Open source alternatives to popular paid Mac apps
By Arvind Kumar ·
Paid Mac apps are often worth their price. But for many everyday jobs there is an open source app that does much the same, costs nothing, and lets anyone read its code. Here are some, each matched with the kind of paid app it can stand in for.
These are different apps by different people, so features will not match one for one. Try the free one first; if it does what you need, you are done.
The apps
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1. IINA
The modern video player for macOS. A modern video player that opens almost any file.
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2. Stats
macOS system monitor in your menu bar. Instead of a paid system monitor such as iStat Menus.
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3. UTM
Virtual machines for iOS and macOS. Runs virtual machines, including Windows and Linux, instead of paid virtualisation software.
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4. Rectangle
Rectangle is a window manager heavily based on Spectacle, written in Swift. Instead of a paid window snapping tool such as Magnet.
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5. Ice
Powerful menu bar manager for macOS (upstream, temporarily inactive). Instead of a paid menu bar organiser such as Bartender.
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6. Maccy
Lightweight search-as-you-type clipboard manager. Instead of a paid clipboard manager such as Paste.
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7. AltTab
Brings the Windows Alt-Tab functionality to macOS. Windows-style Alt-Tab with window previews, instead of a paid window switcher.
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8. Pearcleaner
App Cleaner and Uninstaller Tool. Removes an app together with the files it leaves behind, instead of a paid uninstaller.
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9. NetNewsWire
Feed reader for macOS. A feed reader, instead of a paid RSS app.
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10. CotEditor
Lightweight Plain-Text Editor for macOS. A plain text and code editor that feels at home on the Mac.
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11. Keka
Keka is a full featured file archiver, as easy as it can be. Packs and unpacks archives in many formats.
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12. Latest
App update checker that notifies you of available updates for installed applications. Shows which of your installed apps have updates waiting.
Order is by GitHub stars among apps that install as a ready-made Mac app. Descriptions are the developers' own; versions and star counts are refreshed with the catalog.
If an open source app becomes part of your day, consider supporting its developer. Many accept donations, and some sell the same app on the Mac App Store as a way to pay for their time.
Install them in one click
OpenDMG is a free, open source app store for open source Mac apps. It downloads each app from its developer's own GitHub release, checks it, and keeps it up to date. No account is needed.