# Essential Mac Apps: full catalog > Essential Mac Apps (https://essentialmacapps.com) is a curated directory of Mac apps: find great apps for your Mac, see the apps people use instead of the ones they know, and list your own for free. This file lists all 81 approved apps with their details, grouped by category, followed by the alternatives index. ## Developer Tools https://essentialmacapps.com/category/developer-tools ### Astro Your app deserves more visibility - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/astro - Website: https://tryastro.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Subscription - Developer: 28 bit S.R.L. - Minimum macOS: 14 - Distribution: Direct download Astro is a Mac app for App Store Optimization from 28 bit S.R.L. It finds keywords people search on the Apple App Store and tracks how an app ranks for them. Search by keyword, developer name, or an App Store link. You can look across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, and switch among 91 store regions. Astro refreshes keyword rankings each day and keeps a history of position changes. Keyword popularity comes from Apple Search Ads. Astro also shows how hard it is to place in the top 10 for a keyword. You can load the keywords a competitor ranks for, import or export keywords as CSV, and hover a word to see an English translation through DeepL. A built-in MCP server, still in beta, can connect that data to Cursor, Visual Studio Code, or Claude Code on the same Mac. The paid plan is $108 per year, shown on tryastro.app as $9 per month and billed annually, in USD. It tracks apps and keywords without a cap. A free demo is available from the same site and has limited features. One license covers one Mac. You can ask for a refund within 14 days by emailing hello@tryastro.app. FAQ What is Astro? Astro is a native Mac app for App Store keyword research and rank tracking. It requires macOS 14 or later and is made by 28 bit S.R.L. How much does Astro cost? tryastro.app lists the plan at $9 per month, billed annually as $108. Prices are in USD, and taxes may apply. Is there a free demo? Yes. You can download the demo from tryastro.app without an account. The demo has limited features. Popularity and difficulty numbers are part of the paid plan. Which platforms and countries does it cover? Astro searches the Apple App Store for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS. The docs list 91 regions where Apple Ads is available. Can I research competitor keywords? Yes. Open Suggestions, paste a competitor App Store URL, and Astro lists the keywords that app ranks for in the selected store. Does Astro track ratings and reviews? Yes. It checks App Store regions for new reviews so you can see where an app's ratings have changed. How do refunds and subscriptions work? Email hello@tryastro.app within 14 days of starting a subscription to request a refund. To change or cancel the plan, sign in to Lemon Squeezy with the email used at checkout. Where do I download Astro? The app is a direct download from tryastro.app for macOS 14 or later. ### Beekeeper Studio Free SQL client for Mac for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite and SQL Server with an autocomplete editor. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/beekeeper-studio - Website: https://www.beekeeperstudio.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Beekeeper Studio, Inc. - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/beekeeper-studio/beekeeper-studio - GitHub stars: 23805 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask beekeeper-studio - Alternative to: TablePlus Beekeeper Studio is a SQL editor and database manager for Mac, Windows and Linux from Beekeeper Studio, Inc. The free Community Edition is open source and needs no sign-up, registration or credit card. The query editor has autocomplete and syntax highlighting, and each query or table opens in its own tab. You can sort and filter table data, edit rows, change schemas, save queries and look back through your query history. Connections can run through SSH tunnels. Community connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Amazon Redshift, TiDB, Google BigQuery and Redis. Paid editions (Indie, Professional and Business) add a JSON sidebar, import and export, backup and restore, editing of query results, an AI Shell and more databases, such as Oracle, MongoDB, DuckDB, ClickHouse and Snowflake. The pricing page says Community is meant for students, individuals, non-profits and small businesses, and asks larger companies to buy a license. The Community code is licensed under GPL-3.0; paid features sit in the same repository under a commercial source-available license. It is one download, with premium features unlocked in the app. It needs macOS 12 or later and has separate Apple silicon and Intel builds. FAQ Is Beekeeper Studio free? The Community Edition is free, with unlimited connections, queries and tabs. Paid editions start at $9 a month on yearly billing and add features such as import and export, backup and restore, and more database types. Is Beekeeper Studio safe and open source? The Community Edition is open source under GPL-3.0 and you can use it without creating an account. Code for the paid features is in the same GitHub repository under a commercial source-available license. How do I install Beekeeper Studio? Download it from beekeeperstudio.io, or run brew install --cask beekeeper-studio in Terminal. Paid features are unlocked inside the same app. What macOS version does Beekeeper Studio need? It needs macOS 12 Monterey or later, according to the Homebrew cask. There are native builds for Apple silicon and for Intel Macs. How does Beekeeper Studio compare to TablePlus? TablePlus is a native database app sold as a one-time license from $99 for one device; its free trial limits you to 2 open tabs and 2 windows. Beekeeper Studio Community is free with no tab limits and is open source, but some databases and features need a paid edition. Can Beekeeper Studio connect through an SSH tunnel? Yes. SSH tunnels are part of the free Community Edition, so you can reach a database server that is only open over SSH. ### CodeEdit Free code editor for Mac, written natively in Swift, with a built-in terminal, tasks and Git. Still in beta. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/codeedit - Website: https://www.codeedit.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: CodeEdit community (CodeEditApp) - Minimum macOS: 13 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/CodeEditApp/CodeEdit - GitHub stars: 23086 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask codeedit - Alternative to: Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, Nova CodeEdit is a code editor written only for macOS in Swift, without Electron. It aims to feel like an Apple app, light like TextEdit for quick edits and closer to Xcode for larger projects, but for code that does not target Apple platforms. It has syntax highlighting, autocomplete, jump to definition, project-wide find and replace, a built-in terminal and Git integration. Version 0.3.6 added a global search shortcut, task output in a full terminal emulator, Command-R and Command-period to start and stop tasks, and a Tasks menu. Open files now update when they change on disk, and you can show invisible characters with warnings for confusing Unicode. Editor restoration brings back your files, tabs and positions between sessions. An experimental settings section installs language servers. The team describes CodeEdit as still in development and not yet ready for production work, so expect missing features and rough edges. CodeEdit is free and open source under the MIT licence, built by a volunteer community that has committed to keeping it free. The current release, 0.3.6, needs macOS 13 or later. FAQ Is CodeEdit free? Yes. CodeEdit is free with no paid tier, and the project says it will stay open source and free. It is funded by sponsors. Is CodeEdit safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub under the MIT licence and is developed in public. Keep in mind it is pre-release software, so keep backups and use version control for important work. How do I install CodeEdit? Download CodeEdit.dmg from codeedit.app or the GitHub releases page and drag it to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask codeedit. What macOS version does CodeEdit need? Release 0.3.6 needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. That release came out in August 2025 and is still the latest download, while development continues on GitHub. How does CodeEdit compare to Nova? Nova from Panic is a paid native Mac code editor with a stable release. CodeEdit shares the native approach and is free, but it is still in beta, with fewer features and occasional bugs. Is CodeEdit ready to replace VS Code or Xcode? Not yet. The team says CodeEdit is not recommended for production use. It is also not meant to replace Xcode for Apple platform apps, but to give other projects a native Mac editor. ### Codex Coding agent from OpenAI. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/codex - Website: https://openai.com/codex/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Subscription - Developer: OpenAI - Distribution: Direct download A Mac app from OpenAI for working with coding agents. Codex is included with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business. ### Cursor Code editor with an AI agent. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/cursor - Website: https://cursor.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Anysphere - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: No - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask cursor - Alternative to: Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code A code editor for Mac from Anysphere. The Hobby plan is free. Pro is $20 a month. ### DB Browser for SQLite Free SQLite database editor for Mac with a spreadsheet-style table browser and a SQL query tab. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/db-browser-for-sqlite - Website: https://sqlitebrowser.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: DB Browser for SQLite project - Minimum macOS: 10.15 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/sqlitebrowser/sqlitebrowser - GitHub stars: 24742 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask db-browser-for-sqlite - Alternative to: TablePlus, Base DB Browser for SQLite, often called DB4S, is a visual editor for SQLite database files. It shows tables in a spreadsheet-like grid, so you can create and edit a database without learning SQL first. You can create and compact database files, create, change and delete tables and indexes, and browse, add, edit, delete and search records. Tables import from and export to CSV, and whole databases import from and export to SQL dump files. A SQL tab runs your own queries and shows the results, a log records every SQL command the app runs, and simple plots chart data from a table or query. It suits developers who need to look inside an app's database, analysts working with SQLite files, and beginners learning how databases are built. The project says it is not meant to replace a spreadsheet app. DB4S is dual-licensed under MPL-2.0 and GPL-3.0 or later. The Mac download is a universal build for Intel and Apple silicon, and the project lists macOS 10.15 Catalina to 14 Sonoma as tested. The last stable release, 3.13.1, came out in October 2024; nightly builds have continued since. FAQ Is DB Browser for SQLite free? Yes. DB4S is free with no paid version. The project accepts donations through Patreon. Is DB Browser for SQLite safe and open source? Yes, it is open source under MPL-2.0 and GPL-3.0 or later, with its code on GitHub. The last stable release, 3.13.1, is from October 2024. The code is still updated, and nightly and continuous builds are published on GitHub for anyone who needs newer fixes. How do I install DB Browser for SQLite? Download the universal DMG from sqlitebrowser.org/dl, or run brew install --cask db-browser-for-sqlite in Terminal. What macOS version does DB Browser for SQLite need? The project lists macOS 10.15 Catalina through 14 Sonoma as tested and known to work, and the Homebrew cask sets no minimum. The Mac build is universal, so it runs natively on Apple silicon. How does DB Browser for SQLite compare to Base? Base from Menial is a Mac-only SQLite editor. Its free version is feature-limited, a one-off purchase unlocks the rest, and version 3 needs macOS 15. DB4S is free in full, runs on older macOS versions and is also available for Windows and Linux. Can DB Browser for SQLite import a CSV file? Yes. DB4S can import a CSV file into a table and export any table back to CSV. It can also import and export a whole database as an SQL dump file. ### Gitify Free GitHub notifications app for Mac that keeps GitHub, GitLab and Gitea alerts in your menu bar. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/gitify - Website: https://gitify.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: Emmanouil Konstantinidis and the Gitify contributors - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/gitify-app/gitify - GitHub stars: 5390 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask gitify Gitify is a menu bar app that shows your Git notifications on the Mac. It started with GitHub and now also reads notifications from GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, Codeberg and Bitbucket Cloud. Click the menu bar icon to see unread items for each account. You can mark a notification as read or done, or unsubscribe from a thread, without opening a browser tab. Filters narrow the list by reason, repository or account. Inside the window, single keys get you around: r refreshes, f opens Filters, s opens Settings and q quits. A global shortcut to show or hide Gitify can be set in Settings under System. You can sign in to several accounts at once, including GitHub Enterprise Server and self-managed GitLab. On github.com you use Login with GitHub. Other hosts use a personal access token or an OAuth app, and Bitbucket uses an app password. Optional system notifications and a sound tell you when something new arrives, and the Appearance settings offer a Classic or Glass design, themes and zoom. Gitify is free and released under the MIT licence. The Mac download is a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel, and the Homebrew cask needs macOS 13 or later. The app checks for updates at launch and every 24 hours. It suits developers and maintainers who follow many repositories and want to keep up without living in their inbox. FAQ Is Gitify free? Yes. Gitify is free to download from gitify.io and from GitHub, and there is no paid tier. It is released under the MIT licence. Is Gitify safe and open source? Gitify is open source, and its code is public on GitHub under gitify-app/gitify. It only talks to the forges you sign in to. A classic GitHub token needs the notifications, read:user and repo scopes, or public_repo if you only care about public repositories. How do I install Gitify? Download the universal .dmg from gitify.io and drag Gitify to Applications, or run brew install --cask gitify in Terminal. Open it from the menu bar and add your first account. What macOS version does Gitify need? The Homebrew cask requires macOS 13 Ventura or later. The same build runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Does Gitify work with GitLab and GitHub Enterprise? Yes. It supports GitHub.com, GitHub Enterprise Server, GitHub Enterprise Cloud with data residency, GitLab Cloud and self-managed GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo, Codeberg and Bitbucket Cloud. Some actions, such as mark as done or unsubscribe, are not available on every forge. How do I make Gitify open at login? Turn on Open at startup in Settings under System. In the same section you can turn on system notifications, pick a sound and set the global show and hide shortcut. ### iTerm2 Free terminal emulator for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/iterm2 - Website: https://iterm2.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: George Nachman - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2 - GitHub stars: 18231 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask iterm2 - Alternative to: Warp iTerm2 is a free, open-source terminal emulator for Mac. It stands in for the Terminal app that ships with macOS. Recent releases, including version 3.7.1, need macOS 13 or later. A window can be split into panes, and sessions can sit in tabs. A hotkey window drops in from the edge of the screen from any app. Instant Replay steps back through earlier input and output. Profiles can change with the hostname, username, folder, or the command that is running. Images can appear in the terminal, and the app includes an AI chat and a companion called iTerm2 Buddy. The app is a direct download from the iTerm2 downloads page. Homebrew installs it with brew install --cask iterm2. FAQ Is iTerm2 free? Yes. It is free and open source. Which Macs can run it? Recent versions, including 3.7.1, need macOS 13 or later. How do split panes work? Command-D splits the window horizontally. Command-Shift-D splits it vertically. Tabs switch between sessions. What is the hotkey window? A terminal you can summon from the edge of the screen with a keyboard shortcut that works across the system. What is Instant Replay? It steps backward through earlier terminal input and output. The shortcut is Command-Option-B. How do I install iTerm2? Download it from iterm2.com/downloads.html, or run brew install --cask iterm2. ### Raycast Extendable keyboard launcher for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/raycast - Website: https://www.raycast.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Raycast - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: No - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask raycast Raycast is a keyboard launcher for macOS. From one window you can open apps and files, keep a clipboard history, expand snippets, save quicklinks, calculate, check a calendar, manage windows, and write notes. The free plan includes those built-in tools and the public extensions in the Raycast Store. Extensions reach services such as GitHub, Jira, Slack, and Notion without opening each app. Script commands and extensions built with the Raycast API can be added on top. Raycast Pro is a subscription. It adds Raycast AI, cloud sync, custom themes, unlimited notes, and unlimited clipboard history. Eligible new accounts can start a free Pro trial. AI can be turned off in Settings. Sensitive data stays on the Mac, and extension credentials are stored in the Keychain. A web account is optional. Raycast also offers an iOS app and a Windows public beta. On a Mac, install it from raycast.com or with Homebrew. FAQ Is Raycast free? Yes. The free plan is for ongoing personal use, not a trial. It includes clipboard history, snippets, window management, the calculator, and the public extension store. Free clipboard history covers 3 months, and Raycast Notes is limited to 5 notes. What does Pro include? Pro is a paid subscription. On raycast.com it starts at $10 per month. It includes Raycast AI, cloud sync, custom themes, unlimited notes, unlimited clipboard history, and custom window commands. Plus and Max are higher tiers with more AI credits. Does the free plan expire? No. Raycast says the individual free plan does not expire. A separate free Pro trial is available for eligible new accounts and includes Pro AI models. Advanced models are on Plus and Max, not in that trial. Where does my data go? Raycast says sensitive data is encrypted and stored locally. Extension logins use OAuth or a personal access token, and those credentials stay in the Keychain. The company also collects anonymous usage statistics and error reports. Can I use Raycast at work? Yes. The free features can be used in an organization. Team plans add shared snippets, quicklinks, and commands. The free Team plan allows up to 30 shared snippets, 30 shared quicklinks, and 5 shared commands. Is there a student discount? Verified students can get 50 percent off the Raycast Pro plan through the form on raycast.com. ### Sequel Ace Free MySQL client for Mac for browsing, querying and editing MySQL and MariaDB databases. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/sequel-ace - Website: https://sequel-ace.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: Moballo, LLC (Sequel Ace team) - Minimum macOS: 13.5 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace - GitHub stars: 7558 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask sequel-ace - Alternative to: TablePlus Sequel Ace is a database client for macOS that works with MySQL and MariaDB. It continues Sequel Pro, the long-running Mac app it was forked from, and can import your saved Sequel Pro connections. Connect to a local or remote server, browse databases and tables, edit data and run SQL queries. You can open a connection from a mysql:// URL, extend the app with Bundles, and use the keyboard shortcuts listed on the website. Version 6.1 added a searchable database selector. It also has a built-in MCP server that lets AI agents such as Claude Code or Cursor query your databases through Sequel Ace's saved connections. It is off by default, listens on localhost only and runs read-only unless you change that in Preferences > MCP Server. Sequel Ace is free and open source under the MIT licence, maintained by Moballo, LLC and volunteers. It needs macOS 13.5 or later, runs on Apple Silicon and Intel, and supports MySQL 5.7 or later and MariaDB 10.0 or later. FAQ Is Sequel Ace free? Yes. Sequel Ace is free on the Mac App Store and on GitHub, with no paid tier. The project takes donations through Open Collective. Is Sequel Ace safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub under the MIT licence, and the main release goes through Mac App Store review. The optional MCP server is off by default and read-only when turned on. How do I install Sequel Ace? Get it from the Mac App Store, or run mas install 1518036000 with the mas tool. A community Homebrew cask installs the GitHub release with brew install --cask sequel-ace. What macOS version does Sequel Ace need? Sequel Ace 6 needs macOS 13.5 Ventura or later on Apple Silicon or Intel. Version 5.4.0 covers macOS 12 to 13.4, and version 4.1.7 covers macOS 10.13 to 11. How does Sequel Ace compare to TablePlus? TablePlus is a commercial client that supports many database engines, including PostgreSQL and SQLite. Sequel Ace only works with MySQL and MariaDB, but it is free and stays close to the Sequel Pro workflow. Can I move my saved connections from Sequel Pro? Yes. The migration guide on sequel-ace.com explains how to move your saved favorites from Sequel Pro to Sequel Ace. ### UTM Free virtual machine app for Mac that runs Windows, Linux and older systems on Apple Silicon and Intel. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/utm - Website: https://getutm.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: Turing Software, LLC - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/utmapp/UTM - GitHub stars: 36579 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask utm - Alternative to: Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion UTM is a virtual machine app for Mac built on QEMU. It runs Windows, Linux, macOS and older systems such as Mac OS 9 in a window next to your other apps. On Apple Silicon, ARM64 guests such as Windows 11 for ARM and ARM builds of Linux run through Apple's Hypervisor framework at close to native speed. When you need a different processor, UTM switches to emulation and supports more than 30 CPU types, including x86_64, PowerPC, RISC-V and MIPS. macOS guests use Apple's Virtualization framework. Each VM lives in a library with snapshots, and you can script it with AppleScript or the utmctl command line tool. UTM suits developers who test on Linux or Windows, people who need one Windows program on a Mac, and anyone who wants to boot a retro system. Emulated guests are slower than virtualized ones, so pick an ARM64 guest on Apple Silicon when speed matters. UTM is released under the Apache 2.0 licence by Turing Software, LLC. The download from GitHub is free. The Mac App Store version costs $9.99, has the same features and updates itself. UTM needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. FAQ Is UTM free? Yes. The DMG on GitHub and getutm.app is free. The Mac App Store version costs $9.99. It has the same features as the free build and adds automatic updates, and buying it helps fund development. Is UTM safe and open source? UTM is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, and the code is on GitHub at utmapp/UTM, where it has more than 36,000 stars. It bundles some (L)GPL components such as parts of QEMU, which matters only if you plan to redistribute it. How do I install UTM? Run brew install --cask utm, or download UTM.dmg from GitHub, open it and drag UTM to Applications. You can also buy it on the Mac App Store. Updating the GitHub build means replacing the app, and your virtual machines are kept. What macOS version does UTM need? The current release needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. Version 4.7.5 was the last release for macOS 11. To run macOS as a guest you need an Apple Silicon Mac. How does UTM compare to Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion? Parallels Desktop is a paid commercial app. VMware Fusion Pro has been free for personal and commercial use since November 2024, but it is closed source. UTM is free and open source, and because it is based on QEMU it can also emulate other CPU types, such as PowerPC or x86, which is useful for old systems. Can UTM run Windows 11 on an Apple Silicon Mac? Yes. Windows 11 for ARM runs as a virtualized ARM64 guest, which is the fast option. An x86 copy of Windows can be emulated, but it runs much slower. ### VSCodium Free code editor for Mac built from the VS Code source, without Microsoft telemetry or branding. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/vscodium - Website: https://vscodium.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: VSCodium community - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium - GitHub stars: 33844 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask vscodium - Alternative to: Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, BBEdit, Nova VSCodium is Visual Studio Code without Microsoft's branding, telemetry and licence. It is not a fork. The project runs build scripts that compile Microsoft's open source vscode repository into ready-to-use binaries with a community default configuration. Day to day it works like VS Code, because it is built from the same code. The build runs every day and produces a new release whenever Microsoft ships one, so version numbers follow VS Code. The main difference is extensions. Microsoft's Marketplace terms only allow its extensions in Microsoft products, so VSCodium uses Open VSX, an open source extension registry. Some Microsoft extensions, such as some proprietary debugging tools, are licensed to work only with official VS Code builds. The VSCodium docs list known cases and workarounds, and explain how to turn off any remaining telemetry. VSCodium is free and released under the MIT licence. It needs macOS 12 or later, with native builds for Apple Silicon and Intel as .dmg or .zip. Installing with Homebrew also adds the codium command for opening files and folders from Terminal. FAQ Is VSCodium free? Yes. VSCodium is free, with no paid tier, and released under the MIT licence. Is VSCodium safe and open source? Yes. The build scripts are public on GitHub, and the editor itself comes from Microsoft's open source vscode code. The GitHub workflow files show exactly how each Mac, Windows and Linux binary is built. How do I install VSCodium? Download the Apple Silicon or Intel .dmg from the GitHub releases page, or run brew install --cask vscodium in Terminal. Homebrew also links the codium command. What macOS version does VSCodium need? VSCodium supports macOS 12 or newer, on both Apple Silicon and Intel. The limit comes from Electron, which the editor is built on. How does VSCodium compare to Visual Studio Code? Both come from the same source code. Microsoft's VS Code downloads are released under a licence that is not open source and include telemetry. VSCodium builds are MIT licensed, ship without Microsoft branding and telemetry, and use Open VSX for extensions. A few extensions that only work with official VS Code builds will not run in VSCodium. Can I use VS Code extensions in VSCodium? Yes, in most cases. VSCodium installs extensions from Open VSX, an open source registry for VS Code extensions. Extensions whose licence restricts them to official VS Code builds may not work. ### Xcodes Free Xcode version manager for Mac that installs and switches Xcode versions with one click. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/xcodes - Website: https://xcodes.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Free - Developer: XcodesOrg (Matt Kiazyk) - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/XcodesOrg/XcodesApp - GitHub stars: 8623 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask xcodes-app Xcodes installs and manages multiple versions of Xcode on one Mac. It lists every available release, downloads the one you pick and sets it up without manual steps. Downloads use aria2 with up to 16 connections, which the project says is 3 to 5 times faster than a plain download, and they resume after network errors. An optional experiment uses unxip to extract Xcode up to 70% faster. Click a version to make it active through xcode-select. Each release shows its notes, supported OS versions, SDKs and compiler versions from Xcode Releases. You can also install platform runtimes for iOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS, and choose Apple Silicon or Universal variants for Xcode 26 and later. Downloads need an Apple ID, and security key sign-in is supported. Xcodes is free and open source under the MIT licence. It started at Robots & Pencils and is now maintained by XcodesOrg, led by Matt Kiazyk. Release builds are signed and notarized, need macOS 14 or later, and do not require Xcode to be installed first. FAQ Is Xcodes free? Yes. Xcodes is free, with no paid version. The maintainers accept donations through Open Collective. Is Xcodes safe and open source? Yes. The code is on GitHub under the MIT licence, and release builds are Developer ID signed and notarized. Xcodes installs a privileged helper so it can finish installs, and you approve that helper yourself. How do I install Xcodes? Download Xcodes.zip from the latest GitHub release and move Xcodes.app to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask xcodes-app. For the command line tool, run brew install xcodes. What macOS version does Xcodes need? Current builds need macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Version 1 ran on macOS 11, and versions 2 and 3 on macOS 13. Do I need an Apple ID to use Xcodes? Yes. Apple only serves Xcode downloads to signed-in developers, so Xcodes asks for your Apple ID. Password managers can fill in the sign-in form, and security keys are supported. How do I switch the active Xcode version? Install the versions you need, then click the button next to one to make it active. Xcodes runs xcode-select for you, so command line builds use that version. ### Zed Free code editor for Mac with built-in collaboration, a terminal, a debugger and optional AI agents. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/zed - Website: https://zed.dev/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Developer Tools - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Zed Industries - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/zed-industries/zed - GitHub stars: 92336 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask zed - Alternative to: Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, BBEdit, Nova Zed is a code editor from the team that made Atom and Tree-sitter. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, and the Mac app supports both Apple Silicon and Intel. The basics are keyboard driven. Cmd-Shift-P opens the command palette, Cmd-P jumps to a file, Cmd-Shift-O jumps to a symbol and Cmd-Shift-F searches the whole project. Multibuffers let you edit results from many files in one view. Zed also has a built-in terminal, tasks, a debugger, a REPL, Git tools, remote development and dev containers. Collaboration is built in, with channels and private calls for working in the same project. The AI features are optional. The Agent Panel runs the Zed agent or external agents such as Claude Agent and Codex CLI, edit predictions suggest your next change, and you can connect your own API keys, a local model or MCP servers. You can also turn AI off and use Zed purely as an editor. The editor is free, and its source is licensed mainly under GPL-3.0 or later, with some Apache-2.0 parts. The free Personal plan works with your own keys. A paid Pro plan adds unlimited edit predictions and credit for Zed-hosted models, and a Business plan adds team controls. Zed needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. FAQ Is Zed free? Yes. The editor and the Personal plan are free, including use with your own AI keys or external agents. The paid Pro plan adds unlimited edit predictions and included usage of Zed-hosted models, and the Business plan adds organisation controls. Is Zed safe and open source? Zed is open source on GitHub, licensed mainly under GPL-3.0 or later with some Apache-2.0 components. AI features are opt-in, and the docs include sections on tool permissions, agent sandboxing and AI privacy. How do I install Zed? Download Zed from zed.dev and drag it to Applications, or run brew install --cask zed in Terminal. The cask also adds the zed command, so zed ~/projects/my-app opens a folder. A preview build is available as zed@preview. What macOS version does Zed need? Zed requires macOS 12 Monterey or later. Screen sharing in collaboration sessions needs macOS 12.3 or newer. It runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. How does Zed compare to Sublime Text? Sublime Text is a paid editor. You can evaluate it for free, but continued use needs a licence, which includes three years of updates. Zed is free and open source, and adds a built-in debugger, terminal, collaboration and optional AI agents. Sublime Text has a long history and a large package ecosystem, so check that the languages and plugins you rely on are covered. Can I use Zed without AI? Yes. You can turn the AI features off and use Zed as a plain editor. If you do want AI, the free plan lets you bring your own API keys or a local model instead of paying for Zed-hosted models. ## Utilities https://essentialmacapps.com/category/utilities ### Aerial Free Apple TV screensaver for Mac that also works as a live wallpaper, with clock and weather overlays. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/aerial - Website: https://aerialscreensaver.github.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: Guillaume Louel - Minimum macOS: 15 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/AerialScreensaver/Aerial - GitHub stars: 629 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask aerial Aerial is a screensaver for Mac that plays the aerial videos made for Apple TV. Since version 4.1 it can also run as a live desktop wallpaper, so the same video carries on from the desktop into the screensaver. An overlay editor lets you drag a clock, weather, location captions and other items into seven zones on screen and style them. Videos can come from the full Apple TV catalogue, your own .mov or .mp4 files, live camera feeds over RTSP, HLS or YouTube, or community video packs installed from inside the app. It handles several displays, including one video stretched across all of them, and has playlists, global hotkeys and time-of-day tags for your own clips. Playback pauses on its own under thermal pressure, in Low Power Mode or while the camera is in use. Version 4 ships as Aerial.app with the screensaver inside as an app extension. Open the app once and a setup assistant asks whether you want a screensaver only, a still or live wallpaper, which overlay style to use, and whether the app sits in the menu bar or the Dock. You can change all of this later. Aerial is MIT licensed and has no telemetry. It started in 2015 as John Coates's project and has been maintained by Guillaume Louel since 2018. The current 4.1 release needs macOS 26 Tahoe, and older builds remain available for earlier systems. FAQ Is Aerial free? Yes. Aerial is free and open source. Donations through Ko-fi are optional, and the site also sells optional expansion packs. Is Aerial safe and open source? The code is on GitHub at AerialScreensaver/Aerial under the MIT licence, and the app collects no telemetry. Since version 4 the screensaver is an app extension that runs in its own sandboxed process instead of an old .saver plugin loaded into the system. How do I install Aerial? Run brew install --cask aerial. The cask picks the build that matches your macOS, so a Mac on macOS 15 gets 4.0.16. You can also download the zip from the website, drag Aerial.app to Applications and open it once to register the screensaver. What macOS version does Aerial need? Aerial 4.1.9 needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later. Aerial 4.0.16 is the last release for macOS 15 Sequoia and has no wallpaper extension. Aerial Companion 1.5.2 covers Macs that cannot run macOS 15, and the unmaintained 3.6.3 .saver build is kept for the oldest systems. What happened to the JohnCoates/Aerial repository? It is now the historical home of the old .saver version. Development of Aerial 4 moved to github.com/AerialScreensaver/Aerial, and the website is aerialscreensaver.github.io. Can Aerial play my own videos? Yes. Add your own .mov or .mp4 files, tag them by time of day, or add live camera feeds over RTSP, HLS or YouTube. Community video packs can be installed from inside the app. ### Alcove Dynamic Island for your Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/alcove - Website: https://tryalcove.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid - Minimum macOS: 15 - Distribution: Direct download Alcove puts a Dynamic Island on the Mac. It shows notifications, Live Activities, and Lock Screen widgets. The site also describes fluid transitions, swipe gestures, and customizable HUDs. It is a native menu bar app. On macOS Tahoe you can hide that icon from System Settings. The download requires macOS 15 or later. Alcove is a one-time purchase, and later updates are included. A license works on up to 3 devices at once. You can remove a device from the license tab in settings. A 72-hour trial is on the download page. The site says Alcove uses private APIs that Apple could change or remove, and the app is sold as is. The privacy policy says it collects no data and no personal information. FAQ How much does Alcove cost? The price on tryalcove.com is $14.99, once. Future updates are included. How does the trial work? The download page offers a 72-hour trial. How many Macs does a license cover? Up to 3 devices at the same time. You can remove a device in settings, or recover a license from the recovery page on tryalcove.com. How do refunds work? You can request a full refund within 14 days of purchase. The site says no reason is required. Will it keep working? Alcove uses private APIs. The site says Apple could change or remove them, and the app is sold as is. Does Alcove collect data? The privacy policy says Alcove collects no data and no personal information. ### Compresto Video, image, and PDF compression for macOS. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/compresto - Website: https://compresto.app/?atp=zPYIuS - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid - Developer: Dinh Quang Hieu - Alternative to: Permute Compresto is a native macOS app that batch compresses videos, images, PDFs, and GIFs. Compression runs on the Mac. The personal license is a one-time payment of $49 for one Mac, with lifetime updates. The standard license is $69 for two Macs. It can process many files at once, watch a folder and compress new files, and turn a video into a GIF. It runs on Intel and Apple Silicon and needs macOS 13 or later. FAQ What is Compresto? Compresto is a native macOS app that batch compresses videos, images, PDFs, and GIFs. It runs on your Mac. Which file types can Compresto compress? MP4, MOV, and other common video formats; PNG, JPEG, HEIC, WebP, TIFF, and GIF for images; and PDF files. Does Compresto reduce image or video quality? It has several quality presets. At the highest presets, the change is hard to see. Lower presets make smaller files. Does Compresto work offline? Yes. Compression happens on your Mac. Files are not uploaded. Can Compresto batch compress multiple files? Yes. You can drop many files or a folder, and it processes them together. How much can Compresto reduce file sizes? Typical savings are 50% to 90%, depending on the file and the preset. 4K videos often shrink the most. Is there a Windows or Linux version? No. Compresto is for macOS. ### Finicky Free browser chooser for Mac that opens each link in the browser your rules pick. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/finicky - Website: https://github.com/johnste/finicky?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: John Sterling - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/johnste/finicky - GitHub stars: 5222 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask finicky - Alternative to: Choosy, Velja Finicky decides which browser opens each link on your Mac. You set it as the default browser, and it hands every URL to the browser your rules choose, for example work sites in Chrome and everything else in Safari or Firefox. Rules live in a config file at ~/.finicky.js, written in JavaScript or TypeScript. Handlers match URLs with wildcards, regular expressions or your own functions and send them to a browser or another app. Rewrite rules change a URL before it opens, such as forcing HTTPS or removing tracking parameters. Starting Finicky by hand opens a window for checking your config and troubleshooting. Extensions for Chrome and Firefox add an Open with Finicky item to links, and Alt-clicking a link sends it to Finicky. It suits people who split work and personal browsing and like to keep that setup in a text file. Finicky is free and open source under the MIT licence, made by John Sterling. It ships as a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and needs macOS 12 or later. FAQ Is Finicky free? Yes. Finicky is free, with no paid version. You can download it from GitHub or install it with Homebrew. Is Finicky safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub under the MIT licence. Your rules run from a local config file on your Mac. How do I install Finicky? Download Finicky.dmg from the GitHub releases page, or run brew install --cask finicky. Then create ~/.finicky.js, open Finicky and allow it to become the default browser. What macOS version does Finicky need? Finicky 4 needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. Since version 4.1.1 it is a universal build that runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel. The last stable release is 4.2.2 from October 2025, with 4.3 and 4.4 alpha builds published since. How does Finicky compare to Choosy or Velja? Choosy and Velja set up rules and a browser picker through a settings window. Finicky has no picker or settings screen. You write rules in code, which gives more control but takes more setup. The Finicky README suggests pairing it with Browserosaurus if you want a picker. How do I open a website in a specific browser with Finicky? Add a handler to ~/.finicky.js with a match pattern such as a domain followed by /* and the browser name, for example Firefox. Set defaultBrowser for every link that no handler matches. ### GetCompress Batch-compress videos, images, GIFs, and PDFs offline, with clipboard and folder automation. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/getcompress - Website: https://getcompress.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid, $19 lifetime (promo, regular $39) - Developer: Petr Samokhin - Alternative to: Permute GetCompress is a desktop app that compresses videos, images, GIFs, and PDFs in batches. Its marketing says it can reduce media size by up to 90% with minimal quality loss. You drag files in and drag the results out, and compression runs offline on your computer. Settings include quality presets, resolution scaling, conversion to JPEG, WebP, or AVIF, and a choice of output folder. Automation goes beyond drag and drop. GetCompress can compress what is on your clipboard and watch folders for new files. It also has an MCP server for local AI-assisted workflows, and open-source extensions for power users. GetCompress is a paid app sold as a one-time Lifetime License. The regular price is $39, and there is a limited-time promo price of $19. A license covers 1 active device at a time, includes all future updates, and comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. It is made by Petr Samokhin and is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Get it from getcompress.com. FAQ What can GetCompress compress? Videos, images, GIFs, and PDFs. You can compress many files at once in a batch. Do my files leave my computer? No. GetCompress compresses files offline, on your own machine. Can it convert image formats? Yes. It can convert images to JPEG, WebP, or AVIF. You can also pick a quality preset, scale the resolution, and choose where output files go. What automation does it have? It can compress what you copy to the clipboard and monitor folders for new files. There is also an MCP server for local AI-assisted workflows, and open-source extensions for power users. How much does it cost? It is a one-time Lifetime License. The regular price is $39, and a limited-time promo price is $19. All future updates are included, and there is a 14-day money-back guarantee. How many computers can I use it on? One license allows 1 active device at a time. The app is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. ### Hammerspoon Free automation tool for Mac that lets you script hotkeys, windows and apps in Lua. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/hammerspoon - Website: https://www.hammerspoon.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: Hammerspoon contributors - Minimum macOS: 13 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/Hammerspoon/hammerspoon - GitHub stars: 16336 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask hammerspoon - Alternative to: Keyboard Maestro Hammerspoon is a desktop automation tool for macOS. It links the system to a Lua scripting engine, and its extensions give your scripts access to hotkeys, windows, screens, alerts, notifications, file changes and more. Out of the box it does nothing. You write your setup in ~/.hammerspoon/init.lua, open it from the menu bar icon with Open Config, and pick Reload Config after each change. A first script might use hs.hotkey.bind to show an alert when you press Command-Option-Control-W, or use hs.window.focusedWindow() and setFrame to move the front window to half of the screen. Spoons are ready-made plugins that you load with hs.loadSpoon, and the ReloadConfiguration Spoon reloads your setup whenever the files change. It suits people who are happy to write a little code and want one tool for window layouts, hotkeys and small automations. The getting started guide, API docs and shared sample configs give you plenty to copy from. Hammerspoon is free and open source under the MIT license. It began as a fork of Mjolnir with the extensions built in. Version 1.1.1 needs macOS 13 or later, and it asks for Accessibility access on first launch. FAQ Is Hammerspoon free? Yes. Hammerspoon is free and has no paid version. Is Hammerspoon safe and open source? Hammerspoon is open source under the MIT license, and its code is developed in public on GitHub. It only runs the Lua code you put in your own config, so review any script you copy before you load it. How do I install Hammerspoon? Download the latest release zip from GitHub and drag Hammerspoon.app to Applications, or run brew install --cask hammerspoon in Terminal. Then grant Accessibility access and create ~/.hammerspoon/init.lua. What macOS version does Hammerspoon need? Hammerspoon 1.1.1 needs macOS 13 or later. How does Hammerspoon compare to Keyboard Maestro? Keyboard Maestro is a paid app, a one-time $36 purchase with a free trial, that builds macros from hundreds of ready-made actions with conditions and loops. Hammerspoon has no action library to pick from; everything is Lua code. That makes it very flexible for people who code and harder to start with for people who do not. How do I reload my Hammerspoon config automatically? Load the ReloadConfiguration Spoon with hs.loadSpoon("ReloadConfiguration") and then call spoon.ReloadConfiguration:start(). You can also bind a hotkey to hs.reload(), or choose Reload Config from the menu bar icon. ### Input Source Pro Free keyboard layout switcher for Mac that changes input source per app and per website. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/input-source-pro - Website: https://inputsource.pro/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: Runju Huang - Minimum macOS: 12 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/runjuu/InputSourcePro - GitHub stars: 3671 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask input-source-pro Input Source Pro switches your keyboard input source for you. Set a language or layout for each app, and the Mac changes to it when you move to that app. In browsers it can go further and set an input source per website. It works with Safari, Chrome, Arc, Edge, Vivaldi, Opera, Brave, Firefox, Zen, Dia and others. An on-screen indicator shows which input source is active, and you can choose when it appears, such as when you switch apps or change keyboards. Force English Punctuation makes chosen apps type standard symbols even when your input source would produce full-width or local characters, which helps in code editors and terminals. Per-app function key mode decides whether F1 to F12 act as standard keys or media keys. You can also switch input sources with keyboard shortcuts or with single or double taps of modifier keys. Input Source Pro is made by Runju Huang and released under the GPL-3.0 licence. It is free, needs macOS 12 or later and suits anyone who types in more than one language. FAQ Is Input Source Pro free? Yes. Input Source Pro is free and open source. The developer accepts sponsorship through GitHub Sponsors. Is Input Source Pro safe and open source? The source code is on GitHub at runjuu/InputSourcePro under the GPL-3.0 licence, so anyone can read and build it. How do I install Input Source Pro? Run brew install --cask input-source-pro, or download the DMG from inputsource.pro and move the app to Applications. What macOS version does Input Source Pro need? Input Source Pro needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. Can Input Source Pro switch by website, not just by app? Yes. In supported browsers you can give individual websites their own input source, so a site in another language switches your keyboard as soon as you open it. What does Force English Punctuation do? When it is on for an app, keys such as comma, full stop, quotes, brackets and the dollar sign type standard ASCII symbols, even if your current input source would type full-width or localised versions. Turn it on only for the apps where you need it. ### Karabiner-Elements Free key remapper for Mac that changes any key or builds rule-based custom shortcuts. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/karabiner-elements - Website: https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: Takayama Fumihiko (pqrs.org) - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/pqrs-org/Karabiner-Elements - GitHub stars: 23017 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask karabiner-elements - Alternative to: Keyboard Maestro Karabiner-Elements is a keyboard customizer for macOS. It changes what your keys do, from a simple swap of two keys to rules you write yourself. Simple modifications map one key to another in the settings window. Complex modifications are rules. You can import ready-made ones from the internet, such as Emacs or Vi key bindings, a diamond cursor, mouse keys, or a guard against quitting an app by pressing Command-Q by accident, or you can edit them and write new ones in JSON. The EventViewer tool shows the key events your Mac receives, so you can check that a rule does what you expect. It suits people who want keys to behave differently from the macOS defaults, whether that means one swapped key or a whole set of custom shortcuts. It focuses on remapping; it is not a macro or automation app. Karabiner-Elements is released into the public domain and developed by Takayama Fumihiko (pqrs.org). It installs background services and a driver extension for a virtual keyboard and mouse, and it asks for Accessibility and Input Monitoring permission. Version 16.3.0 supports macOS 13 Ventura and later on Intel and Apple silicon Macs, and macOS 27 on Apple silicon only. Older releases cover macOS 10.9 to 12. FAQ Is Karabiner-Elements free? Yes. You can use it without paying anything. Optional support is possible through GitHub Sponsors or a one-time PayPal payment, which the developer describes as a donation framed as a software fee because of Japanese regulations. Is Karabiner-Elements safe and open source? The code is on GitHub and released into the public domain. It needs deep access to work: background services, a driver extension for its virtual keyboard and mouse, and Accessibility and Input Monitoring permission. Download it only from karabiner-elements.pqrs.org, GitHub or Homebrew. How do I install Karabiner-Elements? Download the dmg from karabiner-elements.pqrs.org, open it and run Karabiner-Elements.pkg. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask karabiner-elements. Then open Karabiner-Elements Settings, allow each permission it asks for in System Settings, and pick a virtual keyboard layout that matches your keyboard. What macOS version does Karabiner-Elements need? Version 16.3.0 runs on macOS 13 Ventura through macOS 26 Tahoe on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs, and on macOS 27 on Apple silicon only. Older versions for macOS 10.9 to 12 are linked from the release notes page. How does Karabiner-Elements compare to Keyboard Maestro? Keyboard Maestro is a paid automation app that runs macros and can also react to keys. Karabiner-Elements does one job: it remaps keys and key combinations through rules, for free. If remapping is all you need, Karabiner-Elements covers it. For multi-step macros, it is not a replacement. How do I check that a remapping works? Open EventViewer, which comes with Karabiner-Elements, and press the key. It shows the events the Mac receives after your rules apply, so you can see whether a modification fired. ### Klack Satisfying sound with every keystroke. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/klack - Website: https://tryklack.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download Klack plays a keyboard sound on your Mac each time you press a key. It lives in the menu bar, where you pick a switch set, set the volume, and turn the sound on or off. The site lists switch sets such as CherryMX Japanese Black, Everglide Crystal Purple, Oreo, Flurples Cardboard, Gateron Milky Yellow, Keychron Super Red, and NovelKeys Cream. Each set is a collection of recorded keystrokes. Klack plays separate sounds for key down and key up, and it varies the pitch. It can also play mouse clicks and scroll sounds, and it can pause during screen sharing, Focus, media, or a calendar event. Klack needs Accessibility access so it can hear keystrokes. If the sound stops, remove Klack from the accessibility list, restart the Mac, and run setup again. Its volume cannot go above the Mac system volume. Klack is a one-time purchase, and later updates are included. There is a standalone download and a separate Mac App Store version. They are sold separately. One license covers up to 5 devices. FAQ Is there a free trial? You can preview each switch on tryklack.com. There is no trial inside the app. If you buy it and change your mind, you can request a full refund within 14 days. App Store refunds go through Apple. What is the difference between the two versions? The standalone app and the Mac App Store app are sold separately. Buying one does not unlock the other. The site says the standalone version can include features that the App Store does not allow. How many Macs does a license cover? Up to 5 devices at a time. You can recover a license from the recovery page on tryklack.com. Does Klack add typing lag? The FAQ says Klack does not add latency. A Bluetooth keyboard can. Klack also cannot set its own volume above the current system volume. Why is there no sound? Klack may have lost Accessibility permission. Remove it from the accessibility list, restart the Mac, and go through setup again. Does Klack collect data? The privacy policy says Klack collects no data and no personal information. ### LookAway Smart break reminder for your Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/lookaway - Website: https://lookaway.com/?via=essentialmacapps - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid - Developer: Mystical Bits - Minimum macOS: 13 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask lookaway LookAway is a native Mac app from Mystical Bits. It reminds you to take screen breaks, and it can nudge you about posture and blinking. A heads-up appears before a break, with snooze choices and a countdown that follows the cursor. Breaks can pause during screen recording, meetings or calls, video playback, apps you mark for deep focus, and fullscreen games. When a break starts, LookAway Mirror can show the time left on a paired iPhone or iPad. You can change timers, sounds, backgrounds, and messages. A break can run a Shortcut or an AppleScript when it starts or ends. The app sits in the menu bar and includes keyboard shortcuts. LookAway requires macOS 13 or later. You pay once and keep the app. A single license covers one Mac, and a personal license covers two. Those include one year of updates, and renewing later is optional. You can keep using the version you already have. It is also on the Mac App Store, Setapp, and Homebrew. FAQ What does LookAway do? It reminds you to step away from the screen, and it can remind you about posture and blinking. A warning appears before the break, and you can snooze it. When does a break stay quiet? LookAway can pause during screen recording, meetings or calls, video playback, apps you mark for deep focus, and fullscreen games. Does it work with iPhone? Yes. LookAway Mirror on iPhone or iPad can show the break so another screen does not cut it short. The time left can also appear on the Lock Screen. How is LookAway licensed? You pay once and keep using it. A single license is for one Mac. A personal license is for two. Those include one year of updates. Renewing after that is optional. Prices are listed on lookaway.com. Which Macs does it support? macOS 13 or later. Download it from the website, the Mac App Store, or with brew install --cask lookaway. Who makes LookAway? Mystical Bits. ### Maccy Lightweight clipboard manager for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/maccy - Website: https://maccy.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: Alexey Rodionov - Minimum macOS: 14 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/p0deje/Maccy - GitHub stars: 22101 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Alternative to: Pastebot, Paste Maccy is a clipboard manager for macOS. It keeps what you copy and lets you search that history from the keyboard. Open it with Shift-Command-C, or from the menu bar icon. Type to search, then press Return to copy an item. Option-Return pastes it. Option-Shift-Return pastes without formatting. Option-P pins an item to the top. Clear removes unpinned items. Hold Option and choose Clear to remove pinned items too. History stays on your Mac. If a password manager clears a copied password from the clipboard, Maccy removes it as well. Extra pasteboard types can be ignored in Preferences. Maccy is open source under the MIT license. The download from maccy.app and GitHub is free. The Mac App Store listing is sold to support development. It requires macOS 14 or later. You can also install it with brew install maccy. FAQ Is Maccy free? Yes, from maccy.app and from GitHub. The Mac App Store version costs $9.99. That listing says the App Store version is sold to support development. The source is MIT licensed. Why does paste not happen when I select an item? Turn on Paste automatically in Preferences, and add Maccy under System Settings, Privacy and Security, Accessibility. How do I pin or clear history? Option-P pins the selected item. Clear removes unpinned items. Hold Option while choosing Clear to remove pinned items too. How do I paste without formatting? Press Option-Shift-Return, or Option-Shift-click the item. Does Maccy store my clipboard online? The site says everything is stored on your computer. Password-manager copies that are removed from the clipboard are removed from Maccy too. How do I install it? Download it from maccy.app, or run brew install maccy. The same app is also on the Mac App Store. maccy.app is the only official website. ### Mos Free smooth scrolling app for Mac that makes a mouse wheel scroll as smoothly as a trackpad. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/mos - Website: https://mos.caldis.me/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Free - Developer: Caldis - Minimum macOS: 10.13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/Caldis/Mos - GitHub stars: 21763 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask mos - Alternative to: SmoothScroll Mos is a menu bar utility that smooths mouse wheel scrolling on macOS. A regular wheel moves in coarse steps. Mos takes over the wheel events and turns them into smooth scrolling that feels closer to a trackpad. You can tune the step size, speed gain and duration, or turn on a mode that simulates a trackpad. Vertical and horizontal scrolling each have their own smoothing and reverse settings, and the mouse and trackpad are handled separately. Hotkeys can speed up scrolling, swap the scroll axis or pause smoothing. Each app can follow the global settings or have its own. Mouse buttons can be bound to actions such as Mission Control, switching Spaces, screenshots, keyboard shortcuts, opening an app or file, or running a script. Logitech devices on Bolt, Unifying or Bluetooth are supported through HID++. It suits people who use a mouse with a Mac and find the default wheel scrolling jumpy, and anyone who wants extra mouse buttons to do something useful. Mos is made by Caldis. The code is on GitHub under the Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 licence, which allows sharing and changes but not commercial use. Mos needs Accessibility permission to read and rewrite scroll events. It supports macOS 10.13 and later and has supported Apple silicon Macs natively since version 3.3.1. FAQ Is Mos free? Yes. Mos is free to download from GitHub and Homebrew, with no paid version. Is Mos safe and open source? The full source is public on GitHub. The project calls itself open source, but its licence is CC BY-NC 4.0, which bans commercial use, so it is not an OSI-approved open source licence. The developer asks that nobody upload Mos to the App Store, so get it from GitHub releases or Homebrew. How do I install Mos? Download the zip from the GitHub releases page, unzip it and move Mos.app to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask mos, and update later with brew upgrade --cask mos. On first launch, allow Mos under Accessibility in System Settings. What macOS version does Mos need? Mos supports macOS 10.13 High Sierra and later, on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. How does Mos compare to SmoothScroll? SmoothScroll is a paid app for smooth scrolling on Mac. Mos does the same core job for free and adds per-app profiles, separate settings for each scroll axis, and mouse button bindings. Can I reverse the mouse wheel but keep natural scrolling on the trackpad? Yes. Mos treats the mouse and trackpad separately and has its own reverse option for vertical and horizontal scrolling, so you can flip the wheel direction without changing how the trackpad scrolls. ### Notch Buddy Turn your MacBook's notch into a workspace with revenue, analytics, timers, files, and clipboard just a hover away. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/notch-buddy - Website: https://notchbuddy.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid, $6 one-time Notch Buddy is a Mac app that turns your MacBook's notch into a workspace for quick access to tools, stats, timers, files, and more. Revenue, analytics, clipboard, weather, screen time, and other tools sit just a hover away. You can view revenue and analytics without opening a dashboard, and keep track of timers, screen time, system stats, and weather. Files, clipboard history, notes, and links are close at hand, and there is a built-in calendar, emoji picker, and scratchpad. Notch Buddy can also monitor Claude Code usage and activity. You can customize the notch with different themes, and the app works on Macs with or without a notch. Notch Buddy is a one-time purchase of $6, with lifetime access and updates. Get it from notchbuddy.com. FAQ What does Notch Buddy do? It turns the notch at the top of your MacBook screen into a workspace. Hover over it to reach tools, stats, timers, files, and more. What can I see from the notch? Revenue and analytics, timers, screen time, system stats, and weather. You don't have to open a separate dashboard to check them. Can I get to my files and clipboard from it? Yes. It gives quick access to files, clipboard history, notes, and links. It also has a built-in calendar, emoji picker, and scratchpad. Does it work with Claude Code? Yes. It can monitor your Claude Code usage and activity. Do I need a Mac with a notch? No. Notch Buddy works on Macs with or without a notch. You can also change its look with different themes. How much does it cost? It is a one-time purchase of $6. That includes lifetime access and updates. ### Paste Clipboard manager for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/paste - Website: https://pasteapp.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Subscription - Developer: Paste Team ApS - Minimum macOS: 14 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Alternative to: Pastebot, Maccy Paste keeps a history of what you copy on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad. You can search that history and pin the snippets, links, colors, and templates you use often. History syncs across devices signed in with the same Apple Account. Paste says the clipboard stays on your device and in your private iCloud, and does not go to Paste servers. You can set rules so it ignores passwords and other sensitive apps. While you work, Paste can suggest the next thing to paste. The site says that feature uses Apple Intelligence and runs on the Mac. Paste can also share clipboard history with AI tools such as Claude, Codex, and Cursor, and you choose what to share. The Mac app requires macOS 14 or later. Download it from pasteapp.io or the Mac App Store. The iPhone and iPad apps come from the App Store. A 7-day trial unlocks the full app on every device. FAQ How much does Paste cost? The monthly plan is $2.49 and the annual plan is $29.99, in US dollars before tax. There is also a lifetime plan: pay once and keep future updates. Every plan includes Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Prices can differ by country. How does the trial work? The trial lasts 7 days and includes the full app. A download from pasteapp.io does not ask for a credit card, and it does not charge you when the trial ends. An App Store subscription renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends. Your clipboard history is kept either way. Where is my clipboard stored? Paste says it stays on your device and in your private iCloud, and does not go to Paste servers. You can tell Paste to ignore passwords and other sensitive apps. Is Paste on Setapp? Paste for Mac is included in a Setapp subscription. iPhone and iPad need a Setapp plan that includes iOS devices. What is the Family Plan? The Family Plan covers up to six people in a Family Sharing group. It is billed annually and sold only on the App Store. The Team Plan is sold on the Paste website. How do refunds work? For a purchase on pasteapp.io, contact Paste. For an App Store or Setapp purchase, request the refund from Apple or Setapp. ### Picmal Convert, compress, and edit your images, video, audio, and PDFs right on your Mac, entirely offline. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/picmal - Website: https://picmal.app/?atp=5IzPsi - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid - Developer: Alberto Gallego - Alternative to: Permute Picmal is a native Mac app for converting, compressing, and editing images, video, audio, and PDFs. Everything runs offline with 100% local processing, so there are no uploads and no accounts. It aims to replace several separate apps for images, video, audio, RAW photos, and PDFs. It handles more than 100 format conversions without an internet connection, such as HEIC to JPG, MOV to MP4, and FLAC to ALAC. Image formats include WEBP, TIFF, PDF, SVG, RAW, PNG, JPEG, ICO, HEIC, GIF, EPS, AVIF, and BMP. Compression is designed to shrink files without visible quality loss. The PDF toolkit can split, merge, reorder, and rotate pages, delete pages, turn images into a PDF, and add an optional password. Batch processing lets you drag files to reorder them and export everything in a single pass. Picmal fits into the rest of your Mac. It integrates with Finder, Shortcuts, and Raycast, can watch folders, and has a command-line tool. Picmal is a one-time purchase with free updates, and there is no subscription. It is made by Alberto Gallego. FAQ What does Picmal do? It converts, compresses, and edits images, video, audio, and PDFs on your Mac. It is meant to replace several single-purpose media apps. Do my files get uploaded anywhere? No. All processing happens locally on your Mac, offline. There are no uploads and no account to create. Which formats can it convert? More than 100 conversions, such as HEIC to JPG, MOV to MP4, and FLAC to ALAC. Image formats include WEBP, TIFF, SVG, RAW, PNG, JPEG, ICO, HEIC, GIF, EPS, AVIF, and BMP. What can it do with PDFs? It can split and merge PDFs, reorder, rotate, and delete pages, turn images into a PDF, and add an optional password. Can I automate it? Yes. It works with Finder, Shortcuts, and Raycast, supports watched folders, and has a command-line tool. Batch processing exports many files in one pass. Is it a subscription? No. Picmal is a one-time purchase, and updates are free. ### Supaste Visual clipboard and screenshot history for Mac that lets you search, organize, and reuse everything you copy. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/supaste - Website: https://supaste.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Utilities - Pricing: Paid, $15 one-time (early offer, regular $29) - Developer: Solt Wagner - Distribution: Direct download - Alternative to: Pastebot, Paste Supaste is a visual clipboard and screenshot history app for Mac. Its tagline is "Copy once. Reuse anytime." It saves what you copy, including text, links, images, screenshots, files, code, and colors, so you can search, organize, preview, and paste it back later. Clips are sorted into tabs such as History, Prompts, Colors, Assets, and Inspirations, and you can add your own tabs and mark favorites. You can browse clips in a visual timeline or in List, Card, and Board views, and open Quick Paste from any app. Supaste can also capture and search screenshots, recognize text inside images with OCR, capture text from any area of the screen, and pick colors from the screen. It can resize, convert, and edit images, remove image backgrounds, and auto-delete clips you don't use. It is local-first and privacy-focused. Supaste is a paid, one-time purchase. The 1-device license is $15 as a limited offer for early users, down from $29. Licenses for 2 and 3 devices are also offered. All features are unlocked from day one, lifetime updates are included, and there is a 14-day money-back guarantee. Download it from supaste.com. FAQ What does Supaste do? It keeps a history of what you copy on your Mac, including text, links, images, screenshots, files, code, and colors, so you can find and paste it again later. How do I find an old clip? Search your history, or browse it in a visual timeline or in List, Card, and Board views. Clips are grouped into tabs, and you can pin favorites. Can I organize clips my own way? Yes. Beyond the History, Prompts, Colors, Assets, and Inspirations tabs, you can add custom tabs and collections. Does it work with screenshots and images? Yes. It can capture and search screenshots, read text inside images with OCR, resize, convert, and edit images, and remove image backgrounds. How much does it cost? It is a one-time payment. One device is $15 as a limited offer for early users, instead of $29. Plans for 2 and 3 devices are also available. Lifetime updates are included. Can I get a refund? Yes. There is a 14-day money-back guarantee. ## Productivity https://essentialmacapps.com/category/productivity ### FSNotes Free Markdown notes app for Mac that stores every note as a plain file you control. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/fsnotes - Website: https://fsnot.es/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Free - Developer: Oleksandr Hlushchenko - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/glushchenko/fsnotes - GitHub stars: 7553 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask fsnotes - Alternative to: Obsidian, Evernote, Bear FSNotes is a notes app for Mac and iPhone that keeps every note as a Markdown or plain text file in folders you choose. There is no account and no private database, so other editors can open your notes too. You write in GitHub Flavored Markdown with inline images, syntax highlighting in code blocks, Mermaid diagrams and MathJax. Notes link to each other with [[double brackets]], and you can organize them with tags, pins and several storage folders. Search stays fast with libraries of more than 10,000 notes, and the keyboard controls are inspired by Notational Velocity. Sync works through iCloud Drive, or any folder service such as Dropbox on the Mac. Optional Git versioning makes scheduled commits and can push to a remote. Single notes or whole folders can be locked with AES-256 encryption and opened with Touch ID. Notes with attachments can be saved as TextBundle files. FSNotes is open source under the MIT licence, made by Oleksandr Hlushchenko. The Mac build is free on GitHub, while the App Store version is a one-time purchase with automatic updates. It needs macOS 12 or later. FAQ Is FSNotes free? The Mac app is free to download from GitHub Releases, and the source code is free. The Mac App Store version costs $8.99 as a one-time purchase, gets automatic updates and supports the developer. There is no subscription. Is FSNotes safe and open source? Yes. The code is on GitHub under the MIT licence. Notes stay as files on your own disk, and you choose whether to sync them through iCloud Drive or Git. How do I install FSNotes? Buy it on the Mac App Store, or download the zip from the GitHub releases page. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask fsnotes. What macOS version does FSNotes need? FSNotes needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. The current Mac App Store listing asks for macOS 12.4. It runs natively on Apple Silicon. How does FSNotes compare to Bear? Bear is a paid Markdown notes app that keeps notes in its own library. FSNotes saves each note as a normal file, syncs through iCloud Drive or Git at no extra cost, and lets you edit notes in any other app. Can I use my existing folder of Markdown files with FSNotes? Yes. Point FSNotes at the folder and it shows the files as notes. Changes made in an external editor appear in FSNotes right away. ### Itsycal Free menu bar calendar for Mac that shows your month and upcoming events in one click. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/itsycal - Website: https://www.mowglii.com/itsycal/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Free - Developer: Sanjay Madan (Mowglii) - Minimum macOS: 11 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/sfsam/Itsycal - GitHub stars: 4037 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask itsycal - Alternative to: Fantastical Itsycal is a tiny calendar for the Mac menu bar. Click its icon, or press a shortcut you choose, and a small window shows the month with your upcoming events listed below. It reads the calendars you already have in the Mac Calendar app. You can create and delete events from Itsycal, though not edit them. Events with a video link get a join option, and since version 0.27.2 the right-click menu can copy the meeting link. Other options include ISO week numbers, an hourly beep, up to two months on screen, several font sizes, Dark Mode and a custom date and time display that can replace the system clock. Keyboard users get a lot here: Vim motions with an optional repeat count, a jump-to-date command and a URL scheme. Itsycal suits people who want to glance at dates and meetings without opening a full calendar app. Itsycal is made by Sanjay Madan of Mowglii and released under the MIT licence. It updates through Sparkle. The latest 0.27 release targets macOS 27, and version 0.15.15 is still offered for macOS 11 and later. FAQ Is Itsycal free? Yes. Itsycal is a free download from mowglii.com and its source code is MIT licensed. Is Itsycal safe and open source? Yes. The full source is on GitHub at sfsam/Itsycal under the MIT licence, and updates are delivered through the Sparkle framework. How do I install Itsycal? Run brew install --cask itsycal, or download the zip from mowglii.com/itsycal, unzip it and move Itsycal to Applications. On macOS 26 and earlier the Homebrew cask installs version 0.15.15. What macOS version does Itsycal need? The newest build, 0.27.x, needs macOS 27. Version 0.15.15 runs on macOS 11 or later, and older builds on the version history page go back to macOS 10.8. How does Itsycal compare to Fantastical? Fantastical is a full calendar app from Flexibits with a free plan and a paid subscription. Itsycal does less: it puts a month view and your Calendar events in the menu bar, lets you add and delete events and join calls, and leaves everything else to the Calendar app. It is free and open source. Can Itsycal replace the menu bar clock? Yes. Itsycal can show a date and time in its menu bar icon with a format you set, so you can hide the system clock and use Itsycal in its place. ### MeetingBar Free meeting reminder for Mac that shows your next call in the menu bar and joins it in one click. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/meetingbar - Website: https://meetingbar.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Free - Developer: Andrii Leitsius - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/leits/MeetingBar - GitHub stars: 5390 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask meetingbar MeetingBar is a menu bar app for Mac that shows your current or next meeting and joins it with one click. It finds the meeting link inside the calendar event, so you do not have to open the invite. It works with the macOS Calendar app, which covers iCloud, Google, Exchange, Office 365 and other accounts, or it can connect to Google Calendar directly. More than 50 meeting services are recognised, including Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Discord, Jitsi, FaceTime and Slack Huddle. The menu bar can show the title, time or a countdown, and the menu lists events for today and tomorrow. A global keyboard shortcut joins the nearest meeting. You can get notifications or a full-screen reminder before a call, filter out all-day, declined or tentative events, bookmark recurring meetings, create an ad-hoc meeting, and open links in a chosen browser or native app. Shortcuts and AppleScript are supported, and a custom script can run when you join, for example to pause music. MeetingBar is Apache 2.0 licensed and made by Andrii Leitsius. It does not collect personal data. It needs macOS 12 or later and is free on the Mac App Store and GitHub. FAQ Is MeetingBar free? Yes. MeetingBar is free on the Mac App Store and on GitHub. You can support the developer through optional in-app purchases, Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee, but nothing is locked behind them. Is MeetingBar safe and open source? MeetingBar is open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, with the code on GitHub at leits/MeetingBar. The project states that it does not collect personal data and uses your calendar data only to show meetings and open the right link. How do I install MeetingBar? Run brew install --cask meetingbar, get it from the Mac App Store, or download MeetingBar.dmg from the GitHub releases page. On first launch, onboarding asks you to pick a calendar source and your preferences. What macOS version does MeetingBar need? MeetingBar requires macOS 12 Monterey or later. How does MeetingBar compare to Meeter? Meeter is another menu bar app that gathers upcoming meetings and joins calls in one click, and it has been sold through the Mac App Store and Setapp. MeetingBar does the same core job, supports more than 50 meeting services, and is free and open source. Can I join my next meeting with a keyboard shortcut? Yes. Set a global shortcut in MeetingBar's settings, and pressing it from any app joins the nearest meeting that has a link. ### NetNewsWire Free RSS reader for Mac with iCloud, Feedbin and Inoreader sync, smart feeds and single-key shortcuts. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/netnewswire - Website: https://netnewswire.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Free - Developer: Brent Simmons (Ranchero Software) - Minimum macOS: 15 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/Ranchero-Software/NetNewsWire - GitHub stars: 10487 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask netnewswire - Alternative to: Reeder NetNewsWire is an RSS reader for Mac, iPhone and iPad. It pulls new articles from the blogs and news sites you follow and keeps track of what you have read. It reads RSS, Atom and JSON Feed. You can keep feeds on your Mac only, or sync them through iCloud, Feedbin, Feedly, BazQux, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader or FreshRSS. The All Unread and Today smart feeds collect new items, and you can star articles, sort feeds into folders and hide what you have already read. A Safari extension adds feeds from the page you are on. The Mac app has single-key keyboard shortcuts, a Reader view, article themes, multiple windows, a customizable toolbar and AppleScript support. OPML import and export let you move a feed list in from another reader or back out. NetNewsWire is free and open source under the MIT licence. It is made by Brent Simmons and community contributors. The Mac version needs macOS 15 or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon. FAQ Is NetNewsWire free? Yes. NetNewsWire is free on Mac, iPhone and iPad, with no in-app purchases or subscription. The project even asks people not to send money. Is NetNewsWire safe and open source? Yes. The full source code is on GitHub under the MIT licence. Feeds are fetched by the app itself, and you only connect a sync service if you choose one. How do I install NetNewsWire on Mac? Download the Mac app from netnewswire.com and move it to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask netnewswire. The iPhone and iPad version is on the App Store. What macOS version does NetNewsWire need? The current Mac version needs macOS 15 or newer and is Apple Silicon native. Older versions for earlier macOS releases are linked from the NetNewsWire website. How does NetNewsWire compare to Reeder? Both are native Apple RSS readers. Reeder is a commercial app. NetNewsWire is free and open source, syncs with iCloud and services like Feedbin, Feedly and Inoreader, and focuses on plain feed reading. Can I move my feeds from another RSS reader? Yes. Export an OPML file from your old reader and import it in NetNewsWire. You can export your NetNewsWire subscriptions to OPML the same way. ### Notesnook Free encrypted notes app for Mac with end-to-end encrypted sync, a private vault and a web clipper. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/notesnook - Website: https://notesnook.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Streetwriters - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/streetwriters/notesnook - GitHub stars: 14846 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask notesnook - Alternative to: Obsidian, Evernote, Bear Notesnook is a note-taking app for Mac from Streetwriters. It encrypts your notes on your own device before they sync, and the whole project is open source. It is built as a private alternative to Evernote. Notes are sorted into notebooks and tags. The editor handles task lists, tables, outlines, code blocks, math, images and Markdown shortcuts. You can link notes to each other and see backlinks, set repeating reminders, and move the most private notes into a vault that needs a second password. Monographs publish a single note as a web page, with an optional password. The Web Clipper saves articles, and the importer brings in notes from Evernote, Google Keep and Obsidian. Encryption uses XChaCha20-Poly1305 with Argon2, so the sync server only stores data it cannot read. An app lock adds a PIN or password on top. Notesnook suits people who like Evernote-style notebooks but want their notes unreadable to the service that syncs them. There are apps for desktop, mobile and the web. The apps and the sync server are licensed under GPL-3.0. The free plan includes unlimited notes on unlimited devices, with caps on storage, notebooks and tags. On Mac there are separate builds for Apple silicon and Intel, and a Homebrew cask. FAQ Is Notesnook free? Yes. The free plan has unlimited notes on unlimited devices with encrypted sync. It allows 50 MB of uploads a month, files up to 10 MB, and 50 notebooks and 50 tags. The paid Essential, Pro and Believer plans raise those limits and add more storage. Is Notesnook safe and open source? Notesnook is open source under GPL-3.0, including the apps and the sync server. Notes are encrypted on your device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2 before upload, so the server only holds encrypted data. You can also put notes in a vault with its own password. How do I install Notesnook? Download the DMG for Apple silicon or Intel from notesnook.com/downloads, or run brew install --cask notesnook in Terminal. Drag the app to Applications and open it. What macOS version does Notesnook need? Neither the Notesnook download page nor the Homebrew cask lists a minimum macOS version. There are native builds for both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. How does Notesnook compare to Evernote? Both use notebooks and tags, and both have a web clipper. Evernote's free plan stops at 50 notes, one notebook and sync on one device, while Notesnook's free plan has unlimited notes and devices. Evernote lists in-note encryption for Mac and Windows; Notesnook encrypts every note end to end by default. Notesnook can import your Evernote notes. Can I publish a note from Notesnook? Yes. Notesnook calls these Monographs. You can publish a single note as a web page and add a password if you only want certain people to read it. ### Notion Notes, docs, and databases for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/notion - Website: https://www.notion.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Notion Labs - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: No - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask notion - Alternative to: Obsidian, Evernote Notion is a workspace from Notion Labs for notes, documents, wikis, and databases. The Mac app is a direct download, with a universal build plus separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel. A page is made of blocks, such as text, to-dos, and images. Databases can include properties, subtasks, and dependencies. Recent and favorite pages download for offline use. Notion Calendar and a web clipper ship with the product. The Free plan is for one person and does not cap how many pages you add. A free workspace with two or more people has a limit on new blocks, and Free file uploads stop at 5 MB. Plus, Business, and Enterprise are paid per member. Guests can be invited to a single page without taking a paid seat. FAQ What is Notion? A workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and databases. Each page is built from blocks such as paragraphs, to-dos, and images. Is there a Mac app? Yes. notion.com offers a universal Mac download, an Apple Silicon build, and an Intel build. You can also install it with brew install --cask notion. Is Notion free? There is a Free plan. One person can add unlimited pages. A free workspace with multiple members can add only a limited number of new blocks. Plus, Business, and Enterprise are paid per member. Does the Mac app work offline? Recent and favorite pages download automatically so you can open them offline. Can I share a page without another paid seat? Yes. Guests are free. They can open the individual pages you invite them to, and they do not see the rest of the teamspace. How do refunds work? Email team@makenotion.com. Notion refunds a monthly plan within 3 days of signup, and an annual plan within 30 days. Some regions allow a longer window. Who makes Notion? Notion Labs. ### Standard Notes Free encrypted notes app for Mac with end-to-end encrypted sync on unlimited devices. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/standard-notes - Website: https://standardnotes.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Productivity - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Standard Notes Ltd. - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/standardnotes/app - GitHub stars: 6684 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask standard-notes - Alternative to: Obsidian, Evernote, Bear Standard Notes is an encrypted notes app for Mac made by Standard Notes Ltd. Every note is end-to-end encrypted before it leaves your Mac and synced to your other devices, so only you can read it. The free Standard plan covers plain-text notes, tags, offline access, password protection for single notes, two-factor authentication, daily encrypted email backups and a full export in encrypted or plain form. The Productivity plan adds Super notes with Markdown, rich text, checklists and code, plus spreadsheets, folders, daily notebooks, a web clipper and a year of revision history. Professional adds 100 GB of encrypted file storage. Standard Notes says its encryption is audited by outside security researchers, and that the company is funded by paying users rather than venture capital. It suits people who want simple, private notes that sync to Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Android and the web. The code is public under AGPL-3.0, and you can self-host your own sync server. Mac downloads come as separate Apple silicon and Intel builds, and Homebrew has a cask. Listed, a blogging service from the same team, lets you publish notes as a blog. FAQ Is Standard Notes free? Yes. The Standard plan costs nothing and syncs encrypted plain-text notes on unlimited devices. Productivity ($90 a year) and Professional ($120 a year) add Super notes, spreadsheets, a web clipper, longer revision history and, on Professional, 100 GB of file storage. Is Standard Notes safe and open source? Notes are end-to-end encrypted on your device, and Standard Notes says its code is audited by independent security researchers. The source is public under AGPL-3.0, and you can run your own sync server if you prefer. How do I install Standard Notes? Download the Apple silicon or Intel build from standardnotes.com/download, or run brew install --cask standard-notes in Terminal. Register an account to turn on encrypted sync. What macOS version does Standard Notes need? Standard Notes does not state a minimum macOS version on its download page, and the Homebrew cask lists none. It ships native builds for both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. How does Standard Notes compare to Evernote and Bear? Evernote's free plan stops at 50 notes and sync on one device. Bear runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad and needs Bear Pro ($2.99 a month or $29.99 a year) for iCloud sync. Standard Notes syncs unlimited notes on unlimited devices for free, including Windows, Linux and Android, but free notes are plain text; richer Super notes need a paid plan. Can I lock a single note in Standard Notes? Yes. Even on the free plan you can password-protect individual notes, on top of the encryption that covers your whole account. ## Writing https://essentialmacapps.com/category/writing ### CotEditor Free text editor for Mac with syntax highlighting, regex find and replace and split panes. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/coteditor - Website: https://coteditor.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Writing - Pricing: Free - Developer: 1024jp (CotEditor Project) - Minimum macOS: 26 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/coteditor/CotEditor - GitHub stars: 8635 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask coteditor - Alternative to: Sublime Text, BBEdit CotEditor is a plain text editor for macOS. It opens fast and uses standard Mac windows, menus and settings, so it feels like a built-in app. It colors more than 60 languages, including HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby and Markdown, and you can add your own syntax definitions. Find and replace uses the ICU regular expression engine. Other tools include an outline menu to jump between sections, split panes to view two parts of a file, a character inspector for Unicode details, and a check for characters that will not survive a change of text encoding. It backs up documents automatically while you edit, detects file encodings, and supports vertical text for CJK languages. You can extend it with scripts in Python, Ruby, Perl, PHP, shell, AppleScript or JavaScript. All settings live in a normal settings window, not in config files. CotEditor is free and open source. The code is under the Apache License 2.0, while the image resources use a Creative Commons non-commercial licence. It is available from the Mac App Store and as a direct download. The current version needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later. FAQ Is CotEditor free? Yes. CotEditor is free on the Mac App Store and on coteditor.com, with no paid features. Is CotEditor safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0. The app runs with the macOS sandbox and hardened runtime enabled. How do I install CotEditor? Get it from the Mac App Store, or download the disk image from coteditor.com or GitHub. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask coteditor. What macOS version does CotEditor need? CotEditor 7.1 needs macOS 26 Tahoe or later. The project supports the latest two major macOS releases, and older compatible versions are kept on the Archives page at coteditor.com. How does CotEditor compare to BBEdit? BBEdit is a long-running commercial editor, and its full feature set needs a paid licence. CotEditor is free, sticks to plain text editing with a native Mac interface, and keeps its settings simple. Can I write scripts or macros for CotEditor? Yes. CotEditor can run your own scripts as macros, written in Python, Ruby, Perl, PHP, shell, AppleScript or JavaScript. It also responds to AppleScript commands. ### Glance Native Markdown viewer for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/glance - Website: https://glance.md/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Writing - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: maging.studio - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Distribution: Direct download Glance is a native Markdown viewer for macOS. Open a .md file and it renders headings, tables, code, Mermaid diagrams, and LaTeX with a native engine. Reading is free and does not need an account. Glance Pro adds editing: click the text, type, and the same file is saved as Markdown. A 14-day trial starts the first time you edit. It does not ask for a card. When the trial ends, Glance returns to a viewer and the files stay as they are. From Finder, select a Markdown file and press Space for a Quick Look preview. Search inside a file highlights each match. A trackpad pinch zooms around the pointer. Glance also pretty-prints JSON and YAML. Glance runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple Silicon. Install the DMG, move Glance into Applications, and open it once so macOS registers the Quick Look preview. The download on glance.md is version 0.2.2, about 9.8 MB. FAQ Is Glance free? Reading is free. Glance Pro is a one-time license at $9.99, for up to three Macs, with a year of updates. How does the Pro trial work? The trial lasts 14 days and starts the first time you edit. There is no card and no sign-up. After it ends, Glance is a viewer again. You can buy a license later to keep editing. Which files does Glance open? .md, .markdown, .mdown, .mkd, and .mkdn, plus plain text. JSON and YAML are shown with syntax colors. Which Macs can run Glance? macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon. The developer does not offer an Intel build, an iPhone app, or an iPad app. Does Glance send my files anywhere? Glance checks glance.md for updates, and a Pro license is checked with Polar when the app launches. Those calls do not include your documents. A linked image on the web is downloaded so it can be shown. Glance has no analytics, and update checks can be turned off in Settings. How do refunds work? Email hello@glance.md within 14 days of purchase for a full refund, from the address you bought with, or reply to the Polar receipt. Polar Software, Inc. processes the refund. The license then stops working and Glance returns to the free viewer. Files you already edited stay on disk. ### Zettlr Free Markdown editor for Mac with Zotero citations, Zettelkasten links and Pandoc export. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/zettlr - Website: https://www.zettlr.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Writing - Pricing: Free - Developer: Hendrik Erz - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/Zettlr/Zettlr - GitHub stars: 13832 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask zettlr - Alternative to: Obsidian, Ulysses Zettlr is a Markdown editor for Mac built for academic and long-form writing. It is led by Hendrik Erz, it is free, and it is paid for by donations. You write in Markdown and decide how much formatting renders inline, from plain code to an almost rich-text view. Citations come from Zotero, JabRef and Juris-M, with more than 9,000 citation styles. Export runs through Pandoc, LaTeX and Textbundle, with LaTeX and Word template support, and presentation profiles target reveal.js, Beamer and PowerPoint. LaTeX math is rendered in the editor. For notes, Zettlr supports a Zettelkasten workflow with note IDs, wiki-style internal links, related files and a graph view. It also has full-text search, snippets with variables and tabstops, code highlighting, dark mode and custom CSS. It suits students, researchers and writers who need citations and journal-ready exports from Markdown. Zettlr does not force cloud sync and has no telemetry. Its only network call is the update check, which you can turn off. It is licensed under GPL-3.0, needs macOS 13 or later, and has separate builds for Apple silicon and Intel. FAQ Is Zettlr free? Yes. Zettlr has no paid tier and no subscription. Development is funded by one-off and monthly donations. Is Zettlr safe and open source? Zettlr is open source under GPL-3.0, with its code on GitHub. It does not collect telemetry and only goes online to check for updates, which you can disable in the settings. How do I install Zettlr? Download the Apple silicon or Intel DMG from zettlr.com/download, or run brew install --cask zettlr in Terminal. For PDF export through LaTeX you also need a LaTeX distribution, and the Zettlr docs explain how to install one. What macOS version does Zettlr need? The current release needs macOS 13 Ventura or later, according to the Homebrew cask. It runs natively on Apple silicon and on Intel Macs. How does Zettlr compare to Ulysses and Obsidian? Ulysses costs $5.99 a month or $39.99 a year and runs on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Obsidian is free for personal use, with paid Sync and Publish add-ons. Zettlr is free on Mac, Windows and Linux, and its focus is citations and Pandoc export for papers and theses. Can Zettlr export to Word and PDF? Yes. Zettlr uses Pandoc and LaTeX for export, with template support for both LaTeX and Word. Export profiles let you produce a paper in a set format in one click. ## Design https://essentialmacapps.com/category/design ### Figma Design and prototype on a shared canvas. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/figma - Website: https://www.figma.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Design - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Figma - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: No - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask figma Figma is a design app for Mac. You lay out interfaces on a canvas with layers, components, auto layout, and prototypes, and other people can work in the same file. The desktop app is a download for macOS, and it includes the font installer. Figma also runs in the browser and has apps for iPhone and iPad. FigJam is the whiteboard in the same account. Dev Mode is the view for inspecting a design and handing it to engineering. The Starter plan is free. It includes unlimited drafts, UI kits and templates, and a limited number of AI credits. Professional, Organization, and Enterprise are paid plans, with separate seats for design, development, and collaboration. On a paid plan, other people can view and comment without an extra seat. Plugins, UI kits, widgets, and templates are available from the Figma community. FAQ Is Figma free? The Starter plan is free. It includes unlimited drafts, UI kits and templates, and 150 AI credits a day, up to 500 a month. Professional and higher plans are paid. What does a paid plan cost? On figma.com, a Professional full seat is $16 a month. A Dev seat is $12 a month and a Collab seat is $3 a month. Organization and Enterprise are billed annually. Prices are in US dollars. Do viewers need their own seat? On a paid plan, other people can view and comment on files without an extra seat. Is there a Mac app? Yes. Download the desktop app for macOS from figma.com. It includes the font installer. You can also use Figma in the browser, and there are apps for iPhone and iPad. What is FigJam? FigJam is the online whiteboard in the same account. Figma Design is the canvas for interfaces and prototypes. Dev Mode is for inspecting a design and handing it off. Can I extend Figma? Yes. The community offers plugins, UI kits, widgets, and templates. You install them from inside Figma. ### ImageOptim Free image compressor for Mac that shrinks PNG, JPEG, GIF and SVG files and strips private metadata. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/imageoptim - Website: https://imageoptim.com/mac?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Design - Pricing: Free - Developer: Kornel Lesiński - Minimum macOS: 11 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/ImageOptim/ImageOptim - GitHub stars: 10017 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask imageoptim - Alternative to: Optimage, Squash ImageOptim is an image compressor for macOS. It makes PNG, JPEG, GIF and SVG files smaller so they take less disk space and load faster on the web. Drag images into the window or onto the Dock icon and it runs several optimizers on each file, then keeps the smallest result. Under the hood it uses tools such as MozJPEG, pngquant, OxiPNG, Zopfli, PNGOUT, Gifsicle and SVGO. It also removes EXIF data like GPS position and camera serial numbers, embedded thumbnails and unneeded color profiles. You can also run it from the Finder Services menu, the command line or Sketch. By default the compression is lossless, so images look exactly the same. Turn on Lossy minification in Preferences to trade a little quality for much smaller files, for JPEG, PNG, SVG and animated GIF. It suits web developers, designers and app developers who want lighter assets without a web upload. ImageOptim is free and open source under the GPL v2 or later, made by Kornel Lesiński. It runs locally, needs macOS 11 or later and has full Apple Silicon support. The last release, 1.9.3, came out in October 2023. FAQ Is ImageOptim free? Yes. ImageOptim is free to download from imageoptim.com, with no paid tier. The developer accepts donations. Is ImageOptim safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub under the GPL v2 or later. Images are processed on your Mac and are not uploaded. ImageOptim is not sold on the Mac App Store, and the developer warns about knock-off apps there. How do I install ImageOptim? Download it from imageoptim.com and move it to your Applications folder. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask imageoptim. What macOS version does ImageOptim need? Version 1.9.3 needs macOS 11 Big Sur or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon. The site also offers an older build for OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Note that 1.9.3 from October 2023 is still the latest release, although the GitHub repository keeps getting fixes. How does ImageOptim compare to Squash or Optimage? Squash and Optimage are paid image compressors. ImageOptim is free and combines open source optimizers in one drag-and-drop window. It is lossless by default, so for the smallest files you need to enable Lossy minification yourself. Can ImageOptim keep camera and copyright metadata? Yes. Uncheck Strip JPEG metadata in Preferences. If PNG files take too long, uncheck PNGOUT and Zopfli in Preferences for faster but slightly less effective compression. ### Inkscape Free vector graphics editor for Mac for logos, illustrations and SVG files, an Adobe Illustrator alternative. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/inkscape - Website: https://inkscape.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Design - Pricing: Free - Developer: Inkscape Project - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://gitlab.com/inkscape/inkscape - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask inkscape - Alternative to: Adobe Illustrator Inkscape is a vector graphics editor that uses SVG as its native format. People use it for logos, icons, illustrations, diagrams and other artwork that has to scale cleanly. Drawing tools include the Pen tool with Bezier, Spiro, B-Spline and straight line modes, a Pencil for freehand paths, a Calligraphy tool, and shape tools for rectangles, ellipses, stars, polygons and spirals. The Text tool supports multi-line text, text on a path, text inside a shape and variable fonts. Clones and symbols keep linked copies in sync, and layers, alignment, snapping and grids help with precise layouts. For editing paths there are node tools, Boolean operations, a Shape builder and Live Path Effects such as Power Stroke, Offset, Rotate copies and Envelope deformation, which change shapes without destroying them. Bitmap tracing turns raster images into vector paths. Inkscape exports PNG, PDF, EPS, PostScript, AI, DXF and more, supports command line export, and can be extended with Python extensions. The interface can be themed, including a dark mode, and rearranged with dockable dialogs. Inkscape is free and open source. The full program is distributed under GPL-3.0 or later, with most source files under GPL-2.0 or later. Version 1.4.4 came out on 6 May 2026 with crash fixes and performance work, and the Mac download comes as separate Apple Silicon and Intel builds. FAQ Is Inkscape free? Yes. Inkscape is free and has no paid edition. The project is funded by donations and sponsors. Is Inkscape safe and open source? Inkscape is open source, with its code on GitLab, and the program is distributed under GPL-3.0 or later. Since version 1.4.3, the official macOS builds block extensions when Inkscape is started from the command line, as a fix for a security issue. How do I install Inkscape? Download the Apple Silicon or Intel .dmg from inkscape.org and drag Inkscape to Applications, or run brew install --cask inkscape in Terminal. The cask also adds an inkscape command for exports from the shell. What macOS version does Inkscape need? The Inkscape 1.4.4 macOS download page offers separate Apple Silicon and Intel builds but does not list a minimum macOS version. Check the release notes on inkscape.org if you use an older Mac. How does Inkscape compare to Adobe Illustrator? Adobe Illustrator is sold as a Creative Cloud subscription, with a 7-day free trial. Inkscape is free, works natively in SVG and can export AI, PDF and EPS files. Illustrator remains the standard in many design studios, so check which formats your clients or printers expect. Can Inkscape turn an image into vectors? Yes. Bitmap tracing converts a raster image into editable vector paths, in colour or monochrome. You can then clean up the result with the node tools and path simplification. ### Krita Free digital painting app for Mac with brush engines, animation and HDR painting for artists and illustrators. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/krita - Website: https://krita.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Design - Pricing: Free - Developer: Krita Foundation (KDE) - Minimum macOS: 10.15 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://invent.kde.org/graphics/krita - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask krita - Alternative to: Adobe Photoshop Krita is a painting program for illustrators, concept artists, comic artists and texture painters. It focuses on drawing and painting from a blank canvas rather than photo editing. It ships with more than nine brush engines, including Color Smudge, Shape, Particle and Filter, and you can tag brushes to keep them organised. Three stabiliser modes smooth your strokes, and the Dynamic Brush tool adds drag and mass. Wrap-around mode repeats the canvas so you can paint tileable textures and patterns. Drawing assistants help with vanishing points, straight lines, ellipses and fisheye perspective. Layers come in paint, vector, filter, group and file types. The animation workspace has a timeline, onion skinning, tweening and audio, and exports to video or image sequences. Krita 5.3 added a new text tool with on-canvas editing and full OpenType support, a fill tool that can close gaps and a faster liquify mode. Colour management uses ICC profiles through LCMS and OpenColorIO, and you can paint in HDR. A Python API lets you write your own plugins, and the Resource Manager imports brush and texture bundles. Krita is free from krita.org and licensed under GPL-3.0. Paid copies on the Mac App Store and Steam are the same program and help fund development. The download page lists macOS 10.15 as the minimum. FAQ Is Krita free? Yes. Krita is free to download from krita.org. The Mac App Store version costs money, and buying it is a way to support the project, but the program is the same. Is Krita safe and open source? Krita is open source under GPL-3.0, and its code is hosted on KDE's GitLab at invent.kde.org. The macOS installer from krita.org is a signed .dmg. How do I install Krita? Download the macOS installer from krita.org, open the .dmg and drag Krita to Applications, or run brew install --cask krita in Terminal. You can also buy it from the Mac App Store. What macOS version does Krita need? The krita.org download page lists macOS 10.15 Catalina as the minimum. The project notes that the minimum can change between releases. How does Krita compare to Adobe Photoshop? Photoshop is sold only through a Creative Cloud subscription, with a 7-day trial for individuals, and covers photo editing as well as painting. Krita is free and built for painting, with brush engines, drawing assistants and frame-by-frame animation. If your work is mostly photo retouching, Photoshop is the closer fit. Can I animate in Krita? Yes. Krita has an animation workspace with a timeline, onion skinning, tweening and audio support. You can export the result as a video or as a sequence of images. ### Pika Free color picker for Mac that grabs any color on screen and checks WCAG and APCA contrast. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/pika - Website: https://superhighfives.com/pika?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Design - Pricing: Free - Developer: Charlie Gleason - Minimum macOS: 14 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/superhighfives/pika - GitHub stars: 2601 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask pika - Alternative to: ColorSlurp Pika is a colour picker for Mac. It grabs any colour on screen, shows it in the format you need and checks the contrast between a foreground and a background colour. Press Command-D to pick a foreground colour, Shift-Command-D for a background, or Option-Command-D from any app to pick both in one go. Press X to swap them. The Basic picker uses the macOS sampler, and the Pro picker adds a live loupe with arrow-key nudging, which needs Screen Recording permission. Values come in Hex, RGB, HSB, HSL, LAB, OpenGL and OKLCH, in sRGB or Display P3, and Command-1 to Command-7 switch between them. Contrast is checked with both WCAG 2 and APCA, so you see the ratio and the text sizes each level allows. Pika also has colour names, a history of picks with undo and redo, global shortcuts and a pika:// URL scheme for scripts. It suits designers and developers who check accessibility as they work. Pika is made by Charlie Gleason and released under the MIT licence. It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. The direct download is free, and the Mac App Store version costs $2.99. FAQ Is Pika free? Yes. The download from superhighfives.com/pika and GitHub is free. Pika is also sold on the Mac App Store for $2.99. Is Pika safe and open source? Pika is open source under the MIT licence, with the code on GitHub at superhighfives/pika. Screen Recording permission is only needed for the Pro picker with the live loupe. How do I install Pika? Run brew install --cask pika, download the DMG from superhighfives.com/pika, or buy it on the Mac App Store. What macOS version does Pika need? Pika needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. How does Pika compare to ColorSlurp? ColorSlurp is a colour toolkit for Mac and iOS with a palette manager and an iPhone camera picker, offered as a free download with a paid Pro upgrade. Pika focuses on picking colour pairs and checking contrast, runs only on the Mac and is fully free and open source. How do I check colour contrast in Pika? Press Option-Command-D to pick a foreground and background, then press C to show the compliance panel. It lists the WCAG 2 ratio and the APCA Lc value for the pair. ## Video https://essentialmacapps.com/category/video ### Gifski Free video to GIF converter for Mac that makes high-quality GIFs with thousands of colors per frame. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/gifski - Website: https://sindresorhus.com/gifski?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Video - Pricing: Free - Developer: Sindre Sorhus - Minimum macOS: 26 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/sindresorhus/Gifski - GitHub stars: 8587 - Distribution: Mac App Store Gifski turns videos into animated GIFs on the Mac. It is built on the gifski encoder, which uses pngquant palettes and temporal dithering so each frame can hold thousands of colors. Drop an MP4 or MOV file on the window or the Dock icon, or choose one with Open. The editor lets you trim and crop, set exact dimensions, change the speed and frame rate up to 50 FPS, loop or bounce the GIF back and forth, and lower the quality to shrink the file. After converting, press Command-C to copy the GIF or Command-S to save it. A share extension, a Services menu item and Shortcuts actions let you send videos from other apps. It reads the formats macOS supports, such as H.264, HEVC and ProRes, but not WebM or QuickTime Animation. Gifski is a converter only, so it does not add text or stickers to a GIF. Gifski is free and open source under the MIT license, made by Sindre Sorhus. The current version needs macOS 26 and is distributed through the Mac App Store, with older builds for earlier macOS versions on GitHub. FAQ Is Gifski free? Yes. Gifski is free on the Mac App Store, and its source code is free on GitHub. Is Gifski safe and open source? Gifski is open source under the MIT license and is developed by Sindre Sorhus on GitHub. The main download comes from the Mac App Store, which also handles updates. How do I install Gifski? Install it from the Mac App Store. There is no Homebrew cask for the app; brew install gifski installs the separate command-line encoder. For Macs without App Store access, the GitHub README links a non-App Store build that is updated about once a year. What macOS version does Gifski need? The current version needs macOS 26 or later. Older releases on GitHub cover earlier systems, for example 2.23.0 for macOS 13, 2.22.3 for macOS 12, 2.21.2 for macOS 11 and 2.20.2 for macOS 10.15. How does Gifski compare to GIF Brewery? GIF Brewery 3 is a GIF maker that can record from the screen or camera and lets you edit individual frames. Gifski does less on purpose: it converts an existing video and focuses on color quality and control over size, speed and looping. If you need captions or frame-by-frame edits, GIF Brewery or a video editor is the better fit. Why are the GIFs from Gifski so large? The GIF format stores animation inefficiently, so files grow quickly. Use short clips and reduce the dimensions, the frame rate or the Quality slider to get a smaller file. ### HandBrake Free video converter for Mac that compresses and converts almost any video to MP4, MKV or WebM. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/handbrake - Website: https://handbrake.fr/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Video - Pricing: Free - Developer: The HandBrake Team - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/HandBrake/HandBrake - GitHub stars: 24813 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask handbrake-app - Alternative to: Permute HandBrake is a video transcoder. It takes almost any video file, plus DVD and Blu-ray discs without copy protection, and converts it to MP4, MKV or WebM with modern codecs. Built-in presets cover common devices as well as general standard and high quality profiles, so you can pick one and press Start. For more control you choose the video encoder, including AV1, H.265, H.264 and VP9, set constant quality or an average bitrate, and turn on hardware-accelerated encoding where your Mac supports it. Audio can be encoded to AAC, MP3, FLAC, Opus and other formats, or passed through untouched. You can pick titles, chapters or a time range, add subtitles and chapter markers, and apply filters such as deinterlace, denoise, crop and scale. A live preview shows a still or a short clip of the result, HDR passes through, and batch scan with the queue lets you line up many files at once. It suits anyone who needs to shrink large recordings, make a file play on another device or convert their own unprotected discs. HandBrake is built by volunteers and is free. Most of its code is licensed under GPL-2.0, with some parts under BSD 3-Clause. The Mac app is a universal binary for Apple Silicon and Intel, and the project lists macOS 14 Sonoma and later as supported. FAQ Is HandBrake free? Yes. HandBrake is free and open source, made by a volunteer team. You can download it from handbrake.fr. Is HandBrake safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub, and most of it is under GPL-2.0, with some parts under BSD 3-Clause. Official downloads come from handbrake.fr and the project's GitHub releases. How do I install HandBrake? Download the .dmg from handbrake.fr, open it and drag HandBrake to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask handbrake-app in Terminal. What macOS version does HandBrake need? The HandBrake docs list macOS 14 Sonoma, 15 Sequoia and 26 Tahoe as supported. macOS 10.13 to 13 are listed as deprecated, which means older systems are no longer officially supported. The app runs natively on both Apple Silicon and Intel. How does HandBrake compare to Permute? Permute is a paid Mac converter sold as a one-time licence, on the Mac App Store and through Setapp, and it also converts audio, images and PDFs. Permute 4 needs macOS 26 and Apple Silicon. HandBrake is free, focuses on video, and gives you detailed encoder settings, presets and a queue. Can HandBrake rip DVDs and Blu-rays? It can read DVD and Blu-ray sources that are not copy-protected. To watch the MKV files it makes, the HandBrake docs recommend VLC, since macOS does not play MKV natively. ### IINA Free video player for Mac built on mpv, with subtitles, picture in picture and plugins. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/iina - Website: https://iina.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Video - Pricing: Free - Developer: IINA community - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/iina/iina - GitHub stars: 46937 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask iina - Alternative to: Infuse, Movist Pro IINA is a video and music player for macOS. It is built on mpv, the open source playback engine, and puts a native Mac interface on top of it. It handles subtitles, playlists and chapters, with online subtitle search and automatic matching of local subtitle files. Other features include picture in picture, thumbnails when you hover over the seek bar, a Music Mode for audio files, unlimited playback history, and video and audio filters. Keyboard, mouse, trackpad and gesture controls can all be changed. Version 1.5.0 brought a redesigned Settings window, a Layout pane for docking sidebars and the on-screen controller, Live Text support and a plugin store in Settings. It suits people who want one free player for local video and music, and mpv users who want a Mac interface while keeping mpv config files and scripts. A command line tool and browser extensions let you send media to IINA from elsewhere. IINA is free, licensed under GPLv3 and maintained by its community on GitHub. The website says it has no tracking or telemetry. It needs macOS 12 or later on Apple silicon Macs and macOS 11 or later on Intel Macs, and it ships as a universal app. FAQ Is IINA free? Yes. IINA has no paid version or in-app purchases. The project accepts optional donations. Is IINA safe and open source? IINA is open source under GPLv3, with the code on GitHub. The website states it includes no tracking or telemetry. Download it from iina.io or the GitHub releases page. How do I install IINA? Download the dmg from iina.io, open it and drag IINA to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask iina. Nightly builds are also offered, but they are built from every commit and can be unstable. What macOS version does IINA need? IINA 1.5.0 needs macOS 12 Monterey or later on Apple silicon, and macOS 11 Big Sur or later on Intel Macs. The Homebrew cask asks for macOS 12. It has been a universal app, native on Apple silicon, since version 1.2.0. How does IINA compare to Infuse and Movist Pro? Infuse and Movist Pro are paid video players. IINA is free and open source and uses mpv for decoding. For playing local files with subtitles, playlists and picture in picture, IINA covers the same ground at no cost. Check the paid apps' feature lists if you need something specific from them. Can I use my mpv settings in IINA? Yes. IINA supports mpv configuration files and the mpv script system for advanced users. Its mpv option table can also read options you paste in, and plugins can add subtitle sources, video tools and new interfaces. ### LosslessCut Free video trimmer for Mac that cuts, merges and remuxes video and audio without re-encoding. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/losslesscut - Website: https://losslesscut.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Video - Pricing: Free - Developer: Mikael Finstad - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/mifi/lossless-cut - GitHub stars: 45385 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask losslesscut - Alternative to: Permute, Final Cut Pro LosslessCut is a video and audio editor for fast, lossless jobs. It trims and cuts files by copying the existing data instead of encoding it again, so exports finish in seconds and keep the original quality. Open a file, mark segments on the timeline and export them as separate files or merge them into one. You can join whole files that share the same codecs, add, remove or extract audio and subtitle tracks, and change the container, for example from MKV to MP4. It can find scenes, black frames and silence and split on them, edit metadata and rotation, add chapters, and import or export cut lists as CSV or EDL. Snapshots, frame export, keyboard shortcuts, a command line interface and an HTTP API are included. It suits anyone with long recordings from a camera, GoPro, drone or screen recorder who wants to keep the good parts without waiting for a full export. Files that the built-in player cannot show are played through FFmpeg instead, while the export still comes from the original file. LosslessCut is free and open source under GPL-2.0, made by Mikael Finstad and built on Electron and FFmpeg. It runs on macOS 12 or later, with separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. A paid Mac App Store version gives automatic updates and supports the developer. FAQ Is LosslessCut free? Yes. The downloads on GitHub are free. The Mac App Store version costs $18.99 in the US store; it has the same features apart from small App Store limits and pays for development. Is LosslessCut safe and open source? LosslessCut is open source under GPL-2.0, and the code is on GitHub. The developer only maintains the official downloads: the website, GitHub releases and the app stores. How do I install LosslessCut? Download the Apple Silicon or Intel DMG from the GitHub releases page and drag the app to Applications. The PKG file does not work. You can also buy it on the Mac App Store. A Homebrew cask exists (brew install --cask losslesscut), but the developer does not maintain it, so use it at your own risk. What macOS version does LosslessCut need? Current versions need macOS 12 or later on Intel or Apple Silicon. Version 3.66 dropped macOS 11, and older releases on GitHub still run on older systems. How does LosslessCut compare to Permute? Permute is a paid media converter from Charlie Monroe Software that re-encodes video, audio and images into other formats and can also trim, crop and combine files. LosslessCut avoids re-encoding, which makes cuts much faster and keeps the quality, but the codec stays the same. If you need a different codec, resolution or a smaller file, a converter like Permute fits better. Can LosslessCut open files my video player cannot play? Often, yes. When a format or codec is not supported by its built-in player, LosslessCut plays it through FFmpeg instead, and you can also use File, then Convert to supported format. The export is still made from the original file, so it stays lossless. ### VLC Free media player for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/vlc - Website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Video - Pricing: Free - Developer: VideoLAN - Minimum macOS: 10.7.5 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask vlc VLC media player plays video and audio on a Mac. VideoLAN says it plays most multimedia files, plus DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs, and streams, without a separate codec pack. Formats named on the site include MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, and MP3. It can also play from a webcam or another device. Skins change the look, including skins made in the VLC skin editor, and extensions add features. VLC is free and open source. VideoLAN, the non-profit behind it, says the player does not show ads and does not track users. The Mac download page offers an Intel build, an Apple Silicon build, and a universal build. The current Mac release needs Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later, on a 64-bit Intel Mac or an Apple Silicon Mac. Older Macs are pointed at older VLC releases, and those older releases no longer receive updates. FAQ Is VLC free? Yes. The download from videolan.org is free, and the project is open source. Which Macs can run it? The current release needs Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later and a 64-bit Intel processor or an Apple Silicon chip. The download page has an Intel package, an Apple Silicon package, and a universal build. What can it play? Files, discs, webcams, devices, and streams. The site lists MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, MKV, WebM, WMV, and MP3, and says a codec pack is not required. Can I change how it looks? Yes. VLC supports skins, including ones made with the VLC skin editor, and you can install extensions. Does VLC track me? VideoLAN says the player does not show ads and does not track users. Where do I download it? From videolan.org. That site is the official source for the Mac download. VideoLAN also offers VLC for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ## Window Management https://essentialmacapps.com/category/window-management ### AltTab Free window switcher for Mac that brings Windows-style Alt-Tab with a preview of every window. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/alttab - Website: https://alt-tab.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Window Management - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: lwouis - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/lwouis/alt-tab-macos - GitHub stars: 16455 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask alt-tab - Alternative to: Contexts, Witch AltTab brings the Windows Alt-Tab switcher to macOS. Command-Tab switches between apps; AltTab lists every window instead, including several windows of the same app, and shows a preview of each one before you switch. The default shortcut is Option-Tab, so it does not clash with the built-in switcher, and you can change it to Command-Tab. Minimized windows, hidden windows and windows on other Spaces still appear in the list, with a badge that shows where they are. The free version includes live thumbnails, windows across Spaces and screens, dark mode and trackpad gestures. AltTab Pro adds search by window title or app name, App Icons and Titles styles, auto-sized thumbnails and up to 9 shortcuts. It suits people coming from Windows, and anyone who keeps many windows of one app open at once. It works with Stage Manager, although thumbnails can look small or distorted there; the App Icons and Titles styles display normally. The source code is GPL-3.0 on GitHub, and the website says there is no tracking or telemetry. AltTab needs Accessibility permission to switch windows and Screen Recording permission to draw thumbnails. Without Screen Recording it still switches windows, just without previews. It needs macOS 12 or later and has native builds for Apple silicon and Intel. FAQ Is AltTab free? The core app is. Window switching, previews and shortcut settings are free with no time limit. AltTab Pro is an optional one-time purchase, $9.99 for the current major version or $24.99 for lifetime updates, and every Pro feature can be tried free for 14 days after install. When the trial ends, the free features keep working. Is AltTab safe and open source? Yes. The code is GPL-3.0 on GitHub, and you can build it yourself. The Pro licence covers the pre-built, signed and notarized app, not the source. The website says AltTab has no tracking or telemetry, works offline after activation, and never locks the app if a licence check fails. How do I install AltTab? Download it from alt-tab.app, or with Homebrew run brew install --cask alt-tab. Then grant Accessibility and Screen Recording in System Settings, Privacy & Security. Updates install in the background, and you can check manually from the menu bar icon. What macOS version does AltTab need? AltTab needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. How does AltTab compare to Witch and Contexts? Witch and Contexts are paid window switchers for Mac. AltTab's window switching and previews are free and open source. Its paid Pro upgrade adds search and extra styles, which is the part to compare if you rely on typing to find a window. Can AltTab replace Command-Tab? Yes. AltTab uses Option-Tab by default so it sits alongside the built-in switcher, but you can set its shortcut to Command-Tab in its settings if you want it to take over. ### Amethyst Free tiling window manager for Mac that arranges windows automatically in xmonad-style layouts. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/amethyst - Website: https://ianyh.com/amethyst/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Window Management - Pricing: Free - Developer: Ian Ynda-Hummel - Minimum macOS: 10.15 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/ianyh/Amethyst - GitHub stars: 16304 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask amethyst - Alternative to: Magnet, Moom Amethyst is a tiling window manager for macOS, modeled on xmonad. It places windows for you, so each new window takes a slot in the current layout instead of piling on top of the others. Layouts include Tall, Wide, Two Pane, 3Column, Widescreen-Tall, Column, Row, Fullscreen, Floating and Binary Space Partitioning, and custom layouts can be written in JavaScript as a beta feature. Shortcuts use two modifier sets: mod1 is Option-Shift and mod2 is Control-Option-Shift. Press mod1-Space to cycle layouts, mod1-H and mod1-L to shrink or grow the main pane, mod1-J and mod1-K to move focus, and mod1-Return to swap the focused window into the main pane. Mod2 with a number throws the window to that Space, and mod1-T lets one window float. It suits keyboard users and people coming from tiling window managers on Linux. You can set options in the app or in a YAML file in your home folder, which overrides the app settings. The README recommends turning off Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use in Mission Control so Space shortcuts stay predictable. Amethyst is free and open source under the MIT license, developed by Ian Ynda-Hummel. It needs macOS 10.15 or later and Accessibility permission to move windows. FAQ Is Amethyst free? Yes. Amethyst is free, and the developer says it will stay that way. Instead of paying, he suggests donating to the charities listed on the Amethyst website. Is Amethyst safe and open source? Amethyst is open source under the MIT license, with its code on GitHub. It needs Accessibility permission in Privacy and Security so it can move and resize windows. How do I install Amethyst? Run brew install --cask amethyst in Terminal, or download the latest zip from the GitHub releases page. Then grant Accessibility access in System Settings, under Privacy and Security. What macOS version does Amethyst need? Amethyst needs macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. How does Amethyst compare to Moom? Moom is a paid app from Many Tricks that moves windows by hand through a pop-up palette, snap zones and saved layouts. Amethyst is free and tiles windows automatically, then lets you change the layout from the keyboard. If you want to place each window yourself, Moom fits better. If you want windows arranged for you, Amethyst does that. Why do my Spaces keep changing order with Amethyst? macOS reorders Spaces by recent use by default. Turn off Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use in the Mission Control settings, or run defaults write com.apple.dock workspaces-auto-swoosh -bool NO and then killall Dock in Terminal. ### ChainYourMac Scrolling window manager for Mac that lines up every window side by side on one endless strip, so nothing overlaps or shrinks. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/chainyourmac - Website: https://chainyourmac.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Window Management - Pricing: Paid, $19.99 lifetime - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Distribution: Direct download - Alternative to: Magnet, Moom ChainYourMac is a native scrolling window manager for macOS, inspired by PaperWM and niri on Linux. Instead of splitting your screen into smaller and smaller tiles, it places every window side by side on one endless horizontal strip that runs past the edges of your display. Nothing overlaps, nothing hides behind anything else, and opening another app never shrinks the rest. New windows slot in right next to the one you are using, and the strip follows your focus as you move with the keyboard or swipe sideways on your trackpad. You can cycle window widths, make a window full width, center it, stack windows, or group them as tabs. ChainYourMac is notarized by Apple, needs only the Accessibility permission, and does not require disabling SIP. It runs on macOS 13 or later on Apple silicon. It is sold as a one-time $19.99 lifetime license. Get it from chainyourmac.com. FAQ What is a scrolling window manager? Instead of tiling windows into smaller pieces of the screen, ChainYourMac puts every window in its own column on one long horizontal strip. The strip extends past the edges of your display, and you scroll along it to reach other windows. What happens when I open a new app? The new window opens right next to the one you are focused on. The other windows keep their size instead of shrinking to make room. How do I move between windows? Use keyboard shortcuts or swipe sideways on your trackpad. The strip follows your focus as you move. Can I change how windows are sized? Yes. You can cycle through window widths, go full width, center a window, stack windows, or group them as tabs. Is it safe to install? It is notarized by Apple and needs only the Accessibility permission. You do not need to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP). What do I need to run it, and what does it cost? A Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 13 or later. It is a one-time $19.99 lifetime license. ### Loop Free window manager for Mac with a radial menu, keyboard shortcuts and drag-to-snap. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/loop - Website: https://github.com/mrkai77/Loop?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Window Management - Pricing: Free - Developer: Kai Azim - Minimum macOS: 13 - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/mrkai77/Loop - GitHub stars: 11885 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask loop - Alternative to: Magnet, Moom Loop is a window manager for macOS. You hold a trigger key, then move the cursor or press a second key to move and resize the window you are working in. With the trigger key held, a radial menu appears around the cursor. Move toward a direction to pick a half, a quarter, a third, maximize or center, and an optional preview shows the new size before you let go. Keybinds pair any key with the trigger key, and Cycles step through several positions when you press the same shortcut again. Stash hides windows at the edge of the screen until you hover there or press a keybind. Loop can also send windows to the next or previous screen and snap them when you drag. It suits people who want mouse and keyboard window control in one free app. The radial menu and preview can be themed with your own colors, shape, padding and border, and either one can be switched off. Scripts can drive Loop through its loop:// URL scheme, for example open "loop://direction/right" from the shell or AppleScript. Loop is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license, developed by Kai Azim. It needs macOS 13 or later. Install it with Homebrew or download the zip from the GitHub releases page. A built-in updater keeps it current. FAQ Is Loop free? Yes. Loop is free to download from GitHub and has no paid tier. You can support the developer through GitHub Sponsors if you want to. Is Loop safe and open source? Loop is open source under the GPL-3.0 license, and its full source code is on GitHub. It is developed in public by Kai Azim, with translations coming from contributors. How do I install Loop? With Homebrew, run brew install --cask loop in Terminal. You can also download Loop.zip from the latest GitHub release, unzip it and move Loop to your Applications folder. What macOS version does Loop need? Loop needs macOS 13 Ventura or later. How does Loop compare to Moom? Moom is a paid app from Many Tricks that moves windows through a pop-up palette and can save layouts for groups of windows. Loop is free and built around a trigger key with a radial menu, keybinds and cycles. If saved multi-window layouts matter most to you, try the Moom trial. If you want a free, open source tool for halves, quarters, thirds and moving windows between screens, Loop covers that. Can I use Caps Lock as the Loop trigger key? Yes. In System Settings, open Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts, then Modifier Keys, and remap Caps Lock to Control for each keyboard. Then choose Right Control as the trigger key in Loop's Behavior settings. Apps such as Hyperkey or Karabiner-Elements also work. ### Rectangle Free window manager for Mac that snaps windows with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging to screen edges. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/rectangle - Website: https://rectangleapp.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Window Management - Pricing: Free - Developer: Ryan Hanson - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/rxhanson/Rectangle - GitHub stars: 30176 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask rectangle - Alternative to: Magnet, Moom Rectangle is a window manager for macOS. It moves and resizes windows with keyboard shortcuts, or when you drag a window to an edge or corner of the screen. It is based on the older Spectacle app and can use Spectacle's default shortcuts. Drag a window to the left or right edge to fill that half, to the top to maximize it, or into a corner for a quarter. The bottom edge splits into thirds. Shortcuts go further, with actions for thirds, fourths, sixths, eighths and ninths, plus Tile All, Tile in Rows, Tile in Columns and Cascade. Version 2.0 added mouse button shortcuts, so a side button on your mouse can trigger an action, and Cycle stacked windows, which brings forward each window snapped to the same spot. Window animation and a blurred snap preview are optional and off by default. It suits people who want Windows-style snapping on a Mac, or a keyboard-driven layout without buying an app. If another app uses the same shortcuts, Rectangle can ignore that app while it is in front. Every action can also be run from scripts through rectangle:// URLs. Rectangle is MIT licensed and developed by Ryan Hanson. It needs Accessibility permission in System Settings to move windows. The current version needs macOS 14 or later, and older releases are still available for macOS 10.13 to 13. A separate paid app, Rectangle Pro, is built on top of it. FAQ Is Rectangle free? Yes. Rectangle is free to download from rectangleapp.com and GitHub. Rectangle Pro is a separate paid app with extras such as custom shortcuts for any size and position, and it can be tried free for 10 days. Is Rectangle safe and open source? Rectangle is open source under the MIT licence, and the full code is on GitHub. It asks for Accessibility access because macOS requires that for any app that moves other apps' windows. How do I install Rectangle? Download the dmg from rectangleapp.com or the GitHub releases page and drag Rectangle to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask rectangle. On first launch, allow it under System Settings, Privacy & Security, Accessibility. What macOS version does Rectangle need? Rectangle 2.x needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. For macOS 10.15 to 13 use version 1.100, and for 10.13 and 10.14 use version 0.73. Both are on the GitHub releases page. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. How does Rectangle compare to Magnet and Moom? All three place windows in set positions with shortcuts or by dragging. Magnet and Moom are paid apps. Rectangle covers the common halves, thirds, quarters and tiling layouts for free. If you want custom sizes and positions, the developer's paid Rectangle Pro is the closer match. How do I stop Rectangle shortcuts clashing with another app? Bring that app to the front, open the Rectangle menu and choose Ignore app. Rectangle then releases its shortcuts while that app is frontmost and takes them back when you switch away. Choose the same item again to undo it. ## Menu Bar & System https://essentialmacapps.com/category/menu-bar-system ### Applite Free Homebrew GUI for Mac that installs, updates and removes apps in one click, no Terminal needed. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/applite - Website: https://applite.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Free - Developer: Milán Várady - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/milanvarady/Applite - GitHub stars: 7099 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask applite - Alternative to: Setapp Applite is an app store for Mac software that is not on the App Store. It uses Homebrew casks behind the scenes, so you can browse, install, update and remove apps with one click instead of typing commands. Applite brings its own copy of Homebrew. On first launch it downloads Homebrew into its Application Support folder, so you do not need the Terminal or the Xcode Command Line Tools. If you already use Homebrew, you can point Applite at your existing install in Settings. You can browse a hand-picked gallery or search the full cask catalogue, update everything with Update All, and add casks from custom taps. Uninstalling also removes an app's settings and support files. Brewfile import and export make it easy to move your apps to a new Mac. Applite handles casks only, not command line formulae or services. Applite is made by Milán Várady and released under the MIT licence. It is free, signed and notarised by Apple, and has no accounts, analytics or telemetry. It needs macOS 14 or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel. FAQ Is Applite free? Yes. Applite is free and open source. You can support the developer through Ko-fi or GitHub Sponsors if you want. Is Applite safe and open source? Applite is MIT licensed, with the code on GitHub at milanvarady/Applite. The app is signed and notarised by Apple and collects no analytics. The apps it installs come from Homebrew's cask catalogue. How do I install Applite? Download Applite.dmg from applite.app or GitHub and drag it to Applications, or run brew install --cask applite if you already have Homebrew. What macOS version does Applite need? Applite needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. It is a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. How does Applite compare to Setapp? Setapp is a paid subscription, from $14.99 a month, that gives you a curated set of more than 300 Mac, iOS and web apps. Applite costs nothing and installs apps from the Homebrew cask catalogue, but it does not pay for apps: paid software you install still needs its own licence. Do I need Homebrew installed to use Applite? No. Applite downloads and manages its own Homebrew, so it can be the first app you install on a new Mac. If you already have Homebrew, Applite can use that instead. ### Ice Free menu bar manager for Mac that hides, shows and rearranges your menu bar icons. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/ice - Website: https://icemenubar.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Free - Developer: Jordan Baird - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/jordanbaird/Ice - GitHub stars: 29895 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask jordanbaird-ice - Alternative to: Bartender Ice is a menu bar manager for macOS. Its main job is hiding menu bar items you do not need to see all the time, and showing them again when you want them. Items can go in a hidden section or an always-hidden section. Hidden items come back when you hover over the menu bar, click an empty part of it, or scroll or swipe on it, and Ice can hide them again on its own. A drag-and-drop layout screen lets you order individual items. The Ice Bar shows hidden items in a separate bar under the menu bar, which helps on MacBooks with a notch. There is also item search, adjustable item spacing (beta), and menu bar styling with tint, shadow, border and rounded or split shapes. Hotkeys can toggle sections, open search and turn the Ice Bar on or off. It suits people with a crowded menu bar who do not want to pay for a menu bar organizer. Some planned features, such as layout profiles, menu bar item groups and showing items when trigger conditions are met, are still on the roadmap and not built yet. Ice is GPL-3.0 licensed and developed by Jordan Baird. It needs macOS 14 or later because it relies on system APIs added in that version. Development has slowed: the last stable release, 0.11.12, came out in October 2024, and the newest build is a 0.11.13 beta from September 2025 that targets problems on macOS 26 Tahoe. FAQ Is Ice free? Yes. Ice is free with no paid tier. The developer takes donations through GitHub Sponsors and Buy Me a Coffee. Is Ice safe and open source? Ice is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence, with the code on GitHub. Since version 0.11.12 it can run in a limited mode without Screen Recording permission if you prefer not to grant it. How do I install Ice? Download Ice.zip from the latest GitHub release, unzip it and move Ice to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask jordanbaird-ice. Note the cask name: it is not just ice. What macOS version does Ice need, and is it still updated? Ice needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Updates have slowed a lot. The latest stable version is 0.11.12 from October 29, 2024. A 0.11.13 beta from September 2025 fixes most known issues on macOS 26 Tahoe and adopts the Liquid Glass design, but it is still marked as a pre-release, and there has been no newer build since. How does Ice compare to Bartender? Both hide, show and rearrange menu bar items. Bartender is a paid app; Ice is free and open source. Ice's own roadmap still lists profiles, item groups and trigger conditions as unfinished, so check that the features you rely on are there before switching. How do I see hidden menu bar icons on a MacBook with a notch? Turn on the Ice Bar. It shows your hidden items in a separate bar just below the menu bar, so icons that would sit behind the notch stay reachable. A hotkey can switch the Ice Bar on and off. ### Latest Free app update checker for Mac that lists which apps have updates and shows what changed. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/latest - Website: https://max.codes/latest?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Free - Developer: Max Langer - Minimum macOS: 10.15 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/mangerlahn/Latest - GitHub stars: 4843 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask latest - Alternative to: MacUpdater Latest checks whether the apps on your Mac are up to date. It shows which apps have a newer version, what changed in each one, and lets you start the update from the same window. Full support covers apps from the Mac App Store and apps that update through the Sparkle framework, which together include a large share of Mac software. Apps Latest can only partly check are hidden by default and can be shown in Settings. Version 0.11 added custom folders to scan, an Open action in the File menu and a section with release notes for apps you already updated. Latest suits people who install apps from many places and want one list of pending updates. It is also an option for former MacUpdater users, since MacUpdater's developer ended work on that app on 1 January 2026. Latest is made by Max Langer in his spare time and released under the GPL-3.0 licence. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and needs macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. FAQ Is Latest free? Yes. Latest is free to download and use. The developer accepts optional donations through max.codes. Is Latest safe and open source? Latest is open source under GPL-3.0, with the code on GitHub at mangerlahn/Latest. It is a spare-time project, so releases are occasional; the most recent, version 0.11, came out in June 2025. How do I install Latest? Run brew install --cask latest, or download the zip from max.codes/latest, unzip it and move Latest.app to Applications. What macOS version does Latest need? Version 0.11 needs macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. Older releases on GitHub support earlier systems. How does Latest compare to MacUpdater? MacUpdater by CoreCode was a paid app with Pro features. Its development stopped on 1 January 2026 and version 3.5 is the final, unsupported release. Latest is free and open source, but it only fully supports App Store and Sparkle apps. Why does Latest not show some of my apps? Apps that do not come from the Mac App Store or use Sparkle get limited support and are hidden by default. Turn them on in Settings, and add custom folders if your apps live outside the Applications folder. ### Lunar External monitor brightness control for Mac that changes real brightness, contrast and volume over DDC. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/lunar - Website: https://lunar.fyi/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Alin Panaitiu - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/alin23/Lunar - GitHub stars: 5725 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask lunar - Alternative to: BetterDisplay Lunar controls external monitors from the Mac. It sends DDC/CI commands to change the monitor's own brightness, contrast, volume and input, instead of dimming the picture with a software overlay. The keyboard brightness and volume keys work on the external display, with minimum and maximum limits per monitor, and you can switch inputs from a menu or with hotkeys. Sub-zero dimming takes the screen below 0 percent for late-night work. Apple displays such as the Studio Display, Pro Display XDR and LG UltraFine are supported natively. When a monitor ignores DDC, Lunar can fall back to gamma tables or send commands through a Raspberry Pi on the network. A command line tool is included. Lunar Pro adds automatic brightness: Sync Mode follows the light sensor of a MacBook or iMac, Location Mode follows sunrise and sunset, and Sensor Mode uses an external light sensor. Pro also unlocks XDR Brightness, BlackOut for turning off chosen displays, FaceLight, and removes the free limit of 100 manual adjustments a day. Pro is a one-time $23 license, and every download starts with a 14-day Pro trial. Lunar is made by Alin Panaitiu. The GitHub repository is MIT licensed, but the Pro code is encrypted, so the app cannot be built from it. Lunar 6 needs macOS 12 or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel, with DDC support on all Apple Silicon Macs. FAQ Is Lunar free? Lunar has a free tier that covers DDC brightness, contrast, volume and input control, sub-zero dimming, hotkeys and the command line tool, with a limit of 100 manual adjustments a day. Lunar Pro is a one-time $23 license that removes the limit and adds the automatic modes. Is Lunar safe and open source? The source is on GitHub under the MIT license, but the code for the paid features is encrypted and the developer has paused outside contributions. Download it from lunar.fyi or Homebrew to get the official build. How do I install Lunar? Download Lunar.dmg from lunar.fyi and drag the app to Applications, or run brew install --cask lunar in Terminal. What macOS version does Lunar need? Lunar 6 needs macOS 12 or later. The website also offers the older Lunar 3 for macOS 10.12 and later. How does Lunar compare to BetterDisplay? BetterDisplay is a menu bar display tool with free features and a $21.99 perpetual Pro license. It focuses on HiDPI scaling, virtual screens, EDID overrides and extra XDR or HDR brightness, and it also has DDC control. Lunar focuses on brightness: hardware DDC control in the free tier and adaptive brightness modes in Pro. Pick BetterDisplay for scaling and virtual displays, and Lunar for automatic brightness on external monitors. Can Lunar match my external monitor to my MacBook brightness? Yes, with Sync Mode, which is part of Lunar Pro. It reads the built-in light sensor of a MacBook or iMac and adjusts the external monitors to follow it. ### MonitorControl Free brightness control for Mac that sets external monitor brightness and volume from your keyboard. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/monitorcontrol - Website: https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Free - Developer: waydabber and MonitorControl contributors - Minimum macOS: 10.15 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl - GitHub stars: 34582 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask monitorcontrol - Alternative to: BetterDisplay MonitorControl changes the brightness and volume of external displays from a Mac. You can use the sliders in its menu bar menu or the keyboard, including the brightness and media keys on Apple keyboards, and it shows the native macOS on-screen display when you do. For most monitors it uses DDC/CI to change the real backlight, contrast and volume over USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI or VGA. Apple displays and built-in screens use Apple's own protocol. Where hardware control is not possible, such as most TVs, DisplayLink docks, AirPlay and Sidecar, it falls back to software dimming. It can combine hardware and software dimming to go below a display's minimum brightness, dim all the way to black, copy brightness changes from the built-in screen's ambient light sensor to an external display, and set every display with one slider. Custom shortcuts live under Keyboard in Settings, and Show advanced settings unlocks more options. It suits anyone with a desktop monitor whose brightness buttons are awkward to reach. Some ports do not pass DDC: the built-in HDMI port on the 2018 Intel Mac mini, on M1 Macs and on the entry-level M2 Mac mini. On those Macs, connect over USB-C or use software dimming. MonitorControl is MIT licensed and maintained on GitHub by waydabber, who also makes BetterDisplay. Accessibility permission is only needed if you want to use the Apple keyboard keys. Version 4 runs on macOS 10.15 with some limits and fully on macOS 11 Big Sur or later. On macOS Tahoe the native on-screen display is only partly supported. FAQ Is MonitorControl free? Yes. MonitorControl is completely free, with no paid tier. Is MonitorControl safe and open source? MonitorControl is open source under the MIT licence, with the code on GitHub. Download it from the GitHub releases page or Homebrew. It only needs Accessibility permission if you want the Apple brightness and media keys to control your monitor. How do I install MonitorControl? Download the latest dmg from GitHub releases and copy MonitorControl to Applications, or run brew install --cask monitorcontrol. Open it, grant Accessibility when asked if you want keyboard control, then use the brightness icon in the menu bar. What macOS version does MonitorControl need? Version 4 supports macOS 10.15 Catalina with some limits and works fully on macOS 11 Big Sur or later. macOS 27 needs version 4.4.0 or newer. Older versions exist for Mojave (3.1.1) and Sierra (2.1.0). It supports Apple silicon Macs. How does MonitorControl compare to BetterDisplay and Lunar? MonitorControl covers brightness, contrast and volume for free. Its own README points to BetterDisplay, made by the same maintainer, for XDR and HDR brightness upscaling, support for more Macs and displays, and DDC over HDMI on Macs where MonitorControl cannot use it. Lunar is another display app, made by a developer who contributed Apple silicon DDC support to MonitorControl. Why can't MonitorControl change my monitor's brightness? Check the connection first. DDC does not work through the built-in HDMI port on the 2018 Intel Mac mini, M1 Macs and the entry-level M2 Mac mini, or through DisplayLink docks. Some displays, notably EIZO, use their own protocol. In these cases MonitorControl can still dim the picture in software. ### Sloth Free open files viewer for Mac that lists the files, sockets and pipes each process is using. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/sloth - Website: https://sveinbjorn.org/sloth?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Free - Developer: Sveinbjörn Þórðarson - Minimum macOS: 11 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/sveinbjornt/Sloth - GitHub stars: 8980 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask sloth Sloth shows every open file, folder, network socket, pipe and device in use by the processes running on your Mac. It answers questions like which app is holding a file you cannot eject or delete, or which program has a port open. It is a graphical front end for the lsof command line tool. Results appear in a sortable, searchable outline grouped by process. You can filter by name, access mode, volume, type or location, use regular expressions, and sort by process name, file count, process ID, user ID or bundle identifier. For IP sockets it shows status, protocol, port and version, and it can show the sockets and pipes that connect two processes. An inspector window gives detailed file, socket and process info, and a contextual menu offers file operations. To see processes owned by other users, authenticate inside the app and scan with root privileges. Sloth is free and open source under the BSD 3-Clause licence, made by Sveinbjörn Þórðarson and maintained since 2004. The download is about 1.3 MB, signed and notarized, and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel with macOS 11 or later. FAQ Is Sloth free? Yes. Sloth is free, with no paid version. The developer accepts donations. Is Sloth safe and open source? Yes. The source code is on GitHub under the BSD 3-Clause licence, and the app is Developer ID signed and notarized by Apple. It only asks for admin rights when you choose to scan as root. How do I install Sloth? Download the zip from sveinbjorn.org/sloth or GitHub and move Sloth to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask sloth, which may lag behind the latest version. What macOS version does Sloth need? Sloth 3.6 needs macOS 11 or later and is a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel. For macOS 10.13 to 10.15 use version 3.4, and for 10.9 to 10.12 use version 3.2. How do I find which app is using a file on my Mac? Open Sloth and type the file or volume name in the filter field. The list shows every process that has it open. Open the inspector for details, or use the contextual menu for file operations. Can Sloth show network connections and open ports? Yes. Filter by IP sockets to see each connection with its protocol, port and status, along with the process that owns it. ### Stats Free system monitor for Mac that shows CPU, GPU, memory, network and battery stats in the menu bar. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/stats - Website: https://mac-stats.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Menu Bar & System - Pricing: Free - Developer: Serhiy Mytrovtsiy - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/exelban/stats - GitHub stars: 42880 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask stats - Alternative to: iStat Menus Stats is a system monitor that lives in the macOS menu bar. Each module you turn on adds its own menu bar widget, and clicking a widget opens a popup with more detail. Modules cover CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, battery, sensors for temperature, voltage and power, Bluetooth devices, and a clock with several time zones. The website lists 13 menu bar widget styles. Turning off modules you do not need lowers its energy use, and the README names Sensors and Bluetooth as the most costly ones. Fan control is still in the app but is in legacy mode and no longer maintained. It suits people who want to keep an eye on temperatures, memory, disk activity or network speed without paying for a monitoring app. It runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs and is translated into many languages. Stats is MIT licensed and built by one developer, Serhiy Mytrovtsiy (exelban). It collects no telemetry or analytics. Its only network requests are update checks and a public IP lookup through the developer's own API. It needs macOS 12 or later, and a legacy version is offered for older systems. FAQ Is Stats free? Yes. Stats is free, with no ads, no tracking and no subscriptions. Is Stats safe and open source? Stats is open source under the MIT licence, and the code is on GitHub. It does not collect telemetry. It only contacts api.mac-stats.com and api.github.com, for update checks and your public IP address. You can block both, but then you lose update checks and the public IP in the Network module. How do I install Stats? Download Stats.dmg from mac-stats.com or the GitHub releases page and drag the app to Applications. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask stats. To remove it, run the uninstall script bundled inside the app, which also removes its SMC helper. What macOS version does Stats need? Stats supports macOS 12 Monterey and newer, and only stable macOS releases, not betas. A legacy build for older systems is listed on mac-stats.com/downloads. How does Stats compare to iStat Menus? Both show CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, sensor and battery data in the menu bar, on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. iStat Menus is a paid, closed source app. Stats is free and MIT licensed, made by a single developer. Why don't Stats icons show in the menu bar? On macOS 26, apps must be allowed to show menu bar items. Open System Settings, then Menu Bar, and turn Stats on. To change the order of icons, hold Command and drag them along the menu bar. ## Screen Recording https://essentialmacapps.com/category/screen-recording ### Kap Free screen recorder for Mac that exports GIF, MP4, WebM and APNG from the menu bar. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/kap - Website: https://getkap.co/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Screen Recording - Pricing: Free - Developer: Wulkano - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/wulkano/Kap - GitHub stars: 19411 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask kap - Alternative to: CleanShot X, ScreenFlow Kap is a screen recorder for Mac that runs from the menu bar. You select part of the screen, record it, and export the clip as a GIF, MP4, WebM or APNG file. Click the menu bar icon, pick the area to capture and press record. Click the icon again to stop. While recording, Option-click the icon to pause, or right-click it for more options. Kap can record audio, highlight mouse clicks and trim the clip before export. Plugins add sharing and upload targets such as Giphy, Vercel and Streamable, and there is documentation for writing your own. Kap suits quick GIFs for bug reports, documentation and chat. Kap is made by Wulkano and released under the MIT licence. It is built with web technology, has separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel, and needs macOS 12 or later. The latest release, 3.6.0, came out in October 2022. FAQ Is Kap free? Yes. Kap is free and open source, with no paid version. Is Kap safe and still maintained? Kap is MIT licensed, with the code on GitHub at wulkano/Kap, and it uses Sentry to report crashes. The project is not archived, but the last release, 3.6.0, is from October 2022 and the last commit is from November 2024, so expect few or no updates. How do I install Kap? Run brew install --cask kap, or download the Apple Silicon or Intel build from getkap.co and move Kap to Applications. What macOS version does Kap need? Kap needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. How does Kap compare to CleanShot X? CleanShot X is a paid app, from $35 one-time or $10 a month for Pro, that combines screenshots, annotation, screen recording and cloud sharing. Kap only records the screen, but it is free, open source and exports straight to GIF, MP4, WebM or APNG. How do I pause a recording in Kap? While Kap is recording, Option-click its menu bar icon to pause. Right-click the icon for more options, and click it normally to stop. ### OBS Studio Free screen recorder and live streaming studio. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/obs-studio - Website: https://obsproject.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Screen Recording - Pricing: Free - Developer: OBS Project - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio - GitHub stars: 78471 - Distribution: Direct download - Alternative to: CleanShot X, ScreenFlow OBS Studio records video and streams live on a Mac. You build a scene from sources such as a window, an image, text, a browser page, a webcam, or a capture card, then switch between scenes with a transition. The audio mixer has per-source filters, including a noise gate, noise suppression, and gain, and it can load VST plugins. Hotkeys can start or stop a recording or stream, switch scenes, and mute a source. Studio Mode lets you preview a scene before you send it live. Multiview can show several scenes at once. Plugins and scripts extend the app. Native plugins run inside OBS Studio, and scripts can be written in Lua or Python. OBS Studio is free and open source under the GNU General Public License version 2. The Mac download requires macOS 13 or later, with separate installers for Apple Silicon and Intel. Get it from obsproject.com. FAQ Is OBS Studio free? Yes. It is free to download and the source is published under GPL-2.0. Lain created the project, and other contributors maintain it. Which Macs can run it? macOS 13 or later. The download page has one installer for Apple Silicon and one for Intel. What can I capture? A scene can include window captures, images, text, browser windows, webcams, and capture cards. You can keep more than one scene and switch them with a transition. Can I check a scene before it goes live? Yes. Studio Mode shows a preview before you push a scene live. Multiview can show up to 8 scenes so you can cue the next one. Can I add features? Yes. OBS Studio has a plugin and script API. Scripts can be Lua or Python. The site points people to its Resources section to browse plugins. Where do I download it? From obsproject.com. The Mac files are separate installers for Apple Silicon and Intel. The source is on GitHub. ### Screen Charm Screen recorder for Mac. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/screen-charm - Website: https://screencharm.com/?via=esmac - Category: Screen Recording - Pricing: Paid - Developer: Sergey Nazarov - Alternative to: CleanShot X, ScreenFlow Screen Charm is a Mac screen recorder. It records the full screen, one window, or a selected area, along with the camera, microphone, and system audio. After a recording it can zoom on clicks, smooth the cursor, add captions, backgrounds, and a device frame. You can trim, change speed, and export an MP4 up to 4K, or share a link. The license is a one-time purchase of $99 with lifetime updates. FAQ What does Screen Charm record? The full screen, one window, or a selected area, plus the camera, microphone, and system audio. Can I record the screen and camera together? Yes. The camera can sit over the screen, and you can move and resize it. Does it export in 4K? Yes. A local export is an MP4 up to 4K. You can also share a link. Where are recordings saved? On your Mac, or as a link other people can open. Which systems does it run on? macOS only. ### Screen Movie Screen recorder and video editor for macOS. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/screen-movie - Website: https://screen.movie/?atp=XuObWA - Category: Screen Recording - Pricing: Paid - Developer: Solt Wagner - Minimum macOS: 15 - Distribution: Direct download - Alternative to: CleanShot X, ScreenFlow Screen Movie is a native Mac app by Solt Wagner for recording the screen and turning that recording into a product demo. You can record the full screen, one window, or a camera from the menu bar. The timeline arranges scenes, trims clips, and adds text, images, captions, and music. Motion presets, cursor smoothing, auto zoom, backgrounds, and 3D device mockups are included. You can record the screen and up to two cameras at once, using the built-in camera, an external camera, an iPhone, or an iPad. Export goes up to 4K. You can also share a cloud link with comments and a password. The app requires macOS 15 or later, and one license covers one Mac. FAQ What is Screen Movie? A Mac app that records the screen and edits the recording in the same app. It includes a timeline, motion presets, and device mockups, and it requires macOS 15 or later. What can I record? The full screen, a window, or a camera, started from the menu bar. You can also record the screen together with up to two cameras. How do I share a finished video? Export a file up to 4K, or share a cloud link. A shared link can include comments and a password. How is Screen Movie licensed? It is a one-time purchase for one Mac, with lifetime updates. The site currently shows an early price of $39. It is not a subscription. You can email within 14 days to ask for a refund. Who makes Screen Movie? Solt Wagner. The app is a direct download from screen.movie. ### Screen Studio Make beautiful screen recordings in minutes with automatic zooms, a webcam overlay, and up to 4K 60 fps export. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/screen-studio - Website: https://screen.studio/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Screen Recording - Pricing: Subscription, $9/mo billed yearly or $29/mo monthly - Alternative to: CleanShot X, ScreenFlow Screen Studio is a Mac app for making beautiful screen recordings in minutes. You record your screen, then edit the result on a timeline. The timeline editor adds automatic zoom segments, so the recording moves in on the action. You can also crop the frame and show a webcam overlay on top of the recording. When you are done, you can export at up to 4K and 60 fps. You can also share a recording with a link, use a cloud transcript, and share projects. Screen Studio is a subscription. The yearly plan costs $9 a month and the monthly plan costs $29 a month. Both plans include every feature, and new features are added as they ship. Get it from screen.studio. FAQ What does Screen Studio do? It makes screen recordings on a Mac. You record your screen and then polish the video in a timeline editor. How do the automatic zooms work? The editor adds zoom segments to the timeline for you, so the video moves in closer on what you are doing. The segments show up on the timeline alongside the recording. Can I add my webcam or crop the video? Yes. The editor has a crop tool and can show a webcam overlay on top of the screen recording. What quality can I export? Exports go up to 4K at 60 fps on both plans. How much does it cost? It is a subscription. The yearly plan is $9 a month, which the pricing page labels as a 69% saving. The monthly plan is $29 a month. Do both plans get the same features? Yes. Both plans include all features, export up to 4K at 60 fps, shareable links, cloud transcript, project sharing, and new features as they ship. ## Audio https://essentialmacapps.com/category/audio ### Audacity Free audio editor for Mac for recording, cutting and cleaning up voice, podcasts and music. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/audacity - Website: https://www.audacityteam.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Audio - Pricing: Free - Developer: Audacity Team (Muse Group) - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/audacity/audacity - GitHub stars: 18863 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask audacity - Alternative to: Adobe Audition Audacity is a multi-track audio editor and recorder. You can record from a microphone or audio interface, import existing files, then cut, arrange and process them on a timeline. Version 4 rebuilt the interface on Qt with sharp high-DPI rendering. Clips can now be selected, grouped and moved together, and you split them by holding S and clicking. Toolbars and panels can dock or float, and layouts save as Workspaces, with Modern, Classic and Music included. Light, dark and high-contrast themes are built in, and each track header shows live playback and recording meters. Effects can be applied directly or in realtime. On the Mac, Audacity hosts Audio Units, VST3 and Nyquist plugins. Projects now use the .aup4 format, and older .aup3 projects open and convert without changing the original. Version 4.0.1 added Export multiple, which saves each track or labelled region to its own file. A few Audacity 3 features, including MIDI tracks, the Mixer, macros and play-at-speed, are not in 4.0 yet, and Audacity 3 releases are still available from the older versions page. Audacity is free and released under GPL-3.0. Mac downloads come as universal, Apple Silicon and Intel builds. Optional cloud saving through audio.com is offered, but you do not need an account to use the editor. It suits podcasters, voice-over work, students and musicians who want a capable editor without a subscription. FAQ Is Audacity free? Yes. Audacity is free with no paid edition. Cloud saving on audio.com and plugins on MuseHub are optional extras offered alongside it. Is Audacity safe and open source? Audacity is open source under GPL-3.0, and its code is on GitHub. Official downloads come from audacityteam.org and the GitHub releases page, with SHA-256 checksums to verify the file. How do I install Audacity? Download the universal, Apple Silicon or Intel .dmg from audacityteam.org and drag the app to Applications, or run brew install --cask audacity in Terminal. Version 4 installs as Audacity 4 in your Applications folder. What macOS version does Audacity need? The Mac download page says Audacity is tested on macOS 14 and 15 and may work on older releases. It does not give a firm minimum for version 4. How does Audacity compare to Adobe Audition? Adobe Audition is a professional audio workstation sold through a Creative Cloud subscription, with multitrack, waveform and spectral editing tools. Audacity is free and covers recording, multi-track editing, effects and plugins. People who need Audition's full restoration and post-production toolset may still prefer it. Can I open my Audacity 3 projects in Audacity 4? Yes. Audacity 4 opens .aup3 projects and converts them to .aup4 without changing the original file. A converted project cannot be saved back to .aup3, and older .aup projects can be imported. ### Background Music Free per-app volume control for Mac that also auto-pauses your music and records system audio. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/background-music - Website: https://github.com/kyleneideck/BackgroundMusic?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Audio - Pricing: Free - Developer: Kyle Neideck - Minimum macOS: 10.13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/kyleneideck/BackgroundMusic - GitHub stars: 19358 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask background-music - Alternative to: SoundSource Background Music is a macOS audio utility that sits in the menu bar. It gives every app its own volume slider, pauses your music when another sound starts, and adds an audio device you can record system sound from. Auto-pause works with iTunes, Spotify, VLC, VOX, Decibel, Hermes, Swinsian and GPMDP. When a video or call starts, the music player pauses, and it resumes when the other sound stops. Version 0.5.0 added a per-app mute button and adjustable auto-pause delays. App volumes can go past their normal maximum to lift quiet apps. To record system audio, pick Background Music as the input device in QuickTime Player or another recorder. When it starts, Background Music makes itself the default output device and switches back when you quit. macOS asks for microphone access because system audio comes in through its virtual input device; the app does not listen to your microphone. You can add it to Login Items to start it with your Mac. Background Music is free and open source under GPL-2.0, developed by Kyle Neideck and contributors. It needs macOS 10.13 or later and installs on Apple Silicon without Rosetta 2. The project still calls itself alpha software. FAQ Is Background Music free? Yes. Background Music is free and has no paid version. Is Background Music safe and open source? It is open source under GPL-2.0 with the code on GitHub. Each release package lists its SHA256 hash and a PGP signature so you can check the download. The project still labels itself alpha, so expect some rough edges. How do I install Background Music? Download BackgroundMusic-0.5.0.pkg from the GitHub releases page and run it, or run brew install --cask background-music in Terminal. Then open Background Music from Applications. What macOS version does Background Music need? Background Music needs macOS 10.13 or later. How does Background Music compare to SoundSource? SoundSource is a paid menu bar app from Rogue Amoeba with per-app volume, per-app output routing, a 10-band EQ, Audio Unit effects and AirPlay support. Background Music is free and covers per-app volume and mute, auto-pausing music and recording system audio. If you need EQ or routing apps to different speakers, SoundSource does more. What do I do if my sound stops after Background Music crashes? Open System Settings, then Sound, and choose a different output device than the Background Music device. If another device is already selected, switch to a different one and back again. ### BlackHole Free virtual audio driver for Mac that routes sound between apps with zero added latency. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/blackhole - Website: https://existential.audio/blackhole/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Audio - Pricing: Free - Developer: Existential Audio - Minimum macOS: 10.10 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/ExistentialAudio/BlackHole - GitHub stars: 19983 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask blackhole-2ch - Alternative to: Loopback BlackHole is a virtual audio loopback driver for macOS. It adds an audio device that apps can play into and record from, so sound passes from one app to another with no extra driver latency. Set BlackHole as the output in one app and as the input in another, and the audio flows across. Common uses are sending Logic Pro or GarageBand into Zoom, FaceTime or Google Meet, and recording system audio in a DAW or Audacity. To keep hearing the sound while you record, build a Multi-Output Device in Audio MIDI Setup that includes your speakers and BlackHole. Ready-made installers come in 2, 16 and 64 channel versions. It suits streamers, podcasters, musicians and anyone who records calls. BlackHole has no app window; you set it up in Audio MIDI Setup and in each app's audio settings. It does not use a kernel extension or need changes to system security. BlackHole is made by Existential Audio. The source code is GPL-3.0, while the official installers and the BlackHole name and logo remain the company's property. It works on macOS 10.10 and later, on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. FAQ Is BlackHole free? Yes. The download page offers an optional donation of $5, $10 or $20 with an option to skip it, and the link arrives by email or through the Discord server. Installing through Homebrew is also free. Is BlackHole safe and open source? The source code is open under GPL-3.0 on GitHub. The driver runs as a Core Audio plug-in in /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL and needs no kernel extension. Developers who want to ship it in a non-GPL project need a license from Existential Audio. How do I install BlackHole? Get the installer from existential.audio, close any audio apps, open the package and restart if asked. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask blackhole-2ch, or use blackhole-16ch or blackhole-64ch for more channels. What macOS version does BlackHole need? BlackHole works on macOS 10.10 Yosemite and later, on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. How does BlackHole compare to Loopback? Loopback is a paid app from Rogue Amoeba with a visual window for combining apps and input devices into virtual devices, with channel routing and monitoring built in. BlackHole gives you the virtual device for free, but you do the routing yourself in Audio MIDI Setup and in each app's settings. How do I uninstall BlackHole? Run the uninstaller package for your version from existential.audio. To remove it by hand, delete BlackHole2ch.driver (or the 16ch or 64ch version) from /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/HAL, then restart Core Audio with sudo killall -9 coreaudiod. ### eqMac Free audio equalizer for Mac that tunes all system sound with bass, treble and a 10-band EQ. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/eqmac - Website: https://eqmac.app/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Audio - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Bitgapp - Minimum macOS: 10.13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/bitgapp/eqMac - GitHub stars: 6823 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask eqmac - Alternative to: Boom 3D eqMac is a system-wide equalizer for macOS. It processes all the audio your Mac plays, so one EQ setting applies to music, video and calls on whatever output you use. The free version includes a Basic EQ with bass, mids and treble, an Advanced EQ with 10 fixed bands, AutoEQ headphone presets, and a volume booster that goes above 100 percent. It also adds volume and balance control for every output, including HDMI displays. You can hide features you do not use to keep the window simple. eqMac Pro adds an Expert EQ with unlimited bands and a spectrum analyzer, a per-app volume mixer, spatial audio, separate left and right EQ, and Audio Unit hosting. Pro is a subscription from $3 a month or $30 a year, or a $40 lifetime license for one Mac. eqMac is made by Bitgapp. Its audio driver runs in user space rather than as a kernel extension. The code on GitHub is Apache-2.0, but it matches version 1.3.2, and newer releases are built from a private fork. eqMac needs macOS 10.13 or later and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. FAQ Is eqMac free? The core app is free, including the Basic and Advanced EQ, volume boost and balance. eqMac Pro is paid, as a subscription from $3 a month or $30 a year, or a $40 lifetime license for one Mac. Is eqMac safe and open source? Part of it. The GitHub repository is Apache-2.0 and holds the free version of the code up to v1.3.2. Releases after that come from a private fork, so the current app is not fully open source. Its driver captures system audio in user space instead of the kernel. How do I install eqMac? Download it free from eqmac.app, or run brew install --cask eqmac in Terminal. What macOS version does eqMac need? eqMac needs macOS 10.13 or later and supports Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. How does eqMac compare to Boom 3D? Boom 3D is a paid app from Global Delight with 3D surround sound, a 31-band equalizer, a volume booster, per-app volume and internet radio, with a 15-day trial. eqMac's free tier gives you a 10-band EQ and volume boost at no cost. Per-app volume and spatial audio need eqMac Pro. Can eqMac boost volume above the maximum? Yes. The volume booster in the free version lets you go above 100 percent. eqMac also adds volume and balance control to HDMI outputs. ## Security & Privacy https://essentialmacapps.com/category/security-privacy ### Bitwarden Free password manager for Mac with unlimited passwords, Touch ID unlock and sync on every device. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/bitwarden - Website: https://bitwarden.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Security & Privacy - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Bitwarden Inc. - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/bitwarden/clients - GitHub stars: 14086 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask bitwarden - Alternative to: 1Password Bitwarden is a password manager for Mac from Bitwarden Inc. The desktop app shows your whole vault in its own window and syncs with the browser extensions and the iPhone and Android apps. Save logins with a name, username, password and website, file them in folders, and use the generator to swap weak passwords for random ones. You can unlock the app with Touch ID, and the browser extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox can use the desktop app for biometric unlock. Up to five accounts can stay signed in at once. The free plan includes unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, passkey management, the password generator and Bitwarden Send. Premium costs $19.80 a year and adds a built-in TOTP authenticator, 5 GB of encrypted file attachments, emergency access and vault health reports. Families costs $47.88 a year for six users. The vault is end-to-end encrypted, and Bitwarden publishes the results of its third-party security audits. The client code is GPL-3.0, with some business features under the Bitwarden License, and the server code is public too. The Mac app needs macOS 12 or later and ships as a universal build. FAQ Is Bitwarden free? Yes. The free plan has unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, passkey management, the password generator and Bitwarden Send. Premium is $1.65 a month, billed at $19.80 a year, and adds TOTP codes, file attachments and emergency access. Is Bitwarden safe and open source? Bitwarden describes its vault as end-to-end encrypted and publishes the results of third-party security audits. The code for the apps and the server is public on GitHub, mostly under GPL-3.0, so anyone can inspect it. How do I install Bitwarden? Get it from the Mac App Store, download the DMG from bitwarden.com/download, or run brew install --cask bitwarden in Terminal. There is also a command-line client: brew install bitwarden-cli. What macOS version does Bitwarden need? The Bitwarden desktop app needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. The DMG is a universal build that runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel. How does Bitwarden compare to 1Password? 1Password has no free plan. After a 14-day trial, Individual costs $3.99 a month and Families $5.99 a month for up to five people. Bitwarden's free plan covers unlimited passwords and devices, and Premium costs $19.80 a year. Both have Mac apps and browser extensions. How do I unlock Bitwarden with Touch ID? Turn on Touch ID in System Settings first. Then in Bitwarden open Settings, and under Security tick Unlock with Touch ID. You can also tick Ask for Touch ID on app start. ### Cryptomator Free cloud encryption app for Mac that encrypts your files in a vault before they reach cloud storage. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/cryptomator - Website: https://cryptomator.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Security & Privacy - Pricing: Freemium - Developer: Skymatic - Minimum macOS: 11 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/cryptomator/cryptomator - GitHub stars: 16375 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask cryptomator Cryptomator encrypts files before they reach your cloud storage. You create a vault inside a folder your cloud service syncs, protect it with a password, and then work with your files through a virtual drive. The sync client only ever sees encrypted data. Each vault encrypts both file contents and file names with AES using 256-bit keys, so someone looking at the cloud folder learns little about what is inside. The keys stay with you rather than with the storage provider. Unlock a vault and it appears as a drive you can open, save to and browse like any other. Lock it and the drive goes away. On macOS, Cryptomator can mount vaults with FUSE-T, which the project recommends on Apple Silicon, or macFUSE, which it recommends on Intel Macs. With neither installed it falls back to WebDAV. Recent releases also tightened checks when unlocking vaults and improved the trust on first use dialog. All encryption features in the desktop app are free for personal use. An optional supporter certificate funds development and unlocks dark mode. The mobile apps and the Cryptomator Hub team product are paid. The desktop app is made by Skymatic, licensed under GPL-3.0, and needs macOS 11 or later. FAQ Is Cryptomator free? Yes on the Mac. Every functional and encryption feature of the desktop app is free for personal use. A supporter certificate is an optional purchase that unlocks dark mode and supports the project. The iOS and Android apps need a one-time purchase for write access. Is Cryptomator safe and open source? Cryptomator is open source under GPL-3.0, and anyone can review the code on GitHub. Encryption happens on your Mac before files are synced, and your cloud provider never gets the keys. The project publishes security fixes in its release notes. How do I install Cryptomator? Download the .dmg from cryptomator.org, open it and drag Cryptomator to Applications, or run brew install --cask cryptomator in Terminal. For the best Finder integration, install FUSE-T on Apple Silicon or macFUSE on Intel. Without either, Cryptomator uses WebDAV. What macOS version does Cryptomator need? The download page lists macOS 11 as the minimum for the current version. There are separate builds for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Which cloud services work with Cryptomator? A vault is a folder of encrypted files, so you place it inside a folder that your cloud service syncs on your Mac. The Cryptomator website keeps a list of compatible services. Can a team share an encrypted vault? Yes, with Cryptomator Hub, the paid product for teams. Members unlock shared vaults with their own accounts, access is managed centrally, and Hub can connect to an existing identity system. A free trial is available. ### KeePassXC Free password manager for Mac that keeps your logins in an encrypted file you control, with no cloud account. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/keepassxc - Website: https://keepassxc.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Security & Privacy - Pricing: Free - Developer: KeePassXC Team - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/keepassxreboot/keepassxc - GitHub stars: 29566 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask keepassxc - Alternative to: 1Password KeePassXC is an offline password manager for Mac, Windows and Linux. It keeps your logins, notes, attachments and one-time codes in a single encrypted database file, and nothing is stored on a remote server. Databases use the KDBX format, so they also open in other KeePass-compatible apps. Entries sit in groups, and search accepts advanced patterns. The built-in generator makes random passwords or passphrases. KeePassXC also stores TOTP codes, types logins into other apps with Auto-Type, and supports YubiKey and OnlyKey challenge-response. The browser extension fills logins and passkeys in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Chromium and Tor Browser. Power users get the keepassxc-cli command line tool, an SSH agent, field references between entries and database reports that check password health and Have I Been Pwned. Version 2.8.0 moved to Qt 6, made keyboard shortcuts configurable, added remote database sync through external tools and lets Quick Unlock on macOS use your device password when Touch ID is not available. You can import from 1Password, Bitwarden, Proton Pass, KeePass 1 and CSV files. KeePassXC is free, with no subscription, ads or account, and is licensed under GPL version 2 or 3. It suits people who want to decide where their password file lives, for example in a folder they already sync. The current build needs macOS 12 or later, with separate Apple Silicon and Intel downloads. FAQ Is KeePassXC free? Yes. KeePassXC is free with no subscription or paid tier. The project accepts donations. Is KeePassXC safe and open source? It is open source on GitHub under GPL version 2 or 3. Your data is encrypted at rest, and the database only leaves your Mac if you put it in a synced folder yourself. Security fixes, including ones reported by outside researchers, are listed in each release's notes. How do I install KeePassXC? Download the Apple Silicon or Intel .dmg from keepassxc.org and drag the app to Applications, or run brew install --cask keepassxc in Terminal. The cask also adds the keepassxc-cli command. What macOS version does KeePassXC need? The current release needs macOS 12 or later. For macOS 11 and older, the project points to MacPorts. How does KeePassXC compare to 1Password? 1Password is a paid subscription service that syncs your vault through its own servers, with a 14-day free trial. KeePassXC is free and keeps everything in a local file, so syncing between devices is up to you. KeePassXC can import 1Password data directly, which makes switching easier. Can KeePassXC fill passwords in my browser? Yes. Turn on browser integration in KeePassXC and install its extension for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Chromium or Tor Browser. The extension can also save and use passkeys. ### LuLu Free firewall for Mac that alerts you when an app tries to connect out and lets you block it. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/lulu - Website: https://objective-see.org/products/lulu.html?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Security & Privacy - Pricing: Free - Developer: Objective-See Foundation - Minimum macOS: 10.15 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/objective-see/LuLu - GitHub stars: 13445 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask lulu - Alternative to: Little Snitch LuLu is a firewall for Mac that watches outgoing network connections. When an app tries to connect for the first time, LuLu shows an alert and you choose to allow or block it. The built-in macOS firewall only handles incoming connections, so LuLu covers the other direction. Each alert shows the app's code signing details and the processes that launched it, and can look the file up on VirusTotal, which sends only its hash. Your answer becomes a rule. Rules can cover a whole program or one remote address, can expire after a set time, and can use wildcards or regular expressions. You can edit, export and import them. Block and allow lists can be loaded from local files or URLs. Passive Mode applies your rules without new alerts, and Block Mode stops all traffic except allow-listed destinations. Profiles, added in version 4, keep separate sets of rules and settings. The bundled Netiquette app shows live network activity, and since 4.5.4 blocked connections are written to the system log. LuLu is made by the Objective-See Foundation and released under the GPL-3.0 licence. It needs macOS 10.15 or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon. It does not filter incoming traffic. FAQ Is LuLu free? Yes. LuLu is free and open source. Objective-See accepts support through Patreon and GitHub Sponsors. Is LuLu safe and open source? LuLu is GPL-3.0 licensed, with the code on GitHub at objective-see/LuLu, and each release lists the SHA-256 hash of its disk image. It checks objective-see.org for updates, and you can turn that off in Settings. How do I install LuLu? Run brew install --cask lulu, or open the DMG from objective-see.org and drag LuLu to Applications. Launch it from Applications, then approve its System Extension and Network Filter in System Settings when asked. What macOS version does LuLu need? LuLu needs macOS 10.15 Catalina or later. How does LuLu compare to Little Snitch? Little Snitch from Objective Development is a commercial firewall whose rules can cover incoming as well as outgoing traffic, and it has a map of where your Mac connects. LuLu focuses on outgoing connections, has fewer extras, and is free and open source. How do I uninstall LuLu? Choose Uninstall from LuLu's status bar menu and enter your password. Quitting LuLu from that menu also asks for authentication. ### Signal Desktop Free private messenger for Mac with end-to-end encrypted chats and calls, linked to your phone. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/signal-desktop - Website: https://signal.org/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Security & Privacy - Pricing: Free - Developer: Signal Messenger, LLC - Minimum macOS: 13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Desktop - GitHub stars: 16631 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask signal Signal Desktop is the Mac app for the Signal messenger. It links to Signal on your iPhone or Android phone, so you can read and send messages from your Mac. Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted with the Signal Protocol, which is itself open source, and Signal says it cannot read your messages or hear your calls. You get one-to-one and group chats, voice and video calls, and encrypted stickers, including packs you make yourself. Signal is run by an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by grants and donations. The app has no ads, affiliate marketing or tracking. It suits anyone who wants private messaging with a full keyboard and a bigger screen. The desktop code is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Current versions need macOS 13 or later, with separate builds for Apple silicon and Intel. You can install it from signal.org or with Homebrew, and a beta channel is available too. FAQ Is Signal Desktop free? Yes. Signal is free, has no paid tier and shows no ads. It is funded by donations, which you can make from inside the app. Is Signal Desktop safe and open source? Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted with the open source Signal Protocol. The desktop app's code is public on GitHub under AGPL-3.0. How do I install Signal Desktop? Download it from signal.org/download, or run brew install --cask signal in Terminal. Then link it to the Signal app on your phone. What macOS version does Signal Desktop need? Current versions need macOS 13 Ventura or later, according to the Homebrew cask. There are native builds for Apple silicon and for Intel Macs. Do I need a phone to use Signal Desktop? Yes. Signal has to be installed on your iPhone or Android phone first. The desktop app then links to that account. Is there a beta version of Signal Desktop? Yes. Signal offers a beta build for people who want to test new features early. On a Mac you can install it with brew install --cask signal@beta. ## Files & Storage https://essentialmacapps.com/category/files-storage ### Cyberduck Free FTP and SFTP client for Mac that also browses S3, WebDAV, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/cyberduck - Website: https://cyberduck.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Files & Storage - Pricing: Free - Developer: iterate GmbH - Minimum macOS: 10.13 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/iterate-ch/cyberduck - GitHub stars: 4879 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask cyberduck - Alternative to: Transmit Cyberduck is a file transfer client for Mac from iterate GmbH. It connects to FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and SMB servers, and to cloud storage such as Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Microsoft Azure, OpenStack Swift, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint, Box, Nextcloud and ownCloud. Connections are saved as bookmarks, which you can sort by drag and drop and search with a filter field. You can preview remote files with Quick Look and open any file in the editor you already use. Cryptomator vaults add client-side encryption, so files are encrypted before they reach the server. The same team makes duck, a command-line version, and Mountain Duck, a separate app that mounts remote storage as a disk in Finder. It suits web developers, admins and anyone who moves files to a host or a cloud bucket. Cyberduck is also available for Windows, and it is translated into about 30 languages. The source code is licensed under GPL-3.0. The download from cyberduck.io is free and shows a donation prompt after installs and updates. Cyberduck needs macOS 10.13 or later and has run natively on Apple silicon since version 8.1.0. FAQ Is Cyberduck free? Yes, the download from cyberduck.io is free. It shows a donation prompt after you install or update, and a donation of at least 10 USD gets you a registration key that turns the prompt off. The Mac App Store version is a paid purchase ($23.99 in the US store). Is Cyberduck safe and open source? Cyberduck is open source under GPL-3.0, with the code on GitHub. It supports encrypted protocols such as SFTP, and Cryptomator vaults let you encrypt files on your Mac before they are uploaded. How do I install Cyberduck? Download it from cyberduck.io, buy it on the Mac App Store, or run brew install --cask cyberduck in Terminal. What macOS version does Cyberduck need? Cyberduck needs macOS 10.13 or later and runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs. Native Apple silicon support arrived in version 8.1.0. How does Cyberduck compare to Transmit? Transmit 5 from Panic costs $45 after a 7-day trial and requires macOS 13. Both cover FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3 and the main cloud drives. Cyberduck is free and open source, supports older macOS versions, adds Cryptomator encryption, and also runs on Windows. Can I use Cyberduck from the command line? Yes. The duck command-line tool, from duck.sh, uses the same connection code and runs on macOS, Linux and Windows. ### GrandPerspective Free disk space analyzer for Mac that draws your drive as a tree map so big files stand out. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/grandperspective - Website: https://grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Files & Storage - Pricing: Free - Developer: Erwin Bonsma - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://sourceforge.net/p/grandperspectiv/source/ - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask grandperspective - Alternative to: DaisyDisk GrandPerspective is a disk space analyzer for macOS. It scans a drive or folder and draws a tree map, where each file is a rectangle sized by how much space it uses. Large files and folders are easy to spot at a glance. You can color the map by name, extension, file type, size or dates, and pick from several palettes. Display modes show files only or group them by package or folder. Move around with the keyboard or mouse, open items in Finder, preview them with Quick Look, search by name, and delete what you no longer need. Filters can include or exclude items by name, path, size, type, hard-link status or package status. Several views let you compare a scan before and after a clean-up. Scans can be saved and reloaded later or exported as an image or text, and it handles Time Machine hard-link backups and cloud files that are not stored locally. GrandPerspective is open source under the GPL v2, made by Erwin Bonsma. It is free from SourceForge, and the same app costs $2.99 on the Mac App Store, where the price supports development. Version 3.8 needs macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon or Intel. FAQ Is GrandPerspective free? Yes, the download from SourceForge is free. The Mac App Store version costs $2.99. It is the same app, with automatic updates through the App Store. Is GrandPerspective safe and open source? Yes. The source code is published on SourceForge under the GNU GPL v2. Scans run locally on your Mac, and the App Store build also passes Apple's review. How do I install GrandPerspective? Download the disk image from grandperspectiv.sourceforge.net, or buy it on the Mac App Store. With Homebrew, run brew install --cask grandperspective. What macOS version does GrandPerspective need? Version 3.8 needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later and runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel. Version 3.7.2 works on macOS 11 to 13, and version 3.3 on macOS 10.14 and 10.15. How does GrandPerspective compare to DaisyDisk? DaisyDisk is a paid disk analyzer with its own chart view. GrandPerspective uses a tree map, is free outside the App Store, and adds filters, scan comparison and saved scans. Both let you find large files and delete them. How do I find what is taking up space on my Mac? Open GrandPerspective and pick your startup disk or home folder to scan. The biggest rectangles are the biggest files. Select one to reveal it in Finder, preview it with Quick Look or delete it. ### Keka Free RAR extractor and file archiver for Mac that opens 7Z, ZIP, RAR and around 30 other formats. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/keka - Website: https://www.keka.io/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Files & Storage - Pricing: Free - Developer: aONe (Jorge Garcia Armero) - Minimum macOS: 10.10 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: No - GitHub stars: 7576 - Distribution: Mac App Store and direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask keka - Alternative to: Archiver, BetterZip Keka is a file archiver for macOS. It makes compressed archives and opens them, RAR files included. It can extract 32 formats, among them 7Z, ZIP, ZIPX, RAR, TAR, GZIP, XZ, ZSTD, DMG, ISO, CAB, EXE, MSI, JAR and APK. It can compress to 14, including 7Z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, ZSTD, DMG and ISO. Archives can be password protected: 7z files use AES-256, while ZIP uses the older Zip 2.0 encryption. A small helper app, KekaExternalHelper, sets Keka as the default app for archive files. It suits anyone who receives RAR or 7z files, and people who want password-protected archives without a paid app. The same developer also makes Keka for iOS. Keka is made by aONe (Jorge Garcia Armero). It is free from keka.io and GitHub, and the Mac App Store version is paid to support development. It is not fully open source: the code for Keka 1.0 and later is not public, and the GitHub repository is used for issues, the wiki and translations. It uses open source tools such as 7-Zip, XZ and bsdtar, plus UnRAR for RAR files. The current version runs on Mac OS X 10.10 or later and has run natively on Apple silicon since version 1.2.2. FAQ Is Keka free? Yes. Keka is free to download from keka.io and GitHub. The Mac App Store version costs $6.49, and buying it there, or leaving a tip, supports development. Is Keka safe and open source? Keka began as an open source project, but the source code of Keka 1.0 and later is not public, so the current app is closed source freeware. It builds on open source compression tools such as 7-Zip. Get it only from keka.io, its GitHub releases or the Mac App Store. How do I install Keka? Download the dmg from keka.io and drag Keka to Applications, buy it on the Mac App Store, or run brew install --cask keka. To make Keka the default app for archives, also install KekaExternalHelper from keka.io. What macOS version does Keka need? Keka 1.6.8 needs Mac OS X 10.10 or later. Legacy builds on keka.io go back further: 1.1.30 for 10.9, 1.0.16 for 10.7, and older versions down to Mac OS X 10.4. How does Keka compare to BetterZip and Archiver? BetterZip and Archiver are paid archive utilities. Keka creates and extracts the common formats, including RAR extraction and AES-256 encrypted 7z, at no cost from its website. Keka cannot create RAR archives; RAR is on its extract list only. How do I open a RAR file on a Mac? Install Keka, then open the .rar file with it, for example by right-clicking the file and choosing Open With, Keka. If the archive has a password, Keka asks for it. To open RAR files with a double-click, set Keka as the default app with KekaExternalHelper. ### Mole Native Mac utility for cleanup, software, and status. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/mole - Website: https://mole.fit/?atp=Lav0D5 - Category: Files & Storage - Pricing: Paid - Developer: Tw93 - Minimum macOS: 14 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Distribution: Direct download - Alternative to: DaisyDisk Mole is a native Mac app by Tw93 for cleanup, uninstalling apps, updates, maintenance, disk analysis, and live system status. Clean lists caches, logs, and leftovers so you can review each item before it is removed. Software uninstalls an app together with leftover files, and it updates apps from the Mac App Store, Sparkle, Homebrew, and GitHub releases. Optimize runs maintenance tasks in one pass. Analyze shows disk use as a treemap. Status shows CPU, memory, GPU, disk, network, battery, and temperature in the window or the menu bar. Mole runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple Silicon and Intel. One purchase covers 2 Macs and includes free updates. Scanning is free. Clean, uninstall, Optimize, and moving Analyze results to the Trash can each be used twice before you buy. The Mole command-line tool is a separate free program under GPL-3.0. The Mac app does not require it. FAQ What does Mole include? Five tools: Clean, Software, Optimize, Analyze, and Status. The menu bar can show CPU, memory, and network speed, and it can alert you when the camera or microphone is in use. How is Mole licensed? The official price is $19 once, for 2 Macs, with free updates. It is not a subscription. You can ask for a refund within 14 days by emailing hi@mole.fit. Can I try Mole before buying? Yes. Every tool can scan without a license. Clean, uninstall, Optimize, and Analyze trash can each be run twice before you buy. Analyze and Status stay available because they do not delete files on their own. Does Mole work offline? Cleanup and status readings run on your Mac. Mole does not offer a public product API. Which Macs does Mole support? macOS 14 or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel. The app is a direct download from mole.fit. Is the command-line tool the same as the Mac app? The Mole CLI is free and open source under GPL-3.0, and it installs with Homebrew. The Mac app on mole.fit is a separate native app with its own license. ### Transmission Free torrent client for Mac with a native interface, magnet links and a web remote. - Page: https://essentialmacapps.com/apps/transmission - Website: https://transmissionbt.com/?ref=EssentialMacApps.com - Category: Files & Storage - Pricing: Free - Developer: Transmission Project - Minimum macOS: 12 - Apple silicon native: Yes - Open source: Yes - Repository: https://github.com/transmission/transmission - GitHub stars: 15361 - Distribution: Direct download - Homebrew: brew install --cask transmission - Alternative to: Folx Transmission is a BitTorrent client for Mac. The Mac version is a native app rather than a cross-platform port, and it runs natively on Apple silicon. It is an open source project run by volunteers. Open a .torrent file or a magnet link and Transmission starts downloading with defaults that work out of the box. A few clicks turn on watch folders, which pick up new torrent files on their own, peer blocklists, speed limits and the built-in web interface for managing downloads from another device. You can also edit trackers, and Quick Look previews .torrent files in Finder. While torrents run it keeps the Mac from idle sleep and supports Low Power Mode. Transmission uses little memory and CPU, which is why it also runs on home NAS boxes and routers. The project says it bundles no toolbars or ads, does not track users and does not hold features back for a paid version. It suits anyone who wants a plain torrent client without adware. It is licensed under GPL-2.0 or GPL-3.0. Version 4.1.4 needs macOS 12 or later. Download it from transmissionbt.com or install it with Homebrew. FAQ Is Transmission free? Yes. Transmission is free, has no paid version and shows no ads. Is Transmission safe and open source? Transmission is open source under GPL-2.0 or GPL-3.0, with its code on GitHub. Version 4.1.4 fixed a security issue in the Mac client that required local write access to your preferences, so keep the app updated. It checks for updates on its own. How do I install Transmission? Download the DMG from transmissionbt.com, or run brew install --cask transmission in Terminal. For command-line use, brew install transmission-cli installs the command-line tools. What macOS version does Transmission need? Transmission 4.1.4 needs macOS 12 Monterey or later. It has been Apple silicon native since version 4.0. How does Transmission compare to Folx? Folx from Eltima is a general download manager that also handles torrents and magnet links. Its PRO version starts at $19.95 and adds scheduling, speed adjustment and built-in torrent search. Transmission handles only BitTorrent, is free and open source, and includes a web interface for remote control. Can I control Transmission from another computer? Yes. Turn on the web interface in Transmission's settings, then open it in a browser on another device. The transmission-remote command-line tool can control it too. ## Alternatives index - Alternatives to CleanShot X (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/cleanshot-x): Kap, OBS Studio, Screen Studio, Screen Charm, Screen Movie - Alternatives to Obsidian (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/obsidian): Zettlr, FSNotes, Notesnook, Standard Notes, Notion - Alternatives to Permute (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/permute): LosslessCut, HandBrake, Picmal, Compresto, GetCompress - Alternatives to ScreenFlow (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/screenflow): OBS Studio, Screen Studio, Screen Movie, Screen Charm, Kap - Alternatives to Sublime Text (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/sublime-text): Zed, VSCodium, CodeEdit, CotEditor, Cursor - Alternatives to Evernote (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/evernote): Notesnook, Standard Notes, FSNotes, Notion - Alternatives to Magnet (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/magnet): Rectangle, Loop, Amethyst, ChainYourMac - Alternatives to Moom (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/moom): Rectangle, Loop, Amethyst, ChainYourMac - Alternatives to Visual Studio Code (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/visual-studio-code): VSCodium, Zed, CodeEdit, Cursor - Alternatives to BBEdit (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/bbedit): CotEditor, Zed, VSCodium - Alternatives to Bear (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/bear): FSNotes, Standard Notes, Notesnook - Alternatives to Nova (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/nova): CodeEdit, Zed, VSCodium - Alternatives to Pastebot (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/pastebot): Maccy, Paste, Supaste - Alternatives to TablePlus (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/tableplus): Sequel Ace, Beekeeper Studio, DB Browser for SQLite - Alternatives to 1Password (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/1password): KeePassXC, Bitwarden - Alternatives to BetterDisplay (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/betterdisplay): MonitorControl, Lunar - Alternatives to DaisyDisk (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/daisydisk): GrandPerspective, Mole - Alternatives to Keyboard Maestro (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/keyboard-maestro): Karabiner-Elements, Hammerspoon - Alternatives to Paste (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/paste): Maccy, Supaste - Alternatives to Adobe Audition (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/adobe-audition): Audacity - Alternatives to Adobe Illustrator (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/adobe-illustrator): Inkscape - Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/adobe-photoshop): Krita - Alternatives to Archiver (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/archiver): Keka - Alternatives to Bartender (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/bartender): Ice - Alternatives to Base (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/base): DB Browser for SQLite - Alternatives to BetterZip (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/betterzip): Keka - Alternatives to Boom 3D (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/boom-3d): eqMac - Alternatives to Choosy (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/choosy): Finicky - Alternatives to ColorSlurp (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/colorslurp): Pika - Alternatives to Contexts (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/contexts): AltTab - Alternatives to Fantastical (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/fantastical): Itsycal - Alternatives to Final Cut Pro (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/final-cut-pro): LosslessCut - Alternatives to Folx (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/folx): Transmission - Alternatives to Infuse (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/infuse): IINA - Alternatives to iStat Menus (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/istat-menus): Stats - Alternatives to Little Snitch (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/little-snitch): LuLu - Alternatives to Loopback (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/loopback): BlackHole - Alternatives to Maccy (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/maccy): Paste - Alternatives to MacUpdater (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/macupdater): Latest - Alternatives to Movist Pro (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/movist-pro): IINA - Alternatives to Optimage (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/optimage): ImageOptim - Alternatives to Parallels Desktop (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/parallels-desktop): UTM - Alternatives to Reeder (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/reeder): NetNewsWire - Alternatives to Setapp (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/setapp): Applite - Alternatives to SmoothScroll (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/smoothscroll): Mos - Alternatives to SoundSource (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/soundsource): Background Music - Alternatives to Squash (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/squash): ImageOptim - Alternatives to Transmit (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/transmit): Cyberduck - Alternatives to Ulysses (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/ulysses): Zettlr - Alternatives to Velja (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/velja): Finicky - Alternatives to VMware Fusion (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/vmware-fusion): UTM - Alternatives to Warp (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/warp): iTerm2 - Alternatives to Witch (https://essentialmacapps.com/alternatives/witch): AltTab