A selection of the most popular programs for Mac. Apps on macOS: from interesting to the best Subscription apps from Setapp

Mac computers are famous for having a good starter set of software that allows you to solve many tasks right out of the box.

Time does not stand still, new types of data, services, processes and tasks appear, which means that it is necessary to supplement the basic set of applications with third-party programs.

Here's what you should pay attention to first.

1. VLC Player

All Macs come with the app preinstalled Quick Time. This player is designed to play branded and officially supported by Apple formats. Common AVI or MKV is beyond his power.

Even the most stubborn Apple fans sooner or later face the need to watch videos in an unsupported format. Instead of all sorts of converters and decoders, it's easier to have an omnivorous player.

VLC has long been considered the best in this category on macOS. He copes with multi-channel sound, can switch tracks and subtitles, and also supports control from the proprietary Apple Remote.

2.Audio Hijack

Initially, macOS does not provide a convenient means to control and record system sounds. The user is forced to look for third-party utilities for this.

This program allows you to manage system sounds, record an audio signal from instant messengers or dialers, share sounds on different devices.

3. BetterTouchTool

A useful utility for fine-tuning the keyboard, mouse, touchpad and other input sources on Mac. You can create all kinds of rules and settings for specific applications. BetterTouchTool understands any mice, keyboards, remotes and media controllers.

The program can quickly arrange the windows of other applications in the right areas of the screen, this useful feature Apple will not copy from Windows.

In addition, you can overclock the cursor as much as possible by setting the extreme sensitivity, or add a couple of useful keyboard shortcuts.

4. The Unarchiver

The simplest and most convenient application for working with archives on Mac. Minimum settings with all the necessary features.

The program rightfully takes pride of place in the top free applications of the Mac App Store and is almost the only Must Have program from the Apple application store.

5. Little Snitch

An advanced network connection manager will help you solve several tasks at once on your Mac computer.

The utility can quickly disable network access for all installed programs and services. When you connect for the first time, you will be prompted to create a rule for one-time or permanent access.

This will quickly pacify programs that work great offline. This will reduce the load on the network, the Mac will use the connection less often and save battery power.

6.FilePane

The lightweight utility creates a small menu for working with different types of files. Displays the program menu while dragging objects, allowing you to quickly copy or change data, send or save files.

You can get used to FilePane in a few hours of work, and then you start wildly saving time on routine operations.

7. CloudMounter

The program will be appreciated by the owners of several accounts in different cloud storages.

CloudMounter can work with data over various network protocols without full synchronization on the computer. The utility connects storage in the form of external drives and downloads only the data you need on your Mac.

This way you can get rid of several cloud storage clients and save precious space on a small SSD drive.

8 Daisy Disk

The application will quickly tell you where the free space on your computer has gone. All disks and directories will be displayed in the form of a visual diagram.

The utility will colorize the data types and allow you to delete everything except system or protected files.

So you can remember in a couple of minutes that precious space is being eaten up by a long-completed Final Cut project or a 4K movie downloaded last month.

Cleaning up space with DaisyDisk is a pleasure, no automatic actions and dubious algorithms - only manual deletion of really unnecessary files.

My relationship with Windows ended in 2012 when I bought my first MacBook. macOS (then still OS X) pretty pissed off the first couple of weeks of acquaintance. I had to google for basic things like how to switch the language, how to completely uninstall apps, and more.

After learning the basic principles of the system, I came to an understanding of why the operating system is still good - I forever forgot about installing drivers, antiviruses, a bunch of security updates and the rest of the headache that I never wanted to think about. MacBook solved it automatically. But not all.

Some of the usual problems had to be solved by myself, and this required special software. I don’t know if this speaks of the quality and quantity of good applications for desktop operating systems, but in the first month I found as many useful programs on the MacBook as I have not found on Windows for many years. Some have already been removed and forgotten, but a certain gentleman's set has formed ..

So, I'm talking about the best applications on macOS. For convenience, I will divide it into three sections: the desired minimum, useful utilities, and everything that did not fit the first two sections.

Desirable minimum

The coolest harvester to clean your computer. Scans and finds system junk, cache, old and large files, cleans the trash, completely removes programs and much more. There is a handy widget for the menu bar, where in one click the trash or RAM is cleared, and the battery charge is also shown.

The first app I installed, but second on this list. Logics? She is not. By default, macOS only fully works with media on the FAT file system, which has a nasty write limit - the file must be no larger than 4 GB. This is not the case with NTFS, but Apple only allowed such partitions to be read, not written. The problem is solved by the inconspicuous Tuxera NTFS utility - once installed and forgotten forever. Bonus: formatting drives to NTFS. There is an alternative in the form of Paragon NTFS.

Free application for managing external and internal drives. Shows brief statistics on the amount of memory and allows you to safely remove media. But most importantly: removes system residual garbage. It happens that after macOS, a flash drive connected to Windows will be occupied by invisible files - the program removes them.

Simply the best cross-platform media player. Free.

Torrent client. Compact, free and no ads. Allows you to download files even if the part has already been deleted.

Useful Utilities

Clipboard Manager. I tried a lot of similar programs and settled on it. A nice interface that does not stand out from the general style of the system played a decisive role. Paste performs one simple task: it keeps a history of what has been copied for later access. There is a search. If you often have to use the “cmd + c” combination at work, then you must install it.

A small utility to save RAM and computer battery. It sets an inactivity timer for any application. For example, if I don't use iTunes for five minutes, then it will automatically close.

Gorgeous Windows-style window manager. Allows you to change and dock windows for convenient workspace organization. It works extremely simply: with the cursor you drag the window to the desired corner of the screen and you're done. I use constantly. There is an alternative to BetterSnapTool.

Includes any HTML5 video from Safari in Picture-in-Picture mode. Verified on YouTube and Twitch. Working.

An elegant timer for the menu bar. You need to drag the icon down and measure the required number of minutes. Useful if you constantly work at the computer.

Screenshot app. Usually, standard macOS combinations are enough, but in MonoSnap you can immediately make notes, upload to the cloud, and get a link to your clipboard.

A powerful utility that brings popup command menu from iOS. Works throughout the system and depending on where the text is highlighted, the application offers different commands. The list of such commands is customizable and the developer has a whole section with extensions for this, which is constantly updated. You can create a reminder, translate text, find on the map and much more in one click. Many popular applications are supported.

Almost every software has its own icon in the status bar. For some it can be hidden, but in most cases it can't. Bartender will come to the rescue. It frees up space on the menu bar and makes your Mac a little tidier. You can choose which applications to hide, customize shortcuts and the icon of the application itself.

All the rest

Mail client. I use it in conjunction with the iOS version. There are a lot of functions, most of which I did not even understand. It is convenient that all mailboxes are stored in iCloud. Another option is Spark. On iOS, it did not take root for me, and there was no application on the MacBook initially. Now it's out and it's been praised by a lot of people. Try it. It is free unlike AirMail.

Graphic editor with wide possibilities. Can do a lot of things that Photoshop, but it takes up much less space. The only negative is that there is no Russian language.

I first bought it on iOS because of the cool widget for the notification center - it fits a whole month there. The application combines a calendar and reminders. There is a widget for the menu bar.

Beneath the minimalistic design of this calculator lie enormous possibilities. He can: count, convert different values, currency, temperature, and a lot more. You can write in text (m and meters - the calculator understands both options), use abbreviations (log, sqrt), signs (%, $). There is even a notification center widget. In short, a gun! So also free.

1Password (Free, but with a $2.99/mo subscription)

The most famous password manager. It can store logins, bank cards, addresses, notes, bank accounts, driver's licenses, passports and more. Available on iOS, Android, Windows with general synchronization. But too expensive. Recently, a good alternative has appeared - so far there are much fewer opportunities, but for free.

One of the best VPN services from the creators of RememBear. Paid, but the tariffs are humane.

Every Mac user has thought about how to increase their productivity. Our selection of programs for macOS can help with this.

Let's divide the selected applications into 4 conditional sections: productivity, technology, working with text, entertainment.

Productivity

air mail

air mail is a fast email client that supports multiple accounts. Like any modern email client, it supports Gmail, Yahoo!, iCloud, Microsoft Exchange, Outlook. AirMail allows you to install a large number of plugins for additional functionality. Also, the indisputable advantages of this program include a built-in system for blocking unwanted messages.

Price:$10, can be downloaded from .

Alfred

Alfred is a launch of applications using the keyboard, a multi-platform search shell. This program has just amazing performance. It allows you to use the search in files and the Internet. Alfred is able to perform some system actions like emptying the recycle bin, rebooting and so on.

Price: free to download.

F.Lux

F.Lux is essentially similar to the Night Shift technology on iOS. At night, the color scheme of iPhone and iPad screens will warm up, protecting the eyes from excessive strain, and return to normal in the morning.
Many studies have shown that exposure to bright blue light in the evening can make it harder to fall asleep. Night mode will use the time and location data from your device to determine the time of sunset in your area.

Price: free to download.

simple mind

Simple Mind is a small application for creating mind maps. Creating mind maps is a fairly common method of structuring data and is very often used when working on complex projects and in the educational field.

Price:$30, can be downloaded from .

Spamsieve

Spamsieve connects to most email clients, parses the email received by the user and learns according to their habits. This program is used to combat spam on Mac. Spamsieve does not delete messages, it only flags them in the email client, so the user will never lose any desired messages. The program learns new ways to protect against spam right at the time of work, tracking all the tricks of spammers.

Price:$ 30, there is a trial version for 30 days, you can download .

Spectacle

Spectacle allows you to move and resize windows with simple keyboard shortcuts. You can split the screen into 2 or 4 parts by placing the browser in the upper left corner, the text editor in the upper right corner, and so on.

Price: free to download.

The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a great replacement for the built-in macOS Archive Utility app. It supports most existing formats, including the legacy ARJ.

Price: free, can be downloaded from .

Technologies

Dash

Dash is a document browser and code snippet manager. It comes with over 150 built-in API documents that can be downloaded and viewed offline.

Price:$ 25, there is a free version with restrictions, you can download .

Github Desktop

Github Desktop is an application that allows you to manage Github databases. It provides a more readable user interface than when working through a terminal.

Price: free to download.

iTerm2

iTerm2 is a comprehensive multi-window terminal for macOS. One of the best analogues of the built-in application "Terminal". iTerm 2 supports rich profile configuration and sophisticated window division.

Price: free to download.

textmate 2

TextMate 2 is a text editor that provides an intelligent set of keyboard shortcuts and a powerful set of plugins that make it suitable for almost any task. Used to edit code or text, it can even act as a task manager.

Price: free to download.

Work with text

Ulysses III

Ulysses III is a professional text editor that allows you to fully concentrate on your work. In addition to convenient work with text and its parts, Ulysses boasts full Markdown support for formatting, as well as export to TXT, RTF and PDF formats. In the first case, the text can be saved with HTML markup, Markdows or plain text, RTF supports export to Pages and Doc formats.

Another cool feature of Ulysses is the ability to flexibly customize the color scheme. Almost every element of the interface can be recolored to your taste. It is possible to sync documents via iCloud.

Price:$40, 14 days trial available, can be downloaded from .

Pixelmator

Pixemator is a photo editor, just like Adobe Photoshop. It provides the features that are expected of it: layers, filters, various shapes, smart selection, photo editing and more.

This is a traditional article where I talk about all the applications installed on my personal Mac. This year, 58 applications made the list.

This is a traditional article where I talk about all the applications installed on my Mac and MacBook. This year, 58 programs got into the list: 11 were thrown out, 16 were added. I marked my favorite apps with a heart ❤️ and new ones with an apple 🍏.

The main source of good software for me is still the Setapp service. It's kind of like an alternative App Store that gives you access to 100+ items for $9.99 a month, most of which aren't available in the Apple store.

Perhaps for the "oldies" who already have all this software, the subscription does not make much sense. But for beginners, this is a real find: you bought a new Mac, installed Setapp, and now you already have a hundred applications from different categories. In addition, Setapp eliminates the hassle of updating and storing personal licenses.

On this occasion, I divided the selection of my software into 3 sections:

1. Applications from Setapp;
2. apps from the App Store;
3. and applications that have to be downloaded from official sites.

This set of software suits me, but not the fact that it will suit you. At the same time, other people's lists are always inspiring. I am sure you will find something useful for yourself here.

1. Subscription apps from Setapp

Archiver - archiver

Bartender hides unnecessary icons from menubar

🍏 BetterTouchTool - keyboard and mouse customization

❤️ CleanMyMac X - Clean and keep your Mac fresh

Elmedia Player - video player

Flume - instagram client

Processor load per thread. iStat Menus

❤️ KeyKey - keyboard trainer

❤️ Yoink - buffer for files

❤️ Daisy Disk

Things is the friendliest planner I've ever seen. Beautiful and without built-in purchases and subscriptions

1Blocker - ad blocker

❤️ iA Writer - text editor

Alfred helps you launch applications, keep a clipboard history and automate routine

❤️ Arq - backups for Mac

Arq backups my laptop directly to Dropbox every hour

🍏 Carbon Copy Cloner - disk cloning

❤️ Sketch - vector editor

Quit for $99 per year
Vector editor for Mac. In it, I draw a new design for the KeyKey typing trainer, do all the illustrations for this blog. Without Sketch it's like without hands.

I make illustrations for the article in Sketch

Sublime Text - text editor for programmers

Free download
Text editor for programmers. I often use it for layout of articles and for editing the theme files of this blog. I've been using the trial version for two years now. It seems to be eternal.

🍏 ScreenFlow - screencast recording

Buy for 129$
Screencast recording software. Moved to it from iShowU as it records better from iPhone and iPad. I bought it recently and in the hope that I will record more screencasts :)

You just got a Mac Pro, iMac, MacBook, or Mac mini, fired it up, entered your Apple ID, and started exploring the macOS universe. The first days of operation of Apple technology turned into an aesthetic pleasure from bright interfaces. There has been a gradual introduction to features like Handoff and Continuity, which amplify the delight of iPhone and iPad owners. You've loaded your media library through Photos, mastered desktops, and quickly synced Notes between your devices. Safari has become my favorite browser. iTunes is no longer annoying after Windows experience. And, it would seem, the idyll has come! But not for long.

In about a week, the banal lack of applications, even for primitive tasks, will make itself felt. No matter how hard the Cupertino people try, there will still be third-party developers releasing cool products that outshine Apple crafts. It was them that we decided to put together so that freshly baked Mac owners know which program is better to get in order to organize the workspace in an ideal way.

We are in a hurry to present you 20 applications that are required to be installed on any Mac!

Clipboard Manager

Paste 2 is a polished clipboard manager that Apple was supposed to create, but domestic developer Dmitry Obukhov was ahead of her. The application is like an intelligent referee on the football field, who does not interfere, but is always in business. Paste 2 very quickly adjusts the size of the clipboard (from 100 objects to infinity), the keyboard shortcut for calling storage, iCloud sync and the Direct Paste function to paste data from history on double-click.

It is at the stage of quick setup and in the history section called by the Shift + Cmd + V combination that the thoughtful design of the application is felt. Firstly, it is pleasant to work in it, and, secondly, you want to work in it. Paste 2 saves a lot of time thanks to the scrolling of saved information in the form of a thumbnail tape, as well as a convenient system of markings and fasteners that allows you to categorize the desired objects. . Price - 749 rubles.

Office

Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac remains a life-saving office suite even in Apple territory. Time-tested Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote outshine the standard (albeit free) iWork. You don't have to worry about the quality, because the Redmonds have long ceased to produce semi-finished products for Macs. In addition, now Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac is available as a one-time purchase, without the classic Office 365 subscription. True, you will have to pay a hefty amount. Price - 5,199 rubles.

The calendar

Fantastical 2 is a beautiful, powerful and convenient in all respects calendar for Mac. The second part brought the long-awaited large window with a visual display of all events, while the pop-up block was still preserved in the menu bar. The calendar has learned to understand the user's natural language both through text input and through voice typing (the closest in mastering is English, but it's very easy to get used to). In the application, you can quickly add meeting coordinates, specify motley parameters and track everything either through the sidebar or through the widget, where the chic design will once again make itself felt.

The Fantastical 2 calendar can switch themes from dark to light, allows you to use multiple accounts, and also flexibly configure all calendars associated with them. In a word, you will never miss a scheduled event, and you will always be pleased to add something new to the program. . Price - 3,790 rubles.

Control of incoming/outgoing connections

Little Snitch 4 will keep a close eye on any network activity happening on your Mac. For a beginner, the purpose of the application may seem rather formidable, however, "Little Snitch" communicates in an accessible language, notifies itself of processes that exchange data with the Internet, and, in addition, is incredibly easy to configure. From the top menu-bar, they are allowed to select “Quiet modes”, each of which either passes traffic all the time, or, conversely, blocks it. If you need total control, switch to Alert - in this case, Little Snitch will always ask for user approval.

Through the configuration of Little Snitch 4, new behavior rules are added for applications, processes and iOS simulators, taking into account all types of connections. Depending on the specific Mac, they are allowed to juggle various settings profiles. The developers have screwed so many filters that even the most paranoid Mac can be flexibly adjusted. The most important thing is that everything is done effortlessly and without any special knowledge. Isn't this what a macOS newbie needs? Price - 3,000 rubles.

Graphics editor

Pixelmator good for its ease and entry threshold for beginners. It doesn't require a ton of tabs like in Photoshop. It is easy to perform any operation in it, such as cutting out the background, leaving the details of the alpha channel overboard. Pixelmator is suitable for both drawing and photo editing. The arsenal is not so much inferior to the Adobe product and is ready to satisfy tasks of any nature. Price - 2,290 rubles.

Photo retouching

The standard Photo application contains a basic set for processing any images, however, those who like to squeeze the most out of photos will need a more serious tool - Adobe Lightroom. It will come in handy at least for comparing before/after results, not to mention curves, masks, presets, display options, creating galleries, and methods for quick processing in a hurry. Price - 644 rubles / month.

Password Manager

Favorite password manager mSecure 5 should be used if you lack Keychain functionality and don't like the 1Password subscription, which has recently been releasing exclusive upgrades, bypassing the standalone version. The latest major edition of mSecure introduced a redesigned, more modern look, cloud sync support out of the box, as well as more templates, a welcome download of icons for popular services, and its Security Center alerting you to duplicates and weak passwords. In short, mSecure 5 is designed for those who want to pay once for a quality password manager and never have to worry about monthly fees until they die. And note that the unlimited license allows you to connect as many devices as you want to your own account. . Price - 2,290 rubles.

RSS reader

Reeder 3 is a one-stop solution when it comes to keeping track of a lot of news on Macs. Reeder 3 is able to competently share a huge amount of resources, scatter them into tags and organize a pleasant space for direct reading of materials. The application is very intuitive, all important buttons are at hand, and if you master the gestures, you will not want to part with the “magic box” of news at all. Reeder 3 has huge potential in terms of sharing and syncing accounts - Feedly alone is worth it. There are customizable themes, reading options, hotkeys and other settings that everyone can define for their own needs. Price - 749 rubles .

mail

A good alternative to the standard Mail is a colorful and multifunctional application Airmail 3, which has long received the status of cross-platform. The key feature of this mailer is customization, that is, the user is allowed to hang labels, set up automation, smart folders, turn on repeated reminders and choose from seven cool styles. You could even say that Airmail 3 imitates Inbox, but it turns out to be much more accessible. The only thing we recommend is that you carefully study all the options before using it in order to get the most out of Air Mail. Price - 749 rubles.

Markdown editor / Markup text editor

Ulysses is a martyr version of the writer's chic text editor. Let's try to explain in a few words. When the developers screwed up iCloud sync and a couple of useful features like export to PDF, we put the good old "Ulysses" on a pedestal and safely dropped it from there when the developers decided, and even for those who have already paid impressive sums for full versions of applications. However, the application itself motivates you to be creative, makes you write and compose texts. The Ulysses environment is great for highlighting text, attaching links and media files. Cataloging is a separate article, it is meticulously executed, although only one sidebar is enough for happiness. Change panel display modes, comfortably write a book chapter by chapter and do not be distracted by anything ... except for monthly payments;) . Price - 1 690 rubles / year

iA Writer is a worthy alternative to Ulysses, which will appeal to everyone who wants to save money on a good text editor, having themes, Markdown markup, a minimalistic environment that creates a creative atmosphere when, turning on the typewriter mode and inserting headphones, fingers spontaneously begin to transfer thoughts to paper screen. iA Writer has been improving since the days of skeuomorphism, so today the developers have provided the application with the most productive set: export, basic formatting, iCloud synchronization, simple tables and guidelines for developing printing standards. In addition, iA Writer is available on a wide range of platforms, including macOS, iOS, Windows, and Android. Price - 2,290 rubles. (one-time payment)

Audio player

VOX- this is FLAC support, this is an equalizer and advanced music playback settings, these are collections with selected groups of files, this is integration with iTunes, SoundCloud, Last.FM, a personal music library and a proprietary cloud VOX Cloud that provides an unlimited music library (but you have to pay for it) . Everything else is distributed completely free of charge and in a fairly presentable appearance. Price - Free.

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