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FilePane alternatives ?

Hello,

I'm looking for an alternative to FilePane, but I can't find ...

I especially appreciate the conversion and fast compression of a file.

I've tried Dropover, but in the end it's not at all practical, the conversion overwrites the original file and if I put the option to make a copy, I'm forced to choose each time where I want to save the file without proposing to simply save in the base folder ...

Actually, a good mix between FilePane and Dropover would be great.

ShakePin would be ideal but too many bugs :/

If you have any ideas :)

Thanks a lot.

https://redd.it/1tigptw
@macappsbackup
[MAC] Mambo — native macOS database client, no Electron, no telemetry, free tier that's actually usable

Dev here, 10 years in. Built Mambo because every database client I tried on this laptop made me angry in a different way. Polished enough now that I figured I'd post it.

Subscription database client. Subscription IDE. $799/yr enterprise SQL tool. Java apps from 2008 eating five gigabytes of RAM to show you a `SELECT *`. We live in the future. Macs have neural engines, and the industry's answer to "I want to browse a Postgres table" is JetBrains charging $259/yr or DBeaver booting an Eclipse window. Cool.

**Problem**

Every Mac database client is either Electron bloatware (Beekeeper, Compass, RedisInsight — hundreds of MB just to view some keys), a Java app pretending to be native (DBeaver, DataGrip — Eclipse menus on macOS in 2026, real), or a beautiful single-engine tool that locks you into one database (Postico is Postgres only, Sequel Ace is MySQL only). And every multi-engine one phones home or charges subscription rent on a query window.

I wanted one fast native app that handles Postgres, MySQL, and SQLite in the same keyboard model, doesn't phone home, and doesn't eat my battery. So I built it.

**Comparison**

* **vs DBeaver:** DBeaver is Java/Eclipse and routinely sits at 500MB–5GB RAM with two connections open ([the bug report is real](https://github.com/dbeaver/dbeaver/issues/38117)). Menus are non-native, traffic lights are wrong. Mambo is ~30–50MB idle, real macOS chrome, cold start under 1.5s.
* **vs DataGrip:** DataGrip is $109/yr individual, $259/yr org, and it's the JetBrains shell — fine if you live in IntelliJ, exhausting if you don't. Mambo Community is free, native, and not a JVM.
* **vs TablePlus:** TablePlus is $89 one-time but you pay again for every major version, the trial is 2 tabs/2 windows ([users hate it](https://www.capterra.com/p/170642/TablePlus/reviews/)), and license keys [randomly disappear on Linux](https://github.com/TablePlus/TablePlus/issues/3420). Mambo has no tab limit on the free tier and no license keys to lose.
* **vs Postico:** Postico is lovely, native, and Postgres-only on macOS-only. Mambo covers Postgres + MySQL + SQLite on day one (Redis and Mongo next), so you don't keep three different apps in the dock.
* **vs pgAdmin:** pgAdmin is a web app rendered inside a desktop window where Ctrl-S triggers a browser save dialog. That's the whole review.

**Pricing**

Community tier is free. Three saved connections, all the launch engines, full keyboard model, no telemetry, no nag, no time bomb, no expiring trial. If you want SSH tunnels, unlimited connections, the AI panel (bring your own Anthropic key, opt-in), schema diff, or backup/restore, that's $9/mo Indie or $79/yr. Stop paying and the version you have keeps working — no license-key timeout.

I'm not going to pretend it's free forever like a notes app, because a multi-engine DB client with SSH tunnels and dry-run mutations isn't a weekend project I can subsidize. But the free tier is genuinely usable for a hobby Postgres or a side-project SQLite, not a 7-day trial dressed up as a free plan.

[https://trymambo.app](https://trymambo.app)

**What's in it:**

* Postgres, MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite under one keyboard model (Redis + Mongo next, then ClickHouse and DuckDB)
* Real macOS chrome — traffic lights, drag region, the right menus
* Tauri 2 / Rust under the hood. Not Electron. ~30–50MB idle, <1.5s cold start
* Command palette is the spine — every action is keyboard-reachable
* Results grid is paginated by default, so `SELECT * FROM ten_million_rows` returns a first page in under a second and doesn't OOM your laptop
* Credentials encrypted at rest (AES-256-GCM), AI key never reaches the renderer
* Zero telemetry. Zero analytics. No phone-home. `lsof` it if you don't believe me
* Light/dark themes, three densities, tabs, FK click navigation, visual EXPLAIN

Me posting to Reddit is most of the marketing budget. If you actually like it, send it to a backend engineer friend or drop the link in a Slack somewhere.

Long live
LingoBar - a menu bar app for learning languages without ever opening it. No streaks, no notifications, no subscription.

https://reddit.com/link/1tiki2b/video/7jrf8nzbga2h1/player

**Problem**

You want to learn a language but don't have the time or discipline. You install Duolingo, do it for a week, forget. You try Anki, set up decks, abandon them. The apps that demand 10 minutes a day end up getting zero minutes a day, because sitting down to study feels like a chore on top of everything else.

The one thing you do every day, dozens of times, is glance at the menu bar to check the clock or battery.

**How it works**

LingoBar shows one word in your target language in the menu bar. You choose how it's displayed: with the translation shown right next to it (*el gato — cat*), or just the foreign word on its own (*el gato*) so you can test yourself first and click to reveal the translation. After a set number of minutes, a new word replaces it. Left-click also plays the audio pronunciation; right-click opens the full menu (categories, intervals, favorites, custom words). No notifications, streaks, or daily targets.

**Features**

* 7 languages: Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, English, Polish. You pick what you speak and what you're learning, any combination.
* 1300+ words across 20 categories (food, travel, business, health, body, emotions, etc.)
* Audio pronunciation
* Hide the translation when you want active recall, show it when you just want to learn passively
* Add your own words
* Mark words as "I know this" and they get skipped
* Per-language progress tracking
* Interval picker: 1, 5, 10, 30, 60, 90 minutes
* Favorites
* ...and more 😄
* you can check the website: [www.lingobar.net](http://www.lingobar.net/) (download only available trough AppStore - [https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/lingobar/id6761308258?mt=12](https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/lingobar/id6761308258?mt=12) )

**Comparison**

Duolingo is around gamified, designed around streaks and daily commitment. Most other vocab apps are flashcard-based - they all want you to open them and study.

LingoBar is the opposite. You don't open it. You don't schedule anything. It just sits in the menu bar and shows you a word, and you absorb it while you're doing something else. I originally made it for myself because I couldn't find anything like it.

**Pricing**

* ***Free*** forever: 200 words from the basics category and 10 custom slots of your own - fewer words, same app, ALL languages, all same features, no time limit.
* ***Premium*** is $1.99 paid once for 1300+ words (and growing), all categories.

I'm a solo dev from Poland. Built it for myself, decided to ship it. Happy to answer questions and take feature requests.
If you try it I'd really like to hear what works and what can be improved.

https://preview.redd.it/g6goz3o7ga2h1.png?width=1514&format=png&auto=webp&s=17c646297c6f1b0aaa385a2407c4aa5884445d3b

https://redd.it/1tiki2b
@macappsbackup
Considering purchasing Anybox - thought I would ask here first.

I'd like to get a bookmark app and was seriously considering going with Raindrop. Then I found Anybox.

Here are some thoughts about what I really want and what concerns me, and maybe someone has some ideas that might help me with this.

I am 100% in the Apple ecosystem and don't need cross-platform support.
Syncing needs to be smooth and effortless between iOS/iPad and Mac. Has that been resolved? I've seen a number of issues regarding this with Anybox.
I am attracted to a one-pay app. I would probably start monthly until I'm sure it fits, but then I really like the idea of a one-pay capability. Raindrop does not have that.
If I got the One Pay option, do I continue to still get updates?
I have so many bookmarks in Firefox that I'd like to bring more order to it, even though they are very neatly organized. I'd like one app to use across all browsers, not having to just use the browser I'm currently using to find a site. Would Anybox solve that issue? I think it would, frankly.
I am also deeply into the Alfred ecosystem and use it quite extensively. I'm attracted to the fact that Anybox has integrations directly from the company, not just user supported.
Is it true that Anybox works with Hookmark? This would be a massive advantage because I use it quite significantly. Does it work seamlessly, fluidly, or is it janky and I have to use workarounds? This would be one of the primary reasons that I would choose Anybox, frankly. That and it working well with Alfred.

1. I want an app that is under regular development, not abandonware. Is Anybox being regularly developed?

I do value a visual experience. Is Anybox being improved to make it something that competes with Raindrop in that regard

I guess I'm open to anything else that fits what I'm looking for. If there are other options that I'm missing, please let me know. Don't just throw out options, though. I want to make sure that anything recommended fits what I'm looking for above.

By the way, if I didn't make it clear enough, I'm absolutely fine paying for apps, no problem at all, and love supporting developers. I like the idea of a one pay, but I'm willing to pay monthly or yearly if it's reasonable and the value is strong.

Thanks in advance for ideas and comments.

https://redd.it/1tiocte
@macappsbackup
Idea: New macapps format: "Weekly dev battles/friendly app throw-downs", Opinions?

I just had an epiphany (yeah, I actually have those sometimes).

In almost every post on this subreddit there will be questions like “How does this app compare to X or Y?" or "How is this better/worse than toilet paper?"

Hence, I was thinking about a new format. A "Weekly dev battles/friendly app throwdowns" (just a working titles) with strict rules of sportsmanship to prevent the thread from turning into toxic self-promotion.

# A bit of context:

A lot of users (myself incl.) get overwhelmed trying to choose between similar apps (1st world problems), like clipboard managers, window managers, or note-taking apps.

Sure, there's u/Mstormer Google sheet overview...However, I think it would be incredibly engaging to have a friendly, structured "Weekly Dev Battle" where we pit 2,3 or even a few more popular apps in a category against each other, but with strict rules to keep it healthy and constructive.

Maybe a 1 week before have the community vote for the top apps to wiggle it down to 2 or 3 or 5.

# How it would/could work & some pot. rules:

Matchup: For example, Clipboard App #1 vs. Clipboard App #2 vs Clipboard App #3
Mandatory humility: To participate or in round #1, each developer must publicly state one feature or design choice they genuinely admire in their competitor's app that their own solution doesn't currently provide, or something along those lines.
Standout pitch: They then get to pitch what they believe is their own absolute standout feature that they do better than anyone else.
Community Q&A: Users can chime in with questions, and the devs can openly discuss their differing philosophies on privacy, native vs. electron, UI, etc.

Number of upvotes could be used to select the winner, but I'm not sure if that's a good metric though. Or maybe no winner at all?

# Benefits to the sub & the community:

1. Cuts through the noise: Instead of endless "Which app is better?" threads, users get a definitive, side-by-side comparison straight from the creators.
2. Promotes healthy dev relationships: The "admire your competitor" rule keeps the vibe collaborative and positive rather than toxic. Maybe some dev will fall in love with each other after the event 🤣
3. Better(?) engagement: Gives us a front-row seat to how their favorite Mac software gets made.

Do you think this would be a good format/idea? What are things to consider? Am I forgetting something?

Maybe there should be some rules for the participants as well, because this sub can get toxic sometimes as well...Hell, I throw out a snarky comment every now and then 🙈

Edit 1:
Based on some of the valid comments about it potentially being too "adversarial" for the dev.

What if, say in round #1, the devs cannot promote their own app, but have to promote their competitor's instead? They would have to do some research beforehand.

This would be a bit more fun and turns it into a "friendly" format. Of course there would be a few more rounds of similar fashion...Again, not fully fleshed out...

https://redd.it/1tiq8hw
@macappsbackup
Telegram new mac app look wonderful!!

As I last posted and trashed Telegram mac UI (compared to its iOS version), they updated their mac UI and it look way better than before and give sidebar a special touch that match with mac element. They also added swipe left and right gesture to this chat.

Thank you Telegram Team!

https://preview.redd.it/pj4w3cigqb2h1.png?width=1052&format=png&auto=webp&s=a68508578dfb81ea04b2c6b96575c033a96d6318



https://redd.it/1tirxu9
@macappsbackup
[macOS] Chronoid - Automatic Time Tracking & Productivity - May Updates
https://redd.it/1tiqrsi
@macappsbackup
What is the best window switcher?

I've been using Alfred for a long time to launch apps. I recently got a new computer and since switching to it, I've been averaging 95 launches per day. Anyway, I'm trying to use my mouse less, so I've been experimenting with Homerow, made by the same developers as Superwhisper, which I love, so I figured I'd give it a shot.

I've now run into the challenge of switching between per-app windows. I'm not entirely sure what workflow I want, but I'm wondering whether I should download a dedicated app, use Alfred, or try something else entirely. Open to any suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

https://redd.it/1tj4pqv
@macappsbackup
Saving the work environment

Dear r/macapps,
I'm looking for a tool for Mac that lets me restore or manage my workspace. For example, I’d like to have XCode on the screen at a specific window position I’ve set, and in the same size as when I last exited XCode. At the same time, I want to place Upnote at a specific screen position and maybe have Textastic somewhere on the screen as well. Is there a tool like that?

https://redd.it/1tjbxxs
@macappsbackup
ShakeToFocus - when you need to dim the background apps and you like the traditional settings window, not a sidebar

I've been learning Korean for a while now. Daily Anki sessions, trying to stay consistent.

The problem: I'd open Anki, see a browser tab in the background, and that was it. Not even a notification: just the visual presence of something else being there. Five minutes of Korean turned into thirty minutes of whatever that tab was.

I like Anki small and tight in the corner. Full screen is not an option.

I built ShakeToFocus. Shake your mouse → dark overlay covers everything except the window you're in. Switch apps → it follows. Shake again to turn it off.

So

https://reddit.com/link/1tje8c6/video/6fgstp76bg2h1/player

Now I open Anki, shake, and there's literally nothing else on screen to look at.

Comparison with other apps: (Updated)
\- Monocle: ShakeToFocus has plain dim overlay, no blur rendering, so near-zero CPU, zero GPU overhead at idle. Price the same.
\- HazeOver: HazeOver doesn't have shake trigger
\- blurred (free OSS): effectively abandoned.

No Screen Recording, no Accessibility permissions — nothing. Built in Swift.

Who am I:
I'm a solo dev, trying my best to finally pass Korean exam and playing with stuff around. Wanted to try to write something on MacOS for a long time already, so here it is.

https://redd.it/1tje8c6
@macappsbackup