30+ Free Mac Apps That Improve My Workflow

I spend a lot of time on my MacBook, and I enjoy researching and exploring software that can improve my life and productivity. Here’s a collection of tools that have genuinely enhanced my daily productivity as a knowledge worker and data scientist. While some apps are well-known, others are less so and deserve more attention.

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but rather a curated selection of apps that have earned their place in my setup. All listed apps are free or freemium. The only freemium apps I pay for are Cursor and Timelines.

Essential apps for usability

These apps are the foundation of my Mac setup. They fix those friction points that you’ve probably learned to live with - from frustrating window management to conflicting scroll directions. The silent heroes that work in background.

1. Homebrew - Essential package manager for macOS. It’s the first thing I install on any new Mac to simplify installing and managing command-line applications. Most of tools here can be installed via Homebrew.
2. Raycast - Spotlight replacement that improves interacting with your Mac. Check out my guide on the commands and extensions I find most useful, such as application launching, clipboard management, and OCR.
3. AlDente - Smart battery manager to extends battery lifespan by preventing overcharging.
4. ScrollReverser - Simple solution that solves the annoying problem of conflicting scroll directions between your trackpad and mouse, allowing natural scrolling for both devices simultaneously.
5. AltTab - Brings Windows-style app switching to macOS, showing full window previews to make multitasking more intuitive.
6. MonitorControl - Adds proper brightness control for external monitors.
7. Command X - Adds the missing cut functionality to Finder, saves an extra keystroke.
8. Ice - Keeps your menu bar organised and clutter-free, great for smaller screens. I replaced paid app Bartender since I prefer the customisation options. Another free alternative is Hidden.
9. Flux - Automatically adjusts your screen’s colour temperature to reduce eye strain and support natural sleep cycles.
10. Rectangle - Brings Windows-style window management to macOS. While Raycast handles most of my window management, I use Rectangle for specific layouts.

Apps for coding and data science

These apps help me to get my work done as a “full-stack” data scientist - from database management to model API deployment.

11. iTerm2 - Terminal replacement that improves the command-line work with split panes, better search, and more. Great for complex development tasks.
12. Cursor - VS Code fork that uses advanced LLMs to help generate code, with the best developer experience UI I’ve tested yet. I’m a fan of the team’s vision for programming with AI after their appearance on Lex Fridman’s podcast.
13. Docker - Essential for containerisation and creating consistent development environments, ensuring your applications work everywhere.
14. DBeaver - Universal database tool that supports almost all major databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, etc.). Replaces the need to use specialised tools such as DB Browser for SQLite or pgAdmin for PostgreSQL. Rich UI with visual query builder and ERD diagrams.
15. Postman - API development environment that streamlines the process of testing, documenting and sharing API requests, saves you many hours in backend development.

AI tools

These free AI tools offer similar capabilities to ChatGPT and Claude with added benefits of privacy, offline access, and no usage limits.

16. Ollama - Run advanced LLMs locally and can be easily integrated into your LLM applications. Also, useful when coding on the road without internet access.
17. Jan - Sleek AI desktop chat interface for local models, useful when you use up Claude/OpenAI’s usage quotas. Again with the added benefit of privacy and offline access.
18. MacWhisper - High-accuracy audio transcription using OpenAI’s Whisper, I use this for full transcriptions of YouTube videos. For meetings and transcribing long WhatsApp voice messages I simply use the Apple Notes Voice Memos.

Productivity and note-taking apps

19. Logseq - Privacy-focused, outline based note-taking tool I use for work, research, and a glorified bookmark manager. All notes are saved as markdown files.
20. Obsidian - The go-to app for long-form and markdown-based note-taking.
21. Todoist - Task management app with seamless Google Calendar sync and the best natural language input I’ve seen. It’s always satisfying seeing a task magically pop up in my calendar at the right time and date.
22. Shottr - A better screenshot app. The free version has everything I need: capture area, rolling capture, and OCR.

Time tracking apps for intentionality

23. Timelines - My go-to for low-friction time tracking. I started using it for freelancing hours, but now it’s essential for intentional time management. I pay for the premium version to sync across all devices.
24. ActivityWatch - FOSS tool for automatic time-tracking, offering private insights on how you spend time online and in apps.
25. Flow - Pomodoro-style menu bar timer that tracks the number of work sessions completed.

Tools to help remote work

These lightweight tools help me to freelance, work remotely, and collaborate between different time-zones.

26. Hovrly - Simple menu bar app for instant timezone conversions, invaluable for remote work with its smooth, scroll-based UI.
27. Hand Mirror - A one-click way to check your webcam before meetings, preventing awkward starts.
28. Itsycal - Tiny menu bar calendar.

Other useful apps

29. Stats - Mac system monitor in your menu bar. Quickly see what processes are hogging up your CPU, RAM, and internet speeds.
30. IINA - Modern video player that handles nearly all formats.
31. OmniDiskSweeper - Identify and remove large files to clear up storage space.
32. Transnomino - Batch rename utility for the Mac.
33. Quitter - Auto-hides or quits inactive apps.

Apps I no longer use but still recommend

• Maccy - Clipboard history manager for macOS, replaced by Raycast.
• Rocket - Inline emoji getter, replaced by Raycast.
• Horo - Menu bar timer app, replaced by Flow.
• ImageOptim - Image compressor, replaced by Raycast.
• MacDown - FOSS Markdown editor with a simple interface with an editor and preview pane, replaced by Obsidian.
• Hyperkey - Add caps lock as a modifier key.
• Grammarly - AI-powered writing assistant that clears up communication without needing to paste text elsewhere, replaced by Apple Intelligence. I recommend creating a shortcut for summarising and proofreading.
• Bartender - Keeps your menu bar organised and clutter-free, great for smaller screens, replaced by Ice.

Wrapping up

Thanks for making it to the end! I’ll keep updating this list, as I’m sure some apps will be replaced soon - especially with the new Apple Intelligence updates (looking at you, Grammarly).

Inspired by my friend’s post.