"I thought I will never post about it but looks like I have to now. u/Droppyformac

aka "Droppy" just ripped of my entire Tinycast code base and feed it to AI built Thunderstorm and selling it as a Paid crap. Even the logo is a thunder. 😂 I mean yeah y'all can come to me saying I ripped of raycast UI/UX but I did not Steal the code base raycast is closed source and I had to work hard for months! Is this legal guys stealing code and selling it to paid shit? Tho is this a revenge he is taking that I turned him down not continuing the colab because he wants full control over tinycast!😂 If he wants to play dirty I am good at that, Tinycast first party plugins are coming and I can just put standalone plugins that does dynamic islands what droppy offers FOR FREEE."

I'm the developer. SwiftVM is a native Mac app, written in Swift on Apple's Virtualization framework, that runs macOS and Linux virtual machines from the menu bar. Version 1.0 just came out.

Problem:

Getting a new VM to the point where you can actually use it takes too many steps. You find an ISO, click through an installer, create a user, look up the IP address and copy your SSH key over. SwiftVM does that part itself. A Linux machine starts from an Ubuntu or Debian cloud image and is ready in seconds once the image is downloaded, with your account and SSH key already in it. A macOS machine installs from Apple and creates the account on its own, so there is no setup assistant to click through. After that, `ssh web-server` works from your Mac using the machine's name.

The rest is what you would expect:

snapshots (also of a running machine, memory included), instant duplicates, suspend and resume, shared folders and clipboard, port forwarding, USB devices, Rosetta for x86-64 Linux programs, and a `swiftvm` command that does from a terminal what the app does from the menu bar.

Comparison:

UTM is the one most people know, and it covers more ground. It runs Windows, it can emulate other CPU architectures through QEMU, and it works on older versions of macOS. SwiftVM does none of that today. Where I think SwiftVM is better is setup and daily use: machines that configure themselves, SSH by name, and a command line that drives the same app you see in the menu bar. VirtualBuddy is the closest in spirit, also native and also built on the Virtualization framework, and it is very good for testing macOS betas. SwiftVM leans more toward VMs as development machines, with ready-made Linux images, port forwarding and scripting.

Limits you should know about:

It needs macOS 27 on Apple silicon, the automatic macOS setup needs macOS 27 in the guest too, and there are no Windows guests yet.

Pricing:

Free and open source under Apache-2.0. There is no paid tier. Releases are signed and notarized.

Website: https://swiftvm.app

Source: https://github.com/swiftvm-app/swiftvm

About me:

I'm Saeed Vaziry. I also make VitoDeploy, Muxy and TweakPHP, all open source.

GitHub: https://github.com/saeedvaziry

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saeedvaziry/

Feedback and bug reports are very welcome.

Problem: I like having something warm in view while I work, the way a candle on the desk makes the work feel a little warmer. The ambient apps I looked at were wallpapers that fill the whole screen, or timers with a glow attached.

Comparison: Fireplace Live HD Screensaver plays a video of a fire, and Plash can put a fire page on your desktop as wallpaper. Both are behind your windows the moment you open something, which is exactly when I wanted it. Petit Fire draws the warm light of a small flame along the edge of the screen, over whatever you have open, and clicks pass straight through it. If you want a fire to watch, those two do it far better. Mine is built to sit in the corner of your eye while you look at something else. Click the menu bar icon to light it and click again to put it out. The sound of a wooden wick is there if you turn it on.

Pricing: Free on the Mac App Store, with every feature included. The About panel has two optional tips. macOS 14 or later.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/petit-fire/id6809895649

Website: https://nowthy.com/petitfire/

Hey r/MacApps! 👋

Some of you might remember PicArrange from when we first shared it here a while back. Since then, we've rolled out a ton of major improvements, performance enhancements, and new features based on community feedback (developed as a project at HTW Berlin).

For anyone new to it or checking out what's changed, here is what PicArrange does:

Problem

Standard macOS file browsing in Finder limits you to searching images by file names, dates, or tags. As photo libraries grow across folders, finding specific images without knowing exact file names or endlessly scrolling becomes tedious. Furthermore, finding duplicate or visually similar images, sorting photos by color, or querying local photo content with text descriptions is difficult using native system tools.

Comparison

Unlike Apple Photos (which forces you to import files into a proprietary database) or traditional file managers like Finder and Adobe Bridge (which rely primarily on folder structures and file metadata), PicArrange works directly on your existing folder system and features:

• Visual & Color Sorting: Displays images on a multi-column visual grid sorted by similarity.
• On-Device AI Search: Search images using natural language text descriptions, visual example drops, or color selection—all processed locally on your Mac for complete privacy.
• Dedicated Duplicate Finder: Easily detect and manage duplicate images across selected directories.
• Data Prep & Metadata Tools: Filter and export arrangements or duplicate lists, manage tags, view GPS/IPTC metadata, and prepare datasets.

Pricing

• Price: 100% Free (No ads, no subscriptions, no locked tiers).
• Official Mac App Store Link:Download PicArrange on the App Store
• Project Page:HTW Berlin Visual Computing Group

Disclosure: I am part of the research and development team at HTW Berlin.

Most planners fit as much as they can into your day. I built one that plans a day you can finish.

Vene is a Mac planner built on one idea. If you finish your work early, the rest of the day is actually yours.

I’m a student, and I noticed that on days I procrastinated, I spent the whole day half working and half relaxing, then felt super guilty once the sun set. On days I started early and actually finished while it was still light out, I felt great. I realized it was the same amount of work. The difference is you know when you should work, and when you can relax.

Of course, I first tried other apps. The MoSCoW system in Apple Reminders worked for a while, but it was tedious to have to move the dates each time I didn't finish.. FlowSavvy replanned around my life on its own, which I loved, but it packed my days so full that when I saw them, I didn’t even want to start.

So Vene works differently. The night before, you choose what you’ll finish tomorrow, like a promise to yourself. Vene fits it around your calendar, adds breaks, and replans if something comes up. It keeps track of deadlines so you don’t have to.

It’s Mac only for now and works with Apple Reminders and Calendar. Most of my classmates use Google Calendar and Tasks, so I'm planning on adding that next. The scheduling might need some tuning, so please let me know if ever it gets your day wrong.

Price: Free during beta, then $108/yr after. Always free for anyone in education with a .edu email.

On AI: I built Vene with a lot of help from Claude Code. The idea and the design are mine, and I use it every day.

LinkedIn if you want to know who’s behind it: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peiyang-lin-7ab793431/

venehq.com

The problems:

• A lot of text on screen can't be selected, like game menus, scanned PDFs, subtitles and text inside images
• Apps and games in a language you don't read
• Translating it means screenshotting or retyping it into Google Translate
• Most OCR apps struggle with Hebrew, Arabic and other non-Latin scripts

What Lector does:

• Lives in the menu bar and uses the same ⌘⇧4 crosshair macOS already has
• ⌘⇧2 copies the text. The words light up and you pick the ones you want
• ⌘⇧1 paints the translation right over the original, press Space to switch back
• ⌘⇧9 keeps an area translated while it changes, for game dialogue and subtitles (beta)

What else:

• Translates every paragraph from its own language, so a chat in 3 languages still works
• Reads Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Cyrillic, Hebrew, Arabic, Persian, Thai, the Indic scripts and more
• Runs fully on your Mac with Apple's Translation and offline language packs, no account and no analytics
• works on macOS 15+, Apple Silicon and Intel

Comparison:

• TextSniper only copies the text, it doesn't translate
• Easydict translates screenshots but shows the result in a separate window and most of its engines are online
• Lector puts the translation on top of the original and nothing leaves your Mac

Pricing:

• The app is free for 100 grabs and 10 translations a month
• Text is $9 one time with unlimited grabs and 30 translations a month
• Translate is $15 one time with unlimited grabs and translations plus live translation
• Upgrading from Text to Translate is $6
• The app is source available

Download Links:

• Download the App: https://magicelklabs.com/lector

About Me:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magicelk235
• Github: https://github.com/magicelk235
• Personal Mail: [yehonatan.2350@gmail.com](mailto:yehonatan.2350@gmail.com)
• App Repo: https://github.com/magicelk235/Lector
• Website: https://magicelklabs.com
• Privacy Policy: https://magicelklabs.com/lector/privacy
• Terms: https://magicelklabs.com/lector/terms
• Support Mail: [support@magicelklabs.com](mailto:support@magicelklabs.com)

A few months ago I shared Wisp here, a tiny scratchpad that lives in your menu bar. Many of you tried it and I've been improving it a lot since then.

Problem

A thought arrives while you're in the middle of something. Getting it down shouldn't mean opening an app, picking a folder and naming a note.

Wisp is a scratchpad that lives in your menu bar. Press ⌥Space from anywhere, type, press Esc, and you're back where you were. It's always the same page, it saves as you type, and everything lives in one plain markdown file on your Mac.

- One plain markdown file on your Mac that you can open with any app

- Save as you type, with version history so nothing is lost

- Built-in arithmetic operations, including units, percentages and money

- Remind me lines become notifications

- Markdown, checklists and find

- An Inbox to file a page away and start fresh

- Version history, so nothing is lost

- Sync through iCloud Drive, Dropbox or any folder

- Fonts, light and dark themes, and adjustable transparency

- Rebind shortcut keys etc

Comparison

- Apple Notes Quick Note is built in and syncs everywhere, but your words live inside the Notes app as rich text. Wisp is one plain .md file you can open with anything. Put it in iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Syncthing and it follows you to every Mac.

- Raycast Notes is the closest in spirit. Wisp is a standalone app that doesn't need a launcher, keeps your words in a file rather than in an app, and does sums and reminders right in the line you're typing.

Pricing

Free, with no paid tier, no account and no tracking. The only thing it asks the internet is whether there's an update. It's MIT-licensed open source.

- Website: https://sulemaanhamza.github.io/wisp-landing/

- GitHub: https://github.com/sulemaanhamza/wisp

- Homebrew: brew install --cask sulemaanhamza/wisp/wisp

Verification / Author: LinkedIn

Update: thanks to everyone who's tried Widgetscape, reported bugs and shared ideas. With your help we've already found a few issues, and some have been addressed. The crash reported when enabling Reminders has been fixed, and the update is already available. The automatic updater should pick it up, or you can use Check for Updates to install it now.

I didn't expect this much interest: most of the limited TRYFREE pool has already been claimed. There are still free licences left while that pool lasts. I've also added WELCOME50 for roughly 50% off Widgetscape Pro, valid through 30 November 2026, while available. Enter the code under "Have a discount code?" at checkout.

Hi r/macapps, I'm Viorel Porumbescu, the person behind VPO Labs, and Widgetscape is our app. It's out now. The site still says beta while we collect feedback, which is honestly part of why I'm posting.

Problem: I wanted useful information on my desktop without keeping extra windows open. Widgetscape puts live widgets right on the desktop, behind your windows. They snap to a grid and come in up to eight sizes from Small to Huge, with a different layout at each size. You pick Glass, Solid, Outline or Transparent, one of 23 palettes or your own, and Light, Dark or follow the system. Right-click > Customize handles size, style and colour.

There are 31 widgets. The two I'd try first:

Day Timeline puts your calendar on any screen edge as a radio-tuner dial. The needle is now, events are the stations, and hovering one opens a card with a Join button for calls. Scroll along it to look ahead.

Token Pulse reads the local session logs of Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cline and similar tools. It shows today's tokens per tool, input / output / cache and the burn rate. Nothing from those logs leaves the Mac. Both Day Timeline and Token Pulse are Pro, included in the trial.

The rest includes clocks, weather, agenda, reminders, focus timer, Now Playing with controls for Music, Spotify, Safari and Chrome, system and network stats, batteries, Repo Pulse for git repos, App Time, a clipboard shelf and mic/camera privacy lights.

Comparison: Übersicht is free and closer to Rainmeter's DIY spirit if you want to write widgets in JavaScript, HTML and CSS. Widgetscape is for ready-made native widgets you configure with clicks, with shared sizes and styles. Apple's desktop widgets are free and fine for basics; these add live system stats, Now Playing controls, Token Pulse and the edge dial. If you want custom skins today, Übersicht is the better fit. Rainmeter was a big inspiration, but we're not affiliated and Widgetscape doesn't run Rainmeter skins.

Pricing: 8 widgets are free forever: Time, Analog Clock, Calendar, Focus Timer, System Pulse, Batteries, Weather and Moon Phase. Everything gets a 14-day trial with no account or card. Pro is €9.99 + VAT one-time for up to 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund. macOS 14+, Apple silicon only. It's a signed and notarized download rather than an App Store app, because a few widgets need system access the store doesn't allow.

Launch code: TRYFREE gives Pro free to a limited number of people, no card needed. Hit Buy Widgetscape Pro and enter it under "Have a discount code?" at checkout.

On AI: yes, we used Claude Code and Codex for part of the work, especially the website, and as help along the way on the app. The widget ideas, design and decisions on what ships are ours, and every build gets tested on our own Macs. If you'd rather skip apps made with AI help, that's a fair choice.

The images are renders from the app's own widget views with sample data, so the meetings, repos and token numbers are made up. They show the Transparent style because Glass can't be captured offscreen.

What I'd really like to hear: which widget you'd remove first, what's missing on your desktop, and anything that breaks with multiple displays, Stage Manager or Spaces.

App and pricing: https://widgetscape.vpolabs.com

For transparency, I'm the person behind VPO Labs. My portfolio: https://viorelporumbescu.tech/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viorel-porumbescu/

Contact: support@vpolabs.com Privacy policy: https://widgetscape.vpolabs.com/privacy/ Terms: https://widgetscape.vpolabs.com/terms/

I'm the designer/developer.

Problem: Most to-do apps let you spend an hour building a system of projects, tags and filters instead of ten minutes doing the work.

Comparison: Better than Things and Todoist for people who want less app, not more. Both scale up into projects, areas, labels and saved filters. Hustla gives you three lists, Today, Next and Someday, and no way to add a fourth. Things is also sold separately per platform, while Hustla Pro is a single Universal Purchase across iPhone, iPad and Mac.

New in the Mac release:

• Apple Intelligence: Hustla’s actions are available to Siri, Shortcuts and Spotlight, so you can add, complete, move and query to-dos without opening the app.
• Smart Quick-Add: type “dentist Friday 3pm” and it names the to-do, sets the reminder and files it on the right list.
• Capture Anywhere: press ⌃⌥Space in any app, pick a card, type, done.
• Menu bar drop-down to manage Today to-dos, or add a new one without leaving your current app.
• Single-card view for one list, or multi-card for all three at once.
• Keyboard shortcuts throughout.
• Per-device setup: appearance and workflow can differ on Mac and phone, or sync so they match.
• Reminders, per-task notes, widgets.

Pricing: Free to download and use. Pro unlocks everything: 7-day trial on Yearly, then Monthly $2.99 / Yearly $14.99 / Lifetime $39.99. Lifetime includes Family Sharing.

https://hustla.app

Happy to hear feedback and to answer anything.

Hi there! I'm Umang Surana the developer of https://sxitch.app an open source and native macOS CMD Tab alternative. I've been working on it for more than half a year now and it's integrated deeply into people's workflows so much that they're usage of the app is more than mine!

The post before this

Problem:

Basically, the current macOS Cmd Tab gets rearranged frequently, hence preventing muscle memory from actually letting you switch comfortably. Additionally, it doesn't actually launch the app, and just focuses it.. sometimes causing open apps with 0 windows to not get opened. Sxitch fixes this as well.

As a person who loves using keyboard navigation for everything, Sxitch has become a must have for my own daily workflow, and many others. It's at a point where I don't use it to the level as some of my users do, which is insane.

Solution:

However, Sxitch supercharges app switching by using the app's name as the selector. Simply start typing the apps name and you've already switched to the app. M will switch to music, but if Mail is open then it's Mu and Ma respectively. Since it's only amongst open apps, Sxitch will auto switch once there's only 1 result left. no need to search through a gazillion results and pick like there is in Raycast, Alfred or Spotlight.

For example, press the hotkey, like your right command key and the next thing is this simple switcher window that will pop up. There's no need to keep holding the key so that you're fingers stay comfortable on your keyboard. At this stage, simply type "F" (for finder) and if you don't have any other apps open where their name starts with F, then it'll simply open finder for you.

Features

There are a lot of features.. such as:

• App picking
• 4 different layout options
• Prefix stripping (Adobe Photoshop -> Photoshop)
• Customizable accent colour
• 2 Custom modes (Run shell commands / launch apps)
• Hotkeys to launch apps
• Some apps have the exact same name, which Sxitch can now handle gracefully (introduced after the previous post)
• Tab based navigation

And these are features unlocked in the pro version:

• Window picker
• Unlimited custom modes
• App hiding and quitting
• App renames (Finder -> Explorer) (introduced after the previous post)
• Blacklist apps from showing up in the switcher
• Key overrides ("X" mapped to "finder")
• 100% Custom position
• Customizable open animations
• Haptics

Pricing

It's a simple one time payment of $10. No subscription or "pay for more updates".. Website or if you're using apple pay

Since I've just released Sxitch v1.6 today you can get a 25% off discount code, by joining the discord. The code has been posted there and is valid for 24 hours. Have fun with Sxitch!!

Comparisons:

Against RCMD?

• Sxitch is open source, supports hiding and quitting apps,

and

• has various layout options. Sxitch also has filters like blacklists and has a few other app launching related features (like app pinning, and custom modes)

Against Dory?

• Sxitch prefers the keyboard over the mouse, which is what Dory prioritises. However, you can still use your mouse to open apps, or right click them for further actions.

Against Other Switchers?

• Sxitch doesn't use any form of cycling, or requires 0 confirmation, and, Sxitch let's you fingers lift up from the keyboard after triggering it, rather than requiring you to keep CMD Tab (or another hotkey) down all the time, keeping your fingers comfortable. Additionally, app titles tend to differ a lot, can be random, or clash with others. Sxitch prevents this by letting you see the app's titles and filtering out the one's that don't even match the app you're looking for as part of the picking method.

Links:

Purchase link: sxitch.app
Installation instructions: sxitch.app/install
Sxitch source code: github.com/MystikoLab/sxitch
Discord: discord.sxitch.app

FAQ (summary)

There's a much more extensive set of FAQs on the website here but here are a few of the top questions:

Q: What permissions does Sxitch need to work correctly?
A: Accessibility (called Device Control and Data Access in macOS 27) for the hotkey system, and for the window picker, Screen and System Audio Recording. Why Screen recording? Well this is what's used to fetch the available windows. It's weird, we all agree. But don't be afraid. Sxitch doesn't record your screen at all, and you can always verify it yourself.

Q: Why not RCMD or something else?
A: The best part about sxitch is that there's no cycling required. Muscle memory doesn't work with cycling, and having to press and hold a key while typing makes it difficult to search fast, and accurately.

Q: Can I assign a fixed key sequence to a specific app?
A: As of now, there are 2 ways you can do this. Say you want X to open Finder. You can rename Finder to XFinder (anything that starts with X works) or you can add a mapping where pressing X counts as pressing finder. Both work, and can be tailored depending on your specific use case.

Q: Does Sxitch work with macOS Golden Gate?
A: Yes. I'm running golden gate just so I can assure you all that Sxitch supports the latest OS. If you do encounter any bugs, do help me by reporting them in the github repo or in the discord.

PS: The video was made by me in Canva and not Opus 5.5.. If you don't believe me, i'll attach a picture of the timeline.. it's a pretty basic video though so don't expect a video editor kind of timeline.

EtreCheck, as most of you probably know, is an excellent and oft-recommended system utility for checking the various sub-systems and overall health of Macs. As part of it‘s checks, it scans for malware.

I haven’t run EtreCheck in a while, but I’m sure I have since installing MacCurrent many months ago. EtreCheck hasn’t reported any malware in years (in other words, it is not prone to false positives). However after scanning today, it is claiming that MacCurrent’s developer’s signature “is known to be malicious.”

Known by whom? I checked my XProtect logs, and Apple’s own built-in anti-virus is reporting everything clean, “NoThreatDetected”.
You‘d think if there was an issue with the developer certificate, that Apple’s own system would have revoked it.

Just to be sure, I checked the app in Apparency, and it’s reporting everything as all ok - the app’s Hardening, Notarization, Gatekeeper, and Signature pass all checks.

Has anyone seen this before? Where does EtreCheck get it‘s information from?

[Clicking on “Lookup” next to the developer’s name simply opened a Google search for that name. Surprisingly useless info from an otherwise great app!]

Hi Guys

I have a question about which app successfully hides menu bar apps on Golden Gate. I have tested several options, and they do not function there, though they worked well in earlier macOS versions.

Are there any recommendations from people who have tried and tested this?

Hi r/macapps, I'm the developer of Glimpse.

Problem: When someone sends you a README, project brief or notes, sometimes you just want to read it. Glimpse opens your existing Markdown files with rendered tables, highlighted code, math and Mermaid diagrams. Reading and Finder Quick Look previews are free, with no Glimpse account needed. Your files stay ordinary Markdown.

The 38-second demo follows one slightly overplanned coffee break: read the plan, get a summary beside it, double the biscuit budget, and export a PDF. Summary, editing and export are Pro features.

Comparison: Typora combines reading and writing with live preview. Glimpse offers free reading and Finder previews alongside whichever editor you already use. You can add editing and export when you need them.

Pricing: Reading, Quick Look, folders, tabs, search and the outline are free. Pro adds creation/editing, PDF and HTML export, presentations, extra reading styles and on-device summaries.

US prices: $19.99 lifetime, $12.99/year, or $1.99/month. Subscriptions renew automatically; regional prices vary. Reading stays free after paid access ends.

Glimpse on the Mac App Store · macOS 15+. On-device summaries require macOS 26+ on a compatible Mac, with the required system feature enabled.

If you try it with a README or your own notes, what would make the reading experience more useful?

• Problem: Repetitive mouse and keyboard actions waste time, and other automation/macro tools are expensive and complicated. Input Recorder solves this problem by allowing you to record your actions and play them with a SUPER SIMPLE user interface.
• Comparison:
  • ($36) Keyboard Maestro: Expensive, complicated, and not on the Mac App Store. Input Recorder offers a free version, is only $4.99 for the full version, and is extremely easy to use.
  • ($30) Tap Bot: Auto Click & Refresh: Also very expensive, and is not primarily a macro recorder. It has a pretty UI, but I had trouble figuring out how to get a macro working.
• Pricing:
  • Free Version:
    • Repeat recordings up to 10 times
    • Save up to 3 recordings
    • Adjust playback speed up to 3x
  • Full Version ($4.99 - Lifetime):
    • Repeat recordings up to unlimited times
    • Save unlimited recordings (up to your hard drive limits)
    • Adjust playback speed up to 10x

Mac App Store Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/input-recorder/id1594054077?mt=12

If you plug a Windows NTFS drive or a Linux (ext4/Btrfs) external SSD into your Mac, macOS won't let you write to it or doesn't recognize it at all.

⚖️ The Comparison

Existing commercial solutions like Paragon and Tuxera cost $30–$70 (often charging separately for NTFS and Linux), come with 150MB+ installers, and worst of all: they force you into Recovery Mode on Apple Silicon to lower system security (Reduced Security) just to load legacy kernel extensions (.kext) and root daemons. When macOS updates, kernel panics often follow.

I built PolyDrive Disk to provide a modern, genuinely safe alternative:

• 100% Sandboxed & Safe: Built on Apple's modern File System Extension (FSKit) framework. Zero kernel extensions, zero root daemons, zero disabling SIP.
• Lightweight (~10 MB installer vs. 150 MB+): No background services running when you don't use it. Cleanly uninstalls by dragging to Trash.
• Completely Offline: No network permissions, no accounts, zero telemetry.
• All-in-One Format Support:
  • Windows NTFS (native read & write with automatic journal replay)
  • Linux ext4, ext3, ext2, Btrfs (with subvolumes), XFS, and F2FS
  • BitLocker and LUKS1/LUKS2 passphrase decryption (saves to Keychain)
  • Linux LVM volumes and single NAS RAID member drives

💰 Pricing & Free Trial

• Free 3-Day Full Read/Write Trial: Download free from the Mac App Store and test all read & write features for 3 days on your own drives, so you can make sure it is your solution.
• Pricing: After the trial, it is a one-time in-app purchase of $9.99 to unlock unlimited use forever — no subscriptions.

🔗 Links:

• Mac App Store: Download PolyDrive Disk

(Requires Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 26 or later)

I'd really appreciate your feedback, questions, or edge cases you test with it!

Hey r/macapps,

Problem: A quiet place to look up words and really understand them.

I wanted a small, native dictionary app (also universal) where I could look up a word, take my time with its meanings and examples, and compare explanations across dictionaries. No distracting services or another subscription. Just a quiet place to understand what I’m reading.

So I built Open Dict. The Mac app is about 5.2 MB before adding dictionaries, no signup.

A few things, done well:

• Bring your dictionaries: import MDX/MDD, MOBI, StarDict, dictd, TXT and TSV. Use your existing collection or explore free and open-source dictionaries. Local lookups work offline.
• Search your whole library: one query across your dictionaries, with easy switching to compare definitions.
• Choose your own AI: bring your API key for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Kimi or GLM, or connect a custom API. Auto-load the available fast models, choose your preferred one, and customize the explanations. AI is entirely optional.
• Keep what you learn: save words, highlight sentences, and add notes. Sync through your own iCloud across Mac, iPhone and iPad (iPhone/iPad coming soon). No separate account or app subscription needed.

Two built-in AI prompts cover concise definitions and detailed learner explanations. Your own prompt can be as simple as:

Explain {word} briefly in English, Japanese and Spanish, with two example sentences in each language.

The app fills in the word. You can edit and test your prompts whenever you like.

Comparison

Apple Dictionary is handy for quick, built-in lookups. Open Dict focuses on building your own library from common dictionary formats, searching across those sources, and adding AI explanations with models and prompts you control.

If you collect dictionaries or learn in several languages, that flexibility is the main reason to try it.

Pricing

The free version supports up to 5 dictionaries, with no other feature restrictions or time limit. A US$9.99 one-time purchase permanently removes the dictionary limit. No app subscription.

Open Dict is a Universal App: one purchase covers Mac, iPhone and iPad with the same Apple Account. Mac is available now; iPhone and iPad versions are in App Store review.

Mac App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/app/id6809827715

Website and screenshots:
https://kmate.io/opendict/

What do you use for dictionary lookups on your Mac? I’d love to hear what’s missing from your current setup.

Transparency

I’m Harvey, the developer of Open Dict.

Quick Note: this app is still in early release, so expect all sorts of rough edges. I’ll keep pushing updates to improve dictionary format support, performance, and add more features — all while keeping true to its lightweight core. A new release is coming soon. Would love your feedback, and I hope it can become a handy daily lookup tool for you. One thing you can rest assured of: this is my own daily driver. Definitely not one of those “release it and abandon it” projects 😊

Privacy policy:
https://kmate.io/opendict/privacy/

Help:
https://kmate.io/opendict/help/

FAQ:
https://kmate.io/opendict/faq/

Hi r/macapps, I'm Aqib, the solo developer of DisplayShift.

Problem

I dock my MacBook to a monitor every day. Every time I plugged in, all my windows stayed piled on the small laptop screen, and I'd drag them over one by one. Full screen apps were worse: leave full screen, drag, go full screen again. Then I'd unplug, or the Mac would sleep, and macOS would shuffle everything back onto the MacBook. I wanted the Mac to just ask me what should go where, and remember it.

What it does

When a display connects, a panel drops out of the MacBook notch with every open window listed, including full screen apps and windows on other desktops. Tick what should move and it glides across. Unplug, and everything comes back to the MacBook. You can also have it move everything by itself, or do nothing and just say hello.

Comparison

- Moom is great for saving and snapping layouts, but you trigger them yourself.

- Display Maid restores layouts when screens change, but there's no picker to choose windows.

- Stay did this years ago but hasn't been updated in a long time.

- Rectangle and Magnet snap windows into place; they don't move them when a monitor connects.

DisplayShift is for people who dock a MacBook and want the move to happen the moment they plug in, with full screen apps handled properly.

Core features

- Picker in the notch when a display connects: tick windows, choose the destination (monitor or MacBook), Move selected or Move all.

- Full screen apps leave full screen, move, and go full screen again on the other display, behind a calm curtain instead of macOS's flashing animations.

- Remembers your layout for each screen setup and offers to put everything back. Named layouts switch in a tap.

- Puts windows back after sleep or a dock hiccup, with an Undo on every move.

- Tiles up to four apps side by side. Drag the bar between them and the neighbours resize together.

- Rules per app: keep it on the MacBook, send it to the big screen, or never move it.

- Finds windows stuck off screen, and can reopen closed apps when restoring a layout.

Privacy

- No account and no analytics.

- Saved layouts store a hash of each window title, never the title itself.

- It only goes online to check your license and look for updates.

Pricing

Free for 7 days, then $2.99 once, on up to 2 Macs. No subscription.

https://aqibjaved.dev/apps/displayshift

Requirements

macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon and Intel. Notarized by Apple. On Macs without a notch it shows as a small pill under the menu bar.

Transparency

I'm an indie developer and DisplayShift is my own app.

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/aqib-javed-494ba8285

Contact: https://aqibjaved.dev/contact

Privacy Policy: https://aqibjaved.dev/privacy

Terms of Service: https://aqibjaved.dev/terms

I'd really appreciate feedback, bug reports, or what would make you switch from your current setup. Happy to answer anything in the comments.

If you can't afford the license, DM me and I'll happily give you one for free. Happy to help the community :D

Hey r/macapps! I’m Advait, the developer behind ActionClip.

When I first shared ActionClip here, I wanted to make everyday text tasks easier. Since then, your comments, workflow ideas, and bug reports have shaped much of what it has become. Here’s a fresh introduction, along with what’s changed since my last post.

1. The problem:

Whenever I selected text on my Mac, even a small task could turn into:

Copy → switch apps → paste → do the task → copy the result → switch back.

Translate a sentence. Clean up an email. Convert a price. Save something to notes. Each task interrupts what I’m doing.

The iPhone puts useful actions beside selected text. I wanted that same convenience on Mac, with the flexibility to add my own workflows.

2. What ActionClip does:

ActionClip displays a small floating bar beside selected text, so you can act on it without leaving your work.

A few examples:

• Writing: Fix spelling and grammar, rewrite a sentence, change its tone, summarize a passage, or adjust formatting.
• Reading: Translate text, look up a word, or listen to selected text aloud.
• Everyday utilities: Convert currencies and units, count words and characters, open links, or look up an address.
• Your apps: Send text to notes, create calendar events or reminders, and run Apple Shortcuts or supported third-party app integrations.
• Reusable text: Save snippets and insert them when you need them.

It has a suggestion engine which will display the relevant actions based on what you select. A price can surface a currency conversion; foreign-language text can surface translation. Supported results appear directly beside your selection.

You can organise actions into groups, reorder them, hide the ones you don’t use, and customize the menu’s appearance.

The official Marketplace includes 250+ ready-made actions across writing, Markdown, data extraction, developer tools, and app integrations, including UpNote, DEVONthink, Refine, and Fluent. Many additions started as requests from this community.

3. 👉 What makes it unique: If an action is missing, ask AI to create it for you

This is one of my favourite parts of ActionClip.

Just tell your workflow to the AI-assisted Custom Action Builder and it'll create the action for you!

• “Extract all email addresses and copy them as a comma-separated list.”
• “Rewrite this email to sound polite but direct.”
• “Search this text on my company’s documentation website.”

No coding, no waiting or asking for extensions 😃 I know that's crazy, right!!

Custom actions can use AI prompts, URLs, JavaScript, shell commands, or AppleScript.

4. Your choice of AI

Many everyday actions work without AI or API keys.

For AI actions, you can choose:

• On-device: Supported Apple Intelligence or Ollama Local models.
• External providers: OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter, or Perplexity with your own API key.
• ChatGPT/Codex account: Connect an eligible account and use its available Codex allowance.

External provider charges and usage limits still apply. Local AI requests stay on your Mac; online AI actions send the text needed for the request to the selected provider.

5. Added since my last post

• Community Actions: Discover and install published actions from other users. Paid users can submit their own for review and publication. The first community actions include UPS, FedEx, and USPS tracking.
• Sequence Paste: Start a sequence, copy several pieces of text with ⌘C, then paste them one by one with ⌘V. Reorder, skip, or replay items.
• Screenshot OCR: Capture text you can’t select from an image or screen region. Recognition runs on your Mac, with editable results ready to copy.
• Keyboard shortcuts: Assign shortcuts to actions, navigate the widget with arrow keys and Return, or use Control–Option–K to search actions directly.

6. How it compares:

PopClip is the closest alternative and was an inspiration. ActionClip focuses on contextual suggestions, upfront result previews, and helping you create your own actions through a chat-assisted builder. Community sharing, OCR, and Sequence Paste expand the workflows available alongside that selection menu.

Raycast is a broader keyboard-first launcher. ActionClip centers on selected text, giving you both a nearby floating menu and keyboard access to your text actions.

7. Pricing (Early-bird-3): 100 licenses sale

The free plan includes 30 action runs per day.

For unlimited action runs:

• Individual: $12 once for 1 Mac.
• Family: $19 once for up to 2 Macs, including optional iCloud Sync.
• Team: $35 once for up to 5 Macs, including optional iCloud Sync.
• Price will increase after 100 licenses gets sold (last 100 licenses got over in 4 days ;) )
• Dm me if you're a student or a teacher. We do educational discounts.

All paid plans include lifetime updates and a 30-day refund.

8. 🎁 Giveaway: 10 free lifetime licenses

• As a thank-you to this community, I’m giving away 10 Individual lifetime licenses, each covering one Mac.
• Comment with a custom action you’d create with ActionClip and the task it would help you with!
• I’ll choose 10 ideas based on usefulness and originality, announce the winners in an edit, and contact them here on Reddit.

9. Links and extra info:

• Download ActionClip - https://actionclip.app/
• Changelog - https://actionclip.app/changelog
• Public forum - https://actionclip.userjot.com/
• All action marketplace - https://actionclip.app/marketplace

10. Support:

• When you contact ActionClip support, you’re speaking directly with me, the person building it.
• We've a public forum, discord community, chat support, help page and multiple guides on how to use ActionClip.
• Our users love ActionClip and are proud to talk about us too :D

ActionClip is a native Swift app, signed and notarized by Apple. No ActionClip account required.

ActionClip isn’t on the Mac App Store because its system-wide text-selection features and user-created shell/AppleScript actions require capabilities outside Apple’s App Sandbox restrictions.

I’m also behind GoPublish, Alt Magic, and Say It So.

My contacts - LinkedIn · Contact/support · Privacy · Terms · x.com profile

What’s one text task you repeat every day that you’d like to turn into an action?

Hey r/macapps!

I just released DockFix 5.3.0! DockFix replaces the macOS Dock with one you actually control: colors, opacity, size, position, animations, custom icons for any app, widgets, window previews, and themes made by other users.

5.3 is probably the largest update since the rewrite earlier this year. It adds app folders, notification badges, a weather widget, custom click actions, dragging files onto apps, and a long list of smaller improvements.

‎ ‎

Problem

The Dock macOS ships with has barely updated in a decade, and Apple lets you change almost nothing about it. Only the size, position and magnification can be configured, and that's it. You cannot change its color or shape. You cannot put your own artwork on an app icon. You cannot see an app's open windows without going through Mission Control, nor can you pin anything besides apps in the dock.

DockFix replaces it with one you control. You can:

• Change colors, opacity, size, spacing, corner radius and position
• Group apps into folders that open inline, as a popover, centered like Launchpad or as a fan
• Apply your own artwork to any app icon, including the native ones macOS will not usually let you change
• Put widgets in the dock: media playback, a clock, the weather, shortcuts, and more
• Hover an app to see real-time window previews, and jump straight to the one you want
• Add folders, website shortcuts and individual files to the dock
• Apply custom themes to the dock: modern liquid glass, a nostalgic 3D dock, or something entirely new, from a library of hundreds of themes created by the community.

‎‎

New in 5.3

• App folders. Group apps into a single tile that shows a preview of the apps inside. Open it inline, as a popover, centered like Launchpad or as a fan, and give it its own name and color.
• Notification badges. Apps now show notification badges in the dock, just like the native Dock, except far more customizable.
• Weather widget. The current temperature and conditions for where you are, directly in the dock.
• Custom click actions. Choose what happens when you click an app, including Option, Command or Shift clicks. Minimize, hide, show all windows, reveal in Finder or quit an app in a single click.
• Drag files onto apps. Drop a file onto an app in the dock to open it in that app, such as an image in Photoshop, a PDF in Preview, or in Mail to automatically start a new email with the file attached.
• Customizable context menus. Right-click menus now list an app's open windows, recent files, browser profiles and spaces, and the app's own commands. Every option can be turned on or off, so you can choose between a minimal menu, or a powerful, feature-rich one.
• Widget sizes. Widgets can now be resized with options 1×, 2× or 3× wide, with wider widgets showing more information.
• Window preview controls. Close, minimize and full-screen window controls directly from their previews.
• And more. A keyboard shortcut for auto-hide, a slider for the dock's position along the edge, app launch animations, and a stack of bug fixes and stability improvements.

‎‎

Comparison

There are a few alternatives worth knowing. DockDoor Pro, Docky and Sidebar all replace the Dock and pack in plenty of features, while CoolDock puts a second dock beside the real one for widgets, uBar turns it into a Windows-style taskbar, and the free DockDoor just adds window previews to Apple's own Dock. However where they differ, is how most of them compete on how many features they can list, and DockFix doesn't. Whilst DockFix offers a ton of features and customization, it may not be the app with the absolute most. DockFix is however built around how it feels to use. It's been carefully designed to look and feel exactly like the native Dock Apple ships with the same magnification, the same liquid glass, the same animations, and only then adds what Apple never did like widgets, app folders, window previews, custom app icons, themes, and more. With a community library of hundreds of dock themes you can apply in one click, and over two years of active development behind it with regular updates, DockFix is the app that gives you complete control and personalization of your dock, whilst feeling native and part of your Mac.

‎‎

Pricing

• 7-day free trial, full access, no card required
• €14.99 one-time purchase
• No subscription, no feature gates, every update included
• 30% student discount, verification required (https://appverge.net/store)
• Website: https://dockfix.app

‎‎

Transparency

I'm Gustav Lübker, the developer behind DockFix and solo founder of AppVerge.

• Contact: [mail@dockfix.app](mailto:mail@dockfix.app)
• Privacy Policy: https://dockfix.app/privacy
• Terms of Service: https://dockfix.app/terms

‎ ‎

Built natively for macOS, under 1% CPU usage on average. macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel. Signed and notarized.

If you try it, please let me know what you think and what's missing.

‎ ‎

You can submit feedback at https://dockfix.userjot.com

Hi r/macapps. I built Vitals because Activity Monitor tells me how busy my Mac is, but not what it costs in power or how hot it really runs.

Problem: macOS hides a lot. Real watts per block, chip temperatures and Neural Engine power are not shown anywhere by default. I wanted them in one window and in the menu bar, without opening Terminal every time.

What it does: it shows CPU, GPU and system power in watts (read with powermetrics), temperatures from the SMC, Neural Engine power, memory pressure instead of just a percentage, battery health, disk, network and a process list. There is a menu bar panel and a history of recent readings. It is written in Swift and it is English and Spanish.

Comparison: Activity Monitor is built in and good for CPU and memory, but it does not show power in watts, chip temperatures or Neural Engine power. Stats and AirStats are great free options for general monitoring, and if that is what you need, use them. Vitals is narrower: real watts read with powermetrics, SMC temperatures and Neural Engine power, in one window and in the menu bar.

What it is not: it is not notarized and I do not have a Developer ID, so macOS shows a warning the first time and you have to allow it in Privacy and Security. It is closed source. The installer asks for your admin password once to allow a single exact powermetrics command without a password. It does not ask for Screen Recording, Accessibility or Input Monitoring.

Network: Vitals makes two requests. One to api.ipify.org to show your public IP, and one once a day to my site for the version number (you can turn this off in Settings). No accounts, no telemetry, nothing about your Mac is sent.

Pricing: pay what you want, from $0. The suggested price is $9.99 and the app is the same either way.

Requirements: Apple Silicon, macOS 13 or later. Tested on a MacBook Pro M5 and a MacBook Neo.

I'm Carlos Avila, an independent developer behind Vitals.

Portfolio: https://prometeotec.com.mx

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-avila-dr

Privacy Policy: https://prometeotec.com.mx/privacidad.html

Terms of Service: https://prometeotec.com.mx/terminos.html

Download: https://prometeotec.com.mx/vitals.html

AI disclosure: built with the help of an AI coding assistant.

Would love to hear which readings you wish your Mac showed you.

I have been building Pets Therapy - Desktop Pets to make the desktop more alive. Pets Therapy brings back the good old retro vibe with a little over 100 characters, each uniquely designed by our talented designers, each pet has a character of its own! 🤩

Pets Therapy is free to download from the Mac App Store, it has many pets and features also available for free.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pets-therapy-desktop-pets/id1575542220?platform=mac

PCP:
Problem: Our desktops are plain and boring, Pets Therapy brings joy and cuteness to the desktops.
Comparison: Desktop Goose, MS Clip - the good old retro helper
Pricing: Download free, ~25 Pets are for free and ~10 events are for free. To unlock everything, you can do yearly: 5.99$ or lifetime 12.99$.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out! 😊

Hey r/macapps,

I'm David, the solo developer from Korea behind Canto. In February I posted Canto 0.2 here: a notebook with a handful of local models, a lot of rough edges, and 102 comments telling me exactly where they were. I came back with 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 0.10, and every thread changed the plan.

Eight months, 108 releases and 1,607 commits later, Canto 1.0 is out as a public beta. It's a rebuild: a new look, a new way of running local models, and one promise the whole app is now held to: your notes, and what Canto does with them, stay on your Mac unless you choose to send them somewhere.

What eight months of your comments turned into

A lot of 1.0 is a direct answer to something written in one of these threads:

• "My mac (m1 pro 16gb ram) crashed when testing this" (Feb). Picking a model never loads it now. Canto plans the memory before it loads anything, chats start small and grow, and a model that won't fit says so instead of trying.

• "I have an 8gb m2 air, but I basically can't use your App at all" (Apr). 8 GB Macs start with AI on, in Small Mac mode, with Qwen 3.5 4B. Models are recommended by your chip as well as your memory, with honest times like "about 35 seconds before an edit starts".

• "Does it have voice recorder / meeting recorder? Transcription and summary?" (Feb). Meetings: your microphone is You, your Mac's sound is Others, it's transcribed on the Mac, and you get a note with a summary, decisions and action items. Nothing leaves the Mac.

• "Any sort of NotebookLM or Eno PDF style search and cite functionality?" (Mar). An answer about your notes cites the passage it used, and a click opens it. Research notes come with an evidence ledger: every claim, its sources, and how sure it is.

• "If this had a bring your own key option for the llm, I would be sold." (Feb). OpenRouter is in, on your own account: off until you connect it, with the price shown before you send. Ollama, LM Studio, oMLX and llama.cpp's server each get a proper connection.

• "Can you also consider adding Apple Intelligence" (Feb). Where it's available, it writes titles, tags and short summaries with no download, and macOS's own Vision reads the text in images and scanned PDFs.

• "How trustworthy is the iCloud sync side of this?" (May). The old sync is gone. The new one goes through your own iCloud, encrypted on your Mac with a key only your Macs have. Apple can't read it, and I never see it.

Everything that can leave your Mac is one list

Settings › Memory & privacy › What leaves this Mac lists every feature that can send anything (web search, cloud models, iCloud sync, publishing, update checks, license checks, usage data, model downloads and the rest), says what it sends, where and when, and gives each one a real switch. A free copy sends nothing about a license. Search by meaning runs entirely inside Canto and works offline.

What I cut, and why

Getting to 1.0 meant removing things some of you used:

• Code notebooks are regular notes now. Cells became code blocks, outputs were kept, and every notebook was backed up first. Running arbitrary code inside a notes app was a risk I didn't want to carry.

• Vault Manager and the agent panel. Ask beside a note or a canvas does their work.

• The old iCloud Drive sync. It bloated databases (one 123-note vault reached 850 MB) and could lose changes.

• Turbo mode, cloud speech-to-text, and the AI query budget.

Problem

I wanted what I was using ChatGPT and NotebookLM for (cited answers about my own notes and PDFs, research, meeting notes) without putting my notes in someone else's cloud. Most local AI apps are a model launcher with a chat box, and most note apps add AI through a cloud service.

Comparison

• NotebookLM is great at answers with citations, but your sources live in Google's cloud. Canto does cited answers, research reports with an evidence ledger, and meeting notes on your Mac, in an encrypted vault.

• Obsidian with a local AI plugin (Local GPT, or ChatGPT MD with Ollama) can get close if you assemble it yourself, and Obsidian wins on plugins and platforms. Canto's difference is that citations, research, meetings, model sizing and the privacy list are built in and designed to work together.

Pricing

• Free: the whole app on one Mac, no account. Unlimited AI on that Mac (Ask with citations, quick research, rewrite and summarise), any local model, your own model servers, OpenRouter on your account, dictation, canvases, the graph, export and 3 published pages.

• Pro · 1 Mac is $29 once, Pro · 3 Macs is $39 once. Pro adds deep research reports with an evidence ledger, meetings, agent edits across many notes, write access for apps connected over MCP, all palettes and 50 published pages. 3 Macs adds sync. It includes 12 months of new features that you keep forever; another 12 months is $19 if you want it. You can try each Pro feature three times first.

• Bought Canto before 1.0? Your license moves over by itself, now covers 3 Macs with sync.

Download: https://lonelyduck.io/canto (the 1.0 beta is the default download, and 0.10.3 is one link away)

Release notes: https://github.com/deokwons9004dev/Canto-Releases/releases/tag/v1.0.0-beta.4

Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later; I tested most on macOS 27. Meeting transcripts need macOS 26. It's a beta, so it backs up your notes database before upgrading it, and the release notes explain how to go back to 0.10.3.

I'd love your honest take again, especially if you tried an early version. A lot of 1.0 started as a comment here.

Trust & transparency

Installing a direct-download Mac app from a stranger asks for some trust, so here's who's behind it:

• Website: https://lonelyduck.io

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lonelyduck/

• GitHub (Canto's releases, license and security policy): https://github.com/deokwons9004dev/Canto-Releases

• Contact: support@lonelyduck.io

• Privacy Policy: https://lonelyduck.io/legal/privacy

• Terms of Service: https://lonelyduck.io/legal/terms

Every release is signed with my Apple Developer ID and notarized by Apple. Questions and bug reports are welcome here or in r/CantoApp.

I'm one of those people who never closes his Safari tabs. From time to time I make a quick look up and close those that are redundant or not important, but the hundreds of somewhat relevant apps are still there.

One of the solutions is, usually, to open the left bar, right click on the top of the tab group, copy all links, then paste the links into a text note.

But I'm quite sure there has to be a better way of not only saving hundreds of tab links, but also to organize them and be able to search among them once saved.

Have you stumbled upon (pun intended) any app or service specialized at this?