The 100 best Mac apps in 2025

Finding the best Mac apps can be challenging. Not only can you download apps from the Mac App Store, but you can freely download others from outside the store. Check out our updated, curated guide of the best macOS apps! Apple's Mac computers have cultivated a large and passionate community for the past 40 years since the original Macintosh debuted in 1984. From games to productivity apps, there's a good chance you have your own collection of favorite apps if you use one of the best Macs or you're about to buy a new one, such as the M3 MacBook Air. With this in mind, we've curated a list of the best Mac apps currently available.

Utilities

NotchNook

Once you download NotchNook, you'll wonder how you managed without it. This utility gives your Mac a Dynamic Island, which features on iPhone 14 Pro and later. When you hover your mouse over your Mac's notch, or the top of the display with a Mac that doesn't have a notch, you can control your music, run Apple Shortcuts, look at your Calendar, and more. The developers, lo-cafe, have promised that you'll soon be able to control other apps such as SoundCloud and YouTube, as well as having Apple Notes in this Dynamic Island. NotchNook is a fantastic app already, with some on the iMore team already using it daily.

iStat Menus

iStat Menus is a powerful monitoring tool that provides detailed information about the various systems in your Mac, such as CPU, GPU, memory, disk usage, network activity, temperatures, battery life, and more. Its greatest strength lies in its ability to present this data in a highly customizable, at-a-glance format in the macOS menu bar. Users can tailor which statistics are displayed and how they are presented, making it an essential tool for power users who need to keep a close eye on their system's performance and resource utilization. With its real-time updates and comprehensive coverage, iStat Menus offers deep insights into the functioning of your Mac, aiding in both routine monitoring and troubleshooting scenarios.

App Licensing and Trials

Based on the information provided, here are the licensing details for featured utilities:

App Name	Trial Period	Pricing Options
NotchNook	Two-day free trial	$25 lifetime license or a $3 per month subscription fee

Be sure to keep checking this list, as we're constantly updating it throughout the year! Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful.