A curated list of awesome applications, softwares, tools and shiny things for OS X.
Items marked with
are open-source software and link to the source code.
- Applications
- Command Line Utilities
- OS X Utilities
- Setup
- Security
- Miscellaneous
- Discussion Forums
- Contribute
- 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.
- Cog - A free open source audio player for OS X.
- Mixxx - Free DJ software that gives you everything you need to perform live mixes, veritable alternative to Traktor.
- NepTunes - reliable and modern Last.fm scrobbler for iTunes.
- VOX Player - Play numerous lossy and lossless audio formats.
- XLD - Rip/Decode/convert/play various "lossless" audio files.
- ReadKit - Have all your Instapaper, Pocket, etc. feeds in one place even when you're offline.
- Spillo - Powerful, beautiful and fast Pinboard client.
- 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 Rescue - Comprehensive and professional data recovery for a multitude of scenarios.
- DiskWarrior - Recover from filesystem corruptions when Disk Utility is out of options.
- 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.
- Dash - An API Documentation Browser and Code Snippet Manager.
- dlite - The simplest way to use Docker on OS X.
- Gas Mask - A simple hosts file manager which allows editing of host files and switching between them.
- GitHub Desktop - A GUI for using GitHub.
- GitUp - A simple but powerful Git OS X 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.
- Paw - The ultimate REST client.
- PSequel - A PostgreSQL GUI tool.
- Sequel Pro - A MySQL database manager.
- Sip - A simple color picker for developers.
- 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 OS X.
- WWDC - The WWDC app.
- Zsh - A powerful command line shell.
- Calibre - Incredibly ugly but powerful software for ebook management and conversion.
- Kindle App - Amazon Kindle App for OS X.
- Kitabu - Desktop ePub ebook reader.
- Sigil - Multi-platform ePub editor.
- Atom - The hackable text editor.
- Brackets - A modern text editor that understands web design.
- Emacs - Port of Emacs to work as an OS X 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.
- Airmail - Lightning fast email client designed for El Capitan, and a free Beta.
- MailMate - Advanced IMAP email client, featuring extensive keyboard control and Markdown support.
- Nylas N1 - An extensible, open source mail client with custom plugin support.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- xScope - Tools for measuring, inspecting and testing on-screen graphics and layouts.
- 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.
- 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.
- HyperDock - Select individual application window.
- Karabiner - A powerful keyboard customizer.
- 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.
- 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 - Block access to distracting websites.
- 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.
- 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.
- iTerm 2 - A terminal emulator.
- TotalTerminal - A system-wide terminal available on a hot-key.
- 1Password - Password Manager and Secure Wallet.
- Amphetamine - Prevents OS X 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.
- 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.
- ControlPlane - Automate running tasks based on where you are or what you do.
- DaisyDisk - Analyze disk usage and free up disk space.
- 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 OS X 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.
- Keka - Compress to and extract from many archive file formats.
- Knock - Unlock your Mac quickly and securely. Now with Apple Watch.
- Loading - See when apps are using your network in your Mac menubar.
- 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.
- Monodraw - A powerful ASCII art editor.
- Notational Velocity - Store, retrieve and sync notes within a minimal GUI.
- Numi - Beautiful calculator app.
- OnyX - Multifunction utility to verify disks and files, run cleaning and system maintenance tasks, configure hidden options and more.
- Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client - Remote Desktop Connection Client lets you connect from your Macintosh computer to a Windows-based computer and then work with applications and files on the Windows-based computer.
- Site Sucker - Automatically download websites from the Internet.
- ShiftIt - Managing windows size and position.
- 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.
- Typora - Another minimal Markdown editor.
- Übersicht - Run system commands and display their output on your desktop as widgets.
- The Unarchiver - Unarchive many different kinds of archive files.
- Wineskin - Run Windows applications and games on your Mac.
- 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.
- Amethyst - Window manager (automatically keep windows sized in grids).
- Divvy Window Manager - Window management for tiling your windows.
- Hammerspoon - Extremely powerful scripting engine for OS X.
- kwm - Tiling window manager with focus follows mouse.
- Spectacle - Easily organize windows without using a mouse.
- Zooom/2 - Mac window management.
- [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.
- Karabiner - A powerful and stable keyboard customizer for OS X.
- 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.
- Awesome OS X Command Line - Use your OS X terminal shell to do awesome things.
- Mac OS X Manual Pages - Apple's official man page reference which lists all general commands in Section 1.
- Command Line Utilities Part 1
- Command Line Utilities Part 2
- Glances - System monitoring tool that runs in terminal.
- Thread on StackExchange
- https://gist.github.com/kevinelliott/3135044
- https://gist.github.com/kimmobrunfeldt/350f4898d1b82cf10bce
- GPG Suite - Full GPG toolkit with easy to understand GUI applications and Mail.app plugin.
- macchanger - Easily change your MAC Address
- MIDAS - Intrusion Detection Analysis System.
- OS-X-Security-and-Privacy-Guide
- OSXAuditor - A free computer forensics tool.
- santa - A binary whitelisting/blacklisting system.
- Tunnelblick - Easy to use OpenVPN client and GUI.
- Viscosity - Fully-featured OpenVPN client, ready for enterprise deployment.
Contributions are most welcome, please adhere to the contribution guidelines.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.