# Popular Mac apps that only run on Apple silicon

> Some Mac apps skip Intel Macs entirely and need an M1 or later. These are the ones people install the most. Updated November 8, 2026. Page: https://macpip.com/rankings/apple-silicon-only-mac-apps

Most apps still run on both kinds of Mac. A growing number do not: they use the Neural Engine, Apple's on-device AI models or Metal features only Apple silicon has, or the maker simply stopped building for Intel.

This list is handy if you are still on an Intel Mac, or thinking about buying one used. Homebrew marks the apps that need Apple silicon, and we sorted them by installs.

## How this ranking works

- Source: Homebrew's public install analytics (formulae.brew.sh), which count installs by people who leave Homebrew's anonymous analytics on.
- Read on: November 8, 2026. Updated every week.
- Included: Mac apps whose Homebrew cask needs an Apple silicon (arm64) Mac. Deprecated and disabled casks are left out.

## The list

| # | App | Installs, 30 days | Installs, 365 days | Maker | On MacPip | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vorssaint: Menu bar toolkit with keep-awake, system monitor and volume mixer | 11,269 | 42,510 | vorssaint | No | https://github.com/vorssaint/vorssaint-utils |
| 2 | Raycast: Control your tools with a few keystrokes | 7,519 | 115,989 | Raycast | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/raycast |
| 3 | LM Studio: Discover, download, and run local LLMs | 6,162 | 58,513 | Element Labs | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/lm-studio |
| 4 | DeepSeek Harness: Plugin-based AI agent desktop application | 2,843 | 3,555 | DeepSeek | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/deepseek-harness |
| 5 | Gemini: Native desktop AI assistant from Google | 2,693 | 18,278 | Google | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/google-gemini |
| 6 | Herdr: Desktop app for terminals and coding agents | 2,172 | 2,171 |  | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/herdr-app |
| 7 | Dia: Web browser | 1,651 | 7,836 | The Browser Company | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/thebrowsercompany-dia |
| 8 | OmniWM: Tiling window manager | 1,299 | 2,133 | OmniNull | No | https://github.com/OmniNull/OmniWM |
| 9 | KDE Connect: Communicate with your handheld devices | 1,219 | 3,289 | KDE | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/kde-connect |
| 10 | Comfy Desktop: Node-based image, video and audio generator | 1,160 | 5,384 | Comfy Org | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/comfy |
| 11 | Unsloth Desktop: Desktop application for Unsloth Studio | 1,014 | 1,612 | Unsloth AI | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/unsloth |
| 12 | Highball: Tool to run Windows games | 816 | 1,203 | Gauthier Piarrette | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/highball |
| 13 | LM Studio Bionic: AI agent for working with open models | 628 | 1,980 | Element Labs | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/lm-studio-bionic |
| 14 | Llama: Menu bar app for running local LLMs | 587 | 1,765 | ggml | No | https://github.com/ggml-org/Llama-macOS |
| 15 | WhatCable: Menu bar app for USB-C cable diagnostics | 528 | 5,703 | Darryl Morley | No | https://github.com/darrylmorley/whatcable |
| 16 | Crest: Open-source web browser | 510 | 510 | Paul Davis | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/crest-browser |
| 17 | PlayCover: Sideload iOS apps and games | 508 | 4,388 | PlayCover | No | https://github.com/PlayCover/PlayCover |
| 18 | Parallels Desktop: Desktop virtualization software | 499 | 5,568 | Parallels | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/parallels |
| 19 | EXO: Run AI models locally across multiple devices | 474 | 1,990 | EXO Labs | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/exo |
| 20 | VirtualBuddy: Virtualization tool | 452 | 2,549 | Guilherme Rambo | No | https://github.com/insidegui/VirtualBuddy |
| 21 | Tinycast: Application launcher and productivity tool | 443 | 443 | Abue Ammar | No | https://github.com/abue-ammar/tinycast |
| 22 | OpenSuperWhisper: Whisper dictation/transcription app | 443 | 8,634 | Starmel | No | https://github.com/Starmel/OpenSuperWhisper |
| 23 | ChatGPT Classic: OpenAI's previous ChatGPT desktop app | 406 | 4,288 | OpenAI | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/chatgpt-classic |
| 24 | Ghostex: Workspace for running and reviewing multiple CLI coding agents | 388 | 460 | Mohamad Yahia | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/ghostex |
| 25 | Delta: Multiplayer environment for coding with agents | 380 | 416 |  | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/zed-delta |
| 26 | Battery: App for managing battery charging. (Also installs a CLI on first use.) | 306 | 8,261 | Mentor Palokaj | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/battery |
| 27 | BetterCapture: Screen recorder | 298 | 2,551 | Joshua Sattler | No | https://github.com/jsattler/BetterCapture |
| 28 | kimi: AI chat assistant from Moonshot | 290 | 1,907 | Moonshot AI | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/kimi |
| 29 | AirStats: Menu bar system monitor | 287 | 532 | byren | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/airstats |
| 30 | BlueStacks: Mobile gaming platform | 287 | 3,158 | BlueStacks | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/bluestacks |
| 31 | Blender LTS: 3D creation suite | 269 | 1,500 | Blender Foundation | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/blender%40lts |
| 32 | MacParakeet: Local speech-to-text, transcription, and meeting recording | 262 | 1,416 | Daniel Moon | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/macparakeet |
| 33 | Osaurus: LLM server built on MLX | 233 | 6,327 | Osaurus | No | https://github.com/osaurus-ai/osaurus |
| 34 | Mirai: Inference engine for AI models | 216 | 341 | Mirai Labs | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/mirai |
| 35 | Meetily: Meeting transcription and analysis application | 206 | 1,069 | Zackriya Solutions | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/meetily |
| 36 | Muesli: Local-first dictation and meeting transcription | 196 | 873 | Muesli | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/muesli |
| 37 | Headroom: Reduce token usage for Claude Code and Codex | 195 | 760 | gglucass | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/headroom |
| 38 | Vicinae: Application launcher and command palette | 190 | 670 | Vicinae HQ | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/vicinae |
| 39 | GameHub: Compatibility layer for running Windows and Steam games | 183 | 651 |  | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/gamehub |
| 40 | Claudoscope: Menu bar dashboard for Claude Code sessions | 179 | 179 | Liran Baba | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/claudoscope |
| 41 | Paper: Design tool for creating interfaces and prototypes | 178 | 716 | Paper | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/paper-design |
| 42 | bb: IDE for running and orchestrating coding agents | 177 | 426 | get-bb | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/bb |
| 43 | Pulse: System activity monitor for CPU, memory, GPU, disk and network | 170 | 170 | EGOIST | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/pulse |
| 44 | Writer: Local-first Markdown editor | 166 | 185 | Joel | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/writer |
| 45 | Biscotti: Private meeting transcription | 160 | 160 | Steve Cosman | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/biscotti |
| 46 | Mumu Player Pro: Android emulator | 158 | 1,412 | NetEase | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/mumuplayer |
| 47 | Reolink Client: Client for viewing and managing security cameras and NVRs | 109 | 176 | Reolink | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/reolink |
| 48 | Nativ: Run AI models locally | 102 | 322 | Neywa Labs | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/nativ |
| 49 | SiliconScope: System monitor for Apple Silicon with ANE, Media Engine and bandwidth tracking | 102 | 736 | Kennt YS Kim | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/siliconscope |
| 50 | ThinkRail: Agentic development environment | 101 | 101 | JetBrains | No | https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/thinkrail |

## Questions

### Which popular Mac apps need Apple silicon?
By Homebrew installs in the last 30 days, Vorssaint, Raycast, LM Studio, DeepSeek Harness and Gemini lead. 149 apps in Homebrew's ranking need an Apple silicon Mac.

### Will these apps run on an Intel Mac?
No. Their makers ship them for Apple silicon only, so they will not install or open on an Intel Mac, even with the newest macOS it supports.

### How do I know if my Mac has Apple silicon?
Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. If it says Chip, followed by Apple M1 or later, you have Apple silicon. If it says Processor and Intel, you do not.