I switched from Windows to Mac for development last year, and I wish someone had given me this list on day one. Not the "install Homebrew" basics — the stuff that actually makes Mac development feel fast.
Here's everything I installed in the first week that I'm still using daily.
The Terminal Setup
Homebrew
This is step zero. Mac's package manager. Install it first, use it for everything else.
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
iTerm2 or Warp
The built-in Terminal.app is fine, but iTerm2 gives you split panes, hotkey windows, and better search. Warp is newer and has AI built in. I use iTerm2 out of habit.
Oh My Zsh
Mac uses zsh by default now, and Oh My Zsh makes it 10x better with themes, plugins, and auto-suggestions.
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
The Code Editor
VS Code or Cursor
VS Code is the standard. Cursor is VS Code with AI built deeper into the editing experience. If you're doing AI-assisted coding (and you should be in 2026), Cursor is worth trying.
Both are free to start. Install via Homebrew:
brew install --cask visual-studio-code
# or
brew install --cask cursor
The Apps That Changed How I Work
Raycast (Free)
Replaces Spotlight entirely. App launcher, clipboard history, window management, calculator, snippets — all from Cmd+Space. The extension ecosystem is massive.
This alone makes Mac feel 2x faster than Windows.
Rectangle (Free)
Mac doesn't have proper window snapping out of the box (macOS 15 improved this, but it's still not great). Rectangle gives you keyboard shortcuts to snap windows to halves, thirds, quarters. Essential.
brew install --cask rectangle
TokenBar ($5)
If you're using any AI coding tools — Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, or direct API calls — TokenBar shows your token usage and cost in the menu bar in real time. You'd be surprised how fast costs add up when you're learning to prompt effectively.
Coming from Windows where there's nothing like this, it was a game-changer for keeping my API bills under control.
Monk Mode ($15)
Here's something I didn't expect when switching to Mac: I got more distracted. macOS is beautiful, and the smooth gestures make it way too easy to swipe over to Twitter or YouTube "for a second."
Monk Mode blocks the algorithmic feeds on distracting sites without blocking the whole domain. So YouTube tutorials still work, but the recommended videos sidebar disappears. Twitter search works, but the For You feed is gone.
Saved me probably 2 hours a day.
Stats (Free)
System monitor in the menu bar. CPU, RAM, disk, network. Lightweight and open source. Way better than Activity Monitor for at-a-glance info.
CleanShot X ($29)
Best screenshot tool on any platform. Screenshots, recordings, annotations, scrolling capture. The built-in Mac screenshot is decent, but CleanShot is on another level.
The Keyboard Shortcuts You Need to Learn
Coming from Windows, these tripped me up for weeks:
| Windows | Mac | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl+C/V | Cmd+C/V | Copy/Paste |
| Alt+Tab | Cmd+Tab | Switch apps |
| Ctrl+Tab | Cmd+` | Switch windows (same app) |
| Home/End | Cmd+Left/Right | Start/End of line |
| Ctrl+Backspace | Option+Backspace | Delete word |
| Alt+F4 | Cmd+Q | Quit app (Cmd+W just closes window!) |
The biggest gotcha: Cmd+W closes the window but doesn't quit the app. You'll have zombie apps running for days if you don't learn Cmd+Q.
Development Essentials
Git (comes with Xcode CLI tools)
bash
xcode-select --install
This also installs the C compiler you'll need for various tools.
Node.js (via nvm)
Don't install Node directly. Use nvm so you can switch versions:
bash
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.0/install.sh | bash
nvm install --lts
Docker Desktop
bash
brew install --cask docker
Note: Docker on Mac uses a VM under the hood, so it's a bit slower than native Linux Docker. This is normal.
Things I Wish I Knew Sooner
Finder is not Explorer. It works differently and it will annoy you. Learn
Cmd+Shift+.to show hidden files.The Dock is a trap. Hide it (System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Automatically hide and show the Dock) and use Raycast to launch everything.
Time Machine is incredible. Plug in an external drive, enable Time Machine, and forget about it. Best backup system on any OS.
Battery life is real. My M3 MacBook gets 14+ hours. But Chrome kills it — use Safari or Arc for better battery.
Homebrew Cask installs GUI apps. You don't need to download .dmg files from websites.
brew install --cask <app>handles it.
My Full Install Script
Here's roughly what I run on a fresh Mac:
`bash
Homebrew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
CLI tools
xcode-select --install
brew install git node python3 ripgrep fd bat eza
Apps
brew install --cask visual-studio-code iterm2 rectangle docker raycast
Oh My Zsh
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"
`
Then I install TokenBar and Monk Mode from their sites, Stats from GitHub, and I'm basically set up within an hour.
Bottom Line
Mac for development is genuinely great once you get past the learning curve. The hardware is unbeatable (especially Apple Silicon), the Unix-based OS means your terminal skills translate directly to production servers, and the app ecosystem for developers is deep.
The biggest mistake new Mac users make is trying to make it work like Windows. Don't. Learn the Mac way — it's different, but once it clicks, you won't go back.
What apps did you install first when you switched? I'm always updating my setup.
I build macOS tools for developers. Check out TokenBar (AI token tracking) and Monk Mode (focus/distraction blocking).
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