Whether you just unboxed a new MacBook or wiped your drive for a clean start, the first few hours of setting up a dev machine matter. You want to get productive fast without spending a whole day tweaking configs.
I've set up more Macs than I can count at this point — for personal projects, work machines, and side hustles. Here are the 8 apps I install before I write a single line of code.
1. Homebrew — The Package Manager You Can't Skip
If you're a developer on macOS, this is literally step one. Homebrew handles installing CLI tools, languages, and even GUI apps via casks. Before you do anything else, open Terminal and run the install script.
Once it's set up, everything else on this list gets easier. brew install becomes muscle memory within a week.
🔗 brew.sh
2. Raycast — Spotlight on Steroids
Raycast replaced both Spotlight and Alfred for me. It's a launcher, clipboard manager, snippet expander, window manager, and calculator rolled into one app. The extension ecosystem is insane — there's integrations for GitHub, Jira, Linear, Notion, and basically every tool developers use.
The free tier covers 90% of what you need. I particularly love the floating notes and quick calculations while coding.
3. Warp — A Terminal That Actually Feels Modern
Warp rethinks the terminal from the ground up. Instead of a raw text stream, you get block-based output, built-in AI command suggestions, and real IDE-like editing for commands. It sounds gimmicky but it genuinely speeds up terminal work.
The collaborative features (sharing terminal sessions, saved workflows) are great for teams. It's free for individual use and honestly makes iTerm2 feel dated.
🔗 warp.dev
4. TokenBar — Keep Your LLM Costs Visible
If you use AI coding tools (and in 2026, who doesn't?), TokenBar sits in your menu bar and tracks token usage across LLM APIs in real time. It's one of those "install it and forget it's there until you need it" tools — you glance up, see how many tokens you've burned today, and adjust accordingly.
I started using it when my OpenAI bill crept past $50/month without me noticing. Having that number always visible changes your behavior. It's $10 one-time, which pays for itself in a single month of avoided overages.
5. Rectangle — Window Management That Just Works
macOS window management is still terrible in 2026 (Stage Manager doesn't count). Rectangle gives you keyboard shortcuts and snap zones for tiling windows — left half, right half, thirds, quarters, whatever you need.
It's free, open source, and has zero bloat. I use it dozens of times a day without even thinking about it. If you've ever manually dragged windows around to see two files side by side, this will change your life.
6. Monk Mode — Block Feeds Without Blocking Apps
This one's different from typical distraction blockers. Instead of blocking entire websites, Monk Mode surgically removes the feed from apps like Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and Instagram — while letting you still use search, DMs, and everything else.
It's the difference between "I can't access Twitter at all" and "I can use Twitter for work without getting sucked into the timeline." That distinction matters when your job requires social media but your brain can't handle infinite scroll. $15 lifetime.
7. CleanShot X — Screenshots and Screen Recording Done Right
The built-in macOS screenshot tool is fine for basic captures, but CleanShot X is on another level. Scrolling captures, annotation tools, screen recording with GIF export, OCR on screenshots, and a floating pin feature that keeps a screenshot visible on screen.
For writing docs, filing bug reports, or creating tutorials, it's indispensable. The one-time license is well worth it for any developer who shares their screen regularly.
8. Arc Browser — A New Way to Think About Tabs
Arc reimagines the browser with vertical tabs, spaces for separating contexts (work vs. personal vs. side project), and built-in tools like easels and notes. It's opinionated and not for everyone, but if tab management is a constant struggle, Arc's approach is worth trying.
The Spaces feature alone saves me from the "47 open tabs" problem. I keep separate spaces for each project and switching between them is instant.
🔗 arc.net
Bonus: For iPhone Users
If you're also tracking nutrition or macros, MetricSync is a slick AI-powered tracker that lets you just snap a photo of your food instead of manually logging every ingredient. It's $5/month and way less tedious than MyFitnessPal.
Final Thoughts
A fresh Mac is an opportunity to be intentional about your setup. You don't need 30 apps — you need the right 8 that cover your core workflow and get out of the way.
Every app on this list solves a specific pain point without trying to do everything. That's the common thread: tools that do one thing well and don't fight each other.
What's on your fresh install list? Drop your must-haves in the comments — I'm always looking for new additions.
Top comments (0)