Macs are highly effective machines straight out of the field. Whether or not you are utilizing a MacBook Air or a Mac Studio, these machines can energy by a variety of duties. However putting in the fitting apps can up the ante on all the expertise. In the event you’re seeking to fine-tune your workflow, keep organized, or add new options macOS is lacking, third-party apps generally is a sport changer.
Beneath, you may discover what we expect are one of the best Mac apps to assist enhance your software program setup and develop your Mac’s capabilities, from photograph enhancing apps to writing apps. Many aren’t free, however they usually include free trials you may reap the benefits of. We have additionally thrown in a few of our go-to native Mac apps, in case you have not tried them but.
Try our many different guides, together with the Greatest MacBooks, Greatest iPads, Greatest iPhones, and Learn how to Again Up Your iPhone.
Up to date March 2025: We have added native Apple apps like Stickies, iPhone Mirroring, and Apple TV, in addition to Kindle and Amazon Prime Video.
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For a Higher Person Expertise
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{Photograph}: Apple App Retailer
I hate having to maintain wiggling a finger on the trackpad for sure duties to maintain my laptop computer from going to sleep—I expertise this quite a bit once I add massive recordsdata to Google Drive. This app retains your Mac awake so that you don’t must do it manually. It really works with exterior shows as nicely, and you too can use triggers to automate when it ought to sleep.
Though macOS comes with a bunch of helpful keyboard shortcuts, it’s powerful to memorize all of them. Fortunately, with CheatSheet, you don’t must. The app shows all of your accessible keyboard shortcuts relying on the app you are utilizing. You possibly can pull it up when it’s good to discover a particular one and conceal it while you don’t want it anymore. It really works with each first-party apps and third-party apps. It’s an incredible productiveness device for many who need to lower down time on having to both guess or search for particular shortcuts (like easy methods to take a screenshot).
AdGuard is a stand-alone macOS app that permits you to customise numerous filters to dam pop-up adverts, social media extensions, URL redirects, and extra. It really works along with your browser but in addition different apps you’ve put in in your Mac. You possibly can join a two-week trial if you wish to check it out first, however after that, you’ll must pay for a license to make use of it. You possibly can decide between a one-year or a lifetime subscription, each of which include the selection between private or household tiers.
Whether or not you’re utilizing Zoom for work calls or to attach with family and friends, the stand-alone app delivers a much more intuitive expertise than utilizing a browser. The free model permits for conferences as much as 40 minutes lengthy and comes with extra options like display screen sharing, notes, messaging, the whiteboard function (the place you may collaborate with textual content and drawings through a shared board), and extra. For extra options, you may go for the Professional tier ($13 a month) or the Enterprise tier (for $18 a month).
ApolloOne is a good possibility for skilled photographers who have to handle all of their content material. You need to use it to type and classify photographs, batch-process catalogs of RAW picture recordsdata, and edit or view metadata. In the event you join the 14-day free trial, you’ll solely have entry to pick out options. To unlock extra perks, you may decide between the Commonplace Version ($30 a 12 months) or the Professional Version ($50 a 12 months).
Lightroom presents a ton of enhancing instruments for each photographs and movies. You possibly can apply presets, alter the colour distinction, tweak the colour temperature, take away undesirable objects, and extra. In the event you’re new to the app, it would take some time to get the hold of it. However the interface is simple to make use of, so it shouldn’t take too lengthy to get previous the educational curve. Adobe additionally presents a free seven-day trial if you wish to strive it out earlier than shopping for it.
In the event you want a picture viewer, Edgeview 3 is a strong alternative that is been developed particularly for macOS. You need to use it to open totally different picture recordsdata like JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP, and RAW recordsdata (together with DSLR, EPS, and PDF), with the flexibility to flick through folders of photographs and catalog them extra simply than with the native picture viewer. It would not include all the identical options because the extra superior variations on the market, so this can be a higher possibility for these on the lookout for a light-weight app that is intuitive to make use of.
This can be a modern, fashionable video participant that would cross as one in all Apple’s personal. It could actually play much more kinds of file codecs and codecs than the inventory model, although (YouTube playlists and on-line streams included). VLC Media Participant can be an incredible different. It has been round since 2001, nevertheless it’s nonetheless supported and a dependable possibility.
Apple’s iPhone Mirroring (Free)
Apple added a free app referred to as iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia (it ought to robotically seem while you replace your Mac). It permits you to entry and work together along with your iPhone wirelessly through your Mac. If you open the app and join your iPhone, you may see your cellphone’s dwelling display screen seem. You possibly can then use your Mac to tug and drop content material between each gadgets, swipe by the pages on your house display screen, view and reply to notifications, and open and use any apps. Your iPhone will stay locked whereas utilizing the function too. It has been tremendous helpful when my cellphone is charging on my nightstand whereas I am at my desk or if I depart it in one other room.
For a Higher Writing Expertise
Ulysses’ plain textual content and easy interface are good for writing longer tales, in addition to novels, poetry, quick tales, and scripts. You will not be distracted by all of the pointless buttons, icons, and settings, which makes it simpler to focus in your work. There is a free trial, however you too can go for the $6 per thirty days plan. In the event you determine to pay for it, you may additionally get the iOS app along with the macOS model.
In the event you do not need to pay for writing instruments like Microsoft Workplace, you are not a fan of Apple’s workplace suite, otherwise you would slightly not depend on the cloud through Google’s G Suite, then LibreOffice is for you. It comes with all the mandatory options like a spreadsheet editor and phrase processor, nevertheless it’s additionally appropriate with Microsoft file sorts or different codecs like .doc. It is open supply, too, and better of all, free.
It is spendy, however Microsoft 365 comes with a number of options that LibreOffice would not. For starters, you may have entry to Phrase’s Editor device, which scans your work for grammatical errors and in addition makes strategies (just like Grammarly). There is a free in-app voice transcription function too, which is simply as correct because the pricier, stand-alone software program on the market. There is a free one-month trial, so you will have time to determine whether or not you need to buy the total suite.
I depend on Grammarly for all the pieces—whether or not it is writing articles, critiques, or emails. You need to use it as a stand-alone app or inside your browser. It will proofread your work in actual time by checking your grammar and spelling, in addition to analyzing your tone and writing model whereas providing strategies on methods to enhance it. There is a free model (what I exploit), however the paid model for $12 per thirty days comes with extra capabilities like a plagiarism checker, formatting and quotation strategies, an AI-powered writing assistant, and extra.
Apple has a Journal app, nevertheless it’s solely accessible on iPhone. Day One is a good different for those who want to journal in your Mac. It is end-to-end encrypted, secured with a passcode or biometrics, and robotically backs as much as save your work. You too can add photographs, export entries in several codecs (together with PDFs), and save voice recordings. The free model is proscribed, so I recommend paying the $35 per 12 months charge to entry the total suite of options. There is a one-month free trial for those who’re on the fence.
We love the Notes app. As WIRED reviewer Adrienne So wrote in her in her rave: “If you wish to know who somebody really is—what they eat, what books they learn, what motion pictures they watch, or how livid they get inside their very own minds—you must in all probability verify their Notes app.” And it is true. It is the right place to dump all of your ideas; whether or not it is placing collectively a guidelines for an upcoming journey or journaling your ideas (the Journal app is not accessible on macOS), Notes is tremendous versatile. Along with your personal phrases, you too can add attachments like photographs, internet hyperlinks, and PDFs, alter the textual content kinds, hyperlink totally different notes to one another, and extra.
For Higher Group
I’m at all times screenshotting recipes I discover on-line after which wrestle to seek out them once more as soon as I am prepared to start out cooking. With Paprika, it can save you recipe internet pages, set up them in folders, and verify off elements as you cook dinner. You possibly can scale elements for various serving sizes as nicely. It is accessible as each an iOS and Android app (however you may have to purchase that one individually for $5) to sync the recipes throughout a number of platforms and gadgets.
My desktop usually will get cluttered with random recordsdata, which makes it powerful to seek out those I am on the lookout for. Hazel makes it quite a bit simpler to really feel organized. Merely inform it which folders to observe (like your Downloads folder) and it will robotically transfer the file to the respective folder whereas additionally sorting it by identify, kind, date, what website it got here from, and extra. Everytime you create or obtain a brand new file, it will be moved robotically. It is also a one-time buy.
Bored with having a bunch of tabs open without delay? Shift makes use of a one-window app to signal right into a bunch of apps concurrently. So, you may log into Slack, Instagram, Gmail, Spotify, Google Docks, Fb Messenger, and extra, multi function place. There’s an Superior tier for $149 per 12 months, which supplies you limitless app accounts and limitless Gmail, GSuite, Outlook, and Workplace 365 accounts. In the meantime, the free tier solely permits you to use a particular variety of accounts along with the Chrome extension and another fundamental options.
Dropbox is a good resolution for anybody collaborating with non-Apple gadgets—whether or not it is Android or Home windows. The free model comes with as much as 2 GB of storage, which is a lot for fundamental content material like paperwork. There’s additionally the Plus tier for $10 a month, which comes with 2 TB of storage. You possibly can switch recordsdata as much as 50 GB, and have 30 days to revive deleted recordsdata. In order for you extra storage, upgrading to the skilled tier will price you $17 per thirty days. It comes with 3 TB of storage, transfers recordsdata as much as 100 GB, provides you 180 days to revive deleted recordsdata, and extra. It is vital to notice, nonetheless, that this app will not again up your recordsdata. So for those who delete it on the desktop, it would additionally delete it from the cloud.
If you consider Slack, you doubtless consider working in a company setting. Since we use it right here at WIRED, I at all times have it downloaded on my Mac. However it’s additionally an incredible chat platform to make use of for those who’re a part of hobbyist teams or are on the lookout for a extra appropriate different to WhatsApp and Telegram for sure group chats. You possibly can customise the settings too, with the flexibility to set do-not-disturb instances, mute channels utterly, obtain notifications when somebody mentions you or sends you a direct message, and extra.
I’m very choosy about which apps I carry on my dock, however Apple’s Reminders app is nonnegotiable. I am at all times utilizing it to set reminders for numerous duties like choosing up objects on the grocery retailer, sending emails, organising physician appointments, and extra. The app is tremendous straightforward to make use of, particularly for those who’re already acquainted with the iOS model. You possibly can create reminders for the day of an occasion in addition to schedule or flag them. You too can set up every one by title, due date, and creation date. You’ve entry to a ton of different options too, together with the flexibility to save lots of lists as templates (for future use), schedule reminders, collaborate with others, and extra.
Apple’s Freeform app is a good collaboration device. The digital whiteboard app offers you with a clean canvas that you should utilize to attract sketches on, import recordsdata or internet hyperlinks, and add objects. It is helpful for those who’re on the lookout for a spot to create design boards, itineraries for upcoming holidays, storyboards, and extra. You too can share it with different Apple customers who can then add their very own content material to the identical board. Because it’s saved on iCloud, any adjustments you make can even sync throughout all of your different Apple gadgets in actual time.
I like Submit-Its—I stick them to my monitor, my desk, the pages of books I am studying, and extra. So, it is solely pure that I additionally use the Stickies app on my MacBook. I usually have a number of Stickies on my desktop at any given time— one for my checklist of assignments for the week, one other for errands I’ve to run, and one for groceries. You too can customise every one (with totally different fonts and colours), regulate the dimensions, and transfer them anyplace round your display screen.
For Extra Safety
NordVPN holds the title of the quickest possibility in our Greatest VPNs information. Along with its quick speeds, it additionally has all kinds of servers throughout the globe, and a setting the place it would robotically join when it senses you are on an untrusted Wi-Fi community. It additionally helps all kinds of protocols, together with OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec for cell, and NordLynx. In the event you obtain the cell model, you may even have entry to the built-in advert and monitoring blocker, nevertheless it’s additionally nice for unblocking leisure websites like Hulu, Netflix, and Max.
Bitwarden is a safe, open supply password supervisor that’s additionally free. It’s our favourite password supervisor. The macOS and iOS purposes are polished and user-friendly, and so they’re open supply, which suggests the code that powers Bitwarden is freely accessible for anybody to examine, search out flaws, and repair. In principle, the extra eyes on the code, the extra hermetic it turns into. Bitwarden was additionally audited for 2023 by a 3rd get together to make sure it’s safe. Bitwarden helps passwordless authentication utilizing passkeys, which suggests you needn’t use your username or password even to open your vault. We have linked to the free model, however Bitwarden presents a Premium model for $10 a 12 months and a Households tier for $40 a 12 months, each of which pack extra options listed right here.
Whereas Bitwarden is our favourite for most individuals, Dashlane is our high decide for those who’re on the lookout for essentially the most feature-packed. In the event you go for the free model, you may have the flexibility to retailer as much as 25 logins, entry to the password generator and safe notes function, the flexibility to repeat/paste credentials, and autofill. However you may solely apply it to one system at a time. The Premium model, which prices $5 per thirty days, presents limitless password storage, e mail and chat help, in addition to the flexibility to apply it to a number of gadgets.
MSP360 (previously generally known as CloudBerry) is a free app that automates backups to cloud providers like Amazon AWS S3 or Backblaze B2. You may must make the accounts individually and set them up manually, however as soon as that is finished, you are all set. Except you are coping with massive recordsdata, like movies or raw-format photographs, the free tier ought to be greater than sufficient.
For a Higher Leisure Expertise
I usually carry my Kindle Paperwhite with me in every single place, however there are occasions once I neglect to throw it in my bag or do not anticipate having any time to learn. On the off likelihood I’ve downtime and solely have my MacBook on me, I will open up the Kindle app (it is much less distracting than my cellphone). It syncs along with your Amazon account, so you’ll decide up on the web page you left off in your Kindle. As with the bodily e-reader, you may customise the font, font measurement, structure, themes, and extra. You may even have entry to the remainder of your library, alongside along with your pocket book for anybody with a Kindle Scribe.
I have been utilizing Spotify for over a decade now and have by no means seemed again. The music streaming app has a clear and user-friendly interface, robust discovery algorithms (for music, podcasts, and audiobooks), in addition to nice social parts for sharing music with family and friends. I extremely suggest the $12 per thirty days for the Premium tier, which supplies you ad-free listening, high-quality audio, the flexibility to obtain music to hear offline, and extra.
Typically, I watch TV on my laptop computer, and quite a lot of these exhibits are on Apple TV (Shrinking, Severance, The Morning Present, and many others). At any time when I need to atone for episodes, I exploit the Apple TV app, which supplies me entry to Apple TV+ for $10 a month. However you too can use it to entry any motion pictures or TV exhibits you’ve got bought, with the flexibility to browse and purchase extra by the app. It is simple to navigate, too, with all the exhibits you are presently watching neatly organized inside the Residence tab, so you may entry every present shortly.
Sure, I watch quite a lot of TV, and that is one other app I exploit usually. You may want a Prime Video subscription (for those who’re not already an Amazon Prime member), which prices $15 per thirty days or $139 per 12 months. It has the identical interface because the TV or smartphone app, with the flexibility to see all of the content material you are presently watching, together with really helpful motion pictures and exhibits. You too can entry the Prime Video retailer in addition to your downloads for when you do not have Wi-Fi.
