Utilities

Air Battery

• Description: Free multi-device battery monitor that shows accurate readouts for all connected devices in a Notification Center widget.
• Price: Free

AlDente Pro

• Description: Battery charge limiter that protects long-term battery health by capping charge level; reviewed on an M2 MacBook.
• Price: Paid

Almighty

• Description: A collection of 50 system tweaks and mini-utilities bundled into one app by the developer of PastePal.
• Price: Paid

Amphetamine

• Description: Highly configurable sleep-prevention utility for Mac with far more options than the built-in caffeinate command.
• Price: Free

Angry IP Scanner

• Description: Free network scanner for identifying devices on your local network; useful for home labs and detecting unauthorized Wi-Fi connections.
• Price: Free / Open Source

App Tamer

• Description: Controls CPU usage of background apps to reduce heat, extend battery life, and improve performance for the frontmost app.
• Price: Paid

AppTela

• Description: Layered, categorized app launcher for managing large /Applications folders; used to organize 660+ apps at $4.99.
• Price: Paid — $4.99
• Workflow Tips: Yes — detailed walkthrough of organizing a large application collection.

Automounter

• Description: Automatically connects to network volumes; essential for home-lab setups and workflows with frequently-used external drives.
• Price: Paid

Backup Loupe

• Description: Analyzes and visualizes Time Machine backups so you can understand what's being backed up and manage storage.
• Price: Paid

Backup Status

• Description: Simple utility to check the status of your Time Machine backups at a glance from the menu bar.
• Price: Free

BackiGo

• Description: Full-featured iCloud backup solution that creates true local backups of your iCloud data; recommended for those relying heavily on iCloud.
• Price: Paid

Badgeify

• Description: Shows notification badges from any app directly in the menu bar, keeping unread counts visible without opening apps.
• Price: Paid

BarCuts

• Description: Organizes the macOS Shortcuts menu bar entries into a cleaner, more navigable structure.
• Price: Paid

Bartender

• Description: Long-standing menu bar management app for hiding, organizing, and triggering menu bar items; reviewed amid macOS 26 compatibility concerns.
• Price: Paid

Battery Monitor: Health, Info

• Description: Tracks battery charge, health, cycle count, and other metrics for Mac laptops.
• Price: Free

Better Display

• Description: Menu bar utility for custom display resolutions, brightness control, and advanced monitor settings beyond what macOS provides.
• Price: Freemium

BetterMouse

• Description: Third-party mouse driver that replaces Logitech Options+ and adds Magic Mouse-style features to Logitech MX Master.
• Price: Paid

BlockBlock & KnockKnock (Objective-See) — 2024

• Description: Free security tools from Objective-See: BlockBlock monitors for persistent app installations, KnockKnock scans for known malware persistence locations.
• Price: Free / Open Source

BlockBlock & KnockKnock (Objective-See) — 2025

• Description: Updated review of the Objective-See security utilities for monitoring persistence and potential malware on Macs.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Captin

• Description: Shows a visual indicator when Caps Lock is activated, solving the common problem of accidentally typing in all-caps.
• Price: Free

CharmBar

• Description: Easy dock customization app for changing icon appearances and organizing the Dock with vintage Mac icon aesthetics.
• Price: Paid

CleanShot X

• Description: Full-featured screenshot utility with annotation, scrolling capture, OCR, and cloud sharing; considered best-in-class by the author.
• Price: Paid

Clop

• Description: Background utility that automatically compresses images, videos, and PDFs when you copy and paste them; made by The Low-Tech Guys.
• Price: Freemium

Consul

• Description: Dead-simple file conversion utility: change the file extension to the target format and Consul handles the conversion automatically.
• Price: Paid
• Workflow Tips: Yes — shows how to automate file conversions by extension.

Cork

• Description: Polished GUI for Homebrew package management; one-time purchase by independent developer David Bureš.
• Price: Paid

CurrentKey Stats

• Description: Tracks foreground app usage time, types keystrokes, and provides system stats; triple-purpose menubar app.
• Price: Paid

Custom Shortcuts by Houdah

• Description: Free app for assigning custom keyboard shortcuts to any menu item in any application.
• Price: Free

Daisy Disk

• Description: Best-in-class visual disk space analyzer with a radial sunburst map for identifying what's consuming storage.
• Price: Paid

Datacever

• Description: Controls which apps can use cellular data when your Mac is tethered to an iPhone, preventing background data drain.
• Price: Paid

Default Folder X

• Description: Veteran Mac utility that enhances Open/Save dialog boxes with recent folders, favorites, and file management tools; roots trace back to 1987.
• Price: Paid

Deskpad

• Description: Free utility that creates a virtual display within your existing display for use when screen sharing with people who have lower resolution monitors.
• Price: Free

Disk Drill

• Description: Data recovery software with six free tools; review covers successful recovery of 87K files from an unreadable drive.
• Price: Freemium

Disk Drill Revisited

• Description: Real-world test of Disk Drill's paid recovery mode, successfully restoring 87,000 files from a drive Finder could not read.
• Price: Freemium (paid for recovery)
• Workflow Tips: Yes — step-by-step data recovery walkthrough.

Disk Maintenance Mythology

• Description: Opinion piece debunking common Mac disk maintenance myths; covers what disk tools are actually useful and which practices are unnecessary.
• Price: N/A (opinion/reference)

DockDoor

• Description: Free app that adds Windows-style window previews when hovering over Dock app icons.
• Price: Free

Dockside (2024)

• Description: Shelf utility that lives beside the Dock for staging files and temporarily parking items between apps.
• Price: Paid

Dockside (2026)

• Description: Updated deep review; Dockside acts as a permanent drop zone beside the Dock with multiple shelves, clipboard history, drop-zone automations, and Shortcuts integration.
• Price: Paid
• Workflow Tips: Yes — detailed multi-shelf layout and drag-and-drop workflow walkthroughs.

Dropover

• Description: Best-in-class shelf utility ($5.99 App Store) for staging files during drag-and-drop operations.
• Price: Paid — $5.99

Droppy (Jan 2026)

• Description: Notch app with file shelf, clipboard, media controls, and system info; evolved from a free notch utility into a paid suite.
• Price: Paid

Droppy (Feb 2026)

• Description: Update post covering new features in Droppy; covers improved notch integration and expanded utility tools.
• Price: Paid

Droppy (May 2026)

• Description: v14 release of Droppy brings 100+ bug fixes; licensing changed to cover two Macs; priced at €6.99 until May 31 then €9.99 with lifetime updates.
• Price: Paid — €6.99–€9.99

Dropzone 4

• Description: Menubar utility for file operations, app launching, and drag-and-drop workflows; similar to Yoink/Unclutter but more feature-rich.
• Price: Paid (subscription via Setapp or one-time)

dupeGuru

• Description: Free and open-source duplicate file finder; works across file types including images, with smart matching beyond exact-name comparison.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Duplicati

• Description: Free encrypted offsite backup tool for Mac with multiple destination support.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Dynamic Lake Pro

• Description: Notch app for M-series MacBooks that shows notifications, media controls, and system info in the notch area.
• Price: Paid

Encrypto

• Description: Free file encryption app for sharing sensitive files; integrates with macOS Share menu for easy encrypted file transfers.
• Price: Free

Ente Auth

• Description: Free open-source 2FA authenticator; recommended Authy replacement with Mac and iPhone clients.
• Price: Free / Open Source

EtreCheckPro

• Description: Generates detailed system reports for diagnosing Mac issues; helps identify problematic processes and background items.
• Price: Freemium

ExtraBar

• Description: Highly configurable extra toolbar app from AppItStudio; consolidates automation triggers from Raycast, KM, BTT, Hazel and Shortcuts.
• Price: Paid
• Workflow Tips: Yes — describes reorganizing all automation apps around ExtraBar.

ExtraBar Gets Extra Features

• Description: Update post on ExtraBar covering new features added after the initial release.
• Price: Paid
• Workflow Tips: Yes — overview of using ExtraBar as an automation hub.

ExtraDock

• Description: Secondary dock utility from AppItStudio that simplifies context switching in remote work multi-display setups.
• Price: Paid

Facescreen

• Description: Utility for showing your face via webcam as an overlay during screen recordings or screen sharing/presentations.
• Price: Paid

File List Export

• Description: Simple but powerful utility that exports directory listings in various formats; bought for $1 at BundleHunt.
• Price: Paid — $1 (BundleHunt), normally more

focusedOS

• Description: Productivity app combining focus mode, distraction blocking, and several other enhancements into one tool.
• Price: Paid

Folder Peek

• Description: Free menu bar app by Sindre Sorhus for quick access to folders and files from the menu bar; described as GOAT of menu bar access apps.
• Price: Free

Folder Tidy

• Description: Sorts and organizes messy folders using 19 built-in rules; good for quick cleanup without manual sorting.
• Price: Paid

Get Plain Text

• Description: Adds a convenient way to paste clipboard content as plain text, filling a gap in macOS clipboard handling.
• Price: Free

Gladys

• Description: Free shelf utility that stores various data types and syncs via iCloud to iOS devices.
• Price: Free

Good Old Time Machine Editor

• Description: Free utility to change the default hourly Time Machine backup interval to something more suitable for workday use.
• Price: Free

Hop to Desk

• Description: Free and open-source encrypted remote access solution; an alternative to Chrome Remote Desktop with better privacy.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Hyperspace

• Description: By John Siracusa; frees up disk space on Macs using compression without deleting files.
• Price: Paid

iCollections

• Description: Desktop-centric workflow manager inspired by the classic DragThing; organizes apps and files on the desktop.
• Price: Paid

iNet Network Scanner

• Description: Network scanner for home labs and IoT setups; identifies all connected devices with IP addresses and network details.
• Price: Paid

Karabiner Elements

• Description: Free keyboard remapping utility; used here to re-enable hyperkey after a macOS issue; powerful for all key-mapping needs.
• Price: Free / Open Source

KeyClu

• Description: Free app that displays available keyboard shortcuts for the frontmost app in a visual overlay.
• Price: Free

KeyKeeper (2024)

• Description: Software license tracker from the BundleHunt team for storing serial numbers, download links, and upgrade policies.
• Price: Paid

KeyKeeper (2025)

• Description: Updated review of KeyKeeper for tracking software purchases after Black Friday shopping.
• Price: Paid

Keka

• Description: Free (App Store) or pay-what-you-want archive utility supporting a wide range of compressed formats including obscure ones.
• Price: Free (direct download) / Paid (App Store)

Licensed

• Description: 17-year-old app recently revived for tracking software licenses with a simple, focused interface.
• Price: Paid

Lingon X / Lingon Pro

• Description: GUI for macOS Launch Agents and Launch Daemons; useful for troubleshooting misbehaving background processes and replacing cron jobs.
• Price: Paid (sale at BundleHunt $4.00)
• Workflow Tips: Yes — shows how to use Lingon to identify problem processes.

Mac Compression Utilities

• Description: Roundup covering The Unarchiver and other compression utilities for handling ZIP, RAR, 7z, and other formats.
• Price: Free / Paid (varies)

Mac Firewall Apps

• Description: Roundup of third-party outbound firewall options for Mac (Little Snitch, Lulu, Radio Silence) with a discussion of use cases.
• Price: Varies (Free to Paid)

MacPilot

• Description: Customization app from Koingo Software that unlocks hidden macOS settings; compared to free alternatives like Onyx and TinkerTool.
• Price: Paid — $29.95 (sale $3.99 at BundleHunt)

MacTracker

• Description: Free comprehensive database of every Apple product ever made with full specs; essential for Mac enthusiasts and support staff.
• Price: Free

MacUpdater

• Description: Multi-featured app updater that scans and downloads available updates; used in combination with other updaters for broad coverage.
• Price: Paid

Marta

• Description: Free dual-pane file manager written in Swift; keyboard-centric with fast response to both keyboard and mouse.
• Price: Free

MenuWhere

• Description: Pops up the frontmost app's menu bar at the current mouse cursor location via hotkey; by Many Tricks.
• Price: Paid (cheap)

Meteorologist

• Description: Free and open-source menu bar weather app from Sourceforge; reliable and lightweight.
• Price: Free / Open Source

MountMate (original)

• Description: Controls which external drives are mounted and when; solves cluttered Finder sidebar and unnecessary drive spin-ups.
• Price: Paid

MountMate (updates)

• Description: Update post covering new features added to MountMate after reader feature requests.
• Price: Paid

Mouse Boost

• Description: Enhances right-click context menus in Finder with cut, copy, paste for files and other power-user features.
• Price: Paid

mtop

• Description: Compact menu bar monitor for CPU cores, GPU, RAM, and process IDs; designed for crowded menu bars.
• Price: Free

MyApplications (2024)

• Description: Catalogs all installed apps with metadata; helps manage large application collections.
• Price: Paid — $0.99

MyApplications (2025)

• Description: Updated review of MyApplications for cataloging and curating large app collections.
• Price: Paid — $0.99

My Applications: Best 99 Cents

• Description: Extended review declaring MyApplications the best $0.99 purchase for organizing a large app library.
• Price: Paid — $0.99

NeoFinder

• Description: Catalogs disks and media into a searchable database so files on offline drives, NAS, and removable media are always findable.
• Price: Paid

NotchNook

• Description: Notch app for MacBook; tested and found not ready for prime time at the time of review; purchased at 35% off $25.
• Price: Paid — ~$16 (sale), $25 regular

OCR Options in macOS

• Description: Roundup of OCR options on Mac including Live Text, TextSniper, and third-party tools for extracting text from non-selectable content.
• Price: Varies

OnlySwitch

• Description: Free menu bar app with on/off toggles for dozens of Mac settings plus mini-applications in one menu.
• Price: Free

Onyx for Mac

• Description: Free system utility by Titanium Software, updated for every major macOS release for 23+ years; covers maintenance, tweaks, and verification.
• Price: Free

Open Core Legacy Patcher

• Description: Free and open-source tool for running newer macOS versions on older unsupported hardware.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Orange Card

• Description: Tiny free utility that extracts extended metadata from files via drag-and-drop or paste.
• Price: Free

Paletro

• Description: Adds a searchable command palette to any macOS app for accessing menu commands quickly via keyboard.
• Price: Paid — $6.99

Parachute Backup

• Description: Backup app designed specifically for iCloud and Photos; creates true local backups distinguishing between sync and backup.
• Price: Paid

Pareto Security

• Description: Quickly checks Mac security settings to identify misconfigurations; available on Setapp.
• Price: Freemium (Setapp)

Permissions Reset 2

• Description: Free troubleshooting tool that resets file/folder permissions; fills the gap left when Apple removed Repair Permissions from Disk Utility.
• Price: Free

PicMal

• Description: Batch image/file conversion app with automation-friendly features; on sale at BundleHunt for $5.
• Price: Paid — $5 (BundleHunt sale)
• Workflow Tips: Yes — covers automation workflows for file conversion.

Picocrypt

• Description: Free and open-source file encryption tool with simple but powerful features; cross-platform.
• Price: Free / Open Source

PingPlace

• Description: Lets you move macOS notifications to any position on screen rather than the default top-right corner.
• Price: Paid

Ping Uptime Monitor

• Description: Lightweight menubar app that monitors availability and response time of websites, APIs, servers, and network devices.
• Price: Paid

PopClip

• Description: Highly configurable text selection popup that performs dozens of actions on selected text in any app; considered must-have.
• Price: Paid

Presentify

• Description: Presentation enhancement app that adds annotations, cursor highlighting, and screen magnification for live demos.
• Price: Paid

Privileges

• Description: Free open-source tool from SAP for safely toggling between admin and standard user accounts; security best practice app.
• Price: Free / Open Source

ProcessSpy

• Description: Enhanced process viewer that goes beyond Activity Monitor; shows detailed info per app process for troubleshooting.
• Price: Paid

Quick App Launcher Pro

• Description: Well-designed alternative app launcher with a different approach from Raycast/Alfred; covers dock, Launchpad, and keyboard methods.
• Price: Paid

Quitter

• Description: Free utility that automatically quits apps after a configurable period of inactivity; more reliable than Raycast's built-in equivalent.
• Price: Free

RapiDMG

• Description: Automates the process of mounting and installing Mac apps from DMG files.
• Price: Paid

Recents App

• Description: Free intelligent file launcher that extends macOS's limited Recent Items list with smarter access to recently used files.
• Price: Free

ReiKey & Task Explorer (Objective-See)

• Description: Free security tools: ReiKey monitors for keyloggers; Task Explorer lists all running processes with security analysis.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Replacicon

• Description: App for customizing Mac icons with a large curated library; lets you replace any system or app icon.
• Price: Paid

Royal TSX

• Description: Remote management app supporting RDP, VNC, SSH, and more in one unified interface; used for IT support workflows.
• Price: Freemium

Sandkorn

• Description: Free app that shows detailed information on installed apps, especially sandboxed apps and their entitlements.
• Price: Free

Screen Memory

• Description: Remembers and restores window positions and sizes; purchased at BundleHunt for $6.
• Price: Paid — $6 (BundleHunt), $27 regular

ScreenFloat

• Description: Screenshot tool focused on floating screenshots as reference tools while working; a different use case from standard screen capture.
• Price: Paid
• Workflow Tips: Yes — describes floating screenshot use cases for reference workflows.

Sensei

• Description: Mac optimization and monitoring utility; review asks whether it's necessary given the quality of free alternatives.
• Price: Paid

Shareful

• Description: Free app by Sindre Sorhus that improves the macOS Share menu with copy-as-path, AirDrop improvements, and more.
• Price: Free

SilentKnight

• Description: Free utility from The Eclectic Light Company that checks Mac security settings and flags missing security updates.
• Price: Free

SiteSucker

• Description: Mac app for downloading entire websites locally; configurable depth and filtering options.
• Price: Paid

Sloth

• Description: Free and open-source app showing all open files and sockets by process; Activity Monitor on steroids for troubleshooting.
• Price: Free / Open Source

SmartBackup

• Description: Free, fast backup utility that complements Time Machine with simpler file-level access to backups.
• Price: Free

SnapsOfApps

• Description: Window management app with a new update adding features for complex multi-monitor and Spaces setups.
• Price: Paid

Snapsrch

• Description: Popup search utility that conducts web searches on selected text from a configurable list of search engines.
• Price: Paid

Software for Mounting NTFS Drives

• Description: Roundup of options for reading and writing to NTFS-formatted drives on Mac; covers Mounty and paid alternatives.
• Price: Varies

SoundSource

• Description: Granular per-app audio control from Rogue Amoeba; manages multiple sound outputs and input levels.
• Price: Paid

Spaces for macOS

• Description: App for defining custom workspace configurations with specific apps, windows, and layouts per project.
• Price: Paid

Start

• Description: App launcher with extra features that go beyond FolderPeek and XMenu for accessing apps and folders.
• Price: Paid

Stats

• Description: Free alternative to iStat Menus for monitoring CPU, RAM, disk, network, and battery in the menu bar.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Stay

• Description: Free utility that remembers and restores window positions when monitors are connected/disconnected.
• Price: Free

Step 2

• Description: Desktop 2FA authenticator app; reviewed as a replacement for the deprecated Authy desktop app.
• Price: Paid

SuperDuper!

• Description: Veteran disk cloning app purchased in 2004 and still receiving updates; used alongside Time Machine for full disaster recovery.
• Price: Freemium (free basic version, paid for advanced features)

Supercharge

• Description: Menu bar productivity utility combining clipboard history, window management, and app-switching enhancements.
• Price: Paid

SwiftDefaultApps

• Description: Technical utility for managing default app assignments for URL schemes and file types; for power users.
• Price: Free

Switch Glass

• Description: Configurable application switcher with per-display settings; addresses issues with macOS's default Dock behavior on multiple monitors.
• Price: Paid

SwitchResX

• Description: Granular resolution control utility for managing display resolutions across different use cases and multiple monitor configurations.
• Price: Paid

TeraCopy

• Description: File copy utility with verification, pause/resume, and better error handling than the Finder; updated for Apple Silicon.
• Price: Paid

TextSniper

• Description: OCR app for extracting text from YouTube videos, images, and other non-selectable sources; compared with Live Text.
• Price: Paid

The Time Machine Mechanic

• Description: Tool for monitoring and verifying Time Machine backups; reviewed when the built-in Backup Status widget broke in Sequoia.
• Price: Paid

Topgrade

• Description: Free CLI tool that updates Homebrew, the Mac App Store, macOS, VS Code extensions, and more in one command.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Topgrade (silent automation)

• Description: How-to guide for running Topgrade silently and automatically using launchd instead of cron for multi-protocol updates.
• Price: Free / Open Source
• Workflow Tips: Yes — step-by-step setup for automated silent updates.

Trace

• Description: Disk analysis utility for making informed storage decisions; helps identify space hogs without the mythology around disk maintenance.
• Price: Paid

TRANSNOMINO

• Description: Free file renaming utility with professional-grade capabilities; an alternative to A Better Finder Rename without the cost.
• Price: Free

Trickster

• Description: File management utility that tracks recently accessed files and provides quick access based on app context.
• Price: Paid

TripMode

• Description: Controls and monitors data usage when tethering a Mac to an iPhone; blocks background processes from consuming mobile data.
• Price: Paid

Two Free Apps for Mac OS Installation

• Description: Reviews two free utilities for creating macOS installers and bootable USB drives.
• Price: Free

Unclutter

• Description: Three-in-one utility combining a clipboard manager, file shelf, and floating notes in a single panel.
• Price: Paid

Unsplash Wallpaper App

• Description: Free app providing unlimited access to Unsplash's royalty-free photo library as Mac wallpapers.
• Price: Free

UTM

• Description: Free virtualization app for Mac supporting Windows, Linux, and other OS images; used to run Ubuntu on Apple Silicon.
• Price: Free / Open Source

Update on Options for Updating Apps

• Description: Roundup and comparison of Mac app updater tools (MacUpdater, Latest, CleanMyMac, Topgrade) with insights from managing 500+ installed apps.
• Price: Varies

Updater Apps

• Description: Earlier roundup of available Mac app updater tools and the author's combination strategy.
• Price: Varies

Virtual Buddy

• Description: Free app for running Mac and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon without complex setup.
• Price: Free

Widget Wall

• Description: Creates a dedicated widget-only desktop space for displaying interactive information widgets.
• Price: Paid

Wins

• Description: Window management app with additional productivity features beyond simple tiling and snapping.
• Price: Paid

Witch

• Description: Multi-featured window switcher that shows running apps and user-defined groups; compared with Keyboard Maestro's switcher.
• Price: Paid

WordService

• Description: Free utility from Devon Technologies adding text processing services (word count, case conversion, etc.) to any app.
• Price: Free

XMenu

• Description: Free menu bar app launcher from Devon Technologies that resurrects classic Mac OS Apple menu folder access.
• Price: Free

Yoink (via roundup)

• Description: File shelf utility mentioned as a competitor to Dropover; one of the established players in the drag-and-drop staging category.
• Price: Paid

Zero Duplicates

• Description: Free duplicate file finder using content and file-size matching regardless of filename.
• Price: Free