MacOS has always been a solid choice for developers. It combines the stability of Unix underpinnings with elegant design and powerful hardware. But what really supercharges your workflow isn’t just the system itself — it’s the apps you run on it.
In 2025, the developer toolset on macOS is richer than ever. Whether you're coding, testing APIs, writing notes between sprints, or just living in the terminal, there’s an app that can make your day smoother. Here's a curated list of four standout tools every developer should consider.
1. Visual Studio Code
The All-in-One Code Editor for Every Stack
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has been at the top of every developer’s list for years — and it’s still going strong in 2025. Created by Microsoft, it’s more than a text editor; it’s a full-fledged development environment that’s still lightweight, customizable, and shockingly fast.
VS Code supports pretty much every modern programming language out of the box or through extensions — from JavaScript and Python to Rust and Go. Its built-in Git tools, powerful debugger, and intelligent autocompletion (thanks to IntelliSense) make it ideal whether you’re building websites, automating tasks, or diving into machine learning.
The 2025 updates brought even more polish: security improvements like mandatory extension signature verification, smarter sidebar controls, and deeper workspace customization. It also runs natively on Apple Silicon, which means performance is smooth even on the most intensive projects.
If you want one editor that can handle it all — VS Code still wears the crown.
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2. Peeknote
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Quick Notes and Snippets Without the Noise
Sometimes you don’t need a sprawling knowledge base. You just need a clean space to think, write, and move on. That’s where Peeknote shines.
Peeknote is a minimalist macOS app designed for developers who want to quickly jot down ideas, to-dos, or snippets of code — without getting lost in tabs, folders, or settings. It's built to be fast, native, and pleasant to use. The interface is distraction-free, but smart: it supports syntax highlighting for multiple programming languages, making it great for saving and reusing code fragments.
There are no overwhelming features, no clutter — just a reliable companion always ready to open and capture a thought. And because it’s lightweight, it doesn’t hog your memory or CPU. Keep it open while you code, and you’ll forget it’s even there — until you need it.
For devs who live in ideas and jump between tasks, Peeknote is like a digital sticky note... only better.
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3. iTerm2
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The Terminal, Leveled Up
The default Terminal on macOS is... fine. But developers who spend a lot of time in the command line know there’s a world of difference between fine and fantastic. Enter iTerm2 — the terminal replacement you didn’t know you needed (until you use it).
iTerm2 packs a punch with features like split panes (finally!), session restoration, hotkey windows, extensive customization, and even support for advanced scripting. You can search across terminal output, bookmark sessions, and tweak the visual design down to your liking.
The latest 2025 release, version 3.5.13, brought fixes for annoying bugs and better compatibility with macOS Ventura and Sonoma. Whether you're SSH-ing into servers or running Docker containers locally, iTerm2 helps you do it all faster and more comfortably.
It’s one of those tools that quietly improves your daily routine — and once you switch, there’s no going back.
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4. Postman
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Master Your APIs Without Leaving Your Mac
If you work with APIs — and let’s be honest, who doesn’t in 2025 — Postman remains a must-have. It’s no longer just a tool for testing GET requests; it’s a full API development and collaboration platform.
Postman lets you build, test, document, and monitor APIs in a visual and intuitive way. You can organize endpoints into collections, share them with your team, automate tests, and plug it all into your CI/CD pipeline. The new Spec Hub helps centralize and manage your API specs. And with the Postman CLI, you can now lint, test, and secure APIs directly from the command line.
This year’s updates also improved performance and reliability on macOS — with full support for macOS Catalina and newer. Whether you’re building backend services or just trying to debug a webhook, Postman makes the process easier, faster, and more collaborative.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right tools makes all the difference in a developer’s day. Some apps help you code better. Others help you think clearer. And a few make the whole experience more enjoyable.
Whether you’re living inside VS Code, managing servers through iTerm2, sketching ideas in Piknote, or wrangling APIs with Postman — each of these apps earns its place on your Mac. They don’t just help you get work done — they help you do your best work.
So if you haven’t tried them yet, maybe it’s time to see what your Mac is truly capable of.
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