Updated Nov 6, 2026, from what MacPip lists today.
MacPip lists 6 design and media apps for Mac, and a person has checked 2 of them.3 of them have a free version.4 of them sell a one-time license.There is no single best design app for everyone, so MacPip does not rank them.If you would rather pay once than subscribe, start with Linger.
Apps a person checked come first, newest check first. Never ordered by payment.
| App | What it does | Price | Free or paid | Apple silicon | Open source | Made by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linger | Save what moves you. Recall it in your own words. | $39 once (Lifetime $79). 14-day free tri | One-time | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | No | Lucius Miao, BlackHarbor Analytics Limited | Nov 3 |
| Moody | One visual library for your screenshots and links. | Not stated | One-time | Universal | No | Nikhil Yadav | Oct 30 |
| PeerBrush | Free, open-source painting and layered PSD editing, with optional MCP collaboration. | Free and open source | Free version | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | Yes | Not stated | Pending |
| Featherview | Free, open-source, keyboard-driven image viewer for macOS with batch conversion. | Free | Free version | Yes, and Intel, its maker says | Yes | Joachim Rütter | Pending |
| Super High Fives | An open-source colour picker app for macOS | Free and open source | Free versionOne-time | Not stated | Yes | Not stated | Pending |
| Dabbit | Dabbit is a pixel-exact, color-managed color picker for macOS. | From $19 once, 5-day free trial | One-time | Yes, Apple silicon only, its maker says | No | Michael Andreuzza | Pending |
Save what moves you. Recall it in your own words.
From its maker: Built for designers, photographers, and visual thinkers, Linger is a private, local-first aesthetic library for macOS. It keeps your saved images, screenshots, and sources together with your own notes and vocabulary.
One visual library for your screenshots and links.
Made by Nikhil YadavWebsiteOn XFrom its maker: A personal library for saving design inspiration on macOS. It captures screenshots, drag-drops, and links into one visual, searchable app.
Free, open-source painting and layered PSD editing, with optional MCP collaboration.
From its maker: A free, open-source image editor where you and connected AI agents work on the same editable document.
Free, open-source, keyboard-driven image viewer for macOS with batch conversion.
From its maker: Free, open-source, keyboard-driven image viewer for macOS with batch conversion. The next photo is ready before you ask for it.
An open-source colour picker app for macOS
From its maker: An open-source colour picker app for macOS Pika (pronounced pi·kuh, like picker) is an easy to use, open-source, native colour picker for macOS.
Dabbit is a pixel-exact, color-managed color picker for macOS.
Made by Michael AndreuzzaWebsiteOn XFrom its maker: Dabbit is a pixel-exact, color-managed color picker for macOS. Pick anywhere on screen, copy in any format, build palettes and design systems, and send them straight to Figma.
Look for the file formats it opens and exports, whether it needs an account, and how it handles large files.
There is no single best one for everyone. MacPip lists 6: Linger, Moody, PeerBrush, Featherview, Super High Fives, Dabbit. If you would rather pay once than subscribe, look at Linger.
Yes. With a free version on MacPip: PeerBrush, Featherview, Super High Fives.
With a one-time option, so you can avoid a subscription: Linger, Moody, Super High Fives, Dabbit.
By their makers' word or by our check: Linger, PeerBrush, Featherview, Dabbit.
Each has a dated report on its page: Linger, Moody.
Apps a person has checked come first, newest check first, then the rest by when they were added. Payment never changes the order, and sponsored rows are labeled and kept apart.
