The Best Free Mac Apps in 2026 (No Subscriptions, No Catch)

You don't need to spend money to make your Mac much better. Some of the best macOS apps are completely free, and many are open source, so anyone can check what they do.

Here are the 15 best free Mac apps in 2026. None of them has a hidden subscription.

Windows and menu bar

1. Rectangle

Snap windows to halves, thirds and corners with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging. Open source.

2. AltTab

Shows a preview of every open window when you switch, like Windows does. Open source.

3. Ice

Hides menu bar icons you don't use. A free, open-source alternative to Bartender.

4. Itsycal

A tiny calendar in the menu bar that shows your next events.

System and cleanup

5. Stats

CPU, memory, disk, network and battery in your menu bar. Open source.

6. AppCleaner

Uninstalls apps completely, including their hidden leftover files.

7. Amphetamine

Keeps your Mac awake for a set time, or while a download finishes.

Files and archives

8. Keka

Opens and creates zip, 7z, rar and more. Free from its website (the Mac App Store version is a paid way to support the developer).

9. The Unarchiver

Opens almost any archive with a double click.

Struggling to find files rather than open them? See how to find a file on Mac when you can't remember the name.

Media and design

10. IINA

A modern video player that plays nearly every format. Open source.

11. HandBrake

Converts and shrinks videos. Open source.

12. Affinity

The pro design, photo and page-layout app became free in 2025 after Canva made it one free app. You sign in with a free Canva account.

Privacy and security

13. LuLu

A free, open-source firewall. It alerts you when apps try to connect to the internet.

14. Bitwarden

An open-source password manager with a free plan that covers most people.

More in our guide to the best privacy apps for Mac.

Notes

15. Obsidian

Notes saved as plain Markdown files on your Mac. Free for personal use.

Free built-in apps people forget

macOS already includes a lot:

• Spotlight (⌘Space): launch apps and, in macOS 26 Tahoe, browse your clipboard history and run quick actions.
• Preview: sign, merge and annotate PDFs.
• Live Text: select and copy text in any photo or screenshot in Preview or Quick Look.
• Notes and Reminders: much more capable than they used to be.

When paying is worth it

Free apps cover a lot, but a few problems are worth paying a little to solve properly. Searching everything you've saved, downloaded, screenshotted and read is one of them.

Trailback isn't free, but it does have a 7-day free trial with no sign-up and no card. Then it's a one-time price, not a subscription. It finds files, screenshots and web pages by describing them, and it runs 100% offline.

See how it compares with the rest in the top 10 Mac apps.

Written by Pavan GK

Pavan is the founder of Trailback, a private, offline app for Mac and Windows that helps you find anything on your computer by describing it. He builds it at Hara Infotech in Hyderabad.