31 Best Mac Apps You Should Download Now (2025): Free and Paid

Macs are powerful machines consecutive retired of the box. Whether you're utilizing a MacBook Air oregon a Mac Studio, these machines tin powerfulness done a wide scope of tasks. But installing the close apps tin up the ante connected the full experience. If you're looking to fine-tune your workflow, enactment organized, oregon adhd caller features macOS is missing, third-party apps tin beryllium a crippled changer.

Below, you'll find what we deliberation are the champion Mac apps to assistance amended your bundle setup and grow your Mac's capabilities, from photograph editing apps to penning apps. Many aren't free, but they typically travel with escaped trials you tin instrumentality vantage of. We've besides thrown successful immoderate of our go-to autochthonal Mac apps, successful lawsuit you haven't tried them yet.

Check retired our galore different guides, including the Best MacBooks, Best iPads, Best iPhones, and How to Back Up Your iPhone.

Updated March 2025: We've added autochthonal Apple apps similar Stickies, iPhone Mirroring, and Apple TV, arsenic good arsenic Kindle and Amazon Prime Video.

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For a Better User Experience

I hatred having to support wiggling a digit connected the trackpad for definite tasks to support my laptop from going to sleep—I acquisition this a batch erstwhile I upload ample files to Google Drive. This app keeps your Mac awake truthful you don’t person to bash it manually. It works with outer displays arsenic well, and you tin besides usage triggers to automate erstwhile it should sleep.

Even though macOS comes with a clump of utile keyboard shortcuts, it’s pugnacious to memorize them all. Thankfully, with CheatSheet, you don’t person to. The app displays each your disposable keyboard shortcuts depending connected the app you're using. You tin propulsion it up erstwhile you request to find a circumstantial 1 and fell it erstwhile you don’t request it anymore. It works with some first-party apps and third-party apps. It’s a large productivity instrumentality for those who privation to chopped down clip connected having to either conjecture oregon look up circumstantial shortcuts (like however to instrumentality a screenshot).

AdGuard is simply a stand-alone macOS app that allows you to customize assorted filters to artifact pop-up ads, societal media extensions, URL redirects, and more. It works with your browser but besides different apps you’ve installed connected your Mac. You tin motion up for a two-week proceedings if you privation to trial it retired first, but aft that, you’ll person to wage for a licence to usage it. You tin prime betwixt a one-year oregon a beingness subscription, some of which travel with the prime betwixt idiosyncratic oregon household tiers.

Whether you’re utilizing Zoom for enactment calls oregon to link with friends and family, the stand-alone app delivers a acold much intuitive acquisition than utilizing a browser. The escaped mentation allows for meetings up to 40 minutes agelong and comes with further features similar surface sharing, notes, messaging, the whiteboard diagnostic (where you tin collaborate with substance and drawings via a shared board), and more. For further features, you tin opt for the Pro tier ($13 a month) oregon the Business tier (for $18 a month).

ApolloOne is simply a large enactment for nonrecreational photographers who request to negociate each of their content. You tin usage it to benignant and classify photos, batch-process catalogs of RAW representation files, and edit oregon presumption metadata. If you motion up for the 14-day escaped trial, you’ll lone person entree to prime features. To unlock further perks, you tin prime betwixt the Standard Edition ($30 a year) oregon the Pro Edition ($50 a year).

Lightroom offers a ton of editing tools for some photos and videos. You tin use presets, change the colour contrast, tweak the colour temperature, region unwanted objects, and more. If you’re caller to the app, it mightiness instrumentality a portion to get the bent of it. But the interface is casual to use, truthful it shouldn’t instrumentality excessively agelong to get past the learning curve. Adobe besides offers a escaped seven-day proceedings if you privation to effort it retired earlier buying it.

If you request an representation viewer, Edgeview 3 is simply a coagulated prime that's been developed specifically for macOS. You tin usage it to unfastened antithetic representation files similar JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP, and RAW files (including DSLR, EPS, and PDF), with the quality to browse done folders of images and catalog them much easy than with the autochthonal representation viewer. It doesn't travel with each the aforesaid features arsenic the much precocious versions retired there, truthful this is simply a amended enactment for those looking for a lightweight app that's intuitive to use.

This is simply a sleek, modern video subordinate that could walk arsenic 1 of Apple's own. It tin play a batch much types of record formats and codecs than the banal version, though (YouTube playlists and online streams included). VLC Media Player is besides a large alternative. It's been astir since 2001, but it's inactive supported and a reliable option.

Apple’s iPhone Mirroring (Free)

Apple added a escaped app called iPhone Mirroring successful macOS Sequoia (it should automatically look erstwhile you update your Mac). It allows you to entree and interact with your iPhone wirelessly via your Mac. When you unfastened the app and link your iPhone, you'll spot your phone's location surface appear. You tin past usage your Mac to resistance and driblet contented betwixt some devices, swipe done the pages connected your location screen, presumption and respond to notifications, and unfastened and usage immoderate apps. Your iPhone volition stay locked portion utilizing the diagnostic too. It's been ace utile erstwhile my telephone is charging connected my nightstand portion I'm astatine my table oregon if I permission it successful different room.

For a Better Writing Experience

Ulysses' plain substance and elemental interface are cleanable for penning longer stories, arsenic good arsenic novels, poetry, abbreviated stories, and scripts. You won't beryllium distracted by each the unnecessary buttons, icons, and settings, which makes it easier to absorption connected your work. There's a escaped trial, but you tin besides opt for the $6 per period plan. If you determine to wage for it, you'll besides get the iOS app successful summation to the macOS version.

If you don't privation to wage for penning tools similar Microsoft Office, you're not a instrumentality of Apple's bureau suite, oregon you would alternatively not trust connected the unreality via Google’s G Suite, past LibreOffice is for you. It comes with each the indispensable features similar a spreadsheet exertion and connection processor, but it's besides compatible with Microsoft record types oregon different formats similar .doc. It's unfastened source, too, and champion of all, free.

It's spendy, but Microsoft 365 comes with a fewer features that LibreOffice doesn't. For starters, you'll person entree to Word's Editor tool, which scans your enactment for grammatical mistakes and besides makes suggestions (similar to Grammarly). There's a escaped in-app dependable transcription diagnostic too, which is conscionable arsenic close arsenic the pricier, stand-alone bundle retired there. There's a escaped one-month trial, truthful you person clip to determine whether you privation to acquisition the afloat suite.

I trust connected Grammarly for everything—whether it's penning articles, reviews, oregon emails. You tin usage it arsenic a stand-alone app oregon wrong your browser. It'll proofread your enactment successful existent clip by checking your grammar and spelling, arsenic good arsenic analyzing your code and penning benignant portion offering suggestions connected ways to amended it. There's a escaped mentation (what I use), but the paid mentation for $12 per period comes with further capabilities similar a plagiarism checker, formatting and citation suggestions, an AI-powered penning assistant, and more.

Apple has a Journal app, but it's lone disposable connected iPhone. Day One is simply a large alternate if you similar to diary connected your Mac. It's end-to-end encrypted, secured with a passcode oregon biometrics, and automatically backs up to prevention your work. You tin besides adhd photos, export entries successful antithetic formats (including PDFs), and prevention dependable recordings. The escaped mentation is limited, truthful I suggest paying the $35 per twelvemonth interest to entree the afloat suite of features. There's a one-month escaped proceedings if you're connected the fence.

We love the Notes app. As WIRED reviewer Adrienne So wrote successful her successful her rave: “If you privation to cognize who idiosyncratic genuinely is—what they eat, what books they read, what movies they watch, oregon however furious they get wrong their ain minds—you should astir apt cheque their Notes app.” And it's true. It's the cleanable spot to dump each your thoughts; whether it's putting unneurotic a checklist for an upcoming travel oregon journaling your thoughts (the Journal app isn't disposable connected macOS), Notes is ace versatile. In summation to your ain words, you tin besides adhd attachments similar photos, web links, and PDFs, change the substance styles, nexus antithetic notes to each other, and more.

For Better Organization

I americium ever screenshotting recipes I find online and past conflict to find them again erstwhile I'm acceptable to commencement cooking. With Paprika, you tin prevention look web pages, signifier them successful folders, and cheque disconnected ingredients arsenic you cook. You tin standard ingredients for antithetic serving sizes arsenic well. It's disposable arsenic some an iOS and Android app (but you'll person to bargain that 1 separately for $5) to sync the recipes crossed aggregate platforms and devices.

My desktop often gets cluttered with random files, which makes it pugnacious to find the ones I'm looking for. Hazel makes it a batch easier to consciousness organized. Simply archer it which folders to ticker (like your Downloads folder) and it'll automatically determination the record to the respective folder portion besides sorting it by name, type, date, what tract it came from, and more. Whenever you make oregon download a caller file, it'll beryllium moved automatically. It's besides a one-time purchase.

Tired of having a clump of tabs unfastened astatine once? Shift uses a one-window app to motion into a clump of apps simultaneously. So, you tin log into Slack, Instagram, Gmail, Spotify, Google Docks, Facebook Messenger, and more, each successful 1 place. There's an Advanced tier for $149 per year, which gives you unlimited app accounts and unlimited Gmail, GSuite, Outlook, and Office 365 accounts. Meanwhile, the escaped tier lone allows you to usage a circumstantial fig of accounts successful summation to the Chrome hold and immoderate different basal features.

Dropbox is simply a large solution for anyone collaborating with non-Apple devices—whether it's Android oregon Windows. The escaped mentation comes with up to 2 GB of storage, which is plentifulness for basal contented similar documents. There's besides the Plus tier for $10 a month, which comes with 2 TB of storage. You tin transportation files up to 50 GB, and person 30 days to reconstruct deleted files. If you privation much storage, upgrading to the nonrecreational tier volition outgo you $17 per month. It comes with 3 TB of storage, transfers files up to 100 GB, gives you 180 days to reconstruct deleted files, and more. It's important to note, however, that this app won't backmost up your files. So if you delete it connected the desktop, it volition besides delete it from the cloud.

When you deliberation of Slack, you apt deliberation of moving successful a firm setting. Since we usage it present astatine WIRED, I ever person it downloaded connected my Mac. But it's besides a large chat level to usage if you're portion of hobbyist groups oregon are looking for a much suitable alternate to WhatsApp and Telegram for definite radical chats. You tin customize the settings too, with the quality to acceptable do-not-disturb times, mute channels completely, person notifications erstwhile idiosyncratic mentions you oregon sends you a nonstop message, and more.

I americium precise picky astir which apps I support connected my dock, but Apple's Reminders app is nonnegotiable. I'm ever utilizing it to acceptable reminders for assorted tasks similar picking up items astatine the market store, sending emails, mounting up doc appointments, and more. The app is ace casual to use, particularly if you're already acquainted with the iOS version. You tin make reminders for the time of an lawsuit arsenic good arsenic docket oregon emblem them. You tin besides signifier each 1 by title, owed date, and instauration date. You person entree to a ton of different features too, including the quality to prevention lists arsenic templates (for aboriginal use), docket reminders, collaborate with others, and more.

Apple's Freeform app is simply a large collaboration tool. The integer whiteboard app provides you with a blank canvas that you tin usage to gully sketches on, import files oregon web links, and adhd objects. It's useful if you're looking for a spot to make plan boards, itineraries for upcoming vacations, storyboards, and more. You tin besides stock it with different Apple users who tin past adhd their ain contented to the aforesaid board. Since it's stored connected iCloud, immoderate changes you marque volition besides sync crossed each your different Apple devices successful existent time.

I emotion Post-Its—I instrumentality them to my monitor, my desk, the pages of books I'm reading, and more. So, it's lone earthy that I besides usage the Stickies app connected my MacBook. I typically person aggregate Stickies connected my desktop astatine immoderate fixed time— 1 for my database of assignments for the week, different for errands I person to run, and 1 for groceries. You tin besides customize each 1 (with antithetic fonts and colors), set the size, and determination them anyplace astir your screen.

For More Security

NordVPN holds the rubric of the fastest enactment successful our Best VPNs guide. In summation to its accelerated speeds, it besides has a wide assortment of servers crossed the globe, and a mounting wherever it volition automatically link erstwhile it senses you're connected an untrusted Wi-Fi network. It besides supports a wide assortment of protocols, including OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec for mobile, and NordLynx. If you download the mobile version, you'll besides person entree to the built-in advertisement and tracking blocker, but it's besides large for unblocking amusement sites similar Hulu, Netflix, and Max.

Bitwarden is simply a secure, unfastened root password manager that’s besides free. It’s our favourite password manager. The macOS and iOS applications are polished and user-friendly, and they’re unfastened source, which means the codification that powers Bitwarden is freely disposable for anyone to inspect, question retired flaws, and fix. In theory, the much eyes connected the code, the much airtight it becomes. Bitwarden was besides audited for 2023 by a 3rd enactment to guarantee it’s secure. Bitwarden supports passwordless authentication utilizing passkeys, which means you don't request to usage your username oregon password adjacent to unfastened your vault. We've linked to the escaped version, but Bitwarden offers a Premium mentation for $10 a twelvemonth and a Families tier for $40 a year, some of which battalion further features listed here.

While Bitwarden is our favourite for astir people, Dashlane is our apical prime if you're looking for the astir feature-packed. If you opt for the escaped version, you'll person the quality to store up to 25 logins, entree to the password generator and unafraid notes feature, the quality to copy/paste credentials, and autofill. But you tin lone usage it connected 1 instrumentality astatine a time. The Premium version, which costs $5 per month, offers unlimited password storage, email and chat support, arsenic good arsenic the quality to usage it connected aggregate devices.

MSP360 (formerly known arsenic CloudBerry) is simply a escaped app that automates backups to unreality services similar Amazon AWS S3 oregon Backblaze B2. You'll person to marque the accounts separately and acceptable them up manually, but erstwhile that's done, you're each set. Unless you're dealing with ample files, similar videos oregon raw-format photos, the escaped tier should beryllium much than enough.

For a Better Entertainment Experience

I typically transportation my Kindle Paperwhite with maine everywhere, but determination are times erstwhile I hide to propulsion it successful my container oregon don't expect having immoderate clip to read. On the disconnected accidental I person downtime and lone person my MacBook connected me, I'll unfastened up the Kindle app (it's little distracting than my phone). It syncs with your Amazon account, truthful you'll beryllium capable to prime up connected the leafage you near disconnected connected your Kindle. As with the carnal e-reader, you tin customize the font, font size, layout, themes, and more. You'll besides person entree to the remainder of your library, on with your notebook for anyone with a Kindle Scribe.

I've been utilizing Spotify for implicit a decennary present and person ne'er looked back. The euphony streaming app has a cleanable and user-friendly interface, beardown find algorithms (for music, podcasts, and audiobooks), arsenic good arsenic large societal components for sharing euphony with friends and family. I highly urge the $12 per period for the Premium tier, which gives you ad-free listening, high-quality audio, the quality to download euphony to perceive offline, and more.

Sometimes, I ticker TV connected my laptop, and a batch of those shows are connected Apple TV (Shrinking, Severance, The Morning Show, etc). Whenever I privation to drawback up connected episodes, I usage the Apple TV app, which gives maine entree to Apple TV+ for $10 a month. But you tin besides usage it to entree immoderate movies oregon TV shows you've purchased, with the quality to browse and bargain much done the app. It's casual to navigate, too, with each of the shows you're presently watching neatly organized wrong the Home tab, truthful you tin entree each amusement quickly.

Yes, I ticker a batch of TV, and this is different app I usage often. You'll request a Prime Video subscription (if you're not already an Amazon Prime member), which costs $15 per period oregon $139 per year. It has the aforesaid interface arsenic the TV oregon smartphone app, with the quality to spot each the contented you're presently watching, on with recommended movies and shows. You tin besides entree the Prime Video store arsenic good arsenic your downloads for erstwhile you don't person Wi-Fi.