The curated directory of Mac apps & software
Discover apps, utilities and tools for productivity, development, design, file management, security and everyday macOS workflows — organized by category and kept up to date.
Recommended Apps
Six apps published by Nuanyue for macOS, iPhone and iPad. Version, price and platform below come from each App Store listing and the official product website.
Vista Player
Local 4K video player for macOS
A local video player for macOS that opens MKV, MP4, AVI, WebM, TS, FLV and MOV files, with hardware-accelerated 4K HDR playback and M3U playlist support.
PixPack
Batch image compression that stays on your Mac
A native macOS image compressor built for batch work. It compresses a single image or an entire folder tree on-device, converts between output formats and exports the results without uploading anything.
PDF JustFit
Compress, convert and question PDFs on-device
An on-device PDF toolkit for iPhone and iPad. It compresses a document to a target file size, converts between PDF, images and text, and answers questions about a document using a private on-device assistant.
JoyClick
A right-click toolkit for Mac files
A Finder context-menu toolkit for macOS. It puts common file actions — new-file templates, batch rename, quick copy and move destinations, duplicate finding and disk-space analysis — into one right-click menu.
ZipGood
Archive utility with 14 output formats
A native macOS archive utility. It compresses to 14 formats including 7z, ZIP, TAR, GZIP, XZ, Brotli and Zstandard, extracts RAR and other common archives, and supports AES-256 encrypted 7z, ZIP and DMG files.
Neatwise
System cleanup and disk optimisation
A macOS cleaner that scans for system junk, app caches, logs and browser traces, surfaces the largest files on disk, and detects duplicate files and similar photos so each item can be reviewed before removal.
These are first-party apps published by Nuanyue, the publisher of this directory — shown as a product showcase rather than independent editorial picks. Prices are the US App Store prices. Facts last checked . See how facts are sourced and graded →
Featured Mac Apps
1Password
Encrypted password and passkey vault with autofill and breach monitoring.
1Password stores passwords, passkeys, secure notes and payment details in one encrypted vault on macOS, with autofill into browsers and native apps.
Alfred
Launcher and automation tool with workflows and snippets.
A launcher and automation tool for macOS with hotkeys, keyword search, clipboard history, text snippets and a visual workflow editor.
Arc
Workspace-style browser, now in maintenance mode.
A Chromium-based browser with a workspace-style sidebar, Spaces and Profiles — now maintained with Chromium updates only.
CleanMyMac
Mac maintenance suite: cleanup, uninstall, malware scan.
A macOS maintenance suite from MacPaw that removes junk files, uninstalls apps with their leftovers, finds duplicates and scans for malware.
DaisyDisk
Visual disk usage analyser with a one-time licence.
A disk usage analyser that scans a Mac's storage and shows what is using space as an interactive ring chart, so you decide what to delete.
Figma
Collaborative interface design, prototyping and handoff.
A browser-based interface design tool with a Mac desktop app, covering vector design, prototyping, whiteboarding, slides and developer handoff.
iTerm2
Terminal emulator with split panes, search and shell integration.
A terminal emulator for macOS that adds split panes, search, profiles, shell integration and a large set of configuration options on top of Terminal.
Neatwise
Analyze storage, clean unnecessary files and keep your Mac organized.
Neatwise is a macOS utility that helps you analyze storage, find unnecessary files and keep your Mac clean and organized.
Obsidian
Local-first Markdown notes, with optional paid sync.
A local-first note-taking app that keeps your notes as plain Markdown files in a folder you own, with optional paid sync and publishing.
Raycast
Keyboard launcher with extensions, clipboard history and AI.
A keyboard-driven launcher for macOS that runs commands and extensions, with clipboard history, window management, snippets and an optional AI tier.
Visual Studio Code
Free MIT-licensed code editor with a large extension marketplace.
Microsoft's free, MIT-licensed source code editor for macOS, with a large extension marketplace, built-in Git and integrated debugging.
VLC
Free open-source player for most media formats.
A free, open-source media player from VideoLAN that plays most audio, video and streaming formats without extra codec packs.
Explore Mac Software by Category
Utilities
Essential Mac utility apps that handle everyday tasks such as cleaning, clipboard management, window organization and system maintenance.
225 appsProductivity
Mac apps that help you write, plan, take notes, manage tasks and stay focused throughout the workday.
293 appsDeveloper Tools
Code editors, IDEs, terminal apps, API clients, database tools and other software developers rely on when building for macOS and beyond.
231 appsDesign
Design tools for Mac covering UI design, prototyping, screen recording, screenshot annotation and asset management.
136 appsFile Management
Mac apps for organizing files, finding duplicates, locating large files, managing cloud storage and keeping folders under control.
24 appsSecurity
Password managers, encryption tools, firewalls and privacy utilities that keep your Mac and your data safe.
43 appsMedia
Audio and video apps for Mac: players, editors, converters, recorders and music production tools.
91 appsNetworking
Network utilities for Mac: VPN clients, proxies, network analysis, download managers and file transfer tools.
47 appsSystem Tools
Apps that monitor, tweak and extend macOS itself: menu bar tools, window managers, Finder extensions and system information utilities.
186 appsMac Cleaner
Mac cleaner apps help you find unnecessary files, analyze disk usage, uninstall apps completely and reclaim storage space.
22 apps
Popular Mac Guides
Best Mac Cleaner Apps
A practical comparison of Mac cleaner apps that help you analyze disk usage, remove junk files and reclaim storage space on macOS.
Oct 2, 2026How to Clean Cache on Mac
Clear app and system caches on macOS safely — manually via ~/Library/Caches or with a Mac cleaner that previews what it removes.
Oct 2, 2026How to Find Duplicate Files on Mac
Find and remove duplicate files on macOS using Finder Smart Folders, or a duplicate file finder that compares content instead of just file names.
Oct 2, 2026How to Find Large Files on Mac
Find the biggest files on your Mac using Finder search, the Storage settings, Terminal commands or a dedicated disk space analyzer.
Oct 2, 2026How to Free Up Storage on Mac
Free up storage on your Mac by removing large files, clearing caches, deleting unused apps and analyzing disk usage with the right tools.
Oct 2, 2026What Is System Data on Mac and How to Reduce It
Mac System Data is a catch-all storage category for caches, logs, snapshots and support files. Learn what it contains and how to safely shrink it.
Oct 2, 2026
A Mac software directory you can trust
Every listing is organized by category, linked to its official source and regularly reviewed — so you can find the right app faster.
Recently Updated Apps
Acorn
Mac image editor with non-destructive filters, sold outright.
Mac image editor from Flying Meat with non-destructive filters, vector tools, RAW import and a wide export format list, sold as a one-time purchase.
Adobe XD
UI/UX design and prototyping tool that Adobe has placed in maintenance mode.
Adobe's UI and UX design and prototyping application, which Adobe states is in maintenance mode and no longer receiving new features.
Affinity Designer
Vector design studio in Affinity, now free from Canva.
Vector design studio inside Affinity, the free professional creative application from Canva that merged the former Designer, Photo and Publisher apps into one program.
Affinity Photo
Photo editing studio in Affinity, now free from Canva.
Photo editing studio inside Affinity, the free professional creative application from Canva that merged the former Designer, Photo and Publisher apps into one program.
Alacritty
Minimal GPU-accelerated terminal emulator, still in beta.
Cross-platform, GPU-accelerated terminal emulator that stays minimal by integrating with other tools instead of reimplementing them, and is still officially at a beta level of readiness.
AltTab
Windows-style Alt-Tab window switcher for macOS.
Free, open-source macOS window switcher that brings Windows-style Alt-Tab behaviour with live window thumbnails to the Mac, with a paid Pro tier adding search and extra styles.
Amethyst
Automatic tiling window manager for macOS, modelled on xmonad.
Free, open-source automatic tiling window manager for macOS modelled on xmonad, with eleven window layouts, a full keyboard command set and Homebrew installation.
Android Studio
The official IDE for Android, based on Intellij IDEA.
The official IDE for Android, based on Intellij IDEA.
AppCleaner
Thoroughly uninstall apps.
Thoroughly uninstall apps.
Hot Apps
The apps other listings point at most often — ranked by how many entries in this directory name them as an alternative, a competitor or a companion.
HandBrake
Video transcoder for converting media to modern formats.
Video transcoder for converting media to modern formats.
Visual Studio Code
Free MIT-licensed code editor with a large extension marketplace.
Microsoft's free, MIT-licensed source code editor for macOS, with a large extension marketplace, built-in Git and integrated debugging.
Affinity Designer
Vector design studio in Affinity, now free from Canva.
Vector design studio inside Affinity, the free professional creative application from Canva that merged the former Designer, Photo and Publisher apps into one program.
Brave
Privacy-first Chromium browser with ad and tracker blocking built in.
Chromium-based web browser that blocks ads, trackers and cookie prompts by default, with an independent search engine and an optional VPN.
Firefox
Mozilla's open-source browser with its own engine.
Mozilla's free and open-source web browser for macOS, with an independent rendering engine and its own extension ecosystem.
iTerm2
Terminal emulator with split panes, search and shell integration.
A terminal emulator for macOS that adds split panes, search, profiles, shell integration and a large set of configuration options on top of Terminal.
This is a measure of the directory's own graph, not of traffic: Nuanyue runs no analytics, sets no cookies and counts no clicks, so there is no visit data behind this ranking — only the relationship links editors have asserted between listings. Ties are ordered by name. How Nuanyue reviews software →
About Nuanyue
Nuanyue is a curated Mac software directory that helps users discover applications, utilities and tools for macOS. Every listing is organized by category, linked to its official source and regularly reviewed. Nuanyue also publishes practical guides on Mac storage, cleaning, productivity and software selection.