Knowledge Centre - Mac Tools
Rectangle: Free Window Snapping for Mac (Split Screen Made Easy) Rectangle is a free, open-source Mac app that snaps windows to halves, thirds and corners with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging. Here's how to set it up. Raycast: The Free Spotlight Replacement That Speeds Up Your Whole Mac Raycast is a free Mac launcher that replaces Spotlight with app search, clipboard history, window management, snippets and hundreds of extensions. Here's how to set it up. Maccy: Free Clipboard History for Mac (Never Lose What You Copied) Maccy is a lightweight, open-source clipboard manager for Mac. It remembers everything you copy so you can search and paste it again. Here's how to set it up. AppCleaner: Uninstall Mac Apps Properly (and Remove the Leftovers) for Free AppCleaner is a free Mac uninstaller that finds and removes the settings, caches and support files apps leave behind when you drag them to the Bin. Here's how to use it. The Unarchiver: Open RAR, 7z and Other Archives on Mac for Free The Unarchiver is a free Mac app that opens RAR, 7z, TAR, ISO and dozens of other archive formats that macOS can't handle on its own. Here's how to set it up. IINA: The Best Free Video Player for Mac (Plays MKV and More) IINA is a free, open-source video player for Mac that plays almost any format, with subtitles, picture-in-picture and trackpad gestures. Here's how to set it up. Stats: A Free Menu Bar System Monitor for Mac (CPU, Memory, Battery and More) Stats is a free, open-source Mac app that shows CPU, memory, disk, network, battery and temperatures in your menu bar. Here's how to set it up. LocalSend: Free AirDrop for Mac, Windows and Android LocalSend is a free, open-source app that sends files between your Mac and Windows PCs, Android phones and iPhones over Wi-Fi, with no account or internet needed. Here's how to use it. OnyX: The Free Mac Maintenance and Tweaking Tool (How to Use It Safely) OnyX is a free Mac utility for checking your disk, rebuilding Spotlight and other system databases, clearing caches and changing hidden settings. Here's how to use it safely. GrandPerspective: Find What's Filling Your Mac's Storage (Free) GrandPerspective is a free, open-source Mac app that shows every file as a block sized by how much space it uses, so you can spot what's filling your disk. Here's how to use it. Malwarebytes for Mac: Free Malware and Adware Removal (How to Use It) Malwarebytes for Mac has a free scanner that finds and removes adware, browser hijackers and malware. Here's how to use it and what the free version does and doesn't do. LuLu: The Free Mac Firewall That Shows Which Apps Go Online LuLu is a free, open-source Mac firewall from Objective-See that alerts you when apps try to connect to the internet, so you can allow or block them. Here's how to set it up. KeePassXC for Mac: The Free, Open-Source Password Manager (Setup Guide) KeePassXC is a free, open-source password manager for Mac that keeps your passwords in an encrypted file you control, with browser autofill and Touch ID. Here's how to set it up. KeepingYouAwake: Stop Your Mac Sleeping With One Click (Free) KeepingYouAwake is a free, open-source menu bar app that stops your Mac going to sleep for as long as you choose. Perfect for downloads, presentations and long tasks. MonitorControl: Change External Monitor Brightness From Your Mac Keyboard (Free) MonitorControl is a free, open-source Mac app that lets you change an external monitor's brightness and volume with your keyboard keys or a menu bar slider. Here's how to set it up. AltTab: Windows-Style Window Switching With Previews for Mac (Free) AltTab is a free, open-source Mac app that brings Windows-style Alt-Tab to macOS, with thumbnail previews of every open window. Here's how to set it up. OBS Studio on Mac: Free Screen Recording and Streaming (Beginner's Guide) OBS Studio is free, open-source software for recording your Mac screen and streaming live, with webcam overlays and system audio. Here's how to set it up on a Mac. Obsidian for Mac: The Free Notes App That Keeps Your Notes Yours Obsidian is a free notes app for Mac that stores notes as plain Markdown files on your computer, with linking, search and thousands of plugins. Here's how to get started. LibreOffice for Mac: The Free Microsoft Office Alternative (Setup Guide) LibreOffice is a free, open-source office suite for Mac with a word processor, spreadsheets and presentations that open and save Microsoft Office files. Here's how to set it up. GIMP for Mac: The Free Photoshop Alternative (Beginner's Guide) GIMP is a free, open-source image editor for Mac with layers, masks, retouching tools and non-destructive filters. Here's how to get started and the tips worth knowing. UTM: Run Windows 11 and Linux on Your Mac for Free UTM is a free, open-source app for running Windows, Linux and other systems in a window on your Mac, including Apple Silicon Macs. Here's how to set it up. Audacity for Mac: Free Audio Recording and Editing (Beginner's Guide) Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor for Mac. Record voiceovers and podcasts, cut and clean up audio, remove background noise and export MP3s. Here's how to start. Inkscape for Mac: The Free Illustrator Alternative for Logos and Graphics Inkscape is a free, open-source vector design app for Mac. Create logos, icons, posters and cutting-machine designs that scale to any size. Here's how to start. Shotcut for Mac: Free Video Editing With No Watermark (Beginner's Guide) Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor for Mac with a timeline, filters, transitions and 4K support, and no watermark. Here's how to get started. Keka for Mac: Create 7z and Password-Protected ZIP Files for Free Keka is a free Mac archiver that creates 7z, ZIP and password-protected archives, splits big files and extracts RAR and more. Here's how to use it. Espanso: The Free Text Expander for Mac (TextExpander Alternative) Espanso is a free, open-source text expander that turns short triggers into longer text, dates and snippets in any app on your Mac. Here's how to set it up. HandBrake for Mac: Shrink and Convert Videos for Free HandBrake is a free, open-source video converter for Mac that shrinks huge videos and converts MKV, AVI and more to MP4. Here's how to use it and which presets to pick. Calibre for Mac: Manage, Convert and Send Ebooks to Your Kindle for Free Calibre is a free, open-source ebook manager for Mac. Organise your library, convert between formats, fix book details and send books to Kindle and Kobo. Here's how to start. Krita for Mac: The Free Digital Painting App for Artists Krita is a free, open-source digital painting app for Mac with hundreds of brushes, tablet support and animation tools. Here's how to get started. Thunderbird for Mac: The Free Email App for All Your Accounts Thunderbird is a free, open-source email app for Mac with a unified inbox, calendar, contacts, filters and built-in encryption. Here's how to set it up. LinearMouse: Fix Mouse Scrolling and Acceleration on Mac for Free LinearMouse is a free, open-source Mac app that lets you set mouse and trackpad scrolling separately, turn off mouse acceleration and use side buttons. Here's how to set it up. draw.io for Mac: Free Flowcharts and Diagrams (Visio Alternative) draw.io is a free, open-source diagram app for Mac for flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams and more, with templates and offline use. Here's how to start. Skim: The Free PDF Reader and Note-Taker for Mac Skim is a free, open-source PDF reader for Mac designed for reading and annotating papers, with highlights, notes, snapshots and export. Here's how to use it. LM Studio for Mac: Run AI Models Offline, Privately and for Free LM Studio is a free Mac app for downloading and running AI chat models locally on Apple Silicon, with no subscription and nothing sent online. Here's how to start. Cryptomator for Mac: Free Encryption for iCloud, Dropbox and Google Drive Cryptomator is a free, open-source Mac app that encrypts your files before they sync to iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. Here's how to set up a vault. Blender for Mac: Free 3D Modelling and Animation (Beginner's Guide) Blender is a free, open-source 3D app for Mac for modelling, sculpting, animation and rendering, fast on Apple Silicon. Here's how to get started. Upscayl for Mac: Free AI Image Upscaler (Enlarge Photos Without Blur) Upscayl is a free, open-source AI image upscaler for Mac. Enlarge small or low-resolution photos while keeping them sharp, offline on your own computer. Here's how to use it. MuseScore Studio for Mac: Free Sheet Music Software (Beginner's Guide) MuseScore Studio is free, open-source music notation software for Mac. Write sheet music, hear it played back with realistic sounds and print or share it. Here's how to start. Itsycal: A Free Menu Bar Calendar for Mac (See Your Month in One Click) Itsycal is a tiny, free menu bar calendar for Mac. Click the date to see the month and your upcoming events, and add new ones without opening Calendar. Here's how to set it up. Karabiner-Elements: Remap Any Key on Your Mac for Free Karabiner-Elements is a free, open-source Mac app for remapping keys, from turning Caps Lock into Escape to making a Windows keyboard work properly. Here's how to set it up. Pareto Security: Check Your Mac's Security Settings in Seconds (Free) Pareto Security is a free, open-source Mac app that checks your key security settings, like FileVault, the firewall and updates, and tells you what to fix. Here's how to use it. DockDoor: Free Dock Window Previews for Mac (Like the Windows Taskbar) DockDoor is a free, open-source Mac app that shows window previews when you hover over apps in the Dock, plus a window switcher. Here's how to set it up. AlDente: Set a Charge Limit to Protect Your MacBook Battery (Free Version) AlDente is a Mac app that stops your MacBook charging past a limit you set, like 80%, which can help your battery last longer. Here's how to use the free version. Signal for Mac: Private, Encrypted Messaging on Your Desktop (Free) Signal is a free, open-source messaging app from a non-profit, with end-to-end encryption for chats, calls and files. Here's how to set up Signal on your Mac. Pika: The Free Colour Picker for Mac (Grab Any Colour on Screen) Pika is a free, open-source colour picker for Mac. Grab any colour on screen, copy it as HEX, RGB or HSL, and check colour contrast for accessibility. Here's how to use it. KnockKnock: See Everything That Runs When Your Mac Starts (Free) KnockKnock is a free, open-source tool from Objective-See that lists everything installed to run automatically on your Mac and checks it against VirusTotal. Here's how to use it. Zotero for Mac: Free Reference Manager for Citations and Bibliographies Zotero is a free, open-source reference manager for Mac. Save sources from your browser, organise PDFs and create citations and bibliographies in any style. Here's how to start. Background Music: Free Per-App Volume Control for Mac Background Music is a free, open-source Mac app that gives you a volume slider for each app and auto-pauses your music when other audio plays. Here's how to set it up. MeetingBar: Join Zoom, Teams and Meet Calls From Your Mac's Menu Bar (Free) MeetingBar is a free, open-source Mac app that shows your next meeting in the menu bar and joins Zoom, Google Meet or Teams calls with one click. Here's how to set it up. Ente Auth: Free, Open-Source 2FA App for Mac, iPhone and Android Ente Auth is a free, open-source two-factor authentication app with end-to-end encrypted backups, available on Mac, iPhone and Android. Here's how to set it up. coconutBattery: Check Your MacBook and iPhone Battery Health for Free coconutBattery is a free Mac app that shows your battery's real health, capacity, cycle count and age, for your MacBook, iPhone and iPad. Here's how to use it. Cyberduck for Mac: Free FTP, SFTP and Cloud Storage Browser Cyberduck is a free, open-source Mac app for transferring files over FTP and SFTP and browsing cloud storage like S3, Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. Here's how to use it. OverSight: Get Alerts When Your Mac's Camera or Mic Turns On (Free) OverSight is a free, open-source Mac app from Objective-See that alerts you whenever your webcam or microphone is activated and tells you which app did it. Here's how to set it up. Anki for Mac: The Free Flashcard App for Studying and Languages Anki is a free, open-source flashcard app for Mac that uses spaced repetition to help you remember more with less study time. Here's how to get started. Latest: See Every App Update Waiting on Your Mac in One Place (Free) Latest is a free, open-source Mac app that lists available updates for your apps, from the Mac App Store and many other developers, in one place. Here's how to use it. Mullvad Browser: The Free Privacy Browser That Blocks Fingerprinting Mullvad Browser is a free, open-source privacy browser made with the Tor Project. It blocks trackers and makes you harder to fingerprint, without using the Tor network. Here's how to use it. BlackHole: Record Your Mac's System Audio for Free BlackHole is a free, open-source virtual audio driver for Mac that lets you record system audio and pass sound between apps. Here's how to set it up with Audacity, OBS or QuickTime. Proton VPN Free for Mac: A Free VPN With No Ads or Data Limits Proton VPN Free is a free plan from Proton VPN for Mac with no ads, no data limit and a no-logs policy. Here's what the free plan includes and how to set it up. Kdenlive for Mac: Free Video Editing With Automatic Subtitles Kdenlive is a free, open-source video editor for Mac with a multi-track timeline, effects, titles, proxy editing and automatic speech-to-text subtitles. Here's how to start. ImageOptim: Shrink Images on Your Mac for Free (and Strip Hidden Location Data) ImageOptim is a free, open-source Mac app that makes JPEG, PNG, GIF and SVG files smaller without visible quality loss, and removes hidden data like GPS location. Here's how to use it. FreeCAD for Mac: Free 3D CAD for 3D Printing and Engineering FreeCAD is a free, open-source parametric 3D CAD app for Mac. Design precise parts for 3D printing, woodworking and engineering. Here's how to get started. Mixxx for Mac: Free DJ Software for Beginners and Pros Mixxx is free, open-source DJ software for Mac with up to four decks, beat sync, effects and support for hundreds of DJ controllers. Here's how to start mixing. Godot for Mac: The Free, Open-Source Game Engine (Beginner's Guide) Godot is a free, open-source game engine for Mac for making 2D and 3D games, with no royalties or licence fees. Here's how to start making your first game. Pencil2D for Mac: Free and Simple Hand-Drawn Animation Pencil2D is a free, open-source Mac app for hand-drawn 2D animation, with onion skinning, bitmap and vector layers, and export to video or GIF. Here's how to start. XnConvert for Mac: Batch Resize, Convert and Watermark Photos for Free XnConvert is a free batch image app for Mac. Convert HEIC to JPG, resize, rename and watermark hundreds of photos at once. Here's how to use it. PrusaSlicer for Mac: Free 3D Printing Slicer (Not Just for Prusa Printers) PrusaSlicer is a free, open-source 3D printing slicer for Mac with profiles for many printers, paint-on supports, organic supports and variable layer height. Here's how to start. Arduino IDE for Mac: Program Arduino and ESP32 Boards for Free Arduino IDE 2 is the free, open-source code editor for programming Arduino, ESP32 and other microcontroller boards from your Mac. Here's how to set it up and upload your first sketch. Scribus for Mac: Free Desktop Publishing (InDesign Alternative) Scribus is a free, open-source desktop publishing app for Mac for flyers, newsletters, brochures and magazines, with print-ready PDF export. Here's how to start. Sweet Home 3D for Mac: Free Interior Design and Floor Plans Sweet Home 3D is a free, open-source interior design app for Mac. Draw floor plans, add furniture and see your room in 3D. Here's how to start. Surge XT: A Free Synthesizer for GarageBand and Logic Pro on Mac Surge XT is a free, open-source synthesizer for Mac that works as a plugin in GarageBand, Logic and other music apps, with thousands of presets. Here's how to start. OpenShot for Mac: The Easy, Free Video Editor for Beginners OpenShot is a free, open-source video editor for Mac that's easy to learn, with drag-and-drop editing, titles, transitions and animations. Here's how to start. Bambu Studio for Mac: Free Slicer for Bambu Lab 3D Printers Bambu Studio is a free, open-source slicer for Mac, built for Bambu Lab 3D printers, with multi-colour painting, project management and network printing. Here's how to start. Pinta for Mac: A Simple, Free Image Editor (Paint.NET Alternative) Pinta is a free, open-source image editor for Mac inspired by Paint.NET. Crop, draw, add text, use layers and effects, without a steep learning curve. Here's how to start. KiCad for Mac: Free PCB Design From Schematic to Manufacture KiCad is a free, open-source electronics design suite for Mac. Draw schematics, lay out PCBs, view them in 3D and export files for manufacturing. Here's how to start. Stellarium for Mac: The Free Planetarium App for Stargazing Stellarium is a free, open-source planetarium app for Mac that shows a realistic sky for any place and time, with stars, planets and constellations. Here's how to start stargazing. UltiMaker Cura for Mac: The Free 3D Printing Slicer for Almost Any Printer UltiMaker Cura is a free, open-source 3D printing slicer for Mac with profiles for hundreds of printers, including Creality, plus a plugin marketplace. Here's how to start. VCV Rack for Mac: A Free Virtual Modular Synth (Beginner's Guide) VCV Rack Free is a virtual Eurorack modular synthesizer for Mac with thousands of free modules. Patch cables, make sounds and learn synthesis. Here's how to start. GDevelop for Mac: Make Games Without Coding (Free and Open Source) GDevelop is a free, open-source no-code game engine for Mac. Build 2D and 3D games with events instead of code, and export to the web, mobile and desktop. Here's how to start. How to Convert HEIC Photos to JPG on a Mac (Free, Even in Bulk) iPhone photos save as HEIC, which many websites and Windows PCs won't open. Here's how to convert HEIC to JPG on a Mac for free, from one photo to thousands. How to Screen Record on a Mac With Sound (Free, Including System Audio) Your Mac's built-in screen recorder can't capture the sound your Mac plays. Here's how to record your screen with system audio and your microphone for free using OBS Studio. How to Free Up Storage Space on Your Mac (Free Tools, Step by Step) 'Your disk is almost full'? Here's how to find what's filling your Mac's storage and safely free up space using built-in settings and free apps. How to Split Screen and Snap Windows Side by Side on a Mac Here's how to put two windows side by side on a Mac using built-in window tiling, and how to get halves, thirds and more with the free Rectangle app. How to Send Files Between a Mac and Android or Windows (Like AirDrop, Free) AirDrop only works between Apple devices. Here's how to send photos and files between your Mac and an Android phone or Windows PC over Wi-Fi, free, with LocalSend. How to Secure Your Mac in 30 Minutes (Free Privacy and Security Checklist) A simple, free checklist to secure your Mac: updates, FileVault, the firewall, screen lock, passwords, two-factor codes and app permissions, with free tools to help. How to Compress a Video on a Mac for Email or WhatsApp (Free) Video too big to send? Here's how to compress a video on a Mac for free with HandBrake, plus the built-in shortcut and Mail Drop for really big files. How to Run Windows 11 on an Apple Silicon Mac for Free (With UTM) Need a Windows app on your M-series Mac? Here's how to run Windows 11 for Arm in a window on your Mac for free using UTM, step by step. How to Make Your MacBook Battery Last Longer (Every Day and for Years) Simple, free ways to get more hours from each charge and keep your MacBook battery healthy for years, with built-in settings and free apps. How to Use a Windows Keyboard and Mouse on a Mac (Properly) Keys in the wrong place? Scrolling backwards? Here's how to make a Windows keyboard and mouse work properly on a Mac with built-in settings and free apps. 
