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Prices checked October 2026Not tested in handNo paid rankingsHow we pick
You give up: A mouse, not a touch surface: no pinch to zoom, swipes or Force click, and Logitech's spec sheet lists six buttons with no gesture button.
Short answer: The closest cheaper alternative to the Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C, White) is the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S, about $90 instead of $129 (save 30%). What you give up: A mouse, not a touch surface: no pinch to zoom, swipes or Force click, and Logitech's spec sheet lists six buttons with no gesture button. The cheapest is the Perixx PERIPAD-501 Wired Touchpad at about $30. Prices checked October 2026.
Why it's a good swap A compact Bluetooth mouse Logitech lists for macOS 10.15 or later, iPadOS 14 or later and Windows, with tracking on glass and up to 70 days per charge.
You give up: A mouse, not a touch surface: no pinch to zoom, swipes or Force click, and Logitech's spec sheet lists six buttons with no gesture button.
Why it's a good swap Wired Perixx touchpad listing macOS 12.2 or later, with two-finger scroll and zoom.
You give up: Small 86 x 75 mm pad on a USB-A cable, and Perixx lists no Mac swipe gestures.
Why it's a good swap Standalone wireless touchpad that Perixx lists as working with macOS 12.2 or later.
You give up: Connects through a USB receiver instead of Bluetooth, with plastic build and no Force Touch.
Why it's a good swap The same large 6.4-inch aluminum pad on a USB-C cable, with up to four-finger gestures and no driver needed, per ProtoArc.
You give up: Wired only, and ProtoArc lists Windows 11, 10 and 7 only, not Mac.
Why it's a good swap A wireless Bluetooth trackpad with a 6.4-inch metal surface, up to four-finger gestures, switching between three devices and a USB-C rechargeable battery ProtoArc rates at up to 50 hours.
You give up: ProtoArc lists Windows 10 and 11 only and says it isn't compatible with Apple devices, so it suits PC users, not Mac owners.
Why it's a good swap Apple's USB-C mouse with a Multi-Touch surface for swipes and scrolling on a Mac.
You give up: Smaller touch area and fewer gestures than a full trackpad.
Why it's a good swap Compact keyboard with a built-in touchpad that Perixx lists as working on macOS 12.2 or later.
You give up: Wired USB-A only, and Perixx lists pointing, scrolling and zoom, not full Mac gestures.
Typical US prices, checked October 2026. Not live prices; check the listing before you buy.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C, White)? It usually sells for about $129. Here are 7 cheaper swaps from $30: the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S is the closest match from another brand, the Apple Magic Mouse is a cheaper option from Apple and the Perixx PERIPAD-501 Wired Touchpad is the cheapest at about $30. Each one says what you give up for the lower price.
The Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C, White) costs $129. Apple's own Magic Mouse ($79) keeps some Mac gestures on a touch surface, and the Perixx PERIPAD-704 Wireless Touchpad ($50) is the cheapest wireless touchpad here, with basic gestures only. Only the Magic Trackpad supports the full set of macOS Multi-Touch gestures and Force click.
The Magic Trackpad is worth it if you use a Mac desktop and rely on macOS gestures like swiping between spaces, Mission Control and pinch to zoom. Its 16 cm wide glass surface is far larger than most laptop trackpads, it has Force Touch pressure sensing for features like Quick Look, and Apple rates the battery at about a month or more per charge.
If you mainly need scrolling and pointing, the Magic Mouse keeps Bluetooth and basic Mac swipes in a cheaper Apple device. The Perixx touchpads suit a spare desk or a secondary computer where full gestures don't matter, and the PERIBOARD-525 fits a small workspace that needs a keyboard and pointer in one.
Compared on their own pages: iPad alternatives
| Option | Type | Typical price | You save | What you give up | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Magic Trackpad (USB-C, White) | The original | $129 | – | – | View ↗ |
| Perixx PERIPAD-501 Wired Touchpad | Budget pick | $30 | $99 (77%) | Small 86 x 75 mm pad on a USB-A cable, and Perixx lists no Mac swipe gestures. | View ↗ |
| Perixx PERIPAD-704 Wireless Touchpad | Budget pick | $50 | $79 (61%) | Connects through a USB receiver instead of Bluetooth, with plastic build and no Force Touch. | View ↗ |
| ProtoArc T1 Wired Trackpad for Windows | Budget pick | $50 | $79 (61%) | Wired only, and ProtoArc lists Windows 11, 10 and 7 only, not Mac. | View ↗ |
| ProtoArc T1 Plus Wireless Trackpad for Windows | Close match | $70 | $59 (46%) | ProtoArc lists Windows 10 and 11 only and says it isn't compatible with Apple devices, so it suits PC users, not Mac owners. | View ↗ |
| Apple Magic Mouse | Same brand, cheaper | $79 | $50 (39%) | Smaller touch area and fewer gestures than a full trackpad. | View ↗ |
| Perixx PERIBOARD-525 Wired Mini USB Keyboard with Touchpad | Close match | $80 | $49 (38%) | Wired USB-A only, and Perixx lists pointing, scrolling and zoom, not full Mac gestures. | View ↗ |
| Logitech MX Anywhere 3S | Close match | $90 | $39 (30%) | A mouse, not a touch surface: no pinch to zoom, swipes or Force click, and Logitech's spec sheet lists six buttons with no gesture button. | View ↗ |
Typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices and may have changed, so check the listing before you buy.
The Perixx PERIPAD-501 Wired Touchpad, at about $30 (77% less). Wired Perixx touchpad listing macOS 12.2 or later, with two-finger scroll and zoom. The catch: Small 86 x 75 mm pad on a USB-A cable, and Perixx lists no Mac swipe gestures.
The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S, at about $90 (30% less). A compact Bluetooth mouse Logitech lists for macOS 10.15 or later, iPadOS 14 or later and Windows, with tracking on glass and up to 70 days per charge. The catch: A mouse, not a touch surface: no pinch to zoom, swipes or Force click, and Logitech's spec sheet lists six buttons with no gesture button.
Yes. The Apple Magic Mouse, at about $79 (39% less). Apple's USB-C mouse with a Multi-Touch surface for swipes and scrolling on a Mac. The catch: Smaller touch area and fewer gestures than a full trackpad.
The Apple Magic Mouse ($79) is the closest cheaper option for Mac gestures, while the Perixx PERIPAD-704 ($50) is a standalone touchpad listed for macOS 12.2 or later, without Force Touch.
The Perixx PERIPAD-501 ($30) is a wired touchpad listed for macOS 12.2 or later with two-finger scroll and zoom, but Perixx does not list Mac swipe gestures.
Only Apple's own. Apple says the Magic Trackpad supports the full range of Multi-Touch gestures, plus Force click. The Apple Magic Mouse ($79) gets a smaller set: Apple lists a two-finger double-tap for Mission Control and two-finger swipes between full-screen apps, but no pinch to zoom, no three- or four-finger gestures and no Force click. Perixx lists its touchpads for macOS 12.2 or later, but only with basic gestures such as two-finger scroll and zoom. Its support page says they work on a Mac with basic functions.
On this page, the Perixx PERIPAD-704 Wireless Touchpad ($50). Perixx lists it for macOS Monterey 12.2 or later, with two-finger scroll, drag and zoom. It connects through a 2.4 GHz receiver that Perixx lists as USB-A, so a Mac with only USB-C ports needs an adapter. It has no Force Touch, and Perixx does not list Mac swipe gestures.
Apple doesn't list Windows support. Its system requirements for the Magic Trackpad (USB-C) cover a Mac with macOS 15.1 or later, an iPad with iPadOS 18.1 or later, and Apple Vision Pro. A free, unofficial open-source driver called mac-precision-touchpad lists Magic Trackpad 2 and 3 support on Windows 10, but it isn't made by Apple and doesn't name the USB-C model.
On this page, Perixx lists both the Perixx PERIPAD-704 Wireless Touchpad ($50) and the Perixx PERIPAD-501 Wired Touchpad ($30) as fully compatible with Windows 7 or higher, as well as macOS Monterey 12.2 or later, with basic gestures such as two-finger scroll and zoom. If you only use Windows, ProtoArc's T1 Plus is a Bluetooth trackpad that ProtoArc lists for Windows 10 and 11 with up to four-finger gestures, but ProtoArc says it doesn't work with Apple devices.
Yes. Apple lists the Magic Trackpad (USB-C) for iPads running iPadOS 18.1 or later. Perixx also lists iPadOS for the Perixx PERIPAD-704 Wireless Touchpad ($50) and the Perixx PERIPAD-501 Wired Touchpad ($30), but both plug in through USB-A, so an iPad with only a USB-C port needs an adapter.
It can be, if you mostly point, click and scroll. The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S ($90) is a compact Bluetooth mouse that Logitech lists for macOS 10.15 or later, with horizontal scrolling by holding a side button while you turn the wheel. For gestures, Logitech lists a dedicated gesture button on the Logitech MX Master 4 ($120), which comes in a for-Mac version, but it costs only $9 less than the trackpad. Neither has a touch surface, so pinch to zoom and Force click stay with the Magic Trackpad.
For Mac gestures, the Apple Magic Mouse ($79): Apple lists two-finger swipes between full-screen apps and a two-finger double-tap for Mission Control. For a regular Bluetooth mouse, the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S ($90) tracks on glass and lasts up to 70 days per charge, per Logitech. For an actual touchpad, the Perixx PERIPAD-704 Wireless Touchpad ($50) is listed for macOS 12.2 or later, with basic gestures and a USB-A receiver.
Apple rates the Magic Trackpad at about a month or more between charges. Logitech lists up to 70 days on a full charge for the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S ($90), and says a one-minute quick charge gives about three hours of use.
Each swap links to amazon.com. Prices are typical US prices checked October 2026 and change often, so check the listing before you buy.
Compared on their own pages: iPad alternatives · Logitech MX Master 4 alternatives · Apple Magic Mouse alternatives · Apple Vision Pro alternatives
Every swap is a product sold in the US that does the main job of the original. Close match is another brand with similar features, Same brand, cheaper is an older, smaller or renewed model from the same maker, and Budget pick is the cheapest thing that still does the job. On each page, Closest match is the close match nearest the original in price, and Lowest price is the cheapest swap. We compare published specs, retailer listings and reviews; we don't test products ourselves.
A cheaper product is cheaper for a reason. Each swap says what you give up, like weaker noise cancelling, a smaller screen or a shorter warranty, so you can decide if the savings are worth it.
Prices are typical US prices from retailer listings and price trackers, last checked October 2026. They are not live Amazon prices, which change often. When a price couldn't be confirmed, the page says “Check price on Amazon” instead of showing a number.
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