A curated list of awesome applications, softwares, tools and shiny things for macOS.

Items marked with are open-source software and link to the source code. Items marked with are free (as in free beer).

Table of Contents

• Applications
  • Audio
  • Chat Clients
  • Data Recovery
  • Developers
  • E-Book Utilities
  • Editors
  • Email Utilities
  • Finder
  • Games
  • Graphics
  • Productivity
  • Sharing Files
  • Terminal
  • Utilities
  • Video
  • Window Management
  • Others
• Command Line Utilities
• macOS Utilities
• Setup
  • laptop
  • mac-dev-setup
  • macOS 10.10 Yosemite
  • macOS 10.11 El Capitan
  • macOS 10.9 Mavericks
• Security
• Miscellaneous
• Discussion Forums
  • Apple
  • IRC channels
  • MacRumors
  • Reddit
• Contribute

Applications

Audio

• Audacity - Free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
• Audio Hijack - Record audio from any application like iTunes, Skype or Safari, or from hardware devices like microphones and mixers.
• BackgroundMusic - Record system audio, control audio levels for individual apps, and automatically pauses your music player when other audio starts playing and unpauses it afterwards.
• Mixxx - Free DJ software that gives you everything you need to perform live mixes, veritable alternative to Traktor.
• VOX Player - Play numerous lossy and lossless audio formats.
• XLD - Rip/Decode/convert/play various "lossless" audio files.

Bookmark Utilities

• ReadKit - Have all your Instapaper, Pocket, etc. feeds in one place even when you're offline.
• Spillo - Powerful, beautiful and fast Pinboard client.

Chat Clients

• ChitChat - A native Mac app wrapper for WhatsApp Web.
• Colloquy - A GUI IRC Client.
• Goofy - Unofficial Facebook Messenger client.
• LimeChat - Instant messaging application.
• Messenger for Desktop - An app for Facebook messenger.
• Profanity - A terminal XMPP client.
• Slack - A messaging app for teams.
• Telegram - A messaging app with a focus on speed and security, it’s super fast, simple and free.
• Textual 5 - An Internet Relay Chat (IRC) client.
• WeeChat - A terminal IRC client.

Data Recovery

• Data Rescue - Comprehensive and professional data recovery for a multitude of scenarios.
• DiskWarrior - Recover from filesystem corruptions when Disk Utility is out of options.

Developers

• Base 2 - A GUI for managing SQLite databases.
• Cakebrew - The Homebrew GUI App.
• Charles - Charles is a Proxy that allow you to view all of the HTTP and HTTPS traffic.
• CocoaRestClient - An app for testing REST endpoints.
• Dash - An API Documentation Browser and Code Snippet Manager.
• dlite - The simplest way to use Docker on macOS.
• Gas Mask - A simple hosts file manager which allows editing of host files and switching between them.
• gitbar - Open source github contribution stats on your Menu Bar.
• GitHub Desktop - A GUI for using GitHub.
• GitUp - A simple but powerful Git macOS app.
• Hosts - Edit hosts file.
• ImageAlpha - Apply lossy compression on PNG files with or without transparency for more efficient files.
• ImageOptim - Makes images take up less disk space and load faster.
• Insomnia - A modern REST client with a beautiful interface.
• Integrity - Easily find your website's broken links.
• Kaleidoscope - Powerful diff and merge application supporting text, images, and folders.
• Paw - The ultimate REST client.
• Postgres.app - The easiest way to get started with PostgreSQL.
• PSequel - A PostgreSQL GUI tool.
• QorumLogs - Swift Logging Utility for Xcode & Google Docs.
• Quiver - A delightful notebook for programmers that allows mixing rich text, code, markdown, LaTeX, and graphs.
• Sequel Pro - A MySQL database manager.
• Sip - A simple color picker for developers.
• SnippetsLab - Manage and organise snippets of code.
• SourceTree - A free Git & Mercurial client.
• StarUML - A sophisticated software modeler.
• Tower - The most powerful Git client.
• Unused - An app for checking Xcode projects for unused resources.
• Vagrant Manager - Manage your vagrant machines in one place with Vagrant Manager for macOS.
• Versions - SVN GUI client for Mac.
• WWDC - The WWDC app.
• Zsh - A powerful command line shell.

E-Book Utilities

• Calibre - Incredibly ugly but powerful software for ebook management and conversion.
• Kindle App - Amazon Kindle App for macOS.
• Sigil - Multi-platform ePub editor.

Editors

• Atom - The hackable text editor.
• Brackets - A modern text editor that understands web design.
• Emacs - Port of Emacs to work as an macOS app.
• Light Table - A customizable editor with REPL support for Clojure, JavaScript, Python and others.
• MacVim - Vim, the text editor.
• Sublime Text 3 - The sophisticated text editor.
• TextMate - A graphical text editor.
• VimR - Vim, refined.
• Visual Studio Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications.

Email Utilities

• Airmail - Lightning fast email client designed for El Capitan.
• MailMate - Advanced IMAP email client, featuring extensive keyboard control and Markdown support.
• Nylas N1 - An extensible, open source mail client with custom plugin support.

Finder

• ForkLift - File Manager and FTP/SFTP/WebDAV/Amazon S3 client.
• Path Finder - A powerful dual-pane browser alternative to Finder.
• Quicklook-Plugins - List of extra quicklook plugins to enable previewing more filetypes in the Finder.
• TotalFinder - A powerful alternative to Finder.
• XtraFinder - Adds useful features to Finder.

Games

• Battle for Wesnoth - Turn-based tactical strategy game, featuring both single-player and online multiplayer combat.
• Boxer - The DOS game emulator that’s fit for your Mac.
• Dolphin - A powerful, Open Source emulator for Nintendo GameCube and Wii games.
• OpenEmu - Multiple Video Game System.
• Screentendo - Turn your screen into a playable level of Mario.
• Stockfish - Beautiful, powerful chess application.

Graphics

• Acorn - A very Mac-like image editor with a comprehensive feature set.
• Affinity Designer - Vector image design tool, possible Adobe Illustrator alternative.
• Affinity Photo - Raster image design tool, possible Adobe Photoshop alternative.
• Blender - Fully-featured extensible cross-platform 3D content suite.
• GIPHY Capture - Capture and share GIFs on the desktop.
• Image2icon - Create and personalize icons from your pictures.
• OmniGraffle - An app for creating precise, beautiful graphics.
• Pixelmator - Powerful image editor, possible Photoshop alternative.
• Sketch - Hybrid vector/bitmap layout application, especially useful for UI, web and mobile design.
• Sketch Toolbox - A super simple plugin manager for Sketch.
• xScope - Tools for measuring, inspecting and testing on-screen graphics and layouts.

Productivity

• Alfred - Boosts your efficiency and productivity.
• BetterTouchTool - Configure gestures for mouse and actions for keyboard shortcuts.
• ClipMenu - ClipBoard History Manager.
• CloudClip - Sync your clipboard between your Mac and your iOS devices.
• Dropzone - Create a popup grid of customizable actions that enhance productivity on your Mac.
• f.lux - Automatically adjust your computer screen to match lighting.
• Fantastical 2 - Complete Calendar app replacement which uses natural language for creating events.
• Hazel - Create rules to automatically keep your files organized.
• HazeOver - Turn distractions down and focus on your current task.
• HyperDock - Select individual application window.
• Instant Translate - Translate speech and text between 100+ languages from the menu bar.
• Karabiner - A powerful keyboard customizer.
• Keytty - Enables you to control your mouse with a few key strokes. Mouse Keys Alternative.
• LaunchBar - Start applications, navigate folders, manipulate files, control your Mac and much more just by using the keyboard.
• noti - Display a notification after a terminal process finishes.
• OmniFocus - An incredible task management platform for Mac, iPad, and iPhone.
• OmniOutliner - Perfect for collecting information, outlining ideas, adding structure to any sort of writing, and much more.
• Paste - The new way to copy & paste for Mac.
• PopClip - Instantly copy & paste, access actions like search, spelling, dictionary and more.
• Quicksilver - Control your Mac quickly and elegantly.
• SelfControl - Bclock access to distracting websites.
• Telephone - A SIP softphone. Make phone calls over the Internet or your company’s network.
• TextExpander - Create custom keyboard shortcuts for frequently-used text and pictures.
• Todoist - Cross-platform to-do manager with mobile apps, great UI and has some optional premium features.

Sharing Files

• BitTorrent Sync - Multi platform sync tool using BitTorrent protocol.
• CloudApp - Capture and share files and screenshots instantly.
• Jumpshare - Real-time file sharing app with support for instantly sharing code / Markdown, annotating screenshots, screen recording, and voice recording.
• mac2imgur - Upload images and screenshots to Imgur.
• Syncthing - Multi-platform, secure, decentralized sync tool.
• Transmission - Simple, lightweight, multi-platform torrent client.

Terminal

• iTerm 2 - A terminal emulator.
• TotalTerminal - A system-wide terminal available on a hot-key.

Utilities

• 1Password - Password Manager and Secure Wallet.
• Amphetamine - Prevents macOS from automatically going to sleep, with lots of configurations.
• AnyBar - A menubar status indicator.
• AppCleaner - Uninstall your apps easily.
• Arthur - Safely optimize some of your Mac's hidden settings.
• Bartender - Organize your menu bar apps.
• Batch Image Resizer - Resize a large number of images quickly on your computer.
• BeardedSpice - Control web based media players with the media keys found on Mac keyboards.
• BetterZip - A very capable and full-featured archive manager.
• BitBar - Display output of any script to the menu bar.
• Burn - No-nonsense burning of Data/Audio/Video CDs and DVDs, including copying.
• Caret - Very capable markdown editor.
• CheatSheet - Know your short cuts.
• CommandQ - Never accidentally quit an app again.
• ControlPlane - Automate running tasks based on where you are or what you do.
• DaisyDisk - Analyze disk usage and free up disk space.
• Deliveries - Beautiful and simple package tracking.
• DisableMonitor - Easily disable or enable a monitor on your Mac.
• EtreCheck - Output system information and configuration to get more informed help from Apple support professionals.
• Finicky - App that allows you to set rules that decide which browser is opened for every link.
• Fluid - Turn web applications into Mac applications.
• gfxCardStatus - Menu bar app to monitor and switch between integrated and discrete GPUs on MacBook Pro.
• Helium - A floating browser window that allows you to watch media while you work.
• InsomniaX - Prevents macOS from automatically going to sleep (on lid closing or idle timeout).
• iStat Menus - An advanced system monitor for your menubar.
• Kawa - A better input source switcher with shortcuts.
• KeePassX - A free, open source, and light-weight password manager.
• KeepingYouAwake - Menu bar utility that prevents Mac from going to sleep.
• Keka - Compress to and extract from many archive file formats.
• Knock - Unlock your Mac quickly and securely.
• LastPass - Password Manager and secure digital records in Secure Notes.
• LaunchControl - Create, manage and debug launchd services.
• Loading - See when apps are using your network in your Mac menubar.
• Little Snitch - Protect your privacy.
• MacDown - Markdown editor.
• Mackup - Keep your application settings in sync.
• MacPass - Password Manager.
• Media Converter - Simple (drag and drop) but advanced media conversion.
• Menubar Colors - Convenient access to the system color panel.
• MenuMeters - A set of CPU, memory, disk, and network monitoring tools for macOS.
• Monodraw - A powerful ASCII art editor.
• Noizio - Ambient sound equalizer for relaxation or productivity.
• Notational Velocity - Store, retrieve and sync notes within a minimal GUI.
• Noti - Receive Android notifications on your mac (with PushBullet).
• Numi - Beautiful calculator app.
• OnyX - Multifunction utility to verify disks and files, run cleaning and system maintenance tasks, configure hidden options and more.
• Paparazzi - A small utility that makes screenshots of webpages.
• Paragon NTFS - World fastest NTFS driver.
• Radio Silence - Simple to use firewall and network monitor.
• Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client - Remote Desktop Connection Client lets you connect from your Macintosh computer to a Windows-based computer.
• Site Sucker - Automatically download websites from the Internet.
• ShiftIt - Managing windows size and position.
• SlowQuitApps - Prevent accidental Cmd-Q.
• SmartCapsLock - Makes the Caps Lock key smarter, so that when the key accidentally gets activated and you START YELLING even though you don't want to, you can just select the yelling-text and press the key again to instantly fix its case instead of typing everything all over again.
• Soulver - Beautiful expressive calculator.
• SSH Tunnel - Manage your SSH tunnels, tightly integrated with macOS Keychain, secure and intuitive.
• Subtitles - Automatically downloads subtitles for your movies and TV shows.
• TeamViewer - Remotely control another computer.
• TextBar - TextBar is a tiny but powerful app that lets you add any text to your MenuBar.
• Typeeto - Lets you use your Mac's keyboard as a bluetooth keyboard to type on another devices.
• Typora - Another minimal Markdown editor.
• Ukelele - Unicode Keyboard Layout Editor.
• Übersicht - Run system commands and display their output on your desktop as widgets.
• The Unarchiver - Unarchive many different kinds of archive files.
• VirtualBox - Powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use, free alternative to VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop.
• Wineskin - Run Windows applications and games on your Mac.

Video

• HandBrake - High performance video encoding and conversion tools with a nice GUI.
• MPlayerX - Media player.
• mpv - Media player.
• ScreenFlow - Screencasting and video editing software.
• Subler - Mux and tag MP4 files.
• Subtitlr - Drag and drop subititle download utility.

Window Management

• Amethyst - Window manager (automatically keep windows sized in grids).
• Divvy Window Manager - Window management for tiling your windows.
• Hammerspoon - Extremely powerful scripting engine for macOS.
• kwm - Tiling window manager with focus follows mouse.
• Moom - Move and zoom windows, super light weight and customizable.
• Spectacle - Easily organize windows without using a mouse.
• Stay - Resize/position windows when displays change.
• Zooom/2 - Mac window management.

Others

• [Clocker] (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clocker-menubar-world-clock/id1056643111?ls=1&mt=12) - Check time in multiple timezones from your Mac menubar.
• Aerial - Apple TV Aerial Screensaver for Mac.
• Catch - The easiest way to use ShowRSS.
• gInbox - gInbox is a wrapper made for Mac around Inbox by Gmail.
• hacker-menu - Hacker News Delivered to Desktop.
• Hacky - Hacky provides browsing Hacker News in a clean and minimalistic way.
• PopKey - Allows easy access to animated GIFs from the Mac menu bar.
• Sonora - A minimal, beautifully designed music player.
• SoundCleod - A browser for SoundCloud.
• Transmit - A FTP client.
• Vienna - RSS/Atom newsreader.

Command Line Utilities

• Awesome macOS Command Line - Use your macOS terminal shell to do awesome things.
• m-cli -  Swiss Army Knife for Mac OS X
• Mac-CLI -  OS X command line tools for developers
• Mac macOS Manual Pages - Apple's official man page reference which lists all general commands in Section 1.

macOS Utilities

• Bluetooth Debug Menu - Factory reset devices and more.
• Command Line Utilities Part 1
• Command Line Utilities Part 2
• EnvPane - An preference pane for environment variables.
• Glances - System monitoring tool that runs in terminal.
• Thread on StackExchange

Setup

laptop

• https://github.com/thoughtbot/laptop

mac-dev-setup

• https://github.com/nicolashery/mac-dev-setup

macOS 10.9 Mavericks Setup

• https://gist.github.com/kevinelliott/3135044
• https://gist.github.com/kimmobrunfeldt/350f4898d1b82cf10bce

macOS 10.10 Yosemite Setup

• https://gist.github.com/kevinelliott/0726211d17020a6abc1f

macOS 10.11 El Capitan Setup

• https://gist.github.com/saetia/1623487

Security

• GPG Suite - Full GPG toolkit with easy to understand GUI applications and Mail.app plugin.
• macchanger by acrogenesis - Easily change your MAC Address
• macchanger by shilch - Change / spoof MAC address on macOS / OS X (random, custom and restore).
• MIDAS - Intrusion Detection Analysis System.
• OS-X-Security-and-Privacy-Guide
• OSXCollector - Forensic evidence collection & analysis toolkit.
• santa - A binary whitelisting/blacklisting system.
• Tunnelblick - Easy to use OpenVPN client and GUI.

• VeraCrypt - Free and open source disk encryption software.

• Viscosity - Fully-featured OpenVPN client, ready for enterprise deployment.

Miscellaneous

• Trackpad Gestures
• Power Tools
• Show hidden files
• Mac Power Users
• Awesome Screensavers

Discussion Forums

Apple

• Apple Support Communities

IRC channels

• #macosx
• #apple
• #mac

MacRumors

• macOS Yosemite
• macOS El Capitan

Reddit

• osx
• macapps
• mac
• macOS
• macsetups

Contribute

Contributions are most welcome, please adhere to the contribution guidelines.

Please consider checking out the pull requests that need more votes to be included.

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License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.