14 Must-Have Mac Apps in 2026, Grouped by the Job They Do

I set up a new Mac about once a year, and the first hour always looks the same: install the same handful of small apps that fix what macOS leaves out. This is that list for 2026, checked app by app on 9 October 2026.

I build one of the apps below, MacMD Viewer, a read-only Markdown viewer. It sits in the reading & writing group, not at the top, and I name the free alternative next to it. Weigh that entry knowing who wrote it.

Quick answer: the 14 picks#

• Raycast, best launcher. Replaces Spotlight with commands, snippets and clipboard search.
• Rectangle, best free window manager. Keyboard shortcuts for halves, thirds and corners.
• Maccy, best clipboard history. Small, fast, open source.
• CleanShot X, best screenshot tool. Annotate, scroll-capture and record without leaving the overlay.
• Keka, best archive tool. Opens RAR, 7Z and dozens of other formats Finder can't.
• AppCleaner, best uninstaller. Finds the support files that dragging to the Trash leaves behind.
• Bitwarden, best password manager on a free plan. Unlimited passwords on unlimited devices.
• IINA, best video player. Plays what QuickTime refuses, with a modern Mac interface.
• AlDente, best for MacBook battery health. Caps the charge level.
• Stats, best system monitor. CPU, memory, network and battery in the menu bar.
• Obsidian, best notes app for local Markdown files. Your notes stay as plain files.
• MacMD Viewer, best for reading Markdown files. Quick Look in Finder, read-only by design.
• Ghostty, best terminal. Fast, native, free.
• Homebrew, best way to install everything else. One command per app.

How do the essential Mac apps compare?#

App	Best for	Price model	Native or Electron
Raycast	Launcher	Free core, Pro subscription	Mac app (stack not published)
Rectangle	Window management	Free, open source (paid Pro version)	Native
Maccy	Clipboard history	Free, open source	Native
CleanShot X	Screenshots	One-time, or subscription with cloud	Native
Keka	Archives	Free (paid on App Store to support it)	Native
AppCleaner	Uninstalling	Free (donations)	Native
Bitwarden	Passwords	Free, Premium subscription	Electron
IINA	Video	Free, open source	Native
AlDente	Battery	Free, Pro one-time or subscription	Native
Stats	System monitor	Free, open source	Native
Obsidian	Notes	Free, Sync and Publish subscriptions	Electron
MacMD Viewer	Reading Markdown	One-time ($19.99)	Native
Ghostty	Terminal	Free, open source	Native
Homebrew	Installing apps	Free, open source	Command line

Twelve of the fourteen are free or have a free version that does the core job. Five sell a subscription (Raycast, CleanShot X, Bitwarden, AlDente, Obsidian), and in each case it buys extras such as cloud storage, AI or sync, or there is a one-time option next to it. If paying once matters to you, I keep a separate list of Mac apps without a subscription.

Launcher, windows and clipboard#

These three change how the whole Mac feels, so I install them before anything else.

Raycast#

Raycast replaces Spotlight (I rebind Cmd+Space to it). It launches apps, but the reason it stays is everything else: snippets that expand from a keyword, a searchable clipboard history, window management commands, and a store of community extensions. The individual plan is free; Pro, Plus and Max are monthly or yearly subscriptions that add AI features and sync. The changelog shows v2.7 shipped on 8 October 2026, so it is moving fast.

The tradeoff: it is a big app that wants to become your whole interface. If you only want a launcher, Spotlight in recent macOS versions has closed some of the gap.

Choose it if you type to get things done and want one shortcut for apps, snippets and clipboard search.

Rectangle#

Rectangle snaps windows to halves, thirds, quarters and corners with keyboard shortcuts. It is free and open source, and version 2.0.3 came out on 5 October 2026. macOS now has its own tiling, but I still find Rectangle's shortcuts faster and more predictable across apps. A paid Rectangle Pro adds layouts and more options; most people never need it.

Choose it if you work with two or more windows side by side and want a shortcut instead of a drag.

Maccy#

Maccy keeps a history of what you copied. Press its shortcut, type a few letters, hit Return, and the old clipboard item pastes. It is MIT-licensed, needs macOS 14 or later, and release 2.7.1 landed in August 2026. If you use Raycast's clipboard history you can skip Maccy; I keep it because it opens instantly and does one thing.

Choose it if you have ever copied something, copied something else, and lost the first one.

Finder and files#

CleanShot X#

CleanShot X is the screenshot tool I would pay for twice. Capture an area, annotate it, blur a name, scroll-capture a long page, record a short video, all from one overlay. It is the one app in this list where the price model needs reading: a one-time Basic licence includes the app and one year of updates (renewable if you want later versions), while the Pro tier is a subscription aimed at teams and unlimited cloud storage. It is also in Setapp.

Choose it if you take screenshots for work every day: bug reports, docs, support replies.

Keka#

Keka opens the archives Finder can't: RAR, 7Z, ZIPX and around 30 other formats for extraction, and creates 7Z, ZIP, DMG and more. The download from the website is free; buying it on the App Store gets you the same app and funds development. Version 1.6.8 shipped in September 2026.

Choose it if someone ever sends you a .rar or .7z file.

AppCleaner#

Dragging an app to the Trash leaves its preferences, caches and support files behind. AppCleaner finds them. Drop an app on its window, review the list, delete. It is freeware with a donation link; version 3.7 targets macOS 15 and later, and older builds stay available for older systems.

Choose it if you try a lot of apps and want them gone when you are done.

Security and system utilities#

Bitwarden#

A password manager is the one app here I would call mandatory. Bitwarden's free plan includes unlimited passwords on unlimited devices, which is rare. Premium is a yearly subscription (under $20 a year when I checked) and adds an authenticator, file attachments and emergency access. The desktop app is Electron, and it shows; most of my use is through the browser extension and macOS autofill anyway.

Choose it if you still reuse passwords, or you pay for a manager and want the free tier to be enough.

AlDente#

AlDente caps your MacBook's charge level, so a laptop that sits on a charger all day spends less time at 100%. The free version has the charge limiter. Pro adds heat protection, calibration and scheduling, and it is sold either as a yearly subscription or as a lifetime licence. macOS has its own optimised charging, but AlDente lets you choose the limit yourself.

Choose it if your MacBook lives plugged into a desk monitor.

Stats#

Stats puts CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network and battery readouts in the menu bar. It is free, MIT-licensed, and v3.0.20 shipped on 4 October 2026. I turn most modules off and keep memory and network; when something feels slow, I see the cause before opening Activity Monitor.

Choose it if you want to know why the fans spun up without opening another window.

IINA#

IINA is the video player QuickTime should be. Built on mpv, free and open source, it plays MKV, subtitles in every format and odd codecs, with an interface that looks like a Mac app. Version 1.5.0 came out on 3 October 2026.

Choose it if you have ever seen "QuickTime Player can't open this file".

Reading and writing#

Obsidian#

Obsidian is a notes app built on a folder of plain Markdown files. That is the reason I recommend it: if Obsidian disappears, your notes are still .md files you can open anywhere. The app is free with no account, and the company says commercial use doesn't require a licence. Sync and Publish are optional subscriptions. It is Electron, so it is heavier than the native apps here, and the plugin ecosystem can eat an afternoon.

Choose it if you want your notes in files you own, linked together, on any platform. I compare it with eight other note apps that keep plain Markdown files.

MacMD Viewer (I build this one)#

MacMD Viewer is a native viewer for Markdown files. It doesn't edit: you write in Obsidian, VS Code, Cursor or anything else, and MacMD renders the file with Mermaid diagrams, syntax-highlighted code and 12 themes. When your editor or a coding agent saves the file, the open window reloads. Its Quick Look extension shows a rendered .md file when you press Space in Finder. PDF export keeps the diagrams. It costs $19.99 once, with no subscription and no trial.

Read-only is a choice, and it is not for everyone. If you never leave your editor, its preview pane is enough. And if Finder previews are all you want, QLMarkdown is a free, open-source Quick Look extension that renders Markdown in Finder (1.5.7 shipped on 2 October 2026). I compare the options in more depth in the best Markdown viewers and Markdown apps for Mac.

Choose it if you read more Markdown than you write (READMEs, docs, AI agent output) and want it rendered outside your editor.

Developer tools#

Two picks here, because these are the ones every Mac needs. The full set I use to ship software is in my best Mac apps for developers list.

Ghostty#

Ghostty is a terminal with a macOS interface written in Swift with AppKit and SwiftUI on top of a shared core. It is MIT-licensed and free, the current release is 1.3.1, and the repository saw commits the day before I wrote this. Tabs and splits feel like a Mac app rather than a port. If you are happy in Terminal.app or iTerm2, there is no urgency to switch.

Choose it if you spend hours a day in a terminal and want it fast and native.

Homebrew#

Homebrew installs command-line tools and, through casks, regular Mac apps. brew install --cask rectangle puts Rectangle in your Applications folder; brew upgrade updates everything at once. It is run by volunteers, funded by donations, and release 7.0.9 came out on 8 October 2026. Most apps in this list are available as casks, so a new Mac becomes one script.

Choose it if you install more than a few apps, or any developer tool at all.

Methodology: how I picked these#

• Daily use. Every app here runs on my Apple Silicon Mac, the one I build and ship MacMD Viewer on. I left out apps I installed once and forgot.
• Native preferred. When a native app and an Electron app do the same job equally well, the native one wins: smaller, faster to launch, better battery. Obsidian and Bitwarden stay because nothing native beats them at their job for me.
• Price model from the source. I read each vendor's own page or GitHub releases on 9 October 2026 and give the model (free, one-time, subscription) rather than exact prices, which change. Check the current price before you buy.
• Still maintained. Each app had a release or changelog entry in 2026. Ice, the menu bar organiser I wanted to include, was dropped: its last GitHub release is from October 2024.
• Disclosure. I build MacMD Viewer and earn money when you buy it. I put it in the group where it belongs and named a free alternative.

If you only install three#

• Everyone: Raycast, Rectangle, Bitwarden. A faster way to open things, a sane way to arrange windows, and no reused passwords.
• No subscriptions, ever: Rectangle, Maccy, Keka. All free, and none of them asks you to pay for anything.
• Developers: Homebrew, Ghostty, Raycast. Then install the rest with brew install --cask.
• Writers and researchers: Obsidian for notes, CleanShot X for captures, and a viewer such as MacMD Viewer or QLMarkdown if you read a lot of Markdown files.
• MacBook on a desk all day: add AlDente to any of the above.

Frequently Asked Questions#

What apps should every Mac have?#

A launcher (Raycast), a window manager (Rectangle), a clipboard history (Maccy), an archive tool (Keka), a password manager (Bitwarden) and an uninstaller (AppCleaner) cover the gaps macOS leaves open. All six have a free version. Add Homebrew if you install developer tools.

Are there good Mac apps without a subscription?#

Yes. Rectangle, Maccy, Keka, IINA, AppCleaner, Stats, Ghostty and Homebrew are free. CleanShot X sells a one-time licence with a year of updates, AlDente Pro has a lifetime option, and MacMD Viewer is $19.99 one-time. Raycast, Bitwarden and Obsidian are free at their core and charge a subscription only for extras.

Do I still need a window manager on macOS in 2026?#

Recent macOS versions added basic tiling, but Rectangle still gives you keyboard shortcuts for halves, thirds and corners that work the same in every app. It is free and open source, so it costs nothing to try.

Which essential Mac apps are native rather than Electron?#

In this list, Rectangle, Maccy, CleanShot X, AlDente, Keka, IINA, AppCleaner, Stats, Ghostty and MacMD Viewer are native Mac apps. Obsidian and the Bitwarden desktop app are built on Electron. Homebrew is a command-line tool.

What is the best free app for previewing Markdown files in Finder?#

QLMarkdown is a free, open-source Quick Look extension that renders .md files when you press Space in Finder. MacMD Viewer ($19.99 one-time) also does this and adds a full reading window with Mermaid diagrams, live reload and PDF export. See the Quick Look setup guide for both.