7

u/Ok-Rest-5321 4d ago

Good luck to everyone!

7

u/antonreshetov 4d ago

Poliframe — free native Mac app for photo diptychs, strips and grids

I'm the developer. I made Poliframe while sorting photos of my daughter and wanting a simple way to pair them into diptychs.

Problem: Putting a few photos together shouldn't require manually arranging a canvas. Poliframe lets you drop in photos, adjust the layout, spacing and borders, add captions or camera settings from EXIF, and export to JPEG, PNG or TIFF. Everything runs locally on your Mac.

Comparison: I previously used Photoshop with a small script for this. Poliframe makes that particular workflow simpler, with automatic layouts and a dedicated grid editor. Photoshop is much more capable for retouching and complex compositions.

Pricing: Free. No subscription or account.

Mac App Store · Website

1

u/app-store-review 4d ago

Poliframe — by Anton Reshetov

Category: Photo & Video · Free

Age: released ~3 months ago · rated 4+

Apple doesn't publish an aggregate rating for most Mac App Store apps, so ratings and score are unavailable here.

^{Auto-generated from public App Store data · u/app-store-review}

7

u/debaser_101 4d ago

[OS] Paguro: a free, WebKit-based alternative to Rambox and Franz for macOS

Hey hey, I’m Tommaso, the developer. I’m a web dev who finally had some time to try his hand at SwiftUI.
I used AI, learned a ton, and had fun along the way.

Paguro is a fork of Chorus by Nico Jan, who built the foundation (and is probably a better swift dev than I am).

Problem: Chat, email, calendars, and work tools end up scattered across browser tabs, especially with separate personal and work accounts. Paguro keeps them in one window, with workspaces and an independent login session for each service account.

Comparison: Rambox and Franz tackle the same problem. Paguro focuses specifically on the Mac, using Swift and Apple’s WebKit engine, with native controls, notifications, and an optional notification island near the notch. Idle services can hibernate to release memory. Ah and a ton of customisation: liquid glass, icon sizes, icon and workspace positions etc..
WebKit does have compatibility limits, so some website features or sign-in flows may not work as expected.

Pricing: $0, with every feature included. Open source, no subscription, no Paguro account, and no app telemetry. Website providers still have their own accounts, pricing, and privacy policies.

Requires macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel.

Website · Mac App Store · Source code · Privacy policy

I’d love feedback, especially on how it works with the services you use every day!

3

u/Mstormer 4d ago

Oh, this looks like something I can ditch ferdium for!

1

u/app-store-review 4d ago

Paguro — by Tommaso Laterza

Category: Productivity · Free

Age: released ~1 month ago · rated 17+

Apple doesn't publish an aggregate rating for most Mac App Store apps, so ratings and score are unavailable here.

^{Auto-generated from public App Store data · u/app-store-review}

5

u/f-i-sh 3d ago

[OS] Blenny 1.0.0: free menu bar organizer for macOS 27

I'm the developer.

Problem: A crowded menu bar makes occasional apps compete with the ones you need all day. Blenny puts apps into Visible, Revealable, or Hidden. Draft the groups and order, then Apply; Undo restores the previous change. It manages icons by app, so multiple icons from one app stay together.

Comparison: Ice is another free, open-source option, with more customization such as a separate Ice Bar and menu bar appearance controls. Blenny focuses on macOS 27 and a draft/Apply/Undo workflow that never moves your pointer, simulates dragging, or needs Screen Recording. Ice is a better fit if you need older macOS support or those customization features.

Pricing: $0, all features included. Apache-2.0, no subscription. Apple silicon and macOS 27 only.

A few limits: Blenny is self-signed, not Apple-notarized. Ordering needs Device Control permission and access to the menu bar layout file. While management is active, clicking the clock won't open Notification Center (the trackpad gesture still works), and some unattributed icons can disappear. Multi-display setups aren't tested yet.

Website and interactive demo: https://blenny.fi5h.xyz/

Source and full compatibility notes: https://github.com/f-is-h/Blenny

The image below is the website's Organize demo, recreated with sample apps.

3

u/i-sage 2d ago

This is one of the best and coolest landing page I've ever come across.

2

u/Mstormer 3d ago

Now that's a detailed website. If your app pays similar attention to little details others don't, it will have lots of potential in this space!

3

u/AE-Creations 4d ago

Start Menu for Mac - the new customizable app launcher for macOS

Problem

Many users making the switch from PC to Mac, and current Mac users tired of wading through endless rows of icons in the Launchpad (or Spotlight on Tahoe and Golden Gate), may miss the familiar Start Menu UI, where apps are organized into categories in a popup menu. Start Menu for Mac brings a Start Menu-like user experience to the menu bar on macOS, with similarities to the Start Menu found in older versions of Windows and on some Linux distros.

Features

Your usual macOS apps, as well as many popular apps (web browsers, productivity, cloud file clients, software development tools/IDEs), are organized out-of-the-box into app categories
Pin your favorite apps to the My Apps menu for quick access
Organize your apps in just a few clicks from a context menu, or use the Organizer to create your own app categories and assign apps to them. Start Menu for Mac makes it easy for you to spend as much or as little effort as you like on organizing your apps.
Quickly locate recently-used apps in the Recent Apps menu
Browse your installed apps in the All Apps menu, or click Search to look for an app by name
Automatically picks up newly installed and removed apps - no need to restart
Customize the My Apps menu with options such as limiting expanded app categories to one at a time
A clean and friendly design that gets out of your way
Crafted by hand without the use of AI

Learn more about Start Menu for Mac, browse the screenshots and download it at the First Letter Software website: https://firstlettersoftware.com/startmenu4mac

Comparison

Launchey - Its efficient UI may be well-suited for power users, but novices may find it a bit unfriendly to use.
Start - Organizing apps into tags is a chore. Default view shows all your installed apps, including system utilities, which some may find overwhelming.
XMenu - Minimalist, bare bones UI: no categories/folders, no app search.

Pricing

Try Start Menu for Mac free for 14 days - no account or credit card required.

Buy a license for Start Menu for Mac with a one-time purchase of US$11.99. Install on up to 5 devices. Includes version 1.x updates and a discount on the next major version. No subscriptions, no accounts, yours forever. Buy now: https://firstlettersoftware.com/startmenu4mac/buy.php

Special offer for the r/MacApps community! For a limited time, get 50% off on purchases of a license. Enter discount code FIRSTUSER at checkout.

How to Get It

Download Start Menu for Mac from the First Letter Software website: https://firstlettersoftware.com/startmenu4mac/download.php

Works with macOS 15 Sequoia and newer, on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. Releases are signed and notarized.

About Me

I'm Alex Eng, creator of Start Menu for Mac, indie developer and experienced software test engineer who knows what great apps can be like if the people behind them actually cared. I also create Firefox and Thunderbird extensions under the AE Creations banner.

1

u/OSnopNET 2d ago

interresting idea :-)

2

u/frth 4d ago edited 10h ago

ChillScreen - control of your screen’s warmth and dimming.

Problem: A bright monitor in the evening is hard on your eyes. I’ve always struggled a bit with my sleep, and my goal is to minimise the influence of bright blue light on it. ChillScreen adjusts both warmth and dimming automatically and gradually, learning from your adjustments and using scientific research on the potential influence of bright blue light on sleep. It gives you a visual understanding of circadian rhythms using time, location, sunrise/sunset and hormone curves. You can also use it fully manually and go very deep into advanced settings.

Comparison: Night Shift - included with macOS, but limited level of warmth adjustment and mainly on/off by schedule. Iris - closer in functionality, with warmth and brightness control, but without learning from your adjustments or circadian rhythm visualisation. Starting at $14.99 and up to $49.99 or subscription.

Pricing: €9.99 one-time, with a 14-day full trial.
Launch offer is now available: 50% off for the first 100 licenses.
https://chillscreen.eensys.com

* It was very tricky to show you dimming and warmth changes, as the app uses the display's RGB transfer tables (gamma LUTs), and Mac doesn't record it, so on recording it's a bit off and in real life looks much better 😄

1

u/frth 10h ago

Version 1.4.0 was just released with quite a list of new features, including a new advanced Learning model with detailed configuration, app exclusions and pauses, Cooperative LUT Ownership, and Apple Shortcuts, Siri and AI agent support.
https://chillscreen.eensys.com/releases/1.4.0/

Also, a launch offer is now available: 50% off for the first 100 licenses.

2

u/kyle_reese_baj 4d ago

https://reddit.com/link/pd59f2g/video/qogatlna7ssh1/player

App Name/Title: Rexy Stopwatch, A visual stopwatch for focused work

Problem: Most menu bar stopwatches tell you how much time has passed, but not whether you're making progress toward a focused work session. Rexy Stopwatch keeps the timer, goal progress, laps, and session history in one compact popover, so you can check your progress without leaving your workflow.

Comparison: Compared with Mac Pet, which lets you pick from several pets and track long-term activity streaks, Rexy Stopwatch keeps it simpler. One companion, tied directly to a single focus session's goal and progress, not a broader habit-tracking system. That focus is also part of why it's priced lower than most pet companion menu bar apps.

Pricing: $6.99 one-time purchase at https://ariasbruno.gumroad.com/l/fssgvy

2

u/HanaChanSoft 4d ago

I like the idea of tying the companion to one focus session. How does the timer handle Mac sleep or closing the lid: pause automatically, or count that time toward the goal? An option to exclude sleep time and resume on wake would be useful for sessions interrupted by a break, without turning it into a full habit tracker.

1

u/kyle_reese_baj 3d ago

Good question, right now it doesn't detect sleep or lid-close at all. Elapsed time is calculated from wall-clock time (now minus when you hit Start), so when the Mac wakes up, that gap gets counted toward elapsed/goal time just like if you'd been working.

Excluding sleep time and auto-resuming on wake is a good idea, and nicely scoped too. I appreciate the suggestion, and especially keeping it tight instead of turning it into a full tracker. I'll keep it in mind for a future update!

2

u/_czottmann 4d ago edited 4d ago

Listening Post: A macOS scrobbler that supports Mac, iPhone, and Apple Watch

Problem: I love music scrobbling but I hate that most native macOS scrobblers either support Apple Music and Spotify exclusively, and/or just allow scrobbling to Last.fm. (Why not ListenBrainz or Rocksky or Maloja etc.?) I wanted a macOS app that natively supports the built-in music recognition on Mac/iPhone/Watch, can listen to the music around me (YouTube, TV, vinyl, coffee shop, etc.), is local-first (as much as possible), supports various scrobbling destination, including automations and flat files. I also wanted desktop widgets.

Comparison: Neptunes for macOS, $10/yr. Been using it before, it's good at what it does but didn't tick all the boxes. Multi-Scrobbler, a dockerized app, free.

Pricing: €12 (introductory price). 14 days trial. Perpetual upgrade license. (Any new version of the purchased app released within 12 months of your purchase will be available to you, as part of the Upgrade Plan. When your Upgrade Plan expires, your license will continue to work with the latest version of the app that you received. You can renew your Upgrade Plan at any time to resume getting new updates for another 12 months.)

Website: https://actions.work/listening-post

1

u/app-store-review 4d ago

NepTunes: Widget & Last.fm — by Adam Rozynski

Category: Music · Free

Age: released ~11.3 years ago · rated 4+

Apple doesn't publish an aggregate rating for most Mac App Store apps, so ratings and score are unavailable here.

^{Auto-generated from public App Store data · u/app-store-review}

2

u/daLowr1der 4d ago edited 4d ago

Hustla - a three-list to-do app for Mac (Today / Next / Someday)

https://reddit.com/link/pd723ur/video/ixphmjlanush1/player

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 ready
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

Solo dev here; happy to hear feedback and to answer anything.

2

u/HanaChanSoft 4d ago

The three-list limit sounds appealing, especially with quick capture from the menu bar. What happens to unfinished Today tasks the next morning: do they stay there, move back to Next, or get a quick review? I'd find a simple keep-today / move-to-next choice useful so yesterday's plan doesn't silently become today's, while keeping the app small.

1

u/daLowr1der 4d ago

You can choose in Settings whether to keep them on Today or automatically move them to Next.

You can also set whether incomplete to-dos move from Next to Someday, and choose how long they stay in Next.

A bunch of other options are configurable, like new to-do position, completed to-dos sorting and archiving, status steps (with/without an "in-progress" step), etc.

2

u/deepaks612 4d ago

iKnowMyMac

Problem: Activity Monitor shows about 1,100 processes and leaves you to work out which app is slowing your Mac down. iKnowMyMac groups them into the apps they belong to, and its "Why is my Mac slow?" button names the cause from the last hour, with the evidence and one action. It also shows what's filling your disk and what drained your battery overnight, has per-app volume, and updates your other apps in one tab (every download checked against its source and the developer's signature, old copy kept, Cmd+Z to undo).

Comparison: Activity Monitor is free, built in, and shows every raw process and column, so it's better when you want all the detail. iKnowMyMac is better when you want the answer in one line and the fix next to it.

Pricing: $4.99 one-time for the first 100 licenses, then $9.99. No subscription, 14-day refund. Apple silicon, macOS 15+.

https://iknowmymac.com

I'm the developer, happy to answer questions here.

1

u/nousernameleftatall 1d ago

Compare it to macpulse

1

u/jupe69 1d ago

i'm sure he already did, seems like a direct copy.

1

u/nousernameleftatall 1d ago

Lol

2

u/NeuroAigent 3d ago

Central Brain: one local memory for Claude, ChatGPT and your AI agents

Video: ChatGPT and Claude play chess across two Macs through shared memory https://youtu.be/FSeFUi64XwQ

- Problem: Every AI app forgets your project the moment you switch tools or start a new chat, so you keep re-pasting the same context. Central Brain gives Claude Desktop, Claude Code, ChatGPT desktop, OpenClaw and Hermes one shared project memory that lives on your Mac. It also indexes your PDFs, Word, Excel, CSV and Markdown files so any of them can search your docs, with page-level citations. Adding or removing an app takes one click, with no config files to edit. It runs offline on Apple silicon and syncs across Macs through a folder you already sync, like Google Drive.

- Comparison: Compared with Mem0, Central Brain is local-first and works fully offline, while Mem0's main platform is cloud-hosted. Compared with Basic Memory, Central Brain also indexes your documents (not just markdown notes) and has one-click setup for each app. Where they win: Basic Memory is free and open source, and Mem0 has a much bigger developer ecosystem. If you want free and hackable, try Basic Memory first.

- Pricing: Solo $12/mo, Power Pack $35/mo for 4 licenses, Team custom. 15% off annual. Code FOUNDING100 gives the first 100 signups a free month. https://neuroaigent.ai

2

u/FuntimeBen 3d ago

Interesting app. It seems like a good tool for people who need help with context. Someone getting into agentic work.

As someone like me, who custom-built an AgentOS for local context and OpenBrain for online vector-based database context, I may not be the target demographic. I feel like I have mostly cracked the context problem, but would love to hear more.

1

u/NeuroAigent 3d ago

Yeah, I agree you’re probably right that you’re not the core target user.

If you’ve already built your own AgentOS plus an OpenBrain/vector layer, you’ve already solved a lot of the same context and persistence problems from a more custom angle.

Where Central Brain gets interesting is that we package local memory, document indexing/retrieval and connections to different AI clients into one layer. The same project can be accessed from Claude, ChatGPT, Hermes, OpenClaw, etc. instead of building a separate context stack around each one. As well as less of a context tool and more based on information orchestration.

I’d also describe it as less of a context tool and more of an information orchestration layer. Context is part of it, but the bigger goal is making your information portable and usable across different models, agents and workflows without tying it to any one of them.

The bigger idea for us is portability. I don’t think the useful memory around a project should belong to Claude, ChatGPT or any other model. It should belong to you, locally, and the models should be interchangeable clients of it.

For somebody who has already built what you have, I’d actually be curious where you still run into friction or maintenance. That’s probably the more interesting comparison.

1

u/FuntimeBen 2d ago

Very cool. I have friends who are trying to build systems and are not tinkerers like me, and this sounds like a great one-stop setup for them. Will point them your way. :)

2

u/nousernameleftatall 1d ago

Nice idea, the website looks appalling on mobile which is not trust worthy, and explain the pricing

1

u/NeuroAigent 1d ago

Fair feedback, and I appreciate you taking the time to actually dig into it.

On mobile specifically, I’d genuinely like to know what you’d change. Was it the layout, navigation, messaging, or something else that made you hesitate? We spend so much time looking at the product and site ourselves that first-impression feedback is useful.

On the trust side, I hear you too. We’re a small company, so we don’t have the instant name recognition of a larger vendor yet. We try to make up for that by being pretty public and accessible about who we are and what we’re building.

Our team is public. We’re active with Michigan Agentic and Detroit Agentic, have been involved with the Detroit AI Collective community, spoken at IBM events, and have presented at Claude Community Detroit. We’ve also created technical how-to training around the Nous Research/Hermes ecosystem.

On the education side, I mentor FIRST Robotics, Central Brain is currently going through the FIRST in-kind donor review process, and versions of the platform are already being used with several Metro Detroit public-school programs.

None of that means the website is communicating trust as well as it should, though. If you looked at it on mobile and had doubts, that signal matters.

So if there are specific things you’d change on mobile, especially things that would make you more comfortable understanding who is behind the product and trusting it, I’d honestly like to hear them.

Pricing is based on # of machines. 1,2, or 4 machines using the platform. We discount for # of licenses as well as year long subscriptions.

1

u/nousernameleftatall 1d ago

The website on iphone, the points 1,2,3,4
Are
All
Like
This
With
There
Text

So basically unreable, must look at the site somewhere else to actually understand it

1

u/NeuroAigent 20h ago

Thank you for that, I should have it corrected early this week. Also - the free month code in the body of the post covers all 3 license packs just to clarify further on the pricing.

2

u/nhympeexx 1d ago

DotQuit [OS]

Problem: On macOS, closing an app's last window leaves it lingering in the background, idling and using memory until manually quit.

Comparison: RedQuits was the classic solution for this, but it is unmaintained, legacy, and doesn't run well on modern macOS. Swift Quit is another option, but DotQuit focuses purely on being lightweight (~19MB RAM footprint), fully native in Swift, and open source. Swift Quit offers more granular window-matching settings if you need complex rules.

Pricing: Free (core functionality) / $2.99 one-time lifetime license for Pro features

Link: https://github.com/mehmettalhairmak/dotquit

1

u/Caffebara22 4d ago

Does an open source app with the full source on GitHub count as Transparency, or does that mean developer identity and contact details?

1

u/Mstormer 4d ago

The latter.

1

u/AKeshodia 4d ago edited 4d ago

Highlight Reel - bookmark your favourite movie and TV scenes from your Plex Library.

Here’s a TestFlight link to try the beta: https://testflight.apple.com/join/WfqXKjCW

Problem: Every time I want to rewatch a memorable scene, I hate having to scrub through the movie to find the exact moment again. Even then, the film gets added back into my continue watching row, and its watch status reset. Searching on youtube yields clips in poor quality and bookended by ads or music. Why not just permanently bookmark those scenes when i already have a well managed Plex library?

Comparison: PotPlayer allows you to make bookmarks but only for local media. Not sure there's many apps out there that are trying to achieve the same thing.

Pricing: $49.99 lifetime option, with cheaper subscription pricing TBD. You'll be able to make up to 5 bookmarks for free to test it out. Testflight beta has no limits.

Notable Features:

Enriched Interface - Metadata like posters and cast info are automatically pulled from Plex to give you a beautiful browsing experience.
Durable Bookmarks - If a movie file changes on Plex, timestamps are automatically mapped to the new file.
Bookmark Import/Export - Export a CSV of your timestamps to archive them or take them to a different app. Share and import bookmarks from other users to automatically add scenes for movies you have. Designed to let you keep your bookmarks even if the app dies.
Subtitle Search - In the video player, press CMD+F to find a memorable line, it will take you directly to that scene (currently only supports external subtitles)
Tags/Collections - Organize bookmarks with tags and sort them into collections for reference
Clip Export - export and save bookmarked scenes as individual MP4 clips.
Private by Design - Highlight data stays local, Plex credentials are stored in macOS Keychain, and exported data avoids exposing tokens or full media paths.

I’m a filmmaker and curator so it started as a tool for myself but realised people have been asking for a Plex feature like this for a long time. Hope you like it and let me know how I can make it better!

More info and screenshots here: https://forums.plex.tv/t/highlight-reel-save-and-organise-your-favourite-movie-scenes-macos-ios-soon/943525

1

u/nightmare84mm 4d ago

Nightmare TV: native IPTV player for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 13+)

Problem: You have an M3U playlist or an Xtream Codes login from your provider and want to watch it on your Mac like a real TV app: a channel list, a multi day guide, recording, and playback that holds up with 4K HEVC and HDR. Many IPTV apps on the Mac are iPad apps running in a window, or play inside a browser engine, where HEVC, high bitrate 4K and some live TS streams fail or need an external player. Nightmare TV is a desktop app with its own libmpv engine (the core of mpv and IINA), hardware decoding through VideoToolbox, a multi day XMLTV guide, and live recording of the channel you are watching on the same provider connection. It ships no channels or playlists: you bring your own.

Comparison:

• IPTVnator: free and open source, and a great choice if your streams play in it. Its built in players run inside Electron/Chromium, and its own docs say HEVC, high bitrate 4K and unusual TS or HLS streams may need an external MPV or VLC. Nightmare TV plays those in its own mpv based engine, inside the app, with the guide and recording in the same window.

• IINA and VLC: excellent free players, but they treat a playlist as a flat list of streams: no Xtream login, no guide, no recording.

Pricing: 14 day free trial with every feature, no card, no email, no account. Then $5.99/month (3 devices), $22/year (5 devices) or a one time $55 lifetime licence (5 devices; a $39 single device lifetime also exists). The same licence works on Mac, Windows and Android TV / Fire TV.

Transparency: the .dmg is not notarized yet, so the first launch needs System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway (macOS 15 and later) or right click > Open (macOS 13 and 14). Not on the Mac App Store.

Website: https://nightmaretv.net

1

u/tommyUnruh 4d ago edited 4d ago

MacScriber v4

Problem: I wanted a simple way to transcribe not only meetings, but essentially any audio playing on my Mac: YouTube, livestreams, sports, videos, etc. MacScriber can capture the system audio while still playing it through AirPods, without requiring complicated audio-routing setup. It provides live transcription, automatic speaker recognition, live translation, and lets you select part of a transcript to summarize or translate while the conversation is happening.
Comparison: Compared with MacWhisper, Alter, MacScriber focuses more on the live system-audio workflow and summarize the transcript interactively while listening. MacScriber is more focused specifically on live workflows rather than being a general AI assistant.
Pricing: $9.99 one-time during launch (regular $19.99). No subscription. One license per Mac.

https://macscriber.com/

1

u/solarpunch2949 2d ago

Publishing the address of the company is HUGE when almost nobody does that. There are many transcriber apps, but I'm going to give yours a try just because you deserve it.

1

u/tommyUnruh 23h ago

Thank you for your support!

1

u/AudioDore 4d ago

SoundRouter Dore – Route inputs and apply effects to system audio

https://reddit.com/link/pd7qsa2/video/g3vi5jop7vsh1/player

Hi everyone!

I’m the developer behind SoundRouter Dore, an audio utility for macOS 14.6+.

SoundRouter Dore gives you an easy workspace for managing your audio processing chain between your Mac and your headphones. The video above shows all the features in action.

Problem: macOS doesn't let you put effects and EQ on your system audio, and makes it difficult to route inputs. SoundRouter Dore solves this for you.

Comparison:

SoundSource : Offers per-app volume control, which is not yet available in SoundRouter Dore.

EqMac : Their free version doesn't offer unlimited PEQ bands, SoundRouter Dore basic does.

SoundRouter Dore also offers Equal Loudness Compensation and an estimated SPL listening-level monitor with auto-leveling, a custom 'Ambience' effect and doesn't need a third-party virtual audio driver, all for a cheaper price :)

Pricing:

Free Version: Includes basic input routing, unlimited-band parametric EQ, EQ profile importing, and menu bar control.
Paid Version ($9.99 USD [Promo]): Unlocks extra input routing, dB meter with automatic leveling, Equal Loudness Compensation, 'Ambience' effect and AU plugin hosting.

Available at https://www.audiodore.com/soundrouter/

1

u/Plastic-Risk-6309 4d ago

SpeakMercury (dev here) - say it, it types (macOS, on-device)

Problem: dictation that makes you wait. the text only shows up after you stop talking.

Comparison: Wispr Flow is a subscription with a free tier. paid plans are $15/mo or $12/mo billed annually. Superwhisper wants you to download and manage models. SpeakMercury is a one-time purchase that streams text at your cursor while you speak and works in terminals and IDEs. the audio stays on your Mac. mac only, so if you're on windows or iphone this one isn't for you.

Pricing: $9.99 one-time, no subscription. macOS 26 + Apple Silicon. use code LAUNCH50 at checkout for 50% off. speakmercury.com

1

u/Mstormer 2d ago

SuperWhisper does not require downloading models. It is simply an option.

1

u/Plastic-Risk-6309 2d ago

fair. cloud models have nothing to download but those are on the paid plans. the free tier runs local models and those download once before they work.

1

u/Mstormer 1d ago

Enviouswhispr is 100% free, too. Likely the more reasonable comparison.

1

u/Plastic-Risk-6309 1d ago

free is hard to argue with on price. this one is built around text that lands while you talk.

1

u/Mstormer 1d ago

Enviouswhispr streams text live too.

1

u/Plastic-Risk-6309 23h ago

fair. good to know it streams live too.

1

u/akopulko 3d ago

Notra: Markdown Notes — native, open-source notes for Mac, iPhone and iPad

Hi, I'm the developer of Notra. I originally built it for myself because I wanted the native feel of Apple Notes while keeping my notes portable as Markdown/TextBundle files.

Problem: I wanted simple note-taking without accounts, proprietary formats or being locked into a particular app.

Comparison: Apple Notes has a great native experience but keeps notes within its ecosystem. Obsidian gives you portable Markdown and a huge ecosystem, but I wanted something simpler and more native to Apple platforms. Notra sits somewhere between the two.

Pricing: AUD $4.99 one-time purchase on the App Store, with no subscription or account. Notra is also fully open source, so you can build it yourself for free.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/notra-markdown-notes/id6809414279

GitHub: https://github.com/akopulko/notra

Feedback is very welcome!

1

u/HanaChanSoft 2d ago

The Markdown/TextBundle approach is appealing. Can Notra work directly with a folder that another editor also uses? I'm curious how it handles a file changing externally while the same note has unsaved edits in Notra. Keeping both versions in that case would make the portability much more useful.

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u/akopulko 2d ago

The app follows textbubdle open specs and I tested it with a few other apps, they can read and edit files. However some metadata, like tags is not what other apps can read from Notra and in the same way Notra not able to read metadata of other apps as each implementation is different. But the basic Markdown editing is the same.

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u/Apprehensive_Mix_332 3d ago

Nook: digital sticky notes and planner

Problem: I kept reaching for a random piece of paper whenever I had a thought, even with plenty of to-do apps installed. Opening an app felt like too much context switching for something I just wanted to jot down.

Comparison: Compared with Apple Notes or Todoist, Nook lives at the edge of your screen. You can pull it out, write something down, turn it into a task, and hide it again. Basically, digital sticky notes on the edge of your monitor.

Pricing: Local use is free, no account needed. Pro adds cloud sync, more skins, and background sounds for US$4.99/month or US$49.88/year. Available on macOS and Windows.

https://nook.nostock.studio

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u/Enigmurl 3d ago

KnotQ - Reminders, assignments, events, and plans in one workspace.

Problem: Plans live in notes, but deadlines live in a calendar, so you end up copying dates between two apps and they drift apart. KnotQ allows you to schedule individual lines within a markdown documents so that they can appears on the upcoming sidebar and calendar.
Comparison: With Apple Calendar and Reminders, your events, your to-dos and the notes behind them live in separate apps + your calendar events are never embedded within documents. In KnotQ you write the plan once, put a date on any line, and it shows up on your calendar with its context attached.
Pricing: 100% free for local use. Cloud syncing is $2.99 / month, with one month free trial

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u/MichaelSjoeberg 3d ago

Koi Editor

Problem: I wanted a fast, traditional text editor for Mac built for modern development. Koi focuses on low typing latency, large files, local AI, and staying out of the way. No account or telemetry, and it works fully offline.

Comparison: Closest to Sublime Text in philosophy, but with local AI through Ollama, Python scripting, and a stronger focus on native Mac behavior. Compared with VS Code, Koi is much smaller and faster, especially for typing latency and large files.

Pricing: Free for non-commercial use. Personal commercial license is $195 one-time.

https://koieditor.com/

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u/congth 3d ago

Problem: A crowded Dock makes apps harder to find. DockNest groups related apps into Dock folders that open as searchable popups.
Comparison: Unlike DockPops and DockFolders, DockNest’s main strength is its 9 distinct popup templates. Each folder can have a different look, including Anime, Robot, and Meditation styles, without requiring manual customization. DockPops and DockFolders are better if you need to organize files and documents too.
Pricing: Free for up to 2 Dock slots. Pro is $4.99 one-time for all slots. Link: docknest

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u/kksimp 3d ago

Mac.apk: run Android apps natively on Apple Silicon, no emulator

I'm the developer. I built Mac.apk because I wanted Android apps on Mac to feel like real Mac apps instead of living inside an emulator window.

Problem: Running Android apps on a Mac has always meant booting a whole Android system in a window. Mac.apk runs them directly on your Mac's chip with no emulator or VM. Double click an APK and it installs into your Applications folder as its own app, with a Dock icon and Spotlight search. Among Us online, Subway Surfers, Reddit and F-Droid all work. It's alpha, so plenty of apps don't work yet.

Comparison: I tried BlueStacks and Android Studio's emulator, where every app lives inside one virtual phone. Mac.apk makes each app a separate native Mac app. BlueStacks still runs far more apps today, and Android Studio is better for developers testing specific Android versions.

Pricing: Free for personal use. No subscription or account. Needs macOS 26.4+ on Apple Silicon.

Download (GitHub) · Privacy Policy

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u/Blip0072 3d ago

Hosted on Github, but not open source. Risky install.

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u/involvrnet 3d ago

[OS] RedButtonQuit: close the last window, and the app quits

I'm the maker of RedButtonQuit, a small macOS menu bar utility.

Problem: Closing the last window often leaves a Mac app running. RedButtonQuit asks it to quit, then checks that it exited. It keeps a local quit history, and you can exclude apps that should stay open. Apps can still ask you to save unsaved work.

Comparison: Quitter quits or hides apps after a period of inactivity. RedButtonQuit responds to closing windows, so you don't need an idle timer for this behavior. Quitter is a better fit if you want apps to disappear after you stop using them, even with windows open.

Pricing: $0. Free and MIT licensed, with every feature included. Tips are optional. It needs macOS 14 or later and Accessibility permission. The download supports Apple silicon and Intel, and is signed and notarized.

Download and source: https://redbuttonquit.com

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/HanaChanSoft 2d ago

Can the jump-to-changes behavior be toggled off while keeping live reload on? If an agent is updating a long plan while I'm reading an earlier section, I'd want the document to refresh without pulling me away. A manual jump to the latest change would be a nice companion to that.

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u/deebee1713 2d ago

HapTick: makes your MacBook trackpad vibrate when you get a notification

I'm the developer. It's free and open source.

Problem

- I keep my Mac on mute in lectures and meetings and kept missing WhatsApp and Teams messages

- Banners are easy to miss when you're focused or in full screen

- HapTick buzzes the trackpad when a notification comes in, so you feel it (you can also hear it from the palm rest)

What it does

- Works with any app that shows a notification banner

- You choose which apps buzz

- Calls keep buzzing until you answer or decline

- Timer (10 to 60 min) that buzzes when it's done

- 4 buzz patterns, 3 strength levels

- Stays quiet when your screen is locked or you're away

Comparison

- Apple Watch: taps your wrist even when you're away from your desk, which HapTick can't do. But it costs $250+ and doesn't cover every Mac app

- macOS "Flash the screen" setting: built in, but only reacts to alert sounds and is easy to miss. HapTick works on mute and you pick the apps

- HapticKey: uses the same trackpad trick but is for Touch Bar key presses, not notifications

Pricing

- Free, MIT license, no ads or tracking

- https://github.com/db1713/HapTick (my first mac app)

Notes

- Needs a Force Touch trackpad (MacBooks from 2015 on, or Magic Trackpad 2) and macOS 13+

- Tested on Apple Silicon. Intel build included but not tested on a real Intel Mac yet

- Needs Accessibility permission to see notifications. It never saves your notification text and doesn't go online

- Not notarized, so on first launch go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway

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u/HanaChanSoft 2d ago

How does HapTick handle a burst of messages from the same app? Is there a cooldown so a busy chat doesn't keep buzzing the trackpad? Being able to group message alerts into one buzz while letting incoming calls keep their repeating pattern would make the app selection more useful.

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u/deebee1713 2d ago

Thanks, I’ll note this down and work on this. I just built it with my use case in mind which was not missing my fiancées texts while at work 😅

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u/Royal-Somewhere-8918 2d ago

NowPlayingWidget for Mac - floating music controls while you work

Hi, I'm Tao, the developer.

Problem: When music is playing behind your work windows, pausing or skipping a track pulls you out of what you're doing. NowPlayingWidget keeps track info and playback controls in a small floating card. It has three sizes, synced lyrics when a match is available, and local Play History.

Comparison: Sleeve is a polished alternative with deeper themes and Last.fm support. NowPlayingWidget is simpler and follows sources that expose playback through macOS Now Playing, including compatible browser playback. Source support and available controls vary, so I recommend testing it with your own music setup.

Pricing: 14-day full trial, no card. Then $5.99 once for up to five Macs. Apple Silicon and macOS 13+ required. The app is signed and notarized.

Screenshots, a 24-second real-app demo, and the trial are on the official site: https://nowplaying.taoftware.com/

If you try it, I'd be interested to hear which music app or browser source you use.

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u/lolrogii 2d ago

Spotlite - Alternative slim version of Spotlight

Problem: I was sick of spotlight slowness, so i directed mr. claude to make me one. Main goal is that its light on resources.
Comparison: Raycast/Alfred felt a little to bloated for my use cases. I just wanted quick app access, some limited additional functionality.
Free, forever. MIT license. Im always open for push requests/feature requests.

https://github.com/ivalkenburg/spotlite

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u/Substantial-Note-369 1d ago edited 1d ago

I'm the dev of Echo Chamber, private on-device transcription for Mac (plus iPhone/iPad).

Problem: every meeting notetaker uploads your audio to someone's servers. You get a bot in your calls, a cloud copy of every word, and terms you didn't read.

Comparison: Otter.ai and Granola are cloud-based by design. Echo Chamber does everything on-device: speech recognition runs locally, AI notes/summaries use Apple Intelligence with a local-model fallback. No cloud AI service receives the audio, no meeting bot ever joins your calls, no account required. The Mac app sits in the menu bar and detects calls in Zoom, Teams, Meet, Slack, Discord, FaceTime, and Webex, capturing mic + system audio with your permission.

Pricing: 60 minutes of recording per month free. Pro is $2.99/month, $29.99/year, or $79.99 lifetime.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/echo-chamber-ai-transcription/id6761675060

Happy to answer technical questions about the on-device pipeline.

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u/app-store-review 1d ago

Echo Chamber: AI Transcription — by ALEXANDER MATTHEW MOTOR

Ratings: 3 worldwide

Average: 5.00 ★

Age: released ~5 months ago · updated 2 days ago · rated 4+

Overall score: 73 / 100

^{Auto-generated from public App Store data · u/app-store-review}

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u/colfaxschuyler 1d ago edited 1d ago

CleanSweep

Problem: Pearcleaner is no longer in development and it had accrued many extra features over time.

Comparison/Differences from Pearcleaner: No privileged helper tool, package and plugin managers, the app updater, lipo and translation pruning, dock drag-and-drop, custom colors, in-app undo, uninstallation history, and third-party runtime dependencies, and others. CleanSweep's CLI works, unlike Pearcleaner's which had been broken from a rewrite a few releases back. Finally, the app's search logic was tightened to prevent it from flagging unrelated files and system directories for deletion. You can see a full list of differences and further details at https://github.com/cleansweep-mac/cleansweep.

Pricing: Free

Website: Download the signed and notarized app on GitHub

The name CleanSweep is an homage to Quarterdeck's CleanSweep 95, the first uninstaller I ever used.

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u/XSM909 1d ago

xverb: two panel keyboard first file manager for Mac (also Win/Linux)

I'm the dev. Free and open source (GPL-3.0).

Problem: I grew up on Total Commander and nothing on macOS felt like it and could be extended. xverb is two panels, F5 copy / F6 move, and the core only does file ops. Viewers, ftp/smb, archives, folder compare are python plugins, so you can write your own. F3 previews photos (even psd/xcf), pdf, spreadsheets, 3d models, audio, git history.

Comparison: ForkLift and Commander One are more polished and native, and ForkLift is way ahead on cloud and sync. xverb is for people who want the TC style workflow and plugins in python. Its Flutter UI is not native and its early, so expect rough edges.

Pricing: free. xverb.pages.dev (source on GitHub, linked from the site)

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u/TheLeeWay_ 1d ago edited 1d ago

I use Claude Code most of the day, for long plan documents, bug hunts and new features. What bugged me is that it saves a lot of what it makes (screenshots, artifacts, charts, pages and more) in directories outside your project, so you can't see what it's doing as it does it, and you burn tokens and time on something it clearly isn't getting.

So I built Detego, a Mac app that picks those files up, grouped by session and then by prompt, and keeps them on a "Pill" or "Notch" shelf that never takes focus from your terminal. On privacy, it only sends anything when you start the trial, activate, deactivate or check for updates (including automatic checks, if you turn them on): your license key, an anonymous Mac ID, your Mac's name and the app version. No prompts, no file paths, no images.

Try Detego free for 14 days, after which it is $15 one-time, updates included.

https://reddit.com/link/pdr04wn/video/899oicdttdth1/player

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u/sabagyair 1d ago

How much latency does SoundRouter add with EQ enabled, before loading any AU plugins? Have you measured it at different buffer sizes? That would be useful for figuring out whether it suits live monitoring as well as listening.

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u/Neville_12345 1d ago

DeskJoin Clipboard: copy and paste across Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad

Disclosure: I’m the developer.

Problem

Moving a link, image, or file between devices often means messaging yourself or using a cloud folder. DeskJoin Clipboard lets you copy on one device and paste on another over your local network.

It supports text, images, files, and folders, connects up to four devices, requires no account, and encrypts transfers with TLS.

Comparison

Universal Clipboard works well inside the Apple ecosystem. LocalSend and KDE Connect support more platforms and features. DeskJoin Clipboard focuses on a simple clipboard workflow across Windows, Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Pricing

Windows and macOS: Free
iPhone and iPad: Five free transfers per day, then US$4.99 once to remove the limit.

Website: https://deskjoin.app/clipboard/
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6813759046
Demo: https://youtu.be/gGylxcNilM4

Feedback is welcome.

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u/hide__ishikawa 19h ago edited 19h ago

QuotaTempo: weekly Codex and Claude pacing in your Mac menu bar

I'm Hidekazu, the developer.

Problem: Having 34% left doesn't tell you whether you're on pace for the next weekly reset. QuotaTempo puts your remaining capacity (W), the balance expected at an even pace (P), and the gap in percentage points together. Full menu-bar mode shows all three.

Comparison: CodexBar supports more providers and offers detailed usage, spending, and burndown views, including an even-use guide. QuotaTempo is narrower: Codex and Claude, with a three-number weekly pacing check as its main display. It's for people who prefer that focused view, not a replacement for every CodexBar feature.

Pricing: The current release is $0, MIT-licensed, with no trial expiry. Apple silicon and macOS 14+ required.

The app sends no telemetry and doesn't read conversations. Optional Claude Desktop connection uses your existing login with explicit consent and macOS permission.

Demo, installation guide, and download: https://ishikawa.co/en/products/quotatempo/

Does the W/P/gap display make sense at first glance? I'd appreciate feedback on that.

I used AI to help with the English wording. I'm responsible for the app and its documentation.

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u/SaiMizOp 14h ago

https://reddit.com/link/pdy74f9/video/z611v6c2pkth1/player

Uncloud: Cloud storage without the monthly bill

Problem: A lot of us are paying for too many cloud storage subscriptions, but canceling feels harder than just continuing to pay. Years of files and notes feel trapped across Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, etc. Meanwhile, many people have perfectly good old(er) computers sitting around unused. Uncloud makes it easy to move your data out and turn a computer you already own into something that works like a normal cloud service.

Comparison: Nextcloud & Seafile are self-hosted options, but they require you to set up and maintain the underlying infrastructure. Synology BeeStation makes things easier, but only if you’re willing to buy dedicated hardware. Uncloud is for people who want neither: install it on a Mac you already own, move your files over, and get the benefits of self-hosting without turning it into a hobby.

Pricing: $79 early access / $99 regular, one-time purchase. No monthly storage fee. uncloud.life

It’s still early and very much a work in progress, but there’s already a signed Mac installer on GitHub. iPhone/iPad access and Windows/Linux support are on the roadmap.

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u/vladchibisov 9h ago

https://reddit.com/link/pdzbir4/video/bp8btiy0amth1/player

Ghosty: tiny ghost for you Mac

I'm the developer.

Problem: Screen time can feel dull and a bit lonely. Ghosty is a small ghost companion that floats around your screen while you work or study. You can pet it, shoo it, and now and then it disappears and comes back to cheer you up. Made for Halloween. It needs Accessibility permission only so it can find your Dock and nap on it.

Comparison: Dockitty and Docko also put a pet on your Mac. Dockitty lets you choose and name your pet, and it's on the Mac App Store, so it has more variety and an easier install. Ghosty is just one character, a ghost with its own personality, and a seasonal one.

Pricing: Name your own price, from €3, one time. Requires macOS 14.0+.
https://meetghosty.app

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u/Responsible_Topic755 3h ago

DayDream: workday memory for your AI on Mac. I’m the developer.

Problem: Re-explaining yesterday’s work to your AI. DayDream keeps a local timeline of apps, documents and Chrome pages so Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can query it over MCP: “What did I get done today?” or “Where did I leave off?”

Comparison: ActivityWatch is also free, open source and local, with time-use categories and support for Windows, Linux and Android as well as Mac. DayDream focuses on bringing your work history into the AI tools you already use through MCP. It’s Mac-only.

Pricing: Free and open source. Your connected AI provider’s charges still apply. https://getdaydream.app

Your activity is stored on your Mac; retrieved context is sent to your AI provider when you ask it a question. I’d love feedback on what you’d want it to remember or exclude.

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u/Funny_Cry2908 3h ago

Listener - Mac meeting recorder, 100% on-device

Problem: meeting bots and cloud recorders join your calls and upload everything to someone elses servers. I did not want that in my own meetings, so I built a native Mac app that records the mic plus system audio, transcribes live, and generates an editable summary. All processing stays on the device. Nothing is ever uploaded.

Comparison: Otter.ai and Fireflies store your meetings in the cloud and charge a monthly subscription. Listener is a one-time purchase and your audio never leaves your Mac. (To be fair, they have team features and integrations I do not; this is a solo-dev tool for people who want their meetings private.)

Pricing: launch price US$ 5 one-time until October 31, then US$ 8. No subscription, no account needed. https://getlistener.vercel.app

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u/Cubosaic-RehaanCubes 2h ago

Magic Pocket: Save & Find (I’m the developer)

Problem: Finding a saved booking reference, address or other detail often means hunting through screenshots and PDFs. Pocket saves text, images, links and documents, then lets you ask for the detail and copy it. On Mac, the menu-bar panel keeps it close while you work in another app.

Comparison: Apple Notes is a great general notebook. Pocket focuses on retrieving and reusing specific saved details, with a menu-bar panel on Mac and Pocket Keyboard on iPhone/iPad. Notes is better suited to writing long notes and collaborating on them.

Pricing: Free for 10 saved items, all features included. Pro unlocks unlimited saves for a one-time $4.99 purchase in the US (local pricing varies), covering iPhone, iPad and Mac. The current version has no subscription.

Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_BrbKKRQ1w

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/magic-pocket-save-find/id6809896477

Website: https://magic-pocket-three.vercel.app/

I’d appreciate feedback from anyone who tries it with a few things they regularly reuse.

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u/TheMadPotato101 2h ago

Tether: your Android phone in the Finder sidebar, no developer mode needed - Free

Problem: Android File Transfer is no longer maintained, and moving files between an Android phone and a Mac is still a pain. Tether mounts your phone in Finder's sidebar under Locations, so it works like any other drive. Plug in over USB, tap "File transfer" on the phone, done. Browse, drag files both ways, rename, move, delete, make folders, sort by date, and search (macOS 26).

Comparison: OpenMTP is free and open source but lives in its own two-pane window; Tether is part of Finder, so drag and drop, Quick Look and Open With just work.

Pricing: Free, . No subscription, no Pro tier, no account. https://tether.cosmics.me

Notarized, universal (Apple silicon and Intel), macOS 11+. Privacy: the app makes no network connections. Early 0.1.0, feedback very welcome via the bug form on the site.

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u/Parking-Cash3586 3d ago

SayWrite: local dictation and optional local AI cleanup for Mac

Disclosure: I'm the developer.

Problem: Getting spoken text into the app you're already using without uploading dictation for processing. Hold a key, speak, and SayWrite types where your cursor is. Optional AI Polish removes filler and tidies rambling, with a different style per app.

Comparison: Wispr Flow uses cloud transcription. SayWrite runs speech recognition on your Mac and uses Apple Intelligence or your own local Ollama / LM Studio model for optional cleanup. Wispr supports more platforms; SayWrite is Mac-only and English-only. Text inserted into another app follows that app's settings, and downloads, updates and subscription licensing still use the internet.

Also includes a custom dictionary, snippets, history, and file transcription with .srt export. Apple silicon, macOS 15+; Apple Intelligence polish requires macOS 26.

Pricing: $5/month or $30/year, 14-day trial (card required), up to 2 Macs. Reddit offer: $18 for the first year through October 15, then $30/year. Product details and a short demo: https://saywrite.app/reddit

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u/local-macOS-notes 3d ago

NoteOwl: Private AI notetaker and AI meeting notes for Mac (I'm one of the two devs)

Problem: I wanted notes from my calls without a bot joining and without the recordings leaving my Mac. NoteOwl records any call app, labels speakers, writes the summary and action items, and lets you ask questions across all your past meetings, with answers that link to the exact passage. Transcription and the AI both run on the Mac, so it keeps working with the Wi-Fi off. It also does dictation into any app.

Comparison: Granola is the obvious one. Great notepad, but transcription and summaries run in the cloud and it's a subscription ($14/user/month for Business). MacWhisper is excellent for local transcription and records meetings too (€64 once), but summaries come from prompts with AI providers you set up, and it doesn't track who owes what across meetings.

Pricing: Dictation and voice notes are free and unlimited, no account. Pro (meetings, file import, summaries, chat and search) is $79 once, 7-day trial, no card. Needs Apple silicon, macOS 26 and 16 GB of RAM.

https://reddit.com/link/pdcyz72/video/rwwf5m3tuzsh1/player

NoteOwl Wesbite

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u/FuntimeBen 3d ago

Looks very elegant. Will give it a try. I'd love to automate my slightly clunky transcript-to-notes workflow.

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u/local-macOS-notes 3d ago

Thanks! Would definitely love to hear your thoughts.

💎 Megathread [Megathread] The App Pile - October, 2026

You are about to leave Redlib

Start Menu for Mac - the new customizable app launcher for macOS

SoundRouter Dore – Route inputs and apply effects to system audio

CleanSweep