To get the most out of your Mac, you need to install some really amazing Mac apps, which can extend its features and let you be more productive. That’s why I compiled this collection of must-have apps for your Mac.
You can download many of these programs for free from the Mac App Store, while the others provide free trials before you commit to paying for the full version. To make this list, I tested a lot of apps and pick the best one of each kind. You certainly will love some of them.
Right Click Booster (Free)
If you also use Windows, you probably will miss the right-click options on Mac. This Right Click Booster adds a ton of useful actions including creating untitled.txt at this location, opening a file in Text Edit, opening this directory in the terminal, Toggling hidden files, and Opening a new Finder window at the current directory. Moreover, you can tweak it to your liking, and it’s also incredibly flexible and easy to use.
Motrix – download manager
When downloading files on Mac, I find the download speed is quite slow. To solve this problem, a full-featured download manager Motrix is recommended. Motrix is a robust download manager that can handle protocols like HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent, Magnet, and many more.
If you use Internet Download Manager (IDM), you will also find Motrix easy to use. Unlike IDM, Motrix is a free, open-source, fast speed without bandwidth restrictions.
Alfred – Productivity App for Mac
The default Spotlight Search isn’t terrible, but it might be better. With Alfred, you can make your own keyboard shortcuts to access apps and folders, change system settings, and automate tasks. It’s cost-free, but a paid upgrade is available with access to contacts and app integrations.
CleanMyMac X
CleanMyMac X is a powerful Mac system junk cleaning tool that can remove redundant language packs, system caches, applications, mail attachments, etc. You can run a smart scan and it will recommend actions for junk cleanup, malware, privacy protection, speed improvement, etc.
In addition, for managing applications, you can also use it to uninstall and update multiple apps at once. For files, it can get you a visual size comparison of your files, locate large and old files, and erase files and folders quickly without learning a trace.
IINA – Media Player
IINA is a feature-rich media player designed from the ground up to take advantage of macOS’s streamlined framework and intuitive interface. IINA’s user interface for macOS Mojave’s dark mode is well-designed and polished, with streamlined colors, icons, and textures.
Force Touch, Touch Bar, and Picture-in-Picture are just some of the cutting-edge technologies you’ll need to master. In a word, yes, open source software is costless.
Allavsoft – Multiple Source Media Downloader
Have you ever wanted to download videos and music from the internet? Allavsoft allows you to download videos from YouTube, Facebook, Udemy, Instagram, and thousands of websites. What’s more, it can also extract music from YouTube, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Qobuz, SoundCloud, etc.
You just need to paste the URL and click the Download button to save the music and videos on your Mac. You can adjust the video quality and format for downloading music and videos. Besides, you can use the built-in converter to convert formats of music and videos.
Paragon NTFS for Mac
Copying data from a Mac to a Windows PC’s hard drive may be problematic for those who are new to Mac. This is due to the fact that Apple’s Macs can only read NTFS disks by default, the file system most often used by Microsoft Windows.
If you need to write data to NTFS formatted disk on Mac, you should get Paragon NTFS for Mac. It is a complete read and write software for Mac with rich disk management functions. NTFS for Mac supports all Mac platforms beginning with OS X 10.4 Tiger and macOS 13 (Ventura).
Upaste – Clipboard Manager
uPaste for Mac is a professional clipboard manager. It keeps track of everything you paste into the system clipboard, organizing it into several categories including text, links, photos, files, etc. With the beautiful interface and fast shortcut key operation, you will undoubtedly be more productive.
Parallels Workstation
Parallel Desktop is the best option if you use macOS and frequently need to use a virtual machine. It allows you to use both Windows and macOS at the same time (no reboot required). Drag and drop files between Mac and Windows applications, share files and folders, copy and paste images and text, and drag and drop files between Mac and Windows.
Parallels Desktop detects what you require automatically, so you can set it up and run in minutes. Graphics are lightning fast, and resource-intensive Windows applications run smoothly without slowing down your Mac. Run resource-intensive applications like Microsoft Visual Studio, SQL Server, Microsoft PowerBI, or MetaTrader.
Remote Desktop by Mircosoft
Mircosoft Remote Desktop is a remote connection app for Mac that allows you to rapidly connect to Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365, or remote PCs. Thus, you can use its applications and files, access data, and so on.
Screen Recorder by Omi (Free)
When you need to record your Mac screen, you can press Shift + Command + 5 to record the screen. If you need a better recording experience, you should try Screen Recorder by Omi.
It helps you rapidly record your work processes. Whether it’s the complete screen, a defined region, or video from the camera, you can capture it all with one click. More importantly, it can record your Mac screen with audio while most other third-party apps cannot.
Hazel – Automated Organization for Your Mac
You can set Hazel to keep an eye on a folder (or many folders), establish the conditions under which it should take action, and then Hazel does what you want it to do when it detects a match.
You might, for instance, implement the following rules:
- Delete files older than a year in a certain folder.
- Get a warning as soon as the folder size goes beyond 50 GB.
- Import recently downloaded videos, songs, and photos directly into your TV, Music, and Photos.
You can also run shell scripts or Applescripts, the possibilities for working with files are almost boundless. Nothing to worry about if you have no idea what any of it implies. Hazel interface is quite intuitive, anyone without coding skills can set up rules for file automation.
Final Thoughts
I believe these are the must-have apps for Mac when you set up a new Mac. Most of them are completely free and some offer a paid upgrade. You may choose the apps for Mac and plan accordingly. At last, if you think I have missed something, be sure to leave it in the comments.