Mac apps
The Mac apps we actually use and recommend: notch apps, menu bar tools, launchers, developer tools and more. Curated, no pay-to-play.
Notch apps
NotchBay
Dynamic Island for the MacBook notch: live activities, call controls, clipboard tray, on-device dictation. Ours.
boring.notch
The open-source pioneer of the notch category, media controls and a file shelf.
NotchNook
Polished commercial notch hub with media controls and a file tray.
Alcove
Minimal, tasteful notch activities for music and battery.
DynamicLake
Notch drop zone with AirDrop, file conversion, media and call controls.
TopNotch
Hides the MacBook notch by blacking out the menu bar.
NotchDrop
Open-source file shelf in the notch: drag files in, AirDrop them out.
Clipboard
Maccy
Lightweight open-source clipboard history: search, paste, done.
Paste
Polished clipboard manager with visual history synced across Apple devices.
Pastebot
Clipboard history with saved snippets, filters and paste stacks.
PopClip
Pop-up actions on selected text: copy, search, run extensions.
Copy 'Em
Clipboard history with lists, tags and iCloud sync to iPhone.
Yoink
Drag-and-drop shelf that holds files while you navigate elsewhere.
Dropover
Shake the cursor for a shelf, then move or share files in one pass.
Espanso
Open-source text expander that swaps keywords as you type.
Design
Sketch
The Mac-native design tool that started the modern UI design era.
Pixelmator Pro
Image editing with real Mac polish, now part of Apple.
Figma
Collaborative interface design, with a native Mac desktop app.
Affinity
Vector design, photo editing and page layout in one app.
Inkscape
Open-source vector editor that works natively in SVG.
Krita
Open-source painting app for illustration and concept art.
Acorn
Mac image editor with layers, non-destructive curves and vector tools.
Sip
Color picker that grabs any pixel and formats it for your code.
Developer
Ghostty
Fast, GPU-accelerated terminal with native macOS polish.
iTerm2
The long-standing terminal of choice: split panes, profiles, tmux integration.
OrbStack
Docker containers and Linux machines, light and fast enough to forget they're running.
TablePlus
Native database GUI for Postgres, MySQL, SQLite and more.
Proxyman
Modern HTTP debugging proxy, inspect and mock traffic with a native UI.
Zed
Fast, GPU-accelerated code editor written in Rust, with multiplayer editing.
Fork
Git client with visual diffs, interactive rebase and a merge conflict helper.
Dash
Offline API documentation browser and code snippet manager.
Launchers
Raycast
The modern launcher: commands, extensions, window management and AI in one bar.
Alfred
The classic power-user launcher with workflows that automate anything.
LaunchBar
Keyboard launcher for apps, files, contacts, clipboard and web searches.
Keyboard Maestro
Hotkey-triggered macros that automate apps, text and window actions.
Hammerspoon
Lua scripting bridge to macOS: hotkeys, windows, screens and events.
Homerow
Click any button or link from the keyboard using letter labels.
Sol
Free, open-source launcher for apps, search and window management.
Media
IINA
The modern open-source media player built for macOS.
VLC
Plays nearly any video or audio format, plus DVDs and streams.
HandBrake
Open-source video transcoder for converting files to modern codecs.
DaVinci Resolve
Video editing, color grading, VFX and audio post in one app.
Audio Hijack
Records audio from any app, device or the whole system.
Downie
Downloads video from YouTube, Vimeo and a thousand other sites.
Permute
Drag-and-drop converter for video, audio, image and PDF files.
Infuse
Video player with metadata, artwork and NAS or cloud streaming.
Menu bar
Ice
Open-source menu bar manager: hide, show and rearrange status items.
Stats
Free, open-source system monitor in the menu bar: CPU, GPU, RAM, network.
iStat Menus
The veteran system monitor, deeply configurable menu bar stats.
MeetingBar
Your next meeting and its join link, always one click away in the menu bar.
Bartender
Hides, groups and reveals menu bar icons, with triggers and presets.
Itsycal
Tiny menu bar calendar that shows and creates Calendar.app events.
Dato
Menu bar clock with calendar, world time zones and one-click join.
KeepingYouAwake
Keeps the Mac awake for a set duration from the menu bar.
Screenshots
CleanShot X
The gold standard for Mac screenshots: annotate, scroll-capture, record.
Shottr
Fast, free screenshot tool with OCR, rulers and pixel-perfect annotations.
Xnapper
Screenshot beautifier that auto-balances, adds backgrounds and redacts data.
Screen Studio
Screen recorder that adds automatic zoom and smooth cursor motion.
Cap
Open-source screen recorder with instant share links or local editing.
TextSniper
Grabs text off any part of the screen with OCR, straight to clipboard.
Monosnap
Capture, annotate and upload to your own S3 or cloud storage.
Utilities
AppCleaner
Free uninstaller that sweeps up the files apps leave behind.
Keka
The file archiver macOS forgot to ship, 7z, rar, zip and more.
AlDente
Battery charge limiter that keeps a plugged-in MacBook healthy.
Numi
Calculator that reads like notes: units, currencies, plain language.
Karabiner-Elements
Remaps any key or modifier on macOS, with complex rule sets.
BetterDisplay
Custom resolutions, HiDPI scaling and DDC brightness for any display.
DaisyDisk
Maps disk usage as a ring chart so you can see what ate the space.
Hazel
Rule-based folder watcher that renames, sorts and files things for you.
Windows
Rectangle
Free, open-source window snapping with keyboard shortcuts.
AeroSpace
i3-style tiling window manager for macOS, driven entirely by keyboard.
Moom
Move and zoom windows from a pop-up palette or saved layouts.
Magnet
Drag-to-edge window snapping with halves, thirds and quarters.
yabai
Tiling window manager using binary space partitioning, scriptable via CLI.
Amethyst
Automatic tiling window manager for macOS in the spirit of xmonad.
Loop
Free window manager with a radial menu you steer while holding a key.
Swish
Trackpad gestures on the title bar to snap, resize and switch windows.
Curated by hand, no paid placements. Building something for the Mac we should know about? Tell us.
