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MX Master alternatives with the same shape, and what each one gives up

Nothing copies the MX Master 3S completely. These come closest in shape, and each note says what you lose by switching.

A large ergonomic mouse with a thumb rest, seen from the side on a white background

No MX Master alternative copies the whole mouse. If the shape is what you're after, the Rapoo MT760 comes closest: 125 × 81 × 47 mm against 124.9 × 84.3 × 51 mm for the MX Master 3S, with a thumb wheel, for about $43. If you want most of the MX's features at half the price, get the Keychron M6 instead, though it is 9 mm narrower.

We picked these by size. For every ergonomic right-handed mouse in our catalog of 1,524, we compared length, width and height with the MX Master 3S, and gave height a little extra weight, since the tall back sets how high your hand rests. Then we checked each maker's page for the MX features below.

What you give up when you leave the MX Master

Here is what the MX Master 3S does that you may be used to:

  • a wide thumb rest, with a gesture button under it
  • a thumb wheel for scrolling sideways
  • a main wheel that drops from notched scrolling into free-spin on its own when you flick it
  • switching between three computers, plus Logi Flow for moving the cursor and copied files between them
  • up to 70 days on a charge
  • a sensor that tracks on glass

None of the mice below does all of that. Only the ASUS ProArt MD301 goes into free-spin by itself the way the MX does; on the others that have free-spin, you press a button. Work out which of these you'd actually miss before you read the cards.

Mice with the closest shape

  1. Rapoo MT760, top view

    Weight
    103 g
    Size
    125 × 81 × 47 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    The same length as the MX, 3 mm narrower and 4 mm lower, with a thumb rest and a side thumb wheel. Rapoo rates it for up to 30 days on a charge, and its own spec table lists macOS as unsupported, so Mac users should skip it.

  2. Keychron M6 8K, top view

    Weight
    86 g
    Size
    122.5 × 75.4 × 50 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    Almost as tall as the MX at 50 mm but 9 mm narrower, so your hand sits about as high with less mouse under your fingers. It has a thumb wheel, three Bluetooth slots plus a receiver and a cable, and this 8K version tracks on glass. Battery is where it loses: Keychron rates it at 35 hours at 8000 Hz and 120 hours at 1000 Hz, against up to 70 days for the MX.

  3. Razer Pro Click V2, top view

    Weight
    110 g
    Size
    126 × 79.7 × 45.7 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    About 2 mm longer than the MX, 5 mm narrower and 5 mm lower, and rated for up to 3.5 months per charge. There's no thumb wheel; you scroll sideways by tilting the main wheel. At about $100 it costs the same as the MX Master 3S, so the reasons to pick it are the longer battery life and a narrower, lower shell, or that you'd rather scroll sideways by tilting the wheel.

Two more nearly made the list. The Rapoo MT750S is within 3 mm of the MX in every direction, but it has no thumb rest and its driver is Windows-only. The HP 935 Creator tracks on glass and moves files between computers, but it scrolls sideways by tilting the wheel instead of with a thumb wheel.

A gaming mouse similar to the MX Master

The MX Master 3S reports to the computer 125 times a second. That's fine for work and slow for games, where almost every gaming mouse in our catalog runs at 1000 Hz or more. Of the MX-shaped mice here, the Keychron M6 8K above is the lightest, at 86 g. If you want the MX's full width:

  1. Turtle Beach Command Series MC7, top view

    Weight
    135 g
    Size
    127.7 × 85.3 × 45.9 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    The only one here as wide as the MX, at 85.3 mm, though about 5 mm lower. Its wheel switches between notches and free-spin and tilts sideways, it connects three ways, and it runs on two swappable batteries. At 135 g it is heavy for a gaming mouse, and there's no thumb wheel: a small touch screen takes the thumb side, and you scroll sideways by tilting the main wheel.

  2. Turtle Beach Kone II Air, top view

    Weight
    110 g
    Size
    130.2 × 82.6 × 44.1 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    About 5 mm longer than the MX and 7 mm lower, so it fills the hand lengthwise but sits flatter under the palm. It weighs 110 g and has a free-spin wheel you can switch on. There is no thumb wheel, and APH Networks found Turtle Beach's Swarm II software still buggy.

We left out the Corsair Ironclaw RGB Wireless despite its close shape. It has no thumb wheel, weighs 133 g, charges over micro-USB, and RTINGS found its button layout awkward.

A wired mouse similar to the MX Master 3

The MX Master 3 and 3S are wireless only. If you want a cable, the Keychron M6 above also runs wired. The wired-only shapes that come closest are gaming mice, and none of them has a thumb wheel:

  1. Turtle Beach Kone II, top view

    Weight
    90 g
    Size
    130.2 × 82.6 × 44.1 mm
    Connection
    Wired

    The wired version of the Kone II Air, same 130.2 × 82.6 × 44.1 mm shell, and 20 g lighter at 90 g. You scroll sideways by tilting the wheel.

A mouse like the MX Master, but smaller

  1. ASUS ProArt MD301, top view

    Weight
    99.7 g
    Size
    114.8 × 75.2 × 46.8 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    The closest small MX in features: a thumb wheel, a wheel that speeds into free-spin, up to five devices and up to 180 days per charge. At 114.8 mm it is 10 mm shorter than the MX, which suits a smaller hand. PC Gamer gave it 71 out of 100 and noted a small thumb rest, occasional dropouts and thin software, and at about $100 it isn't cheap.

  2. Logitech M720 Triathlon, top view

    Weight
    135 g
    Size
    115 × 74 × 45 mm
    Connection
    Wireless

    115 mm long, with Logitech's three-device switching and a hyper-fast wheel, for about $45. It has no thumb wheel and runs on a AA battery Logitech rates at 24 months. It also weighs 135 g, which is a lot for a mouse 10 mm shorter than the MX.

If the MX feels too big because your hand is under 17 cm, measure your hand first. For a small hand in a palm grip, the finder aims for about 117 mm, a starting point to check against shapes you've held.

Questions

Is the MX Anywhere 3S a smaller MX Master?

Not in shape. The MX Anywhere 3S is a symmetrical travel mouse, 100.5 × 65 × 34.4 mm, with no thumb rest and no thumb wheel. It is about 17 mm lower than the MX Master 3S.

Is the MX Master 4 the same shape as the 3S?

Close, but bigger. The MX Master 4 is 128.2 × 88.4 × 50.8 mm and weighs 150 g, about 3 mm longer and 4 mm wider than the 3S.

Is there a cheaper mouse with a thumb wheel like the MX Master?

Yes. The Keychron M6 and the Rapoo MT760 both have a side thumb wheel and cost about half as much. Neither drops its main wheel into free-spin on its own the way the MX does.

How do I find a mouse like the MX Master for my hand?

Answer the finder with your hand size, a palm grip and an ergonomic shape. It ranks every shell by how well it fits, and you can narrow it by weight, connection and budget. If your hand is over 19 cm, the list of mice for big hands in a palm grip is a quicker start.

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