Utilities Mac Apps
Utilities are the apps you install once and then forget you installed, right up until you use a Mac without them. Screenshot tools, disk cleaners, recorders, media players and menu bar oddities all live here.
It is the largest category on the site, largely because the versions built into macOS are usually fine but rarely great.
What to look for in a utilities app
- Overlap with macOS — Screenshot, QuickTime and Storage Management already do a version of most of this, so the question is whether the app is meaningfully faster.
- Idle cost — a utility that sits in the menu bar should be close to invisible in Activity Monitor.
- Permissions — screen recording and full disk access are powerful, so prefer notarized apps that explain each prompt.
- Recent updates — check something shipped in the last year, because abandoned utilities tend to break with every macOS release.
All 12 utilities apps
Mole
Native Mac utility for cleanup, software, and status
IINA
The modern media player for macOS
CleanShot X
Capture your Mac's screen like a pro
Upscayl
The #1 free and open source AI image upscaler
Heed
Full-screen reminders you actually notice, from your menu bar
IdleMac
Your Mac Knows When You're Slacking
Alcove
Dynamic Island for your Mac
Compresto
Reclaim 50GB+ Without Quality Loss
MacWhisper
Quickly transcribe audio files into text on your Mac
Boom
Screen recording without editing
SlapMac
Slap your MacBook. It screams back
Screen Charm
Screen Recorder for Mac with Automatic Zoom