The TryMacApps Blog
Guides to the best Mac apps
Hand-researched comparisons of the tools everyone recommends, the ones worth paying for, and the hidden gems most lists miss.
- Guides
- 25
- Topics
- 14
The Best 1Password SSH Agent Alternative for Mac (2026)
NullKey is the 1Password SSH agent alternative for developers who want SSH keys that are created inside the Mac's Secure Enclave and can never be copied, for free.
The Best Kyno Alternative for Mac (2026)
Stringout is the Kyno alternative for editors who want to search footage by what was shot and what was said, transcribe on their own Mac and get a synced first assembly in their NLE.
The Best Thunderbird Alternative for Mac (2026)
MailVault is the Thunderbird alternative for people who want their email saved on their own Mac as plain files, with tracker warnings and a safe way to clear out a full Gmail or Outlook inbox.
The Best Logseq Alternative for Networked Notes (2026)
Anytype is the Logseq alternative for people who want local-first, linked notes with end-to-end encryption and object-based structure — typed objects with relations, synced peer-to-peer.
The Best Ulysses Alternative for Writing (2026)
iA Writer is the Ulysses alternative for people who want focused, distraction-free markdown writing without a subscription — cross-platform, plain-text, centered on the words.
The Best Bear Alternative for Note-Taking (2026)
Logseq is the Bear alternative for people who want markdown notes with linking and a graph view, plus cross-platform, open-source freedom — an outliner that turns daily notes into connected knowledge.
The Best Notion Alternative for Notes and Docs (2026)
Capacities is the Notion alternative for people who want linked, object-based notes without building complex databases — structure and linking with less setup, plus a fast desktop app.
The Best Obsidian Alternative for Note-Taking (2026)
Anytype is the Obsidian alternative for people who want local-first, encrypted notes organized as objects with relations — open source, with built-in peer-to-peer sync.
The Best Alacritty Alternative for Mac Terminals (2026)
Kitty is the Alacritty alternative for people who want GPU speed plus built-in features — tabs, layouts, remote multiplexing and a graphics protocol, without bolting on extra tools.
The Best TablePlus Alternative for Database Management (2026)
Beekeeper Studio is the TablePlus alternative for people who want a clean, cross-platform database client that's open source — many databases, a friendly query editor, consistent everywhere.
The Best Postman Alternative for API Testing (2026)
Bruno is the Postman alternative for developers who want a local-first API client that stores collections as files in git — no required account, no forced cloud sync.
The Best Warp Alternative for Mac Terminals (2026)
WezTerm is the Warp alternative for people who want a fast, GPU-accelerated terminal that's fully scriptable and cross-platform — Lua config and a built-in multiplexer, no account or AI focus.
The Best iTerm2 Alternative for Mac Terminals (2026)
Ghostty is the iTerm2 alternative for people who want a fast, native, GPU-accelerated terminal that works out of the box — speed and native feel without tuning dozens of settings.
The Best Bartender Alternative for Mac Menu Bar Management (2026)
Ice is the Bartender alternative for people who want to organize and hide menu bar icons without paying. It's free, open source, and covers the core job of tidying a crowded menu bar.
The Best Magnet Alternative for Mac Window Management (2026)
Moom is the Magnet alternative for people who want more than edge snapping — saved layouts that restore with a shortcut or when you connect a display, plus a custom grid.
The Best CleanShot X Alternative for Mac Screenshots (2026)
Shottr is the CleanShot X alternative for people who want a fast, native screenshot tool with OCR, measurement and scrolling capture — without a subscription. It has a generous free tier.
The Best Rectangle Alternative for Mac Window Management (2026)
Loop is the Rectangle alternative for people who want gesture-driven window snapping instead of keyboard shortcuts — hold a trigger, flick toward a zone, and the window snaps. Free and open source.
The Best Raycast Alternative for Mac Launchers (2026)
SuperCmd is the Raycast alternative for people who want an open-source, Raycast-compatible launcher that puts local AI closer to the center — Pro-style power with more control.
The Best Alfred Alternative for Mac Launchers (2026)
LaunchBar is the Alfred alternative for people who want fast, keyboard-first launching without building workflows — abbreviation search, clipboard history and snippets, built in.
The Best AI Mac Apps in 2026
The best AI Mac apps in 2026 — with the parts other lists skip: local vs cloud privacy, the real cost of API keys vs subscriptions, and an honest Apple Intelligence reality check.
The Best Productivity Mac Apps in 2026
Productivity isn't about more apps — it's about removing friction. Here are the best Mac productivity apps in 2026, grouped by the specific friction each one kills.
The Best Free Mac Apps in 2026 (Genuinely Free)
Every 'free apps' list buries paid apps with a free trial in the mix. This one is sorted honestly: truly free, open source, and freemium — labeled, so there are no surprises.
The Best Mac Apps for Developers in 2026
Not another alphabetical app dump. A developer's Mac stack organized by the workflow it fixes — terminal, containers, DBs, APIs, AI, and the tiny utilities that quietly save hours.
The Best Real-Time Transcription Mac Apps (2026)
Most lists confuse 'transcribe a file' with 'transcribe live.' Here's the honest breakdown of real-time transcription on Mac — on-device vs cloud, privacy, accuracy and price.