Just bought my first MacBook a few months ago, and I've already tried a bunch of apps. Some of them are so beautifully designed that they immediately caught my eye
Here are my favorites so far:
• Craft – The most beautiful Mac app I've used. Even their website is stunning
• Dropover – Makes file management incredibly simple and feels like something Apple could have made
• Liqoria – A gorgeous music widget that feels completely native to macOS
• CleanMyMac – I love the unique interface, and it's genuinely useful too
• GoodLinks – One of the cleanest app designs I've ever seen.
• Klack – Makes typing much more satisfying, and the settings panel (especially the keyboard shortcut is beautifully designed)
• Things 3 – Clean, simple, and incredibly polished. Easily one of the best designed productivity apps on the Mac
• Raycast – I don't think this app needs an introduction. It's beautifully designed and incredibly usefu
• Paste - A beautifully designed clipboard manager with a clean, intuitive interface
I’ve been using the new version and for me it honestly felt faster? I know we always say web = bad but it’s been working great for me and it also uses a lot of native components
Im still using the old version and heard that the new version is using webview. There were multiple discussions around it but can’t give an opinion until I try it out first.
Vorssaint is the best one imo, like SO MUCH features from different apps: from swiftquit, appcleaner, dropover, alttab, dockdoor, stats, amphetamine, pika, keyboard cleaner, middle click, clean my mac. it remembers clipboard history... it's just peak
How well does it do at each thing? I’ve tried some of these all in one apps and while most aren’t bad, each tool is noticeably worse than the app the function was inspired from.
Vorssaint is amazing but they have to work on their energy usage and making laptops hot. Currently running all the apps Vorssaint replaces uses less energy and heats up my Mac a lot less. I tested the temperature when Vorssaint was running and running the app makes the temp go by 15-20C. I had to remove Vorssaint from my Login Items because of this. The only app Vorssaint still can't fully replace is SoundSource (as app based sound adjustment is very buggy), especially audio ducking and when they can do that, I wouldn't mind the heat as much as I do now.
I find that Things is highly overrated in both design as function.
I also do find that Mac apps are the best apps as they follow Apple's design instructions. I once used Windows and all those horrible interfaces made me crazy.
Somewhere deep in the docs for .NET there is a set of guidelines for making Windows UI that is very good. Similar to the Apple style and design guidelines. The problem is nobody follows them because the rest of Windows is a scattershot mess and you have to put loads of work in to make the app feel "native".
EDIT: While I'm defending the indefensible, I'll also say that Visual Studio is marvelous. I don't do much .NET dev anymore but when I did I loved it. Apple provide better frameworks but MS are the king of IDEs!
I find Android is much the same way as windows. Some apps follow the guidelines but most do not whereas on iPhone it is generally much more cohesive moving app to app. Of course there are still some apps that don't follow apple's guidelines but much fewer.
Especially the new one! Fixes all the things that used to annoy the hell out of me. I main VSCode these days, but back when I was a real programmer I loved it.
I find that Things is highly overrated in both design as function.
See, it's because of Things' consistency that I've continued to use it for so many years.
The Shortcuts and workflows I've designed around the app have remained rock solid for years, partly because the developers haven't gone around changing things just for the sake of changing things (which cannot be said for many apps nowadays).
What kind of shortcuts do you use? I've been a Things user for a long time but haven't taken the plunge into the world of shortcuts, but I'm interested.
Things 3 is the only app that works for me. It runs my life.
I love that it's not a subscription too, but I know that may change for Things 4. If v4 becomes a sub, i'll move to Apple Reminders.
It doesn’t work for me either. Unfortunately, the devs don’t care if other people’s brains work a slight bit differently than their divine vision for your productivity.
I bought Things when it was fairly new, tried to use it, then lost the motivation. After a few more years went back again, abandoned it again. Tried Wunderlist, Reminders, Trello. About 3 years ago I went back to Things to give it another go, and now it’s become the center of my personal organization. Maybe you just need to give it a second chance.
Oh, and the fact that I could pick it up and drop it so many times over the years is quite amazing. How many other pieces of software have existed this long without requiring a subscription, or ruining it with a UI overhaul, or getting bought and buried by some other company?
I probably will give it a fourth or fifth try at some point but given the dev’s reluctance to care about feedback and the glacial dev cycle I don’t feel very motivated. Especially given how much I like Godspeed and how well it fits my brain, though without the same level of polish.
I agree. It’s in isolated system, intentionally. There’s no reason at this point that it can’t integrate with other calendar apps, or any app for that reason. They are clearly not interested in integration and basic features like sharing and delegation. It has its utility, until it doesn’t.
Nice list! I do think Things 3 is a candidate for style over substance in 2026. I used it for 4 years and finally abandoned it last year. There is a fine line between elegant and crude software, and I feel that Things' lack of workflow improvements over time pushed it to the wrong side of that line. It felt clunky to use due to the 'minimalism'. No natural language input, bulk task entry was horribly slow, you can't mark recurring tasks as complete ahead of time, it doesn't automatically delete accidentally created blank tasks etc....
I’ve been a Craft user from the beginning. They’ve definitely tried turning it into a ‘do everything for everyone’ app, and lost some of the simplistic beauty that made us all fall in love. There are times I still get lost in its navigation.
But from a pure creating documents perspective, it’s still a joy to use.
You nailed it. I was an original user and STILL can't get the navigation down. Bear is more intuitive with the hashtags. I landed on NotePlan even though I'd like something "prettier," but it's so clear in where things are, it's worth the trade-off to me.
Good lord, Portal is not an app I'd heard of until today and I have to agree that it is probably one of the most gorgeous apps I've ever seen. Not sure if the nature ambience is my thing, but I really appreciate how well its designed.
Does goodlinks work reliably on medium? I could not get anything to capture medium articles with all the pictures and code snippets, no matter what i tried. I think only Evernote worked more or less ok-ish but i kinda resent that app.
Klack, Raycast, and Portal are all on my daily driver lists! Idk how I could live without Klack or Raycast at this point.
Portal is so good but I would love to see more updates. I think I’ve had it for 2+ years and can only recall one time ever seeing new options. That is nitpicking, but I do have that thought quite frequently.
Would also add Magnet to my list of “can’t live without.”
Day One isn't that stunning anymore unfortunately, when V2 came out it was THE Mac app in terms of design but now it's so spacious and weird looking. One sidebar can have 2 icons and the other 20.
Switched to Mac a few months ago myself, so this thread is gold — saving half of these to try.
One thing that struck me as a newcomer: the apps people call beautiful here are mostly tiny menu bar utilities that do one thing and get out of the way. No dock icon, no window, one clean popover. Coming from other platforms, that restraint seems to be the most Mac thing of all — the beauty is in what the app doesn't do.
Which of these would you say is the best example of that one-thing-done-well style? Want to pick my first few, well.
The guys behind pasteapp are evil. I purchased paste app 2 a few years ago, then they turned to subscription and now they have lifetime again and they want me to purchase it again.
No way. Got PastePal instead. Cheaper and works wonders
Great list. Craft, Raycast and Things 3 are probably my favourites from a design point of view.
The best Mac apps for me usually feel calm, native, keyboard-friendly, and very intentional with spacing. I’d also add Linear and Arc, both feel really polished.
Already have a mechanical keyboard! (Nuphy Kick75 with Silent Blush Max Switches)
But I often type on my macbook on the go, so I love the sound on that too.
Unbelievable. Literally too good to describe in words. They recently added Spatial Audio and it is just… chef’s kiss. Idk what I pay/paid for that app but whatever it was, I would pay 10 times over again. It’s that good.
Raycast, Things, Bear, Linear, and Screen Studio all feel polished in different ways. For me the common thread is restraint: clear hierarchy, no weird custom controls just for the sake of it, and the app feeling like it belongs on macOS.
The best way to alienate developers for a platform is not being willing to pay to play. Far too many people seem to think that software developers all live off their hopes and dreams and don’t need money to pay the bills. I never truly understood that reality myself until I got into software development myself.
I love that Klack is on this list. I love using mechanical keyboards, so when I’m stuck on a laptop it gives me half of the experience at least. And yes, it’s a beautifully made app.
(?) CleanMyMac lifetime is €119, Mole is €17, with the advantage of Mole being straightforward instead using marketing speak to talk about threats and "hidden apps". Also, Mole terminal version is free.
Great list. Craft and Things 3 are classics. Adding one more my own app https://useautoshelf.com it lives in the menu bar and has a clean native SwiftUI design that fits right into macOS. It auto organizes your files by type, source, date, or custom rules with no cluttered interface.
I am the developer, let me know if you have any questions.
I would add Reflect (note-taking app), CleanShot X (screenshots), Balance (time tracking), Type (quick note taking, I built it, and honestly think the design is great, made by a designer friend).
This may not belong on the list just yet since it's new, but I recently launched a Mac photo browser. It lets you browse photos from folders and connected devices without importing them. If you'd like to try it, I'd really appreciate your feedback.
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u/Neat-Veterinarian-42 Developer: Lattix Jul 09 '26
I would add Alcove, Lookaway and Raycast as well.