Featured free Utilities software
Afloat
Keep a selected window floating above the others, move or resize it from any edge, turn it into an overlay, pin it to the desktop — and more.
aLaunch
Application launcher operated from the menu bar features your choice of icon size, the ability to open files and folders, and categories that can be grouped between separators. Supports hot keys and folder hierarchies.
AppCleaner
Delete not only the app, but also all those pesky files that are associated with it.
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AppFresh
Stay up to date from one place with all your applications (third-party and Apple), widgets, preference panes and application plugins.
AppleJack
Troubleshoot a Mac even if you can’t load the GUI, or don’t have a startup CD handy. Repair your disk, repair permissions, validate the system’s preference files, and get rid of possibly corrupted cache files.
AppMenuBoy
Easy access to all your apps (and only apps — none of the associated files) from the dock.
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AppTrap
When you move an app to the trash, you get a notice listing its associated files and asking whether you want to delete them as well. It could be the most efficient way of all to delete programs.
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atMonitor
Display system activity in real-time. In addition to CPU, GPU, VRAM, FPS, disk and network info, atMonitor allows interaction with processes, setting up triggers, logging, purging RAM and more. Three views: menu bar, floating window and top window. Four different themes.
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Backuplist
Wrapper application for the powerful Unix rsync tool processes your choice of files to be backed up as copies to your hard drive or to an external storage device. It offers many important options for advanced users.
Black Hole
Clear sensitive information from your Mac with a single click. Black Hole automatically quits applications, removes recent items from menus, empties the trash, deletes logs, clears the clipboard and more.
Caffeine
Set your Mac to stay awake when it’s inconvenient to have it fall asleep, for example if you’re watching a movie or you want to keep AirPort running.
Capster
Nifty app alerts you when Caps Lock is pressed with a Growl notification. An optional menu bar item also shows the status of Caps Lock. Handy for people find themselves typing in all caps by mistake.
Carbon Copy Cloner
Carbon Copy Cloner not only creates a backup of your hard drive, but it’s also bootable.
Chuck
If QuickSilver seems like overkill for your needs, you might want to give Chuck a try. This fast and light app launcher allows you to create aliases so that typing just a couple of letters will take you straight to the app you want. And if that doesn’t work, you can exclude the ones that are getting in the way.
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ClamXav
Virus? What’s that? It’s only a matter of time before OS X is hit by a truly virulent virus, and ClamXav should be able to help you detect it.
CleanGenius
Check your caches, logs, trash and downloads for files that don’t need to be there. Decide whether you want to delete them to free up space on your hard drive. Built-in utilities uninstall apps and check on how much space you have. Nice interface if you find Onyx intimidating. “Pro” version also available, but free version provides plenty of functionality.
ClipMorpher
Copy, transform, paste. Menu bar app keeps track of the text you’re copying and can morph it into lowercase or uppercase, remove line breaks or multiple spaces, and extract URLs or addresses. Add your own “morphlings” in the preferences using the handy link to RegExLib.com. All in all, a clever way to get tedious tasks done automatically.
CLIX
If you get the jitters when using Terminal, then CLIX may be for you. It has all those bizarre Unix commands built in, so all you have to do is find the right one and click it. And you just might learn a few along the way.
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Coconut Battery
Keep track of all the details of what’s happening with the battery in your portable mac as it happens.
CornerClick
Take hot corners to the next level with the ability to open files, hide applications, open URLs, run AppleScripts and do the usual exposé actions.
DasBoot
Turn your iPod into a recovery and diagnostic tool.
Desktoday
Clean up your desktop clutter day by day with this ingenious app. Desktoday puts each day’s detritus into a folder with the day’s date.
Document Palette
Create new documents directly in open folders. With a folder active in Finder, press Control+Option+Command+N to make the palette appear, then select the document type you wish to create.
DropCopy
Easily share files between Macs in a local network. Drag the file over the icon, watch a list of networked Macs appear, then drop the file on the one you want to share with.
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EasyFind
Find folders, files and contents without the hassle of indexing. EasyFind is sort of like Spotlight for those who haven’t upgraded to Tiger.
EverSave
Tool allows you to save all of your documents — if possible — in a specific time interval or by changing the frontmost application. Accessible from the menubar, with lots of options for applications and documents.
FastScripts Lite
Get instant access to your scripts by keyboard shortcut or menubar. Go beyond the AppleScript menu with many usability improvements and a refined interface.
ForeverSave Lite
For those programs without an autosave feature, ForeverSave comes to the rescue. Features include Save All, hotkeys and an application assistant that defines how, when and what to save.
Free Memory
Menu bar item lets you know how much memory you have free at any given time. Click on it to get details on used, total, wired and inactive memory. A utility like this is handy if you’re worried that certain apps are pushing your Mac to its performance limitations.
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FreeDMG
Quickly create disk images using drag and drop.
FunctionFlip
Individually controls your MacBook or MacBook Pro’s function keys, turning special keys back to regular F-keys, or vice-versa. FunctionFlip is a preference pane found in the “Other” category in System Preferences.
GeekTool
Create custom desktops with time, date, calendar, the weather, to-do lists, system monitors and more. The catch is that you really do have to be a geek to be able to use GeekTool. Luckily there are plenty of examples and tutorials.
Grand Perspective
Scan your folders to get a colourful view of what is inside them. Then hover with your cursor to see what files are represented. It’s a great way to see what’s taking up all the space. Disk Inventory X does much the same thing.
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Also try: Disk Inventory X
HideSwitch
A super simple way to show and hide system files. Just use the toggle on a semi-transparent bezel.
HotBox
Preference Pane allows you to sweep any portion of your screen and have it blow up to fill the screen. Both fun and practical.
iBackup
Yet another backup app getting good reviews is called, in the tradition of the many iApps, iBackup. It gets especially high marks in the ease-of-use department.
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IceClean
Maintenance and optimization tool uses only UNIX built-in system tasks to help your Mac stay running smoothly. Tasks include: running routine scripts, updating prebindings, verifying preference files, repairing permissions, clearing caches, and more.
Isolator
Menu bar item helps you concentrate by covering up your desktop and all the icons on it, as well as the windows of all your other applications. Options include: hiding the dock, customizing the background, and setting the shortcut key. It’s sort of like sweeping your mess under the rug. For actual cleanup, consider a bulldozer. (Donation requested.)
iStat Menus
Keep tabs on what’s going on under the hood with stats in the menu bar for CPU, memory, disks, monitor, temperature, fans and power, and Bluetooth. Plus, customize the date and time to your heart’s content.
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Also try: MenuMeters
iTerm2
Imagine Terminal with a slick interface — including split panes, autocomplete, instant replay and Growl support — and you’ve got iTerm2. It is a successor to iTerm.
iZip
Wizard takes you step by step through the archiving process, including naming, option for extra compression, password protection, level of encryption, and ability to store and share online at files.com.
Lab Tick
Gain control over the backlit light on your PowerBook or MacBook Pro.
Launchpad-Control
Launchpad is a nifty new feature in Lion that displays all your apps in much the same way as Springboard does on an iPad. But if you’ve got a gazillion apps, it can be a pain to wade through them all. Launchpad-Control gets around this by offering a list of all your programs and allowing you check off which are shown and which are not. If you’re not keen on Launchpad, you might find it useful if you pare it down to only the apps you use most frequently.
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Lion Tweaks
There’s a lot to like about Lion, but not everything has captured our hearts. Modify it to your satisfaction with the 21 tweaks available in Lion Tweaks. The four the tempt me most: Show the Library folder, remove Reading List icon in Safari, change iCal and Address Book leather to aluminum, and enable repeating keys. (Donation requested.)
MacJanitor
There’s maintenance stuff your Unix-based computer does every night, but if you’re like me and turn it off at night, that won’t happen. So get MacJanitor to do it instead, and keep that Mac purring.
MagiCal
Get scads of options for customizing the format and look of the date and time in your menu bar, plus a bonus dropdown calendar that you can flip through.
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Also try: Day-O
MemoryStick
See if you are running low on RAM with a display of your Mac’s memory allocation.
MenuMeters
Keep track of what’s going on in your Mac with MenuMeters — a set of of monitors for CPU system load, disk activity, memory and network throughput. The cool thing is that they all sit on your menu bar.
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Monolingual
Claim valuable space on your hard drive by eliminating localization files for languages you never use.
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MultiXFinder
Switch applications from the menubar much like they did in the OS 9 days. Lets you see background processes and assign shortcuts to the first nine entries in the menu. Several other options, settings and rules available.
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Also try: aLunch
NetSpot
Map out your wireless network and set up hotspots to ensure you’re getting good coverage. Walk around your building with a MacBook to set up points on a map, then let the app test the wifi strength in each spot.
Onyx
Verifies the startup disk and the structure of its system files, runs system maintenance, configures some hidden parameters , deletes caches, removes unneeded files and folders, and more.
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Permanent Eraser
When you empty the trash on your Mac, you’re simply telling the system to forget about those files. You could go a step further by Command-clicking on the Trash and using Secure Empty, which overwrites the data seven times. If that’s still not good enough, Permanent Eraser will overwrite your data 35 times, scramble the original file name, and truncate the file size to nothing.
Pester
Set a time you have to do something and Pester will remind you by bouncing in the dock, playing a system alert, speaking a message (that you create), and displaying a message and the time. Actually, you have a choice — it will do some or all of those things.
Preferential Treatment
Check your preference files for corruption, then give ‘em the treatment if you so desire.
PsyncX
PsyncX allows you to make a backup of either one part of your hard drive or the entire hard drive to another computer. In addition, it allows users to schedule backups.
Purity
Go through caches, logs, browsers, downloads, chats and games — check off the cruft you don’t want — then click to move it into the trash. A great way to clean up your Mac. Ignore the Buy button. Purity is now freeware.
RCDefault
Preference pane allows you to set default applications for the Internet, URLs, extensions, MIME types and file types.
Reggy
Quickly visualize what a given regular expression will match given a test string. Also points out errors in your regular expression.
Rename
Interface allows you to rename files in a variety of ways, including the ability to apply several changes at the same time. A preview of the changes is included.
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Also try: RenameItems Service
SaveCircle
Autosave your work at time intervals you select. Choose to save the frontmost app or any other that is running.
Savescreenie
Utility boosts your Mac’s screen-capture capabilities by giving you a choice of 10 image formats, allowing you to pick where screenshots are saved, and letting you decide on how to prepend the file name.
Scheduler
Schedule the automatic launching of applications, Applescript applets, documents, websites and file downloads at startup time or at a given time and date. There are many other scheduling options.
Semulov
List all mounted volumes in your menubar, categorized by type. Clicking on a volume menu will unmount/eject that volume. Supports Growl unmount and mount notifications.
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Service Scrubber
If you’re overwhelmed by the number of services you find in your service menu, use this handy utility to scrub out the ones you don’t want. With services at a manageable level, you might actually use them.
SilverKeeper
An intuitive and easy way to do backups that’s been around for a long time. Apple’s built-in Time Machine is probably easier.
SMARTReporter
Warns you of some ATA hard disk failures before they happen by periodically polling the S.M.A.R.T.-status of your hard disk.
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Spirited Away
If an app hasn’t been used for a certain amount of time (up to 300 seconds — you decide), Spirited Away will hide it. It’s a great way to keep your workspace from becoming cluttered. You can tell it to exclude certain apps and get it to co-operate with iChat.
SuperDuper
If you’re confused about which backup utility to use, it’s understandable — there are many to choose from, and each is good in its own way. Recently, though, SuperDuper has risen head and shoulders above the others as the best of the best. The freeware version allows you backup and clone your drive. For extra features, you have to pay.
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Tags
Sort your files with tagged categories of your own making. Just duplicate the mother tag, drag files onto it and they will all share that category. Open the tag to find files that belong to it. Works great in Tiger. Your mileage may vary with Panther.
Teleport
Enables multiple Macs to share a single keyboard and mouse over a network. TidBITS review
The Unarchiver
Decompress several different compression formats, including some of the obscure ones that OS X can’t handle. Interface fits in nicely with the Finder.
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Also try: TinyExpander
TinkerTool
Not satisfied with the system preferences Apple gives you access to on your mac? TinkerTool lets you get at that hidden stuff too numerous to mention. If you’re the type who can’t leave well enough alone, then tinker away.
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TorchFS
Display your Mac’s folder structure filtered by search criteria to help manage large numbers of files. Smart folders display a hierarchical view. Torch uses Spotlight and MacFUSE behind the scenes.
Trash It!
For those extra pesky files that refuse to be trashed, there’s Trash It! These include files or folders with permissions set incorrectly or locked Trash items. This AppleScript-based app also allows you to securely delete a stuck item or trash items from other partitions.
UnRarX
Expand .rar archives and restore corrupted or missing archives using par2.
Volumizer
Get volumes or disks to show up, more conveniently, in the dock or the menu bar instead of on the desktop.
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Whatkey
A bezel for ⌥, ⌘, ⇧ or ⌃ shows up when you press the right key. It’s a little extra help for when you’re trying to figure out keyboard shortcuts.
Xmenu
Add one or more menus to the menu bar for accessing files and data. Pre-set menus include Applications, Developer, Home, Documents and Snippets. Or define your own. (Not a system hack.)
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