In the fall of 2019, I came to a decision. It was time to leave modern macOS behind.
A decade prior, switching to OS X had been a revelatory experience, as though the software was working in perfect sync with my mind. That feeling had long since disappeared. Each update seemed to chip away at something I liked about the platform. I needed to switch to a different operating system.
I surveyed the computing landscape. Windows was still fine, and Linux was still Linux. A normal person would have just picked one—but I was apparently not a normal person. I cared far too much about having the perfect computer, and I just couldn't get that wonderful memory out of my head...
Want to follow in my footsteps? It does take some work, but the results can be wonderful. If you're ready, here's how to do it.
MacDirStat scans any folder and turns your filesystem into an interactive sunburst chart — every ring is a depth level, every arc is a file or folder, sized by disk usage. Hover to inspect. Click to drill in. Right-click to delete.
Vorssaint is the one menu bar app that does the work of a whole shelf of paid Mac tools. Per app volume, a full system monitor, window controls, clipboard history, a window switcher, a file shelf, an app uninstaller, link cleaning, keep awake and a handful more, all living behind a single icon up in your menu bar. Install it once and stop paying for and juggling a pile of single purpose apps. It is local-first and stays out of your way: core features run on your Mac, with network used only for update checks, speed tests and Homebrew actions you start. Free, open source, no account, no subscription and no Vorssaint telemetry.
A different theme color for every app.
NetFluss ist die minimale, ressourcenschonende Open-Source-Menüleisten-App für macOS. Überwachen Sie Upload- und Download-Raten in Echtzeit, analysieren Sie Bandbreitenfresser und steuern Sie Ihr DNS-Routing direkt aus der Menüleiste.
Browse what you have installed. Search the full catalog. Install, uninstall, upgrade with live output. Snapshot your setup to a Brewfile and restore it on a new Mac. Shipped as a cross-platform Tauri app and a fully native Swift / SwiftUI app.
The Hazel alternative for macOS. Watch folders, match files with clear rules, and move, rename, tag, or label them automatically on your Mac.
The screenshot tool
Apple forgot to make.
Annotate, blur, beautify, record, scroll capture, OCR, upload.
Premium features, no price tag. Free and open source forever.
Thaw is a powerful menu bar management tool for macOS 26. While its primary function is hiding and showing menu bar items, it aims to cover a wide variety of additional features to make it one of the most versatile menu bar tools available.
The archive manager for macOS.
Browse archives like folders. Preview files without extracting. Drag out only the ones you need.
Give every app
its own Alt-Tab.
A minimal window manager for macOS.
The free AI already on your Mac. CLI tool, OpenAI-compatible server, and interactive chat — all on-device via Apple Intelligence. No API keys, no cloud, no downloads.
Free, open-source macOS app manager and system cleaner.
Uninstall apps completely. Find orphaned files. Clean system junk.
No subscriptions. No telemetry. No data collection.
Put an unused key to work
Convert the caps lock key or any modifier key to the hyper key, all four modifiers combined: ⌃⌥⌘⇧
The hyper key acts as an additional modifier key that you can use in any app with keyboard shortcuts.
Or just remap caps lock to a more useful key.
Effortless Alt+Tab switching and dock previews that respect your privacy. No data collection. No cloud sync. Just pure productivity.
CleanupBuddy locks the keyboard and mouse/trackpad so that you can clean your Mac without having to turn it off and without typing a bunch of gibberish during the process.
It also includes an animated character and snarky remarks to keep you entertained!
RelayDrive ist eine leistungsfähige macOS-Anwendung, die das Mounten und Verwalten von SSHFS-Freigaben deutlich vereinfacht. Mit einer intuitiven Benutzeroberfläche und flexiblen Einstellungen bietet RelayDrive eine ideale Lösung für Entwickler, Systemadministratoren und Power-User, die Netzlaufwerke sicher und performant in ihr Dateisystem integrieren möchten. RelayDrive läuft hauptsächlich in der Menüleiste.
Organize your windows with ease
Never Type Again
Your Voice, Instantly Typed
NEVER PAY for voice to text software. Fluid is the fastest free speech recognition app for Mac, transforming your voice into text instantly with NVIDIA's AI model. Complete privacy with local processing - no cloud required.