A curated selection of 469 free Mac apps — no trials, no ads, no betas, no limitations

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Scrimpy the thriftmac worm

Scrimpy’s Latest

Updated as we find apps we like or stuff we want to talk about.

Clipboard Router

Search captured clips and queue items for ordered pasting. Save clips that matter and attach notes to them. Supports automation with reviewed steps. Clips can be limited to a session for privacy.

Pelmet

If you’re having trouble finding a menu bar manager that works well with macOS 27, this might be the one. Order icons where you want them, and decide which are hidden. Show them instantly, smoothly, or with a fade. Apps can be opened with a click. Includes several built-in items such as media controls, focus, a timer, and more.

Compositor

Could this be the free and open source version of Photoshop you’ve been waiting for? An alternative to GIMP? It comes close with a workflow based around compositing and post-processing. Features include layers, folders, layer masks, clipping masks, blend modes, selection tools, adjustment layers, and much more. No text tools, though.

OpenClip

Use this context aware alternative to PopClip to highlight any text and copy, transform or run custom scripts. Inline spell check, AI writing tools and math calculations. Bring up a command palette, use in-app extensions.

Skein Notes

Create plain Markdown files in a folder you choose. Use an infinite board for cards, notes from your vault, pictures, links and groups, joined by labelled arrows. Save in the same open format as Obsidian. A card can be a rectangle, a pill, an ellipse, a diamond or a cylinder.

Aug 20, 2026

Free Mac apps are easier to find but harder to choose

The process of choosing apps for Thriftmac has changed a lot over the past 20 years. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse.

Abendrot

An app that aims to do better than the built-in Night Shift by warming your screen so that your body clock is convinced that it is night time, which is good for your circadian rhythm and sleep health. Can be customized if you have multiple screens.

FluidVoice

Polish your messy speech into text ready for any app. Runs locally and exposes nothing. System-wide input uses one shortcut for any text field. Prompts can be customized for each app.

YTAudioBar

Play music, podcasts, lectures and interviews from YouTube from the convenience of your menu bar, all ad free. Build playlists, go offline, create a queue.

Helium

Minimal interface has four customizable layouts. Blocks ads, trackers, cookie banners, third-party cookies and tampers with finger-printing — all by default. Thousands of search !bangs to choose from. Light and efficient, based on de-Googled Chromium.

Notcho Libre

Go notch free. If the app detects you are using a resolution where the notch cuts into your work space, it shifts the display mode so that it matches a resolution where the notch no longer shows.

Jul 25, 2026

Before thriftmac, there was a simple little site called free for X

Does anyone remember the predecessor to thriftmac? It was called free for X. I barely remember and I’m the one who built it.

Iconchanger

Change the icon for any Mac app. Browse from macosicons.com, use your own .icns files or drop in a .png. Change your mind with one click. My VS Code icon is now dark, the way it should always have been.