New to Mac? Compare 8 useful native macOS apps, their free options, and when Apple's built-in tools are enough. Build a setup without unnecessary extras.
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You just got a Mac. Before you turn it into a museum of apps you opened once, start with the tools already installed.
Then add what you're missing.
These eight native Mac apps cover common needs: arranging windows, finding something you copied, playing videos, taking better screenshots, and keeping notes. Some are free and open source; others have free versions with paid extras.
You don't need all eight. The useful part is knowing which problem each one solves—and when you can skip it.
I run MacNative.io, a directory of native Mac apps. This is a starter shortlist, not a benchmark ranking. I've included official download links and the built-in alternatives so you can choose what belongs on your Mac.
The shortlist: which Mac apps do you actually need?
| App | Use it for | Cost model | Skip it if… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangle | Window layouts and shortcuts | Free, open source; separate Pro app | macOS window tiling does enough |
| Maccy | Searchable clipboard history | Free GitHub download; paid App Store option | Spotlight or Raycast covers your clipboard needs |
| IINA | Local video playback and subtitles | Free, open source | QuickTime plays your files without trouble |
| AppCleaner | Finding files associated with an app you're removing | Free | You rarely uninstall apps or use the developer's uninstaller |
| The Unarchiver | RAR, 7z, and other archives | Free | Your archives already open in macOS |
| Raycast | A keyboard launcher with extensions and utilities | Free core features; paid plans | Spotlight and your existing shortcuts are enough |
| Bear | Markdown notes organized with tags | Free local notes; paid Pro features | Apple Notes fits your workflow |
| Shottr | Annotated and scrolling screenshots | Free use with upgrade prompts; commercial use requires a license | Built-in screenshot tools do what you need |
Check the linked developer pages for current pricing and macOS requirements, especially if you're setting up an older Mac.
What is a native Mac app?
Here, “native” means an app designed around macOS and its interface frameworks, such as AppKit and SwiftUI. Swift is a programming language; SwiftUI is a framework. Older native apps can also be written in Objective-C.
The appeal is everyday usability: familiar menus, keyboard shortcuts, window behavior, and integration with Mac features.
Electron takes a different approach: it lets developers build desktop apps with web technologies by embedding Chromium and Node.js. That can add overhead, but the framework alone doesn't tell you how much memory an app will use or how long your battery will last.
A native interface isn't a guarantee of good performance, either. Choose the app that does the job well on your machine.
1. Rectangle: window management with shortcuts
Free and open source · Official download
If you're switching from Windows, try macOS's own window tiling first. macOS Sequoia introduced edge-based tiling, and Apple's window management tools let you arrange windows by dragging them or using menu options and shortcuts.
Rectangle is useful when you want its layout choices, configurable shortcuts, and snapping behavior—or you're using an older macOS version without the newer tiling features.
For example, you can keep documentation beside your editor without resizing both windows by hand every morning.
Install it if: arranging windows is a daily annoyance.
Skip it if: Apple's tiling already puts everything where you want it. If you use Raycast, try its window management before adding another utility.
2. Maccy: find something you copied earlier
Free and open source via GitHub; paid App Store option · Official site
Copy a link. Copy something else. Need the first link again. That's the problem Maccy solves.
It keeps a searchable clipboard history in a small, keyboard-friendly interface. Open it, type part of the text you're looking for, and reuse the result. The current release requires macOS Sonoma 14 or later.
There is now a built-in alternative: recent macOS versions offer clipboard history in Spotlight. Open Spotlight with Command–Space, then press Command–4 to access it where supported.
Install it if: you want a dedicated clipboard app with its own interface and settings. You can also see Maccy's listing on MacNative.
Skip it if: Spotlight or Raycast already handles this for you. Running several clipboard managers usually adds more duplication than value.
Clipboard history can retain sensitive text. Review the app's exclusions and clearing options before using it for work credentials or private information.
3. IINA: a video player for files QuickTime struggles with
Free and open source · Official download
QuickTime is a reasonable starting point. When you encounter a video it won't play, or need more control over subtitles, try IINA.
IINA uses the mpv playback engine behind a Mac-focused interface. It supports a broad range of media formats, picture-in-picture, and customizable playback controls.
That makes it useful for downloaded videos, recordings, and files with separate subtitles. You don't need to change your default player for every file type on day one.
Install it if: you regularly watch local video files or run into playback problems.
Skip it if: you mostly stream in your browser and QuickTime handles the occasional file you open.
4. AppCleaner: review an app's leftover files before deleting it
Free · Official download
Removing an app can leave behind preferences, caches, and support files. AppCleaner looks for related files when you drop an application into its window.
The useful part is the review step: you can see what it found before deciding what to delete.
Don't treat the results as a promise that every associated component has been identified. If an app provides its own uninstaller, especially for background services or system components, follow the developer's removal instructions.
Install it if: you're trying different apps and regularly removing the ones you don't keep.
Skip it if: you rarely uninstall anything. You don't need a scheduled cleanup ritual to have a healthy Mac.
5. The Unarchiver: open RAR and other archive formats
Free · Official download
Try double-clicking the archive first. If macOS opens it successfully, you're done.
The Unarchiver is handy when it doesn't. Its supported formats include RAR, 7z, and a long list of older or less common archive types.
This is an extraction tool: its job is to get files out of an archive. It isn't a reason to replace every file-handling tool on your Mac.
Install it if: clients, colleagues, or downloads regularly send you archives macOS won't open.
Skip it if: you only encounter files your Mac already extracts.
6. Raycast: several keyboard utilities in one place
Free core features; paid plans · Official site and plan comparison
Start with Spotlight. If you want more commands and integrations from the keyboard, try Raycast.
Its free core includes clipboard history, window management, snippets, a calculator, and extensions. That combination can be useful if you'd prefer one place for several everyday actions.
For developers, the appeal is often the extension workflow: finding a command or accessing a service without manually opening another app and navigating through it.
Install it if: you enjoy keyboard workflows and have specific extensions or commands you want to use.
Skip it if: you only need app launching and basic search. And if you do install it, test its clipboard and window tools before installing Maccy and Rectangle too.
7. Bear: Markdown notes without much ceremony
Free local notes; paid Pro features · Official site
Bear is worth trying if you like writing in Markdown and organizing notes with tags.
You can keep meeting notes, project ideas, and reference material in the same app without building an elaborate workspace first. The free version supports local notes; iCloud sync and additional features require Bear Pro.
That distinction matters if you expect your Mac notes to appear on your iPhone immediately. Check the plan before moving your existing collection.
Install it if: Markdown and tags suit the way you write and retrieve notes.
Skip it if: Apple Notes already works for you, or your main need is a shared team workspace with databases and collaboration features.
8. Shottr: screenshots you can explain things with
Free use with upgrade prompts; paid license required for commercial use · Official site · License details
A screenshot is often only half the job. The other half is showing someone exactly where to look.
Shottr adds annotation tools, scrolling captures, text recognition, and measurement tools. Those features are useful for bug reports, tutorials, design feedback, and support conversations.
The developer currently allows free use with upgrade reminders after 30 days, while requiring a license for commercial use. “Free” alone doesn't tell the whole story.
Install it if: you frequently explain problems with screenshots or need to capture content beyond one screen.
Skip it if: macOS's built-in capture and markup tools already cover your needs.
Keep your setup small
Choose one of these starting points:
- Built-in first: use macOS window tiling, Spotlight, and Apple Notes. Add IINA or The Unarchiver only when a file gives you trouble.
- Separate utilities: choose Rectangle for windows and Maccy for clipboard history if you prefer focused tools.
- Keyboard-heavy workflow: try Raycast's overlapping features first, then add only what it doesn't cover for you.
Don't replace software your work depends on just because of its framework. A native notes app won't replace a team's shared database, and a smaller chat client isn't useful if your colleagues can't use it.
If your Mac feels slow, use Activity Monitor to investigate. Look at CPU activity, the Memory Pressure graph, and energy use during your normal workload. A single RAM figure doesn't tell the whole story.
Also review System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions; the label can vary by macOS version. Remove apps you don't want opening at login, and review background permissions individually. Keep the services you rely on, such as backups and syncing.
Where to find more native Mac apps
Once you know what you're missing, browse the open-source Mac apps collection on MacNative. It's a useful next stop if you prefer projects with public source code and want to explore beyond this shortlist.
If you'd rather browse on GitHub, I also maintain awesome-native-macosx-apps.
The goal isn't to install the most apps. It's to stop thinking about the small problems they solve.
Which Mac app would you install first—and which popular one did you realize you didn't need? If you're building a native Mac app, share it with the problem it solves.
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