Top 10 Mac Apps Worth Installing in 2026

Most people use the same handful of apps every day. So the best way to make your Mac better isn't to install 40 apps. It's to install the 10 that remove the most friction.

Here's our ranked list of the top 10 Mac apps for 2026. Each one is fast, works on Apple silicon, and earns its place every week. Looking for more choice? Our full guide covers the 25 best Mac apps.

Quick list: the top 10 Mac apps

1. Trailback: find anything on your Mac by describing it

We all lose things on our computers: the PDF someone sent last month, the screenshot of an error, the article you read on Tuesday. Trailback remembers what you do on your Mac so you can find it again by describing it:

• Files and PDFs, by the words inside them, not just the file name
• Screenshots, by the text in them
• Web pages you visited, even after you clear your browser history
• What you were doing at a certain time, like "Tuesday afternoon"

It also includes Collections (your files sorted by type and source), Tidy (safe Downloads cleanup) and offline PDF and image tools. It's 100% offline: your data never leaves your computer.

Why it's #1: it fixes the problem that wastes the most time, which is looking for things. Try it free for 7 days.

2. Raycast

Raycast is a command bar that opens apps, runs quick maths, converts units, manages windows and runs extensions, all from one shortcut. The core app is free. Read more in our Spotlight alternatives guide.

3. Rectangle

Drag windows into halves, thirds and corners, or use shortcuts like ⌃⌥← to snap a window left. It's free, open source and tiny. It's one of the first things we install on any Mac.

4. Shottr

A fast screenshot app with arrows, blur, text recognition and a pixel ruler. It's free to use, with an optional licence to support the developer. If you take a lot of screenshots, also see how to search the text inside them later.

5. Ice

Your menu bar fills up fast. Ice hides the icons you don't need behind a click. It's free and open source.

6. AltTab

macOS's ⌘Tab switches apps, not windows. AltTab shows a thumbnail of every open window, which is great if you work with many browser windows or documents. Free.

7. AppCleaner

Dragging an app to the Bin leaves settings and caches behind. AppCleaner finds and removes those too. Free.

8. Bitwarden

A password manager is the single biggest security upgrade you can make. Bitwarden is open source with a free plan that covers most people. More in our privacy apps for Mac guide.

9. IINA

QuickTime can't play every video. IINA can, and it looks and feels like a real Mac app. Free and open source.

10. Stats

Want to know why your fan is spinning? Stats puts CPU, memory, network and battery info in your menu bar. Free and open source.

Honourable mentions

• CleanShot X: the most complete paid screenshot tool.
• Obsidian: notes stored as plain files on your Mac.
• Hazel: rule-based file automation.
• LuLu: free firewall that shows which apps go online.

Most of these are free. See our list of the best free 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.