Smart Ways to Pay Less for Mac Software

You don't need wads of disposable income to enjoy new software on a regular basis, and you don't have to rely exclusively on freeware to get useful work done on your Mac. You're the only one who knows what your budget can support. I've been buying independently developed software since before people called them apps--back when you dialed into a local BBS to download shareware from the computer eccentric you met at the last user group meeting. My hometown even had a store in the '90s where you could rent commercial software. This was before Little Snitch mattered, because most home users didn't even have Internet access.

Saving Money Without Being Miserable

1. Look for alternatives before you buy.
   Use AlternativeTo, a site that suggests apps similar to the one you're researching. The listings are rated and reviewed by regular people and clearly labeled as free or paid, open source or proprietary, with links to download or purchase. Here's an example using Hazel as the starting point--I got 19 alternative suggestions in seconds.
2. Cancel free trials immediately.
   When you download an app with a free trial from the App Store, cancel the subscription right away. In 99% of cases, you'll still get the full trial period without the risk of forgetting and getting billed. You'll also get a reminder when the trial is ending, giving you time to decide whether the app is worth keeping. If you do subscribe, yearly plans are almost always cheaper than monthly ones. Be especially wary of weekly pricing. I recently tried a translation app that cost 49 cents for seven days--after that, it jumped to $10.99 per week.
3. Use software deal sites you trust.
   Bookmark a few reliable discount sites and check them regularly. The folks at Bundlehunt are building their own app store (currently in beta) with discounted apps like MacPilot, Menubar X Pro, KeyKeeper, Workspaces 2, and Alarm Clock Pro.
   Another solid option is Apps.Deals, where top-shelf apps like Spencer, TextSniper, and ProcessSpy are frequently discounted. All are on sale now.
4. Buy in November if you can wait.
   November is the best month of the year to buy software. In the indie world, offering Black Friday savings has become a tradition with deep discounts. Reddit, GitHub, and tech bloggers usually maintain running lists of deals. With a little patience and research, 40--50% discounts on premium software are common.
5. Use AppRaven to track prices and freebies.
   Appraven is an iOS app that connects you to a community of people who genuinely love software. It tracks current and historical App Store prices across Apple platforms, which makes it easy to tell whether a "sale" is real.
   You can get near-instant notifications when paid apps temporarily go free, browse curated user-created lists, and create wish lists that notify you when prices drop. One of my favorite lists to follow is focused on apps that support Apple Shortcuts.
6. Use educational discounts if you're eligible.
   If you have an email address tied to a K--12 or higher-ed institution, there are a lot of legitimate discounts available. There's even an education-only app store called Student App Centre. Apple also offers education pricing on hardware.
7. Stick to curated sources for free software.
   Curated lists reduce the risk of downloading an unvetted GitHub project that turns out to be malware. A few good starting points:
   • MacUpdate Search -- recent releases of free Mac apps
   • OSS Software -- more technical, but approachable
   • thriftmac -- 400+ quality free Mac apps
   • Mr. Free Tools -- software and web services
   • MacMenuBar -- Recently Added -- one of the best Mac software sites around
   • Today on Mac -- thoughtful reviews
   • Top Mac Apps -- from the MacUpdater app
   • Privacy Tools -- excellent for security and privacy
   • Awesome Free Apps on GitHub -- a long list worth exploring carefully

Saving Money the Dumb Way

Don't download cracked or pirated software. It's easy to find sites with massive catalogs of apps, usually delivered at glacial speeds unless you pay for "premium" access (Bitcoin preferred). Even when the apps are recognizable titles, they're often modified in ways that break Gatekeeper, Apple's built-in malware protection.

To compensate, these sites usually provide a mysterious Terminal script you're told to run. None of this is smart. Even if nothing immediately bad happens, you're often left with an app you can't update without breaking it.I don't lose sleep over Adobe's or Microsoft's profits, but stealing a $4.99 app from an independent developer who built something genuinely useful is just low-class.

I also have mixed feelings about asking developers for freebies or discounts. Some--like Sindre Sorhus--openly encourage students and users in low-income countries to reach out, which makes sense. I'm privileged enough not to need that. On the flip side, I regularly get emails from people who assume I'm the developer of an app I reviewed. Most are polite; some are pushy. Decide where you land, and act accordingly.