keyslam reads the motion sensor on supported MacBooks to pick soft, medium, hard or slam strikes.

Does Thock work on macOS Ventura?

App Store Thock needs macOS 13.0 or later, so it runs on any version of Ventura. The open-source Thock needs macOS 13.5 or later, so update Ventura to 13.5 first. Keyslam needs macOS 13 or later.

Sources

If either Thock changes, or we got something wrong, let us know.

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