Must-Have Apps for Every Mac User

Whether you're setting up your first Mac or your fifth, a handful of small apps fill gaps that macOS still leaves open. Most of the apps below are free or have a free version, and each one does one everyday job well.

Productivity Essentials

1. Rectangle

Free, open-source window management. Move and resize windows with keyboard shortcuts, or drag them to screen edges and corners to snap them into place. Repeating a shortcut cycles through sizes. A paid Rectangle Pro adds quicker snapping and custom shortcuts for any size and position. Compare it with Magnet, Moom and Loop in our window manager comparison.

2. Raycast

A launcher that replaces Spotlight for many people, with a large extension store, clipboard history, snippets and script commands. It's free for personal use; the Pro plan adds Raycast AI and more.

3. Alfred

The long-standing Spotlight alternative. Alfred 5 is free to search your Mac and the web and launch apps; the Powerpack (£34, single license) adds workflows, clipboard history and snippets. Alfred 6 is announced for this autumn, and Powerpack licenses bought now get a free upgrade. See our Raycast vs Alfred, LaunchBar and Spotlight comparison to pick one.

4. Clipboard Managers

macOS remembers only the last thing you copied. A clipboard manager keeps your whole history searchable:

• Maccy: free, open source and keyboard-first; history stays on your Mac. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
• PastePal: a native app with iCloud sync across Mac, iPhone and iPad, collections and a side panel; a one-time $14.99 purchase.
• Paste: a polished visual history with pinboards and sync across devices; $29.99/year or a lifetime plan, and this link gives readers a 5% discount.

Our Paste vs Maccy, Raycast and Alfred comparison goes deeper.

5. ToDoBar

A minimal to-do list in your menu bar. Type a task and press Enter, set a deadline and a reminder, and a colored ring shows how much time is left. It can show today's pending count or your next task in the menu bar, and exports your history as a CSV file. It's $2.99 on the Mac App Store.

6. The Unarchiver

Opens almost any archive format, including ones the built-in Archive Utility can't, such as RAR (even encrypted and multi-volume archives). It's free, with no in-app purchases.

Daily Utilities

1. Cleanup and Uninstalling

• AppCleaner: free. Drop an app on its window and it finds the app's leftover files so you can remove them together.
• CleanMyMac: MacPaw's all-in-one cleanup, malware removal and maintenance app (it dropped the "X" from its name), with plans starting at $3.33/month. Our CleanMyMac alternatives guide covers cheaper and free options.
• DaisyDisk: a visual disk space analyzer that shows what's filling your drive; $9.99 with a free trial.
• OnyX: a free maintenance utility. There's a separate version for each macOS release, so download the one that matches yours.

2. Keeping Your Mac Awake

Amphetamine is free and still the most configurable keep-awake app, with timers and triggers for downloads, apps and displays. Note that its last update was in November 2023. If you'd rather use something actively maintained, KeepingYouAwake is a free, open-source menu bar toggle, and the built-in caffeinate Terminal command works with nothing installed. Our Amphetamine alternatives guide compares more options.

3. MonitorControl

Free and open source. Control an external display's brightness and volume from your keyboard and menu bar, which macOS doesn't do for most third-party monitors. It's actively maintained; version 4.4.0 came out in September 2026.

Cloud Storage and Backup

1. Cloud Storage (iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox)

iCloud Drive is the most seamless choice if you use Apple devices, while Google Drive and Dropbox work better when you share with people on Windows or Android. Many people use iCloud for personal files and a second service for work.

2. Time Machine

Built into macOS. Connect an external drive (or a supported network drive) and turn it on in System Settings for automatic, hourly backups.

Why These Apps Matter

These apps fill gaps in macOS's default tools: they save time on window juggling, finding things, copying and pasting, tracking tasks and keeping your disk tidy.

Catch these apps on sale: many paid Mac apps, including productivity and utility apps, run discounts at least once a year, most often around Black Friday. Subscribe to the Apps.Deals newsletter to hear when the deals arrive.

Note: First published in January 2025 and updated in October 2026. Features and prices are current as of October 2026 and can change; verify them on each official site before buying.

Disclosure: ToDoBar is made by Softal, the same company behind Apps.Deals. This post also contains an affiliate link for Paste, which also gives readers a 5% discount; if you buy through it, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.