10 of the Best Mac Apps on the Planet

A collection of hidden Mac gems that deserve your attention.

You have probably heard of many of these apps, but some are absolute hidden gems that deserve more attention than they get. So take a look through the list, and I guarantee at least one of these apps you’ll have never seen before.

Of course, this list is by no means complete, and it’s not in any particular order. It’s just ten of my favourite apps on my Mac right now.

Let’s get started. First up:

1. Craft

I’ve switched between @craftdocsapp and @NotionHQ countless times in the past, but I keep coming back to @craftdocsapp. There’s something special about it. It’s a real winner. Craft is the app to get if you like to write a lot (and I do), and you need somewhere to organise your writing.

‎Craft - Docs and Notes Editor

‎Craft is a tool for creating beautiful documents and notes and sharing your thoughts. Everything you create in Craft can be shared with one tap. Craft supports inline markdown, backlinks, code snippets, images, videos, attaching PDF files, and rich link previews. ## Available for iPhone, iPad, an…

App StoreLuki Labs Limited

2. Vellum

If you’ve ever thought about writing a pdf guide or publishing an eBook, then Velum from @vellum180g is the one. It’s the slickest way to create e-pub books and pdf’s from your writing. It’s a true Mac-assed Mac app 😍

Vellum. Create beautiful books.

Vellum software for macOS

Create Beautiful Books

3. Soulver

@soulver is a real hidden gem that a lot of people seem to be unaware of, it’s like a calculator, but you can write things out. Convert currencies, ask for a percentage of a number, and so much more. It works just like magic.

‎Soulver 3

‎Do you ever grab a calculator & the back of an envelope to work through an idea or problem that involves some math? This is what Soulver is for. You do the thinking, Soulver will do the number crunching for you. With Soulver, you can work through your idea or problem line-by-line, using text and…

App StoreZac Cohan

4. Affinity Photo

So you’ve probably heard of this one, but I had to include it. If you’re sick of paying a monthly subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud (and I am). Affinity Photo from @affinitybyserif is the photo editing app to switch to. It’s just perfect.

‎Affinity Photo

‎** Affinity Photo supports iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, 3 & 4, iPad Mini 5 and iPad (early 2017 onwards). Please note that older iPads are not supported. ** ** iPad App of the Year ** Affinity Photo for iPad is a genuine desktop-grade, professional photo editing app. Completely reimagined for iPad with…

App StoreSerif Labs

5. CleanShot X

@cleanshot is so much better than the built-in screenshot tool. It supports setting a custom desktop image and hiding desktop icons when you capture. It also supports video, gifs, scrolling screenshot capture and is handy for snapping long web pages!

CleanShot X for Mac

Capture your Mac’s screen like a pro.

CleanShot XChris Messina, Hashtag inventor

6. Folx (and ExpressVPN)

@Folk_Downloader is hands-down the easiest way to download Movies and TV Shows for backup purposes. Because, of course, you own the originals, right? 😉

‎Folx GO+

‎If you are looking for a powerful tool to manage and organize your downloads in a neat way Folx GO+ is just what you need. **With Folx GO+ you get the following:** * User-friendly downloader with lots of cool options and modern Mac interface * Folx GO+ is powered by a great feature to split dow…

App StoreEltima

7. NetNewsWire

@netnewswire is officially the oldest newsreader app on the Mac. It’s like the joke about Trigger having the same broom for 20 years (even though the broom has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles). @netnewswire might have been rewritten multiple times, but it’s still the same great app from all those years ago.

NetNewsWire

NetNewsWire is a free and open source RSS reader for Mac.

NetNewsWireDaring Fireball

8. Pastel

Pastel from @stroughtonsmith is another gem of an app. I use Pastel almost daily to store and reference colour palettes for all the design and UI projects I’m working on. If you’re a designer or building websites, this is a must-have.

‎Pastel

‎Capture and collect color palettes with Pastel! Pastel is an app for amateur developers & artists (like us!) that lets you build up a library of color palettes to use in your projects. With drag & drop, drag colors out into other apps like Pages and Keynote, or many third-party apps from your fav…

App StoreSteven Troughton-Smith

9. CleanMyMac X

Cleaning apps can be a contentious subject, but the guys at @macpawreally know what they are doing. I use CleanMyMac countless times each week to clean out junk apps and associated files. Another must-have for all Mac Users.

‎CleanMyMac X

‎Delete megatons of junk, malware, and make your Mac faster & more organized. CleanMyMac X packs 30+ tools to help you solve the most common Mac issues. You can use it to manage storage, apps, and monitor the health of your computer. There are even personalized cleanup tips based on how you use you…

App StoreMacPaw Inc.

10. Arq

You do backup your Mac offsite, don’t you? If you don’t, it’s only a matter of time before things go wrong. I’ve been using @arqbackup for years. Although I’ve never needed to use my backup, I sleep better at night knowing all the data on my Mac is safe and sound.

Cloud backup software for Mac and Windows : Arq

Arq®

A roundup of the App Roundup

I know I missed out on so many great Mac Apps. I didn’t include my apps, as that would have been a little too biased. But I will mention them now.

I make RapidWeaver for Mac (an easy to use website builder) and Squash for Mac (a fast way to resize and compress images). Both are excellent apps 😉

Let me know your favourite Mac apps, and maybe they’ll make it into the next app roundup.

There’s a thread of this post on Twitter. Please re-tweet it if you found a gem of an app that you think is worth sharing!

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