By Randy B. Singer
Copyright © Randy B.
Singer, 2018-2023. All worldwide rights reserved.
Permission is hereby given to link to this site, but no other use is permitted without express written permission.
Note: Any discrepancies between the prices listed on this Web site and the price on the developer's site are irrelevant.
The price you should expect to pay is the price asked by the developer.
Permission is hereby given to link to this site, but no other use is permitted without express written permission.
Note: Any discrepancies between the prices listed on this Web site and the price on the developer's site are irrelevant.
The price you should expect to pay is the price asked by the developer.
180
completely free products now listed!
One of the things that makes the Macintosh a great value is the wide array of excellent software applications that come with it. Apple’s included applications are surprisingly competent. But they don’t always provide everything, or exactly what one could want. And there are certain types of applications that simply don’t come with a new Mac. There are, of course, a huge number of commercial applications to do whatever you want with your Macintosh, but sometimes folks want something that is either free, or which is extremely reasonably priced. Fortunately, there are a large assortment of free applications for the Macintosh that are very much worth having, or which are at least worth checking out. I’ve tried to list as many such programs here as I know about, emphasizing software that I feel is either invaluable or highly desirable. Hopefully even long-time Mac users will find something new and useful in this list.
Note: This is not meant to be a comprehensive listing of all of the free software for the Macintosh. The applications listed here are limited to those that are easy to install, which work really well, and which are either easy to use or which are easy to learn to use.
Important: If you are running a recent version of the Macintosh operating system, and you download software from somewhere other than Apple’s Mac App Store, when you go to launch that software you will get a dialog that says that you can’t open the application because it’s “from an unidentified developer.” This is simply Apple’s security measure telling you to be careful where you get your software from. This alert does not mean that the application is dangerous or that it won’t run on your Macintosh. Software that you get directly from a legitimate developer is just about always perfectly safe. You can open the application by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) on the application’s icon, and then choosing Open; you will still get a warning dialog, but you can now choose to Open the application anyway, even if it comes from an unidentified developer. From this point on you can launch the application normally and there will be no warning dialog box. However, this doesn't work if the application is located anywhere but in the Applications folder. See:
http://osxdaily.com/2012/07/27/app-cant-be-opened-because-it-is-from-an-unidentified-developer/
Why is this software free?
AdGuard for Safari (free)
https://adguard.com/en/adguard-safari/overview.html
(Ad blocking extension for Safari.)
AltTab (free)
https://alt-tab-macos.netlify.app/
(Really cool window switcher using the keyboard.)
Amethyst (free)
https://ianyh.com/amethyst/
(Simple window manager.)
AmorphousDiskMark (free)
https://katsurashareware.com/amorphousdiskmark/
(Measures the read/write performance of your hard drive.)
AppCleaner (free)
https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/
(Macs don’t really need uninstallers, but for those who really want one, AppCleaner allows you to quickly, easily and thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps.)
Audacity (free)
https://www.audacityteam.org
(Multi-track audio editor and recorder.)
BBEdit (free/$50)
https://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/
List of differences between free and commercial version:
https://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/comparison.html
(The premier text editor for the Macintosh. )
BeeBeep (free)
https://www.beebeep.net
(Peer to peer instant encrypted office messaging. )
BetterDisplay/Pro (free/$15) (was: BetterDummy)
https://github.com/waydabber/BetterDummy
(Allows custom resolutions with external monitors. Some monitors don't look quite right using Apple's default resolutions. This utility gives you more resolution choices so that hopefully you can find the perfect one. Now compatible with Apple Silicon.)
BGBlitz (free version)
https://www.bgblitz.com/
(A supremely wonderful backgammon game. Addictive.)
Big Red Clock (free)
http://www.bigredclock.com
(Big red numbers desktop clock with countdown timer and stopwatch features.)
Blender (free)
https://www.blender.org/download/
(Very powerful 3D graphics program.)
BLEUnlock (free)
https://github.com/ts1/BLEUnlock
(A small menu bar utility that locks and unlocks your Mac by proximity of your iPhone, Apple Watch, or any other Bluetooth Low Energy device.)
BlueStacks (free)
https://www.bluestacks.com/features.html
(Lets you run Android apps on your Mac!)
Brave browser (free)
https://www.brave.com/
(Apple provides it’s own Web browser with the Mac OS; Safari. Why would you want a different Web browser? Because Brave doesn't spy on you like many other browsers do. It's FAST, it blocks ads without the need for add-ons, it blocks trackers, and it has excellent compatibility with various Web sites. Brave simply provides a much more enjoyable browsing experience than other browsers.
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_(web_browser)
Calibre (free)
https://calibre-ebook.com/
(E-book collection manager and converter. Read e-books from other Platforms on your Macintosh. Substitute for iBooks.)
Capital Asset Inventory Tracker (free)
http://4lightdata.com
(Track the location and value of individual capital or fixed asset items.)
CaseViewer (Donation Requested.)
https://www.caseviewer.app/
(Legal case law finder. You can retrieve cases from a variety of publicly available sources, and have them formatted for easy study.)
ClipGrab (free)
https://clipgrab.org
(ClipGrab is a free downloader and converter for YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and many other Web-based audio and video sites. It converts downloaded files to MPEG4, MP3 or other common formats in just one easy step.)
ClipTools (free)
https://macmost.com/cliptools
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cliptools/id1619348240?mt=12
(Access things that you have previously cut and pasted. You can save clips, use powerful Smart Clips, paste the date or time in any format you wish, paste boilerplate that you create.)
Clipy (free)
https://clipy-app.com
(An advanced clipboard manager that will allow you to copy and store as many things as you like, and then export them in any order that you like. Invaluable for doing research and writing.)
Don't let the Japanese on their home page scare you. This app is entirely in English.
Clix (free)
https://rixstep.com/4/0/clix/
(Learn to use the command line with training wheels!)
Clocker (free)
https://abhishekbanthia.com/clocker/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clocker-menubar-world-clock/id1056643111?ls=1&mt=12
(World clock integrated right into your menu bar, allowing you to quickly check up on your colleagues/friends/family in different time zones. Includes reminders feature.)
CloudClip Manager (free)
https://thinkbitz.com/cloudclip/
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cloudclip-manager/id563362017?mt=12
(Sync your clipboard between your Mac and your iOS devices. It's the easiest way to transfer phone numbers, websites, addresses, and more.)
Clyde (free, commercial version has more features)
https://theclyde.app
direct download of free version: https://theclyde.app/s/Clyde10.dmg
(Sets off an alarm on your MacBook if somebody attempts theft.)
Coconut Battery (free)
https://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/
(Tells you about the health of your Macbook’s battery. When your laptop gets down to about 80% of its original capacity, it’s time to think about getting a new one.)
CopyClip (free)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/copyclip-clipboard-history/id595191960?mt=12
(Simple and efficient clipboard manager.)
CopyLess (free, additional features available for a fee)
https://copyless.net/
(Clipboard manager. Can store up to 1000 recent clippings.)
CoreBreach (free)
https://www.corecode.io/corebreach/CoreBreach/CoreBreach.html
(Futuristic anti-gravity racing game.)
Cyberduck (free)
https://cyberduck.io/download/
(FTP browser. “File Transfer Protocol” is how you move files to a server. More importantly, it’s how you upload HTML files to your ISP’s server to put them on the Web. There are a number of FTP programs for the Mac, but this one is free, easy to use, and fairly full featured.)
DarkModeBuddy (name your price)
https://insidegui.gumroad.com/l/darkmodebuddy
(Automatically switch your Mac between light and dark modes based on your Mac's ambient light sensor.)
darktable (free)
https://www.darktable.org/
(A clone of Adobe Lightroom. A virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers. It manages your digital negatives in a database, and enables you to develop raw images and enhance them.)
Davinci Resolve (free; commercial "Studio" version has more features)
https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/davinci-resolve/id571213070?mt=12
(Professional video editing, color correction, audio post and visual effects!)
Desktop Icon Manager - "DIM" (free)
http://www.parker9.com/desktopIconManager2.0.html
(Saves placement of desktop icons. A one trick pony, but a valuable one. It’s way too easy to accidentally set the “View” for your desktop to something that re-arranges everything with no way to get back the organization you set up manually. With one click, DIM puts your desktop icons right back where they were when you last saved their arrangement.)
DetectX (free/$10 to register)
https://sqwarq.wordpress.com
(Looks for and eliminates all known adware. Will also remove some malware, but this isn’t a comprehensive solution for dealing with malware....fortunately you don't need a product to look for the latter because the Mac has built-in anti-malware software.)
draw.io Desktop (free)
https://www.diagrams.net
https://github.com/jgraph/drawio-desktop/releases/tag/v21.2.1
(Diagramming tool. For creating floorplans, org charts, process flows, mindmaps, circuit diagrams, story maps and timelines.)
DupeGuru (free)
https://dupeguru.voltaicideas.net/
(Finds duplicate files by either name or content. Works even with music and photos.)
EasyCardFile (free)
http://4lightdata.com/pdfs/EasyCardFile.pdf
http://4lightdata.com/zips/EasyCardFile.zip
(Simple flat file database for saving text or pictures.)
EasyFind (free)
https://www.devontechnologies.com/apps/freeware
(File search app. Spotlight doesn't look everywhere on your hard drive for things. It's designed for speed and to keep you away from things that might get you in trouble. EasyFind looks everywhere on your Mac. It can even look for invisible files.)
Easy Record and Trim (free)
https://ithinkapps.com/
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mp3trueedit/id731468939
(Allows you to record MP3 files and AAC audio files directly and then trim the recordings without any quality loss.)
EasyRes (free)
https://easyresapp.com
https://apps.apple.com/app/easyres/id688211836?ls=1&mt=12
(Fast screen resolution switcher for Mac OS X with live animated previews. Quickly and easily select resolutions for any connected screen from the menu bar.)
Economix (free)
http://y.callaud.free.fr/economix.html
(Manages personal finances.)
EdenMath (free)
http://www.edenwaith.com/products/edenmath/
(Scientific calculator which does standard arithmetic, probability, and trigonometric functions.)
eM Client (free/$50)
https://www.emclient.com/
(Extremely full featured e-mail client. Commercial Pro version adds features that the free version lacks.)
Encrypto (free)
https://macpaw.com/encrypto
(Instantly encrypt and password protect your files or folders. Decrypt them with a double-click and enter the password. Not even the FBI can break this encryption. There is also a free version of this product for Windows, so encrypted files can be shared across platforms!)
EnvelopeMagic (free)
https://www.envelopemagic.com
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/envelopemagic/id1516167860?mt=12
(App for printing envelopes. Requires macOS 11.5 or later.)
eqMac (free. Commercial Pro version has more features.)
https://eqmac.app/
(System Audio Equalizer. Make your music sound better by adjusting it for your speakers and environment.)
Espanso (free)
https://espanso.org/
(Text expander. Create snippets that when typed expand into often-used terms and boilerplate.)
EtreCheckPro (free)
(free; additional features available for a fee)
https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html
(Helps you track down the cause of serious problems on your Mac. Can also remove annoying adware.)
eul (free)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eul/id1537133867
(System status monitoring app.)
FaceTime (free)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/facetime/id1110145091
(Make audio and video calls for free.)
FormulatePro (free)
http://code.google.com/p/formulatepro/
(Allows you to fill in PDF forms on-screen and print them. Even locked ones. The latest version of Preview can do most of what Formulate can do, and more, but Formulate is really good at what it does, and makes it easier. )
Note: This application is not 64-bit and can’t be run under Mac OS 10.15 Catalina and later.
Fotor (free/subscription)
https://www.fotor.com/mac/index.html
(Easy to use, but powerful photo editing app. Commercial version adds more features.)
4LightData Forms (free)
http://4lightdata.com
http://4lightdata.com/pdfs/4LightData_Forms.pdf
(A surprisingly competent free database. More powerful in some ways than Symphytum.)
FreeOffice (free)
https://www.freeoffice.com/en/
Comparison chart of the features and costs of each version of this product from Softmaker:
https://www.softmaker.com/en/comparison-freeoffice-softmaker-office
(Very similar to Microsoft Office; with a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation application included. Excellent compatibility with Microsoft format files! Softmaker makes two commercial versions of this office suite, but the free version is all that many people might need. Not a crippled or demo product. On a par with LibreOffice; each has their strong points and weak points.)
FreeTube (free)
https://github.com/FreeTubeApp/FreeTube?tab=readme-ov-file
(Download the “freetube-0.xx-x-mac-x64.dmg” file.)
(YouTube player that blocks advertisements, tracking, and which allows downloading!)
Fugit (free)
https://www.gorgeousity.com/fugit
(Beautiful digital desktop clock.)
Full Deck Solitaire (free)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/full-deck-solitaire/id412980789?mt=12
(An awesome Solitaire game, offering a bunch of variations and nice game play.)
FunctionFlip (free)
https://kevingessner.com/software/functionflip/
(Controls your MacBook or MacBook Pro's function keys, turning special keys back to regular F-keys, or vice-versa.)
Garage Band (free)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id682658836?ls=1&mt=12
https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/
("A fully equipped music creation studio right inside your Mac".)
Get Plain Text (free)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/get-plain-text/id508368068?mt=12
(Will convert any bit of text you copy into plain text, no matter where you copied it from [a website, PDF document or elsewhere]. You can activate the feature manually, or check “Automatically remove formatting” to make the app take care of it every time you copy something.)
Gimp (free)
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/
http://www.gimp.org/
(A very advanced photo retouching, image composition and image authoring program, similar to Photoshop.)
Free tutorials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8C0LJPpr64
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EPIUyFJ4ag
Go64 (free)
https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/
(Scans your internal drive for 32-bit applications that won’t be compatible after upgrading to macOS Catalina or later.)