Best Productivity Apps for Mac Users

Best Productivity apps for Mac

Here's our list of best productivity apps for Mac users, the applications in this list help boost productivity in different areas such as email, team meetings, design and notes.

Best Mac Productivity Apps: Summary

We have chosen these Mac productivity apps since they are best optimised for those who use the Apple Mac and are looking for more ways to enhance their productivity.

  • Raycast - Keyboard shortcuts for speeding up processes.
  • Things 3 - Minimal to-do list application.
  • Apple Freeform - For brainstorming and expressing creativity.
  • Endel - AI-powered focus and sleep application.
  • Loom - Asynchronous video chat app for teams.
  • 1Password - For added password security.
  • MagicFlow - AI-powered time tracking app for focus.
  • Fantastical - Calendar designed for Mac that's fast and easy to use.
  • Superhuman - Superfast email application with AI and speed.
  • Craft Docs - For creating and sharing informative documents.
  • SetApp - Effective way to use and test a bunch of apps.

All of the above apps are not listed in any particular order, you may find some of these apps more useful than others depending on what your needs are.


Right let's get into it, heres more detail into our list of Mac productivity apps to boost multiple areas of productivity for individuals and teams.

Raycast - Spotify Demo, Image

Basics of Raycast

Raycast is an extendable launched for Mac that allows you to complete tasks quickly. If you are inside one app, you can press a few keys and bring up another application right away.

You can add a huge range of tools, apps and extensions to Raycast to help boost your productivity. You can use keyboard shortcuts to bring them up without wasting time.

Use AI to help create new apps to use all inside of Raycast, simply ask the question and codes will begin showing on the screen. You can also create custom themes and sync your Mac.

How Raycast Works Best For Mac

Raycast is perfect for keyboard Mac users to get things done faster.

  • Uses Apple Mac keys, and you can create your own shortcuts too.
  • Has an Apple Centric feel, kind of like Spotlight.
  • Launch other Mac apps straight from Raycast.

Overall, Raycast is just an app for macOS so of course it is going to work great on Mac for boosting user productivity.

Best Productivity App For Mac To-Do Lists

Things 3, iPad with Apple Watch showing completed tasks and today view

Basics of Things 3

Things 3 is a to-do list and notes application to help you plan your day and keep track of the things you want to get done and create a simple productive routine inside one place.

See your calendar events and things to do next to each other to make sure your day is organised and you don't forget a thing. Things 3 now also used Dark Mode to save your eyes.

Overall, Things 3 is a very simple macOS and iOS application for managing your calendar events, projects, to-dos and notes all in one streamlined easy-to-use application.

Why Things 3 Works Best on Mac

Things 3 is best used on Mac because it's super smooth and easy to manage.

  • CulturedCode has developed it super fast and works so smoothly.
  • Tailored to Mac with integrations such as Quick Entry to add in info from other apps.
  • You can use shortcuts to automate your workflow.
  • Open multiple windows and have Things 3 always there.

Things 3 is just a good Apple feel to-do list app to have open on your Mac to help get things done all in one place.

Best Creative Mac App For Brainstorming Ideas

Apple Freeform, Freeform, Apple App, Miro Alternative, App

Basics of Apple Freeform

Apple Freeform is a creative whiteboard application for individuals or teams to use to work on projects, brainstorm, make notes or just express some creativity.

You can add sticky notes, shapes, lines, links, photos and more to create a mindmap of your project notes or creative outlet. With Apple Freeform you can share your whiteboard with others, collaborate in real-time, or keep it for yourself.

Why is Apple Freeform Best For Mac?

Apple Freeform works well on iPad, iPhone and Mac for expressing creativity and brainstorming ideas, here's why it's good on Mac.

  • In macOS 13.1 and above, you can get Freeform on Mac and it looks and works great for capturing ideas.
  • You can open Freeform on your Mac to add any detail, you can draw using the pen on other devices.
  • Smooth and easy to use on Mac, it doesn't take too long to figure it all out.

Apple Freeform on Mac overall allows you to collaborate with your team, brainstorm and share ideas, you can also do this whilst on Facetime.

Best Focus App For Mac To Boost Productivity

Productive Sound, App Screenshots of Endel

The Basics of Endel

Endel is a focus application that uses soundscapes backed by neuroscience that helps you focus and sleep better. It's a really smooth and easy-to-use application for the Mac.

You can also use Endel throughout the day to create an ever-changing soundscape based on your activity to help boost productivity and focus using their patented technology. Constant use of Endel is said to overtime boost your productivity and focus and help reduce stress.

What Makes Endel Best For Mac?

Endel is great for Mac users to open their soundscapes whilst working.

  • Building a soundscape for your work whilst focusing on your desktop, no need for a phone.
  • Works better if you have Apple Watch.
  • Helps you relax if you begin feeling overwhelmed with work.

Endel is overall just a great app to have open on your Mac whilst working to help increase and improve focus.

Best Async Video Message App For Mac

Best For

Reducing Meetings

Availability

Web
iOS
Android
Windows
Mac
Chrome Extension

Pricing

$
$
Managing Video Links on All Devices

Basics of Loom

With Loom you can record videos of yourself, or of your screen to share with your team or others to asynchronously share information. This means you don't have to arrange meetings or chat in real-time, but can still share ideas and thoughts when the time is best.

Loom allows you to screen record any time, especially with their browser extension allowing you to quickly send over a video message to someone else.

Why Is Loom Best Used On Mac?

Loom is great for Mac users to boost communication productivity.

  • Great for conveying things without the need to do a video call.
  • Use the browser extension to quickly record videos.
  • Move Loom on the go by using other iOS devices.

Loom works well on the Mac so whilst you are working you can quickly create a video to explain something on the web to your team in your own time.

Best Password Security App For Mac

Best For

Password Security

Availability

Mac
Linux
Android
Windows
iOS
Web
Chrome Extension

Pricing

$
$

Type of Tool

1Password secure password application with security information.

What is 1Password?

1Password is a secure application for users to store and manage their passwords in one place. You can create vaults to share spaces with your family and friends to ensure everyone's details and information are kept private and secure.

With 1Password you can autofill in sign-in options, keep track of any potential breaches, and use the browser extension to quickly access all your passwords on your Mac.

How 1Password Works Best on Mac

1Password is a useful app to have on your Mac whilst you are working, or just browsing your computer.

  • A speedy way to get passwords with TouchID using your Mac.
  • Use the browser extension to quickly access all passwords.
  • Just a good secure app to have to manage passwords and protect privacy.

1Password works great on the Mac as it's easy to use and has a simple interface to get along with.

Time Tracking And Focus App Best on Mac

MagicFlow productivity tracker ai productivity tools.

The Basics of MagicFlow

MagicFlow is a great Mac productivity app for measuring focus. It tracks what you are doing on your Mac and how to improve your focus time. It uses AI to track your productivity and overtime helping you create a better habit of focus and overall reduce distraction.

MagicFlow monitors things like how long you spent in deep focus, how many times you switched between apps and how long your productivity sessions were during the day.

Why is MagicFlow Good on Mac?

MagicFlow is great to have open on your Apple Mac to help you increase productivity.

  • Tracks you and provides a score by eyeballing what apps you use on Mac.
  • Use the score given to reduce the time not in focus, and manage productivity better.
  • Start a focus session on your Mac to begin tracking productivity.

Receive insights from MagicFlow to understand the way you work, MagicFlow also tells you when you have gone off track so you can bounce back.

Fantastical 3 screen, week view, with weather and upcoming events

What is Fantastical?

Fantastical is a calendar Mac productivity app, it feels very smooth and simple to use with its beautiful UI, anyone can get along with a calendar app like Fantastical.

With Fantastical you can drag and drop events, and use colours to organise your day, week, month, year and so on. Add multiple calendars and switch between them to manage personal events and work events.

How is Fantastical Best Used on Mac?

Fantastical was built for use on the Mac, so it makes sense that it works smoothly.

  • Designed for the Mac so it already feels familiar to Apple users.
  • It provides a quick way to organise and manage your calendar.
  • Great for whilst you are working to see different timezones and switch calendars.

Overall, Fantastical is a great calendar app to use on your Mac since it was best designed for Apple users.

Best Super Fast Email App On Mac

Email Snippets, Superhuman Clips, Clipboard

Basics of Superhuman

Superhuman is a super fast AI email application perfect for those using Outlook and Gmail to enhance their email performance and organisation.

You can use Superhuman AI to write emails for you, it makes sure the email sounds like you after learning the way you type and compose yourself.

Finally, Superhuman also uses automation such as triage to help organise and manage your mailbox faster, meaning you waste less time managing emails and more time working.

How Superhuman is Best Used For Mac

Superhuman is a really good app for use on Mac thanks to its streamlined interface and superfast use.

  • Speedy, powerful email that uses a command bar to get emails done faster.
  • Use automated phrases to quickly compose emails.
  • Collaborate with your team, to see when emails have been read and when someone is replying.

Overall, Superhuman is a great Mac productivity app for speeding up email processes.

Craft app team sharing and craft team collaboration.

The Basics of Craft

Craft is a fun place to create documents to share with your team to keep everyone in the loop with information, updates, instructions and whatever else you need to share.

You can use the Craft AI assistant to help write and structure your documents quickly and in a way that others will enjoy reading and understand. Just start typing and suggestions will appear.

Add elements like pages, blocks, markdowns and more inside a document, making it more interactive, fun and visually pleasing for you and your team to access.

How Is Craft Best Used on Mac?

Craft is great for Mac users to have open whilst working to create and share their documents and workspaces.

  • Works great for building personal documents too.
  • Fun and easy-to-use application with Apple-centric feel.
  • A better way to create documents than just using Word and blank text.

Overall, Craft Docs are great to create and share with your team or to create personal documents to keep for yourself.

Other Apps Best Used on Mac For Productivity

Here are some other apps we don't currently have here on Tool Finder but are best used on Mac to boost user productivity.

SetApp

SetApp is best used on Mac for testing and downloading a bunch of apps for half the price. With SetApp you can install different productivity apps to try and potentially keep without having to pay the original big price.

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