Top 30 Must-Have Mac Applications Every User Should Know

A comprehensive guide to the best Mac applications across all categories - from productivity to creativity.

Published on August 25, 2024•15 min read

Mac users have access to an incredible ecosystem of applications that can transform how you work, create, and play. This comprehensive guide covers 30 essential Mac applications across six key categories, each carefully selected based on user reviews, feature completeness, and real-world utility.

Productivity & Workflow

ActionHub

4.9

Comprehensive productivity suite with Dynamic Island integration

$10/month

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Alfred

4.7

Powerful launcher with workflows and automation

Free / £34Visit

Raycast

4.6

Modern launcher with extensions and team collaboration

Free / $8/monthVisit

Notion

4.5

All-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and collaboration

Free / $8/monthVisit

Obsidian

4.4

Knowledge management with linked notes and graphs

Free / $50/yearVisit

Window & System Management

Rectangle

4.8

Free window management with keyboard shortcuts

FreeVisit

Bartender 4

4.5

Organize and hide menu bar items

$16Visit

CleanMyMac X

4.6

System cleaning and optimization

$89.95Visit

iStat Menus

4.3

System monitoring in your menu bar

$18Visit

Amphetamine

4.6

Keep your Mac awake with custom triggers

FreeVisit

Development & Design

Visual Studio Code

4.7

Popular code editor with extensive extensions

FreeVisit

Figma

4.6

Collaborative interface design tool

Free / $12/monthVisit

Sketch

4.4

Vector graphics and UI design

$99/yearVisit

Tower

4.3

Git client with visual interface

$69/yearVisit

Paw

4.2

Advanced API testing tool

$49.99Visit

Media & Entertainment

VLC

4.5

Universal media player for all formats

FreeVisit

IINA

4.6

Modern media player designed for macOS

FreeVisit

Spotify

4.4

Music streaming with offline downloads

Free / $9.99/monthVisit

Pockity

4.3

Podcast player with smart features

$4.99Visit

Permute 3

4.2

Easy media file conversion

$9.99Visit

Security & Privacy

1Password

4.8

Password manager with family sharing

$2.99/monthVisit

Little Snitch

4.4

Network monitoring and firewall

$58Visit

Malwarebytes

4.3

Anti-malware protection

Free / $39.99/yearVisit

ProtonVPN

4.2

Secure VPN with no-logs policy

Free / $4.99/monthVisit

Encrypto

4.1

File encryption made simple

FreeVisit

Utilities & Tools

Hazel

4.4

Automated file organization

$32Visit

TextSoap

4.2

Text cleaning and formatting

$44.99Visit

The Unarchiver

4.5

Archive extraction utility

FreeVisit

AppCleaner

4.3

Complete app removal tool

FreeVisit

Finder Path

4.3

Add path bar to Finder

$9.99Visit

How We Selected These Apps

Selection Criteria

• User ratings and reviews
• Regular updates and support
• Feature completeness
• Integration with macOS
• Value for money

Transparency Note

ActionHub is developed by our team at ActionLabs. Its inclusion is based on genuine user feedback and comprehensive feature analysis. We maintain honest rankings and only recommend apps we truly believe in.