Mac Apps
I use my Mac for literally everything, and there are some apps I just can't live without any more. Here's the full list I've compiled — found from Reddit, Snazzy Labs, and random other places.
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Essential VMware Fusion Pro
Now free for personal use - run virtual machines on your Mac to securely emulate macOS, Windows, and Linux
Now free for personal use - run virtual machines on your Mac to securely emulate macOS, Windows, and Linux
TRex
Use OCR to copy any text on your screen to your clipboard (Shottr has this, but this is an alternative)
Use OCR to copy any text on your screen to your clipboard (Shottr has this, but this is an alternative)
Essential MeetingBar
A menubar utility that shows your next meeting, lets you automate auto-joining, and create instant meetings
A menubar utility that shows your next meeting, lets you automate auto-joining, and create instant meetings
Essential UTM
Run virtual machines on your Mac to securely emulate macOS, Windows, and Linux (alternative to Parallels)
Run virtual machines on your Mac to securely emulate macOS, Windows, and Linux (alternative to Parallels)
CopyClip
Clipboard history in your menu bar
Clipboard history in your menu bar
Tomito
A simple Pomodoro timer that helps you focus on work and get things done.
A simple Pomodoro timer that helps you focus on work and get things done.
Essential shottr
Shottr is a small, fast, human-sized screenshot app built for those who care about pixels.
Shottr is a small, fast, human-sized screenshot app built for those who care about pixels.
Essential Kiro CLI
Turn off data sharing (see comment) Autocomplete for terminal, from AWS (requries a free AWS account)
Turn off data sharing (see comment) Autocomplete for terminal, from AWS (requries a free AWS account)
fish shell
A smart and user-friendly command line shell for Linux, macOS, and the rest of the family
A smart and user-friendly command line shell for Linux, macOS, and the rest of the family
Essential Amazon Q
Turn off data sharing (see comment) Autocomplete for terminal, from AWS (requries a free AWS account)
Turn off data sharing (see comment) Autocomplete for terminal, from AWS (requries a free AWS account)
CodeEdit
[Alpha] An open source, lightweight code editor for macOS, promising the experience of Xcode for other languages
[Alpha] An open source, lightweight code editor for macOS, promising the experience of Xcode for other languages
Essential Visual Studio Code
Microsoft's code editor, for Mac! Has a built in terminal and file browser
Microsoft's code editor, for Mac! Has a built in terminal and file browser
Essential Ghostty
A fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator that uses platform-native UI and GPU acceleration
A fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator that uses platform-native UI and GPU acceleration
Picasso
Create App Store 'screenshots' with text to enhance your listing
Create App Store 'screenshots' with text to enhance your listing
System Color Picker
The familiar color picker supercharged
The familiar color picker supercharged
SF Symbols
Get access to all the icons used in iOS/macOS with this app from Apple
Get access to all the icons used in iOS/macOS with this app from Apple
Digital Colour Meter
Want to see what colour that thing was on screen? Use this to get values (and use ⌘+⇧+C to copy it) (Built in to macOS!)
Want to see what colour that thing was on screen? Use this to get values (and use ⌘+⇧+C to copy it) (Built in to macOS!)
Essential ImageOptim
Strip out non-essential data in images and reduce their file sizes, or enable minification to compress them
Strip out non-essential data in images and reduce their file sizes, or enable minification to compress them
Essential Freescaler
Simple free and open source tool used to upscale your low resolution images using advanced Al models
Simple free and open source tool used to upscale your low resolution images using advanced Al models
Sim Daltonism
View your screen like someone with colourblindness — great for accessibility
View your screen like someone with colourblindness — great for accessibility
Craft
Note taking, but just so much more useful (create daily notes, per meeting notes, link notes to each other and more!)
Note taking, but just so much more useful (create daily notes, per meeting notes, link notes to each other and more!)
Tot
A tiny text app that allows you to collect and edit text
A tiny text app that allows you to collect and edit text
Plain Text Editor
Simple distraction-free notepad
Simple distraction-free notepad
TextEdit
Simple text based app, in plain text mode can unformat text too (Built in to macOS!)
Simple text based app, in plain text mode can unformat text too (Built in to macOS!)
Essential Velja
Choose which browser links open in (great for G-suite Chromium x Safari everything else juggling!)
Choose which browser links open in (great for G-suite Chromium x Safari everything else juggling!)
Essential MacPacker
A better way to browse and unarchive .zip/.rar/.7z files (preview without extracting!)
A better way to browse and unarchive .zip/.rar/.7z files (preview without extracting!)
llmfit
Find out which open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) your hardware can comfortably run.
Find out which open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) your hardware can comfortably run.
Ice
A better way to hide menu bar icons (with options for a bar below menu bar!) See alternatives here
A better way to hide menu bar icons (with options for a bar below menu bar!) See alternatives here
Essential The Unarchiver
The best tool for opening .zip/.rar/.7z files
The best tool for opening .zip/.rar/.7z files
OpenCore Patcher
Install macOS on unsupported devices AND/OR download previous macOS/OS X installers easily, from Apple
Install macOS on unsupported devices AND/OR download previous macOS/OS X installers easily, from Apple
cocontBattery
Check your Mac's battery health, or any connected iOS device
Check your Mac's battery health, or any connected iOS device
BetterDisplay 2
[Free parts] More options for resolutions, scaling and HiDPI modes, XDR brightness, and 3rd party monitor brightness
[Free parts] More options for resolutions, scaling and HiDPI modes, XDR brightness, and 3rd party monitor brightness
Syntax Highlight
A Quick Look Extension for macOS 10.15 Catalina and later for previewing source files
A Quick Look Extension for macOS 10.15 Catalina and later for previewing source files
Apparency
An extension that lets you see more information about an app using Quick Look
An extension that lets you see more information about an app using Quick Look
CrystalFetch 4
Download and create Windows 11 ISO files on macOS, direct from Microsoft
Download and create Windows 11 ISO files on macOS, direct from Microsoft
MonitorControl
Use your hardware keys to control your monitor's brightness
Use your hardware keys to control your monitor's brightness
AlDente
Limit max charging percentage to prolong your battery life [Caution: Only use if you know what you're doing]
Limit max charging percentage to prolong your battery life [Caution: Only use if you know what you're doing]
AirBattery
Automatically collect the battery usage of all your devices without installing any client app on them
Automatically collect the battery usage of all your devices without installing any client app on them
ScrollReverser
Alternative to Mos, allows different scroll directions for different input devices
Alternative to Mos, allows different scroll directions for different input devices
Second Clock
Show a second clock for a different time zone in your menu bar
Show a second clock for a different time zone in your menu bar
QuickShade
Change display brightness on non-Apple monitors
Change display brightness on non-Apple monitors
Pasteboard Viewer
Lets you view the contents of the clipboard in multiple formats
Lets you view the contents of the clipboard in multiple formats
Spaced
Add menu bar separators to group menu bar items
Add menu bar separators to group menu bar items
Essential Amphetamine
Keep your Mac awake - even MacBooks with their lids closed!
Keep your Mac awake - even MacBooks with their lids closed!
Folder Peek
Quick-access to folders and files via the menubar
Quick-access to folders and files via the menubar
OnlySwitch
All-in-one menu bar app for quick settings including hiding desktop icons, keyboard cleaner and more!
All-in-one menu bar app for quick settings including hiding desktop icons, keyboard cleaner and more!
Essential Stats
View stats about your system including CPU, remaining battery etc in your menu bar (like iStats)
View stats about your system including CPU, remaining battery etc in your menu bar (like iStats)
F3XSwift
Use f3write and f3read to test your SD card for correct capacity as well as defects (check if SD cards are legit!)
Use f3write and f3read to test your SD card for correct capacity as well as defects (check if SD cards are legit!)
radix
Another way to view all your files, in a slightly nicer way than Grand Perspective
Another way to view all your files, in a slightly nicer way than Grand Perspective
OmniDiskSweeper
Quickly find large, unwanted files and sweep them into the trash
Quickly find large, unwanted files and sweep them into the trash
KeyboardCleanTool
Locks your keyboard and touchbar so you can give it a good scrub (with a slightly damp microfibre cloth)
Locks your keyboard and touchbar so you can give it a good scrub (with a slightly damp microfibre cloth)
Essential Grand Perspective
View all your files (and what's using that 'Other' space visualised into squares, and manage them
View all your files (and what's using that 'Other' space visualised into squares, and manage them
Authy
An authenticator app that syncs accross devices so you don't end up loosing access to something!
An authenticator app that syncs accross devices so you don't end up loosing access to something!
Essential Bitwarden
The best free password manager in my opinion, I use it in conjunction with iCloud Passwords
The best free password manager in my opinion, I use it in conjunction with iCloud Passwords
Shazam Scrobbler
Integrates with Shazam to scrobble everything (works great with auto shazam) that's playing around you
Integrates with Shazam to scrobble everything (works great with auto shazam) that's playing around you
Music MiniPlayer
A replica of the classic iTunes MiniPlayer to control Apple Music on modern macOS
A replica of the classic iTunes MiniPlayer to control Apple Music on modern macOS
Audacity
Audio editor (care with this one, has been some debate on data capture)
Audio editor (care with this one, has been some debate on data capture)
Essential Lossless Switcher
Switches your current audio device's sample rate to match the lossless song on your Apple Music app, automatically
Switches your current audio device's sample rate to match the lossless song on your Apple Music app, automatically
AutoSpoto
Creates Spotify playlists out of your iMessage chats
Creates Spotify playlists out of your iMessage chats
Essential Shazam
Click the menu bar to find out what song is playing around you, or set it to just identify everything playing around you
Click the menu bar to find out what song is playing around you, or set it to just identify everything playing around you
Essential NepTunes for Last.fm
The last.fm app is really bad on Mac — here's a better one!
The last.fm app is really bad on Mac — here's a better one!
Shutter Encoder
A free app that lets you work with lots of stuff, including VP9 (.webm) which are hard with FCPX and Premiere!
A free app that lets you work with lots of stuff, including VP9 (.webm) which are hard with FCPX and Premiere!
mpv
A low-resorce 'play anything' media player (recommended by Snazzy Labs for Apple Silicon)
A low-resorce 'play anything' media player (recommended by Snazzy Labs for Apple Silicon)
noScribe
Use Whisper and pyannote locally to transcribe and perform diarization on your meetings
Use Whisper and pyannote locally to transcribe and perform diarization on your meetings
Rewind
Record what you've been doing - great for filling in timesheets (but careful with secure stuff!)
Record what you've been doing - great for filling in timesheets (but careful with secure stuff!)
Parsec
Designed for gaming, you can connect to your PC from home, or connect to a friend's to play games locally
Designed for gaming, you can connect to your PC from home, or connect to a friend's to play games locally
yt-dlp
So many options for downloading YouTube videos (including removing sponsor sections!)
So many options for downloading YouTube videos (including removing sponsor sections!)
mas
Interact with the Mac App Store without using the UI - faster and less buggy!
Interact with the Mac App Store without using the UI - faster and less buggy!
speedtest
Run speedtest.net tests from your terminal (Snazzy explains about browser limitations at high speeds above)
Run speedtest.net tests from your terminal (Snazzy explains about browser limitations at high speeds above)
Battery Optimiser
A terminal-based alternative to AlDente which is fully free
A terminal-based alternative to AlDente which is fully free
Ventoy
[Non-macOS!] Allows you to create bootable ISOs by just dragging them to an external drive (not macOS tho)
[Non-macOS!] Allows you to create bootable ISOs by just dragging them to an external drive (not macOS tho)
Telephone
A VoIP SIP softphone, letting you make phone calls over the internet or your company network
A VoIP SIP softphone, letting you make phone calls over the internet or your company network
Aerial
Want the screensavers from the Apple TV on your Mac? Look no further
Want the screensavers from the Apple TV on your Mac? Look no further
Resilio Sync
Keep folders in sync between macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux
Keep folders in sync between macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux