Stream Deck vs Macro Keyboard vs Your Phone: Which Should You Use?

All three put extra buttons at your fingertips. They suit different people.

Hardware stream deck

Physical keys with screens, a mature plugin ecosystem, and always on your desk. The trade-off is cost and one more device.

Macro keyboard

Cheap and tactile, but usually no labels on the keys — you have to remember what each one does.

Your phone with Deckon

Free, labelled keys with your apps' real icons, reflows for portrait or landscape, and nothing extra to buy. The trade-off is a touchscreen instead of physical keys, and your phone needs to be on the same Wi-Fi.

Our take

Start with your phone. If you find yourself wanting physical keys after a month, you'll know exactly which buttons you use — and whether hardware is worth it. Try Deckon free.