Bitwarden Password manager
I use 1Password instead of this because it's a lot nicer and easier to use, but this is the next best thing as a free alternative
HazeOver: Distraction Dimmer
Dim all windows except for the one you're using. Has good settings for making exceptions & adjusting brightness
Eagle - Organize all your reference images in one place
I use this to organize/tag all my visual inspo + I also use it as a font organizer/manager.
Cardhop
Save & edit contacts really quickly using natural language so you don't have to tap a million things just to edit a few fields
Soulver 3 - Notepad Calculator App for Mac & iPad
Super intuitive & clean notepad that lets you write in natural language to figure out math stuff
Obsidian - Sharpen your thinking
Kinda big learning curve but worth it imo. You can link notes together and basically create your own personal Wikipedia/digital brain. I also use this as my journal. And all the notes are future-proof cause they're stored as plain text files. There's a very large extensions/plugins community too
Things
I use this as my main to-do app. It's really well designed
AppCleaner
On Mac when you drag apps to the trash, there's usually leftover system files that never go away. So drag apps here instead for a cleaner uninstall
ImageOptim — better Save for Web
reduce image sizes without reducing quality
Raindrop.io — All in One Bookmark Manager
If you read articles what are u doing if ur not saving highlights. This makes it really easy on any device. You can also add notes, share collections, access from anywhere so it's the most flexible & capable bookmarks manager / highlights-saver I've found.
Arc from The Browser Company
the best web browser w a new/clever/opinionated approach to tab management & pinned tabs that just makes sense. Also has a million other good ideas ranging from helpful & smart to fun & delightful, and it works with all Chrome extensions.
Tot
convenient dumping ground for text that you're not sure where to put at the moment. I usually use this if I need to write something down quickly and then move it somewhere else later. It's free on macOS
Pixelmator Pro
Faster & easier to use than Photoshop for most tasks, and is a one-time purchase
Apps — Sindre Sorhus
Lots of free, simple, well-designed, and useful mac apps by this developer
Dato
Quick access to mini calendar and upcoming events in your menu bar + Lots of customization settings
One Thing
Put a single task or goal in your menu bar, or any text or link
Pandan
Passive time tracker that sits in the menu bar. You can see how long you've been in a 'session' at your computer without needing to manually start/stop sessions. It's a good mindfulness tool for working
Raycast
Spotlight replacement for macOS with a huge extension library making this essentially a software Swiss Army Knife that can integrate with your other apps. There's also a paid option to add quick-access to chatGPT.
1Password
Best password manager and storage for other important numbers/records. They also have good enterprise features for company use