[AirStats](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vzz01e/os_airstats_a_free_ultralightweight_system/) *(Free/OS, lightweight system monitor)* 158v/52c, [Skein](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vu76d4/skein_a_native_mac_notes_app_with_a_graph_that_is/) *(Free, notes app with useful graph view)* 157v/122c, [BetterCmdTab](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1voyhlr/os_bettercmdtab_267_a_cmdtab_replacement_with/) *(Free/OS, Cmd+Tab replacement with window previews)* 139v/71c, [Habitat](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vvlnxq/habitat_a_whole_ecosystem_of_tools_all_in_one_app/) *(Lifetime, bunch of tools in one app)* 137v/86c, [Folders Pro](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vf7cpy/folders_pro_an_even_more_capable_file_manager_for/) *(Lifetime, file manager for Windows switchers)* 135v/105c, [Spotlight alternative](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vsiv32/os_tired_with_spotlight_and_dont_want_to_use/) *(Free/OS, "tired with Spotlight and don't want to use Raycast?")* 134v/52c, [RevPDF 5.0](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vyqi3a/revpdf_50_is_out_my_attempt_at_a_free_local/) *(Free, local PDF editor)* 124v/74c, [RAD Weather](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vcteyf/rad_weather_is_a_real_mac_app_free_that_treats/) *(Free, weather app that shows forecast disagreements)* 120v/59c, [CoreEQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vz4l05/os_coreeq_a_systemwide_equalizer_that_doesnt/) *(Free/OS, system-wide EQ without an audio driver)* 117v/98c, [ZenMinder](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vfvsbl/zenminder_apple_reminders_in_a_menu_bar_as_a/) *(Free, Apple Reminders as a GitHub-style heatmap)* 117v/56c, [Pasly](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w1njvq/pasly_make_every_v_smarter_everywhere_ios_macos/) *(Lifetime, cross-device clipboard for Mac/iOS)* 112v/89c, [Floodtide 0.8.5](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w2zat8/floodtide_update_all_your_mac_apps_from_on_place/) *(Lifetime, update all Mac apps from one place)* 109v/197c, [Screendrop](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vvxjpi/os_screendrop_screenshots_screen_recording_and/) *(Free/OS, screenshots and screen recording in 6.8 MB)* 109v/97c, [StyleBop](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vnl01s/stylebop_a_visual_css_editor_for_mac/) *(Lifetime, visual CSS editor)* 107v/70c, [FolderForge](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vtyx14/os_folderforge_opensource_folder_customization/) *(Free/OS, folder customization with presets)* 102v/83c, [FlipCloc](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vljt8t/flipcloc_a_gorgeous_clock_pomodoro_timer/) *(Lifetime, flip clock + pomodoro + stopwatch)* 96v/77c, [Animated album art app](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vkogct/i_built_an_app_that_turns_the_song_youre/) *(Lifetime, turns your music into animated wallpaper)* 90v/49c, [Wallper](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vnamrg/wallper_live_wallpapers_for_your_mac/) *(Lifetime, live wallpapers)* 85v/61c, [ActivityLine](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vxtj9y/i_made_activityline_cpu_gpu_ram_and_network/) *(Lifetime, CPU/GPU/RAM/network in one menu bar line)* 75v/74c, [Prefab](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vszffx/prefab_macos_template_entire_project_setups/) *(Free, template entire project setups)* 74v/55c, [Sxitch v1.4](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vuli02/os_sxitch_v14_customisable_alternative_to_macos/) *(Lifetime/OS, customizable Cmd+Tab alternative -- giveaway)* 73v/114c, [Riffle 1.3](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vf72ct/riffle_13_a_native_diff_and_merge_app_for_macos/) *(Lifetime, native diff and merge for PR review)* 73v/73c, [LittleClean](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vm5ovg/os_littleclean_opensource_macos_cleaner_for_apps/) *(Free/OS, macOS cleaner for apps and caches)* 72v/42c, [App Archiver](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vlqb24/i_built_app_archiver_to_save_space_without/) *(Lifetime, save space without deleting apps)* 72v/93c, [Open-source Duolingo for course

making](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vub7wx/os_open_source_duolingo_for_language_course/) *(Free/OS)* 71v/38c, [ClipSync](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vrliya/osclipsync_seamless_file_transfer_clipboard_sync/) *(Free/OS, file transfer and clipboard sync between Mac and Android)* 71v/82c, [Paperman 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vf94gm/paperman_3_a_cozy_paper_texture_for_mac_now_over/) *(Lifetime, paper texture overlay for full-screen apps)* 66v/123c, [One Big Note](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w2yw1v/i_finally_made_my_first_mac_app_one_big_note_a/) *(Lifetime $0.99, auto-saving scratchpad)* 58v/46c, [Trove File Explorer 1.3](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w3u1cm/trove_file_explorer_just_hit_130_the_finder/) *(Lifetime, Finder alt for Windows switchers)* 57v/67c, [Chronoid](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vqrh1k/macos_chronoid_automatic_time_tracking/) *(Lifetime, automatic time tracking with iCloud sync)* 55v/54c, [App Trust Preview](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w00og9/app_trust_preview_see_what_is_inside_a_mac_app/) *(Lifetime, inspect apps before opening)* 55v/81c, [Cosmil 2.0](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vg8tci/cosmil_20_a_beautiful_multipane_finder/) *(Lifetime, multi-pane Finder alternative)* 55v/141c, [TimeToGo](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vnauyb/i_kept_reopening_maps_while_working_so_i_built/) *(Lifetime, commute ETA in your menu bar)* 54v/50c, [Lathe](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vxannm/lathe_browse_edit_and_batch_photos_video_audio/) *(Lifetime, batch edit photos/video/audio/PDFs from Finder)* 53v/63c, [PDFTrail](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w0f5n2/meet_pdftrail_pdf_extractor/) *(Lifetime, PDF extractor)* 52v/67c, [Vibe music player](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vmqa0w/os_vibe_fast_waveformfocused_music_file_player/) *(Free/OS, waveform-focused music player)* 52v/100c, [PilotCut](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vct27z/pilotcut_i_got_massfrustrated_with_capcut_and/) *(Lifetime, video editor made after getting fed up with CapCut and FinalCut)* 52v/60c, [RetroMac 2.7](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vwi73e/os_windows_95_turns_31_so_retromac_27_brings_the/) *(Lifetime/OS, Windows 95 on your Mac for the anniversary)* 51v/34c, [Unfold v2.8.0](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vkmke9/unfold_v280_quick_look_for_folders_archives/) *(Lifetime, Quick Look for folders, archives, source code)* 51v/57c, [BetterStage](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vxj4am/update_betterstage_v1313_this_is_how_i_actually/) *(Lifetime, Stage Manager replacement)* 48v/56c, [EnviousWispr](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vi92c4/os_enviouswispr_243_one_month_later_600_installs/) *(Free/OS, WisprFlow alternative with offline dictation)* 47v/69c, [ExcalidrawZ](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vzrlko/os_excalidrawz_a_native_excalidraw_client_for_mac/) *(Subscription/OS, native Excalidraw for Mac/iPad/iPhone)* 46v/44c, [Toplify](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vd0h47/i_built_toplify_to_monitor_app_store_rankings/) *(Lifetime, App Store ranking monitor)* 45v/81c, [Trovelo](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vsnvha/trovelo_private_trip_planner_for_mac_now_with_8/) *(Lifetime, private trip planner)* 45v/62c, [Dock Float](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vxyao5/dock_float_a_launcher_utility_that_overcomes_the/) *(Lifetime, launcher utility)* 45v/43c, [Best updater app to replace MacUpdater](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w35658/best_updater_app_to_replace_macupdater/) *(Help thread)* 45v/81c, [DockFlow](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vqllrb/dockflow_switch_between_setups_dock_presets_in_an/) *(Lifetime, dock preset switching)* 43v/50c, [ExtraBar v1.51](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vto6rl/extrabar_v151_custom_menu_bar_for_mac_introducing/) *(Lifetime, custom menu bar with MCP and workflows)* 42v/54c, [Folders

Flow](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vn87b8/folders_flow_a_mind_map_for_mac_folders_so_you/) *(Lifetime, mind map for Mac folders)* 39v/67c, [DrawSimple 1.1](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vuldzd/drawsimple_11_is_out_now_drawsimple_is_a/) *(Lifetime, simple-but-deep image editor)* 38v/42c, [AnalogTV v2.9.3](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vxzu4d/analogtv_v293_full_simulation_not_a_filter_just/) *(Lifetime, full CRT simulation)* 37v/40c, [VaultSort](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w1bnie/i_built_vaultsort_to_make_organizing_a_messy_mac/) *(Free, file organizer)* 37v/47c, [PoRaBar](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vdd8h3/porabar_my_menubar_podcast_and_radio_player_now/) *(Lifetime, menu bar podcast and radio player)* 36v/49c, [DriveVault](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vz23cj/drivevault_for_mac_basically_ctrlf_for_all_your/) *(Lifetime, search unplugged hard drives)* 35v/92c, [Best voice transcription app](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w3ljff/what_is_the_best_ondevice_voice_transcription_app/) *(Help thread)* 35v/144c, [Quick RSS v2.7](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vtf0i8/quick_rss_v27_is_out_its_a_simple_and_easytouse/) *(Free, desktop RSS reader)* 35v/55c, [Autowright](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w1ggh4/os_autowright_turns_a_plain_english_description/) *(Free/OS, plain English → automated recurring tasks)* 35v/44c, [Calyx](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vordc2/os_calyx_a_free_opensource_macos_terminal_for/) *(Free/OS, terminal for supervising multiple AI coding agents)* 34v/68c, [Grambo for iPhone](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vyxl7h/grambo_for_iphone_is_finally_here_a_few_updates/) *(Lifetime)* 32v/91c, [HoldSay](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1vzvsre/holdsay_a_voice_card_for_dictation_meeting_notes/) *(Lifetime, voice card for dictation and meeting notes)* 30v/74c, [Barry V2](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/comments/1w37a2d/barry_v2_perapp_volume_control/) *(Lifetime, per-app volume control)* 12v/22c → Alternative: [**FineTune**](https://github.com/ronitsingh10/FineTune) *(Free/OS)* \-- open-source per-app volume control on GitHub.

Missed something from August, or have a favorite alternative to one of these picks? Drop it below and I'll fold notable ones into next month's roundup. Today also happens to be my 1-year Reddit streak day, so cheers to that. \[Disclaimer: AI assisted\]

https://redd.it/1wm9y0n
@macappsbackup

TabLinker, a Mac-first tab & browser session manager for Safari, Chrome, Arc, Brave, Edge & more (iPhone/iPad too)

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

Sharing my Bear → Things with autofill


Made a small shortcut to send notes from Bear to Things and autofill the task. Thought I’d share it in case anyone uses both!

https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d843c321e02b41c6b848987f53eda407

https://reddit.com/link/1wmhnp2/video/7olf8a3tgwqh1/player



https://redd.it/1wmhnp2
@macappsbackup

Photo Transfer via USB: transfer iPhone/iPad photos to your Mac into folders by trip, event or date

https://redd.it/1wmp1kf
@macappsbackup

I Built a Simple Task Manager Inspired by Things 3 with Real-Time Collaboration

https://redd.it/1wmu3i2
@macappsbackup

OS ApolloShell - A desktop shell for macOS

https://reddit.com/link/1wms0nv/video/te8ph0hl10rh1/player

What ApolloShell is and isn't

ISN'T

\- A window manager (for now)

\- On other platforms than macOS (I had people asking)

\- Vibecoded slop

\- A platform for plugins

\- In the App Store

IS

\- Visual dashboards and panels for workflows and flexing your Mac

\- Extremely customizable with simple CSS

\- Based on Caelestia dots

\- Actively maintained

\- Free and open source

Problem

None. It's a tool for workflows and a flex item, like ricing. It's mostly visual, but it can improve the speed of your workflow.

Ricing on macOS is a pain. ApolloShell is a simple tool to do it.

Comparison

If you look at it from where we are now, nobody big enough that I could find really does the same thing. Maybe SketchyBar, but not really from what I could find.

ApolloShell is basically the first program I could find to bring the idea of ricing to macOS.

Future

I'm working on a Hyprland-like TWM that will release as soon as I'm finished bug-hunting. Doing this shit with PIDs in Swift only is a pain.

As soon as that releases, competitors would be on this list: https://macoswm.com

To name two: AeroSpace and yabai.

I would love to put this on the App Store. Sadly Apple does not really like it if you fuck around with their shit, so I won't.

Transparency

It's in a beta state and there are still bugs. Please, please open an issue if you find any. It's really hard to find them just with Claude agents.

AI disclaimer

Unlike the 200 vibecode apps I see every day, this app was built by hand (mostly) by me and two friends. They don't want to be involved in making it public, so I push their commits from my account.

For the disclaimer, commit comments are done by Claude Code because I have a /commit plugin for convenience, and the whole code was refactored multiple times by Fable 5.1. The comments in the code are from Claude too because my friends and I are not smart and our comments are just shit.

I do not check the refactored code.

GitHub:

https://github.com/Silvertree2010/ApolloShell 51 stars

Website:

https://silvertree2010.github.io/ApolloShell/

https://redd.it/1wms0nv
@macappsbackup

[OS] Tungsten Edge: a per-window taskbar for macOS

https://redd.it/1wn5mh0
@macappsbackup

Numbers, Pages alternatives

Any best free alternatives for Excel/Word on Mac other than the default Numbers and Pages? The usability I'm expecting is similarity to Excel and Word as I got so used to them.

https://redd.it/1wn96db
@macappsbackup

StepGrab 1.5: record a task on your Mac, get a written guide as PDF, HTML, Markdown, GIF or MP4. Native, offline, now with redaction

https://redd.it/1wna1lk
@macappsbackup

My current essentials for macOS
https://redd.it/1wnc8gi
@macappsbackup

Congratulations to r/macapps for reaching 250,000 users!
https://redd.it/1wncput
@macappsbackup

I built TideGlass to put nature simulations on my spare monitor while I work

https://redd.it/1wngy9u
@macappsbackup

[OS] Mac Sai: a free and open source Mac cleaner and optimizer, no telemetry, no subscription

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

Ublock Origin Lite vs Wblock

Can someone who has used both please give me a TLDR on which is better for Safari and why? Do they both run similarly on MacOS and is one lighter/quicker than the other? They look relatively similar but would appreciate someone explaining it for me.



https://redd.it/1wneuw3
@macappsbackup

Subtitles Live: real-time captions for any app on you Mac, an alternative to Apple Live Caption with a proper UX

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

macOS 27 menu bar spacing issue
https://redd.it/1wnoarm
@macappsbackup

Mojave Paint updates Sep 2026 (and free promo codes)

Mojave Paint continues to move along with 309 first time downloads off the Mac App Store as of today. Finally got vector shape layers in there, which give you fill and stroke with proper mitered corners, making a total of 4 layer types now (pixel, type, adjustment, shape).

In October I’ll be running an ad on a well known Mac-focused blog, but before that happens I could sure use some more feedback, so:

For the next 7 days, I’ll give a free promo code (worth $9.99) for the full version of Mojave Paint to anyone who sends me useful feedback on the app.

It could be bug reports, or usability fails, or really any pain point you experience using the app that I could fix or put on the roadmap to fix later. Let’s say 3 pieces of useful feedback.

As a point of reference, here’s a comment by u/amyworrall where she gives like 30 points of useful feedback! Doesn’t need to be that extensive by any means, 3 is good.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOSApps/comments/1ufefw1/comment/ouitipc/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button

Send via DM or by email. I have 500 promo codes in my spreadsheet with at least 450 remaining, so that would be the limit here. Not that we’d ever come close to that.

And finally, just as a reminder of why I’m even doing this, let me compare a photo with the best halftone effect I could get in Affinity vs in Mojave Paint (the Mojave Paint one is on the right). Everything in Mojave Paint is hand tuned, every detail is sweated.

https://preview.redd.it/plfo6qbt47rh1.jpg?width=4068&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36faf224252999a75a337fc1f972d80133d77fef

https://mojavepaint.app

PCP: Image editing app / Compare to Photoshop, Affinity, GIMP / Pricing is $9.99 lifetime

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