With the launch of macOS Mojave, Apple has introduced several new features to its operating system. But what about those apps that aren’t included in the latest version?
We’ve rounded up some of the trending Mac apps you should be using in 2024 that are worth keeping on your Mac so you can keep doing what you love—writing documents, creating art, editing photos—without worrying about updating to the latest version of macOS or switching to a different platform altogether.
OnyX is a free utility that can support you in cleaning up and optimizing your Mac. For example, it can help you delete cache files, old logs, and temporary files. The app also has automatic maintenance tasks on a schedule, so you don’t have to remember when they need to run again.
2. Alfred
Alfred is a Mac app that does many things, but at its core is a launcher. In addition, it has built-in clipboard history and can search for files on your Mac (e.g., when you’re looking for something in particular).
Alfred also has built-in calculators, image-searching capabilities, and more—and no ads are distracting from the experience.
3. Amphetamine
Amphetamine is a productivity app that helps you focus on what matters by blocking distractions and increasing your energy. It has a simple design that’s easy to use but offers advanced features for more experienced users.
The Amphetamine software can be used on any PC with data connectivity, including Windows and Mac devices running macOS 10.12 or higher (or Windows 10). You can download the app from its website or the App Store for free if you want to try it out before committing yourself full-time to this toolkit!
Bartender 4 is a utility that helps you organize your menu bar apps. It’s an excellent way to hide the clutter of apps you don’t use very often or altogether. A few things it does:
Organizes your menu bar apps
Keeps your menu bar organized
It saves space on your screen and allows you to hide apps you don’t use very often.
Magnet is a free utility that lets you connect to your Mac from anywhere, including another computer. It’s great for accessing your Mac from a mobile device, too.
The app uses end-to-end encryption, so all data sent between devices is secure, private, and easy to set up. Of course, you’ll need to set up a computer on your home network before using Magnet—but if you’re already connected, it’ll just work!
6. Unclutter
Unclutter is a Mac app that helps you declutter your desktop. It permits you to conceal files, folders, and apps into stacks. You can create as many stacks as you want, and the stacks are accessible via the Unclutter Dock icon.
To create a stack:
Drag an item onto one of the boxes in the bottom right corner of your screen (it will be highlighted). The item will be placed inside a new stack that appears on top of all other screens in your Mac’s dock.
The name will appear above each item in this new list, but it won’t appear when hovering over other items on your screen; instead, there’s only text saying “Uncluttered.”
7. PDFpen Scan+
PDFpen Scan+ for scanning and working with documents
Scan documents, add annotations and signatures, then save them to the cloud.
Export your scans as PDFs or JPEGs—or even convert them into other file formats like TIFF or PNG!
Are you signing a document? You can add a digital signature using the app’s built-in toolkit. You can also stamp text in documents with stamps that you create yourself by dragging different elements onto a page (e.g., date stamps).
8. Microsoft Remote Desktop
Remote access is a great way to get work done from anywhere.
Microsoft Remote Desktop is created as a desktop application that permits you to link with your computer over the internet, giving you access to files and apps. You can also use it as an alternative way to control your Mac if you’re traveling away from home. In addition, it is beneficial if your laptop has been stolen or damaged by water damage (since there’s no need for any physical repairs).
The software is easy enough to set up—download and install it on both machines—and its free version includes all the features of its paid counterpart (including support for more than one client).
Epic Games Launcher is a free app that lets you download and install games from the Epic Games store. It can also be used to purchase games but requires a credit card.
The app must be installed for it to work, so make sure you download it before moving forward with buying any new titles!
10. Tweetbot
Tweetbot is a great Twitter client. It’s one of the best in its category and has many features that make it stand out from the crowd. One such feature is its dark mode, which makes reading your timeline more enjoyable at work or in bed on your Mac laptop at night.
The app also supports multiple accounts (including iCloud), which means all your social media accounts can be synced across devices, saving time when switching between them.
11. SurfShark
SurfShark is the best VPN for Mac because it has a clean interface, a kill switch, and a no-logs policy. It also has a one-month cash-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied with its service after using it.
It has a kill switch, an additional layer of security that prevents your IP from leaking in case the VPN connection drops. So your identity will be protected even if you forget to turn off your Wi-Fi or Internet before disconnecting from the VPN.
12. The Unarchiver, for unarchiving all the things.
Unarchiving is the opposite of archiving, and the Unarchiver app can unarchive many different file formats. The application is obtainable on the Mac App. It’s also known for Windows and Linux, but if you have an iPhone or iPad (or both), this post will be less useful!
The Unarchiver works by searching through your files’ metadata (what it’s called when things like dates and locations are attached) and matching those against specific rules that tell it what format each file type should be unarchived into.
You can create these rules yourself or let the program do its thing by specifying whether it’ll archive everything within one folder or multiple folders. For example, how much storage space each archived file takes; how long they’re kept before being deleted, so no one accidentally deletes something important without realizing what they’ve done; etcetera ad infinitum.
13. ForkLift 3
ForkLift 3 is a file manager on steroids. It has all the features you’d expect from a tool like this—but it also has some cool extras that make it stand out from its competitors.
ForkLift 3 has a few features:
File management: This is where ForkLift 3 shines. You can quickly sort your files by name or extension, mark them as favorites, rename them and even print them out directly from within the app itself.
System management: If you need to make changes to system-level settings like User Accounts or Network Preferences across all of your network computers, then Forklift will likely be useful for that purpose too!
MacUpdater is a Mac app that helps you keep your apps up to date. It’s free on the Mac App Store and can be used to update apps from the Mac App Store or its developer’s website.
MacUpdater offers some extra features as well:
You can download new versions of your favorite games directly through this tool, so you don’t have to wait until they’re released in stores or downloaded manually through Steam or Origin (or whatever). This will also save time since you won’t have to go through another download process after downloading an update!
Suppose there are any security vulnerabilities in an app’s code. In that case, this tool will notify users about them before letting them run the program—which helps prevent hackers from taking advantage of them later down the road when someone uses their computer without knowing better.
15. Little Snitch
The app is a firewall that monitors all network links on your Mac. It can block any links it deems unsafe and alerts you when an application tries to connect to the internet. This can help you avoid malware and phishing attacks.
Little Snitch does not provide an actual firewall for your Mac—it simply monitors what ports specific applications are using so you know if they’re safe or not.
You’ll need to go through each one individually to understand how dangerous each one may be; however, if there’s one thing we’ve learned from years of using Macs as our primary computers, no matter how many protections there are in place now, there will always be some new vulnerability coming around every year!
16. Ulysses
Ulysses is a powerful writing app for Mac. It has a clean interface and is comfortable to operate, which is why it’s excellent for those who want to write without distractions. In addition, the program supports Markdown, which means you can easily create documents in HTML or other formats that are compatible with your favorite online services.
If you’re looking for an effective way to get things done on your computer, Ulysses is what you’re looking for!
Feel free to let us know in the comments below if there are any Mac apps we’re skipping. We appreciate your feedback and suggestions—the best way to ensure we keep this list up to date is by letting us know what we forgot! We hope this article about the trending Mac apps you should be using in 2024 was helpful!
