The apps I actually use on my Mac every day

People ask what I run on my Mac. This is the real list, the apps I open on a normal day, not a wish list. A few of them are not Mac-only, Descript and Notion and others run elsewhere too, but this is what is installed and in use on my machine right now. If you just switched and you are wondering what to put on a fresh Mac, start here.

Coding and development

• VS Code: My main code editor. Free, fast, and endlessly extensible.
• Claude Code: Anthropic's agentic coding tool. I hand it real tasks from the terminal and it writes, edits, and runs code.
• Codex: OpenAI's coding agent. I run it alongside Claude Code for hands-off work.
• GitHub: Where all my code lives, and the home for my open-source projects.
• Docker: Runs my projects in clean, reproducible containers, so "works on my machine" actually means something.

Writing, notes, and thinking

• Notion: One of the most potent apps around. It does almost anything: notes, tasks, project management, even digital products.
• Obsidian: Notes stored as plain text files on your own computer. A strong, privacy-minded vision, and your notes stay yours even if the app ever goes away.
• Workflowy: A lightweight outliner I love. Like Roam without the connections, with an ultra-fast search.
• MindNode: Mind mapping for when I need to think something through visually before I write it down.
• Grammarly: Catches my typos and tightens my writing before anything goes out.

Design and whiteboards

• Figma: Design and UI work, and the easiest way to collaborate on visuals in real time.
• Canva: Quick graphics, thumbnails, and social images without opening a heavier tool.
• TLDraw: A dead-simple infinite whiteboard for sketching ideas fast.
• Miro: The bigger whiteboard, for mapping systems and planning with other people.

AI tools

• Wispr Flow: Voice dictation that keeps up. I talk, it types, in any app.
• ElevenLabs: AI voices for narration and audio. Strikingly natural text to speech.
• Fathom: Joins my calls, records them, and writes the notes and summary so I can pay attention instead of typing.
• Gamma: Turns an outline into a clean presentation in minutes. My go-to for decks.

Video and screen recording

• Descript: Edit video and audio by editing the transcript. It strips out filler words and makes recording far less painful.
• CapCut: Fast video editing, especially for short-form clips.
• Snagit: Screenshots and screen recordings with quick annotation. Better than the built-in tools for clean how-to shots.
• Teleprompter.app: Scrolls my script while I record, so I can look at the camera and still hit every point.
• Elgato Stream Deck: A grid of physical buttons I map to shortcuts, scenes, and actions I run all day.
• VLC: Plays any video or audio file you throw at it. Nothing else needed.

Communication and meetings

• Slack: Team chat and the hub for most of my work conversations.
• Telegram: Fast, lightweight messaging.
• Discord: Communities and group chat, especially around building and creators.
• WhatsApp: Everyday messaging with family, friends, and some work contacts.
• Zoom: Video calls and client meetings.
• Google Meet: The other video call tool, one click from a calendar invite.

Tasks, scheduling, and projects

• OmniFocus: Serious task management on the GTD model. Where everything I need to do gets captured.
• Basecamp: Calmer project management for keeping work organized without the noise.
• Calendly: Finding a meeting time without the back-and-forth emails.

Files and utilities

• Apple iCloud: Keeps my files, photos, and settings in sync across all my Apple devices.
• Google Drive: Shared documents and the files I work on with other people.
• Google Chrome: My main browser.
• DaisyDisk: Shows what is eating your disk space as a clear visual map, so you can clear it fast.
• Windscribe: VPN for privacy and getting around region limits.
• 1Password: Stores every password and passkey, so I never reuse or forget one.
• Splashtop Business: Remote into my other machines from anywhere, at full speed.
• Apple Home: Controls the smart devices around my house from the Mac and phone.

Reading and daily habits

• Kindle: Reading books on any device, synced to wherever I left off.
• Audible: Audiobooks for commutes and walks.
• Five Minute Journal: A two-minute daily journaling habit, morning and night.
• Flow: A simple Pomodoro timer. The free version is plenty, and the paid one is only $12.