CommandPost is a free, open-source Mac utility that supercharges Final Cut Pro with a deeply configurable control-surface layer, letting editors map virtually any action to hardware knobs, buttons, MIDI controllers, Stream Decks, and custom touch-bar shortcuts.
What is CommandPost?
CommandPost is a macOS menubar application purpose-built for video editors, designed to bridge the gap between Final Cut Pro and the physical world of hardware controllers. Where Apple's native keyboard shortcuts end, CommandPost begins — exposing hundreds of undocumented Final Cut commands and wiring them to anything with a USB or MIDI port.
At its core, it's an automation hub. Lua scripts run under the hood, which means power users can extend it well beyond the built-in action library. I've had it running on my Mac for months, and the depth of what it can do still surprises me.
What does CommandPost do best?
CommandPost excels at turning commodity hardware — a Loupedeck Live, an Elgato Stream Deck, a MIDI fader board, even a DJ controller — into a legitimate professional editing surface for Final Cut Pro. No other free tool on the Mac comes close to this level of hardware integration specifically for FCP.
The touch bar support (for those still on Intel MacBooks) is exceptional. Colour grading wheels, timeline navigation, audio level nudging — all mappable with granular precision. The built-in Tangent panel integration alone would justify a paid app; here it ships for nothing.
- Hardware control mapping — Stream Deck, Loupedeck, Tangent, MIDI, USB HID, gamepad, and more
- Final Cut Pro action library — hundreds of commands Apple doesn't expose through standard shortcuts
- Lua scripting engine — write custom plugins or pull from a growing community library
- Menubar Quick Access — paste, clipboard history, and system shortcuts without leaving the timeline
- Watch Folder triggers — automate FCP workflows when files land in a folder
Is CommandPost free?
Yes — CommandPost is completely free and open source, released under an MIT-style license on GitHub. There is no subscription, no feature-gated tier, and no nag screen.
The developers accept donations and the project is community-supported. Given the calibre of what it delivers, it's one of the most underpriced tools in any Mac editor's kit. Install it via Homebrew Cask (commandpost) or directly from commandpost.io.
Who should use CommandPost?
CommandPost is a natural fit for professional and semi-professional Final Cut Pro editors who own at least one hardware controller and want to eliminate mouse clicks from their colour, audio, or assembly workflow. If you're cutting a feature, a YouTube series, or a branded content library and you're still reaching for a menu to nudge audio gain, CommandPost will change how you work.
It's less immediately useful for editors who work entirely with keyboard and mouse and have no hardware to connect. The configuration UI is powerful but not what I'd call beginner-friendly — expect an hour or two learning its panel-and-action metaphor before you feel fluent. That said, the community documentation is thorough and the Discord is active.
Motion graphics artists and DaVinci Resolve users will find less to love here; CommandPost's FCP integration is its reason for being. For Resolve, look at DaVinci Control Panels or Monogram Creator instead.
What are the best CommandPost alternatives?
For hardware control surface integration on the Mac, Monogram Creator (paid, hardware-bundled) offers a polished ecosystem if you buy Monogram modules. Keyboard Maestro covers macro automation more broadly but lacks CommandPost's FCP-specific action depth and hardware bus. BetterTouchTool overlaps on touch bar and Stream Deck mapping but treats FCP as just another app — it can't reach inside the timeline the way CommandPost can.
For pure scriptable macOS automation, Raycast and Alfred are in a different lane entirely. CommandPost is the specialist; those are the generalists.
How does CommandPost compare to Keyboard Maestro?
Keyboard Maestro is the Swiss Army knife of Mac automation — it can trigger anything, anywhere. CommandPost is a scalpel: it knows Final Cut Pro's internal state, responds to timeline events, and speaks the language of professional video hardware. The two tools complement each other rather than compete; many editors run both. If your automation needs are entirely outside FCP, Keyboard Maestro wins. If you're inside a timeline, CommandPost isn't just better — it's the only real option.
