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Best of MacPip

Must-have Mac apps

Updated Nov 8, 2026, from what MacPip lists today.

Risposta breve

MacPip lists 10 must-have Mac apps, and a person has checked 10 of them.4 di esse hanno una versione gratuita.8 di queste si acquistano con una licenza una tantum.1 di queste è in abbonamento.There is no single best must-have Mac app for everyone, so MacPip does not rank them.Se la vuoi gratis, inizia da Folio.

Apps a person checked come first, newest check first. Never ordered by payment.

"Must-have" lists usually mean the same famous names every year. This one is different on purpose: it picks from the indie Mac apps MacPip lists, one per everyday job, by a rule you can check.

The rule: a person at MacPip has checked the app, it has a free version or a one-time price, and the most recent check wins its job. That gave 10 apps across 10 jobs.

It is a starting set, not a ranking. If another app fits you better, the job's own list is one click away.

What these 10 apps offer, by their listings. An app can offer several, so the bars do not add up to 10.
Versione gratuita4 di 10
Pay once8 di 10
Abbonamento1 di 10
Native to Apple silicon4 di 10
Open source1 di 10
Funziona offline2 di 10
Verificate da una persona10 di 10
One-time price in US dollars, as each listing states it, lowest first. 5 apps have no plain dollar one-time price and are left out. Launch prices count where the listing says so.
Droppy$9.99
Reel$11.99

Compared

AppChe cosa faPrezzoGratis o a pagamentoApple siliconOpen sourceRealizzato daVerificata
DroppyA Dynamic Island, File Tray and clipboard history for your Mac$9.99 once for 2 Macs, 3-day free trialUna tantumSì, e anche su Intel, secondo il suo creatoreNoJordy Spruit8 nov
FolioWriting and notes app for Mac5 EURVersione gratuitaUna tantumNon indicatoNoFolio Hecho con cari3 nov
ReelClipboard manager per Mac: search, pin and paste anything you copied$11.99 once (2 Macs $19.99)Una tantumNon indicatoNoCanonForge Apps3 nov
AtticScreenshots and downloads put themselves away.$5 once (launch), then $9 and $15Una tantumSì, e anche su Intel, secondo il suo creatoreNoPablo Fernández Jiménez3 nov
CuewakeLeave it here. Find it when you’re back.$9Una tantumSì, solo Apple silicon, secondo il suo creatoreNoDanny3 nov
EspressoEspresso is the Everything-style file search app for MacFree for personal use, Pro €19 onceVersione gratuitaUna tantumSì, e anche su Intel, secondo il suo creatoreNoMoka Solutions3 nov
GearDexCamera gear inventory, shoots and client work in one appFree for 25 items, Pro $4/moVersione gratuitaAbbonamentoNon indicatoNoDylan Andersen3 nov
CortexCortex is The Activity Monitor for the AI era.$5 once (first 100), then $19Una tantumNon indicatoNoNon indicato3 nov
Oh My AndroidFree ADB GUI and Android Emulator control panel for macOS.Gratuito e open sourceVersione gratuitaNon indicatoSìAmirHossein Teymoori3 nov
BackdropA native Mac window manager that organizes your windows by project.9,90 USD una tantumUna tantumNon indicatoNoS4ck330 ott

One app per everyday job, chosen by one rule: a person at MacPip has checked it, it has a free version or a one-time price, and the most recent check comes first.

Notes

Folio

Writing and notes app for Mac

Versione gratuitaPay onceVerificata il 3 nov
Folio on a Mac

Folio is a native study app: notebooks on a shelf, rich text pages, PDFs you can annotate, AI flashcards scheduled with FSRS spaced repetition, quizzes and exams, and a study assistant that talks about your notes. Its listing is written in Spanish. It costs 5 euros.

Prezzo
5 EUR
Its maker says it replaces
Notion

Folio on MacPip More Writing and Notes apps

Getting things done

Droppy

A Dynamic Island, File Tray and clipboard history for your Mac

Pay onceApple siliconVerificata il 8 nov
Droppy on a Mac

From its maker: Droppy brings files, clipboard history and everyday controls to your Mac's notch or a floating Dynamic Island. Gather files in the File Tray, find text, links, images and files you copied, control music and arrange shelf widgets for your daily tools.

Prezzo
$9.99 once for 2 Macs, 3-day free trial
Needs
macOS 14 Sonoma o successivo

Droppy on MacPip More Notch apps

Clipboard

Reel

Clipboard manager per Mac: search, pin and paste anything you copied

Pay onceVerificata il 3 nov
Reel on a Mac

Reel is a classic clipboard manager done carefully. Press Shift-Command-V, find what you copied, hit Return and it pastes into the app you were in. It keeps text, links, code, colors, images and files, with search, pinboards for snippets and previews. It is $11.99 once for 1 Mac at its launch price, with a 14-day trial, and needs macOS 11 or later.

Prezzo
$11.99 once (2 Macs $19.99)
Needs
macOS 11 o successivo
Its maker says it replaces
Paste, Maccy, Raycast clipboard history

Reel on MacPip More Clipboard and Text apps

Screenshots and recordings

Attic

Screenshots and downloads put themselves away.

Pay onceApple siliconVerificata il 3 nov
Attic on a Mac

Attic tidies up after you. Old screenshots and downloads move to a folder on your Mac by themselves, and nothing is ever deleted. No cloud and no account. It is $5 once at its launch price, then $9 and $15.

Prezzo
$5 once (launch), then $9 and $15
Needs
macOS 14 Sonoma o successivo

Attic on MacPip More Menu Bar apps

Windows

Backdrop

A native Mac window manager that organizes your windows by project.

Pay onceVerificata il 30 ott
Backdrop on a Mac
Realizzato da S4ck3Sito webOn X

Backdrop organizes your windows by project, so switching from one piece of work to another brings the right set of windows back together. It is a native Mac app, needs macOS 14 or later and no account. Try it free for 10 days, then pay $9.90 once.

Prezzo
9,90 USD una tantum
Needs
macOS 14 o successivo

Backdrop on MacPip More Window Management apps

Menu bar

Cuewake

Leave it here. Find it when you’re back.

Pay onceApple siliconFunziona offlineVerificata il 3 nov
Cuewake on a Mac
Realizzato da DannySito webOn X

Cuewake lets you attach notes, checklists, links and files to Mac apps and webpages, so your next step is waiting when you come back to them. It is a one-time purchase at $9, needs no account, works offline and runs natively on Apple silicon. It needs macOS 14 Sonoma or later.

Prezzo
$9
Needs
macOS 14 Sonoma o successivo
Its maker says it replaces
Apple Notes, Apple Reminders

Cuewake on MacPip More Notch apps

Files and storage

Espresso

Espresso is the Everything-style file search app for Mac

Versione gratuitaPay onceApple siliconFunziona offlineVerificata il 3 nov
Espresso on a Mac

From its maker: Espresso is the Everything-style file search app per Mac: every file on every disk as you type, even disks that aren’t connected. Native, private, free for personal use.

Prezzo
Free for personal use, Pro €19 once
Needs
macOS 14 Sonoma o successivo

Espresso on MacPip More Files and Storage apps

Photos and design

GearDex

Camera gear inventory, shoots and client work in one app

Versione gratuitaAbbonamentoVerificata il 3 nov
GearDex on a Mac

From its maker: GearDex is a camera gear inventory and business app for photographers and studios. Every item holds brand, model, serial, photos, price, value, condition and location.

Prezzo
Free for 25 items, Pro $4/mo
Its maker says it replaces
Sortly

GearDex on MacPip More Photos apps

AI

Cortex

Cortex is The Activity Monitor for the AI era.

Pay onceVerificata il 3 nov
Cortex on a Mac

From its maker: The Activity Monitor for the AI era. Cortex turns a thousand processes into the sixty apps you actually run, remembers the last 30 days, and shows what your Neural Engine and local models are doing.

Prezzo
$5 once (first 100), then $19
Needs
macOS 15 Sequoia o successivo
Its maker says it replaces
Activity Monitor, Vitals, iStat Menu 7

Cortex on MacPip Altre app AI

For developers

Already on your Mac

Some must-haves come with macOS: Spotlight for launching and quick sums, Shift-Command-5 for screenshots and recordings, Preview for PDFs and images, Notes, Reminders and Focus modes. The apps above earn their place by doing a job these skip or by doing it better for some people.

Every job has its own list

Quale scegliere

Domande

What is the best must-have Mac app?

There is no single best one for everyone. MacPip lists 10: Droppy, Folio, Reel, Attic, Cuewake, Espresso, GearDex, Cortex, Oh My Android, Backdrop. If you want it free, look at Folio. If you would rather pay once than subscribe, look at Droppy. If you want it to run natively on Apple silicon, look at Cuewake. If you need it to work offline, as its maker says it does, look at Espresso. If you want open source code, look at Oh My Android.

Are there free must-have Mac apps?

Sì. Con una versione gratuita su MacPip: Folio, Espresso, GearDex, Oh My Android.

Which must-have Mac apps have a one-time price?

Con un'opzione una tantum, così puoi evitare l'abbonamento: Droppy, Folio, Reel, Attic, Cuewake, Espresso, Cortex, Backdrop.

Which must-have Mac apps run natively on Apple silicon?

Secondo i loro creatori o secondo la nostra verifica: Droppy, Attic, Cuewake, Espresso.

Which must-have Mac apps has a person checked?

Ognuna ha un report con la data sulla sua pagina: Droppy, Folio, Reel, Attic, Cuewake, Espresso, GearDex, Cortex, Oh My Android, Backdrop.

Come ordina MacPip queste app?

Prima ci sono le app che una persona ha verificato, con la verifica più recente in cima, poi le altre in base a quando sono state aggiunte. Il pagamento non cambia mai l'ordine, e le righe sponsorizzate sono etichettate e tenute separate.

What are the must-have Mac apps?

Beyond what macOS includes, it depends on your work. This page picks one checked indie app per everyday job, with a free version or a one-time price. Each job links to its full list.

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