-
The defacto app for controlling monitors, has so many features built into such a small app, and what makes it even better? It's open source! Lunar - Github
-
Stream
Stream - Scalable APIs for Chat, Feeds, Moderation, & Video. Stream helps developers build engaging apps that scale to millions with performant and flexible Chat, Feeds, Moderation, and Video APIs and SDKs powered by a global edge network and enterprise-grade infrastructure.
-
xbar (Free) xbar is free and open source it allows you to put anything in your macOS menu bar, although the learning cure is high, I would put this in development too..
-
BetterDisplay
Unlock your displays on your Mac! Flexible HiDPI scaling, XDR/HDR extra brightness, virtual screens, DDC control, extra dimming, PIP/streaming, EDID override and lots more!
BetterDisplay (Free - Paid, some features are locked) A good addition to Lunar, although, in my opinion, I feel Lunar has a better feature list. BetterDisplay is also open source.
-
Darktable (Free) darktable is an open-source photography workflow application and raw developer. A virtual lighttable and darkroom for photographers. It manages your digital negatives in a database, lets you view them through a zoomable lighttable and enables you to develop raw images and enhance them. Have a look at current features and how to install them on your system.
-
I was debating where to put this, but It works as a wallpaper, so displays it is! Aerial is a free and open-source Mac screen saver Aerial is a macOS screensaver that lets you play videos from Apple's tvOS screensaver. This includes classic Aerial videos shot over various cities and locations (New York, San Francisco, China...), Earth videos from the ISS, and the new underwater videos introduced in tvOS 13. Starting with version 2.0, Aerial also includes videos from 3rd parties that kindly shared them, and you can also now add your own! Aerial is completely free and open source. You can follow its development here on GitHub, and even participate if you want. You don't have to be a developer, we always need help when it comes to translations in various languages, check here for more information (it's easy !). It's really cool, give it a go!
-
Rectangle Pro is their paid app, with is tuned for pros or something like that.
-
That's cap (did I do it? Am I cool?)... Kap is a free open-source screen recorder built with web technology, click the menu bar icon to bring up the screen recorder. After selecting what portion of the screen you'd like to record, hit the record button to start recording. Click the menu bar icon again to stop the recording. There is also user-made plugins, really good app in my opinion.
-
InfluxDB
InfluxDB – Built for High-Performance Time Series Workloads. InfluxDB 3 OSS is now GA. Transform, enrich, and act on time series data directly in the database. Automate critical tasks and eliminate the need to move data externally. Download now.
-
Rectangle (Free) Move and resize windows in macOS using keyboard shortcuts or snap areas, free and open-source. (With Raycast you can do the same, just download it from raycast.store and enter hotkeys and your off) Rectangle Pro is their paid app, with is tuned for pros or something like that.
-
Obsidian (Free) Obsidian is a powerful and extensible knowledge base that works on top of your local folder of plain text files.
-
Dozer (free - open source), HiddenBar (free), free alternatives to bartender, however, only does 1 thing and that's hiding the icons, not adding an extra menu, nothing just icons here, icons gone.
-
iterm2 (Free) iTerm2 is a replacement for Terminal and the successor to iTerm. It works on Macs with macOS 10.14 or newer. iTerm2 brings the terminal into the modern age with features you never knew you always wanted. features (yes I'm lazy)
-
https://espanso.org/ (Free) I really wanna like it... but I can't, not yet anyway. The hotkey there currently is interferences with Raycast, which is option + space and when I edit the .yml script It doesn't change the hotkey... Apart from that it's really good. Espanso detects when you type a keyword Today is :date: (6/3/2023) and replaces it while you're typing.
-
MeetingBar (Free) Yep, ever been late for a meeting? Well, no more! MeetingBar is a menu-bar app for your calendar meetings (macOS 10.15+). Integrated with 50+ meeting services so you can quickly join meetings from an event or create ad-hoc meetings. (Open Source)
-
Equinox is an application that allows you to create macOS native wallpapers. Starting macOS Mojave we have such cool things as «Dynamic Desktop», «Light and Dark Desktop» types of wallpapers. With the help of the Equinox application, you can easily create those with a few clicks in seconds. Just select a suitable type, drag and drop your images and create your wallpaper.
-
Pika (Free) Pika (pronounced pi·kuh, like picker) is an easy-to-use, open-source, native colour picker for macOS. Pika makes it easy to quickly find colours onscreen, in the format you need, so you can get on with being a speedy, successful designer.
-
Homebrew (Free) I won't get into it, I've already mentioned everything about brew Here (If someone hasn't removed it)
-
AltTab (Free) For the longest time, I was using command + tab and command + ~ and it was fine until I found AltTab, which was a shock, AltTab brings the power of Windows’s “alt-tab” window switcher to macOS. Switch focus to any window, minimize, close, fullscreen any window, hide, quit any app, customize AltTab appearance (e.g. show app badges, Space numbers, increase icon, thumbnail, title size, etc), custom trigger shortcuts with almost any key, blacklist apps you don’t want to list or trigger AltTab from, dark Mode, drag-and-drop things on top of window thumbnails, right-to-left languages and UI, Accessibility: VoiceOver, sticky keys, reduced transparency, etc, and ITS FREE!? It's also open source!!!
-
WhichSpace (Free) WhichSpace is a free open-source space checker, have you ever forgotten which space is currently active on macOS (10.11+) and wanted a quick way to tell? Didn't think so... but I did!
-
Dato is cool, but i WAY prefer itsycal. Itsycal is a free and open-source, tiny menu bar calendar. If you want, it will display your events as a companion to the Mac Calendar.app. Itsycal has Dark Mode, ISO week numbers, a customizable system clock replacement, and more.
-
Beardedspice (Free) Mac Media Keys for the Masses, open source, however, the last update was in 2021, so if you have an issue 🤷♀️
-
mytesla (Free - REQUIRES XBAR) Open source and free, mytesla displays information regarding your Tesla vehicle in the MacOS menubar. Allows you to remotely control your Tesla vehicle as well.
-
clapet
Clapet is a utility that aims to improve clamshell mode on your Macbook by automatically managing sleep when an external display is detected
clapet (Free) Clapet is a free and open-source utility that aims to improve clamshell mode on your Macbook. Clamshell mode on mac keeps your mac awake when you close the lid but it only works when a power adapter is connected. This app aims to solve this problem by allowing clamshell mode even on battery. When an external display is detected while on battery or power adapter, the application will disable sleep so you can use your computer with the lid closed, and as soon as the external display is unplugged, sleep will be enabled again to preserve the battery. (I think Lunar might have this too? I can't fully remember)
-
browserosaurus (Free) Browserosaurus is an open-source (GPLv3 license), browser prompter for macOS. It works by setting itself as the default browser; any clicked links in non-browser apps are now sent to Browserosaurus where you are presented with a menu of all your installed browsers. You may now decide which app you’d like to continue opening the link with.
-
stats (Free) Stats is a free open-source macOS system monitor in your menu bar
-
iGlance
Free system monitor for OSX and macOS. See all system information at a glance in the menu bar.
iGlance (Free) Just like stats, a free open-source system monitor for OSX and macOS. See all system information at a glance in the menu bar. However, the last update was in 2021, whereas Stats is still actively being developed.
-
AlDente Charge Limiter (Free but limited - mostly paid) An open source, MacOS menu bar tool to limit maximum charging percentage, Don't overcook your battery! Keep it fresh and chewy with AlDente. Why do I need this? Li-Ion batteries (like the one in your MacBook) last the longest when operating between 20 and 80 percent. Keeping your battery at 100% at all times can shorten the lifespan of your MacBook significantly. More information can be found here: https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-415-how-to-charge-and-when-to-charge Again, haven't used it, but others say it's good for battery health. So, they would throw you astray... right?
-
Mauno (Free) Open source menu bar app for changing to stereo or mono audio.
-
atom (RIP buddy! Free) Atom is a hackable text editor for the 21st century, built on Electron, and based on everything we love about our favourite editors. We designed it to be deeply customizable, but still approachable using the default configuration
-
Atom is a hackable text editor for the 21st century, built on Electron, and based on everything we love about our favourite editors. We designed it to be deeply customizable, but still approachable using the default configuration
-
LyricsX (Free) LyricsX is a free and open-source app that shows the lyrics for Spotify, Itunes, Vox or auto.
-
Autoclick (Free) Ever needed an auto clicker? Yes, cookie clicker needs me!!! In all seriousness, it's the only half-decent auto clicker I've found for mac. Free and open source too, although the dev abandoned it and his attitude was..... just read it I guess. (This probs should be in menu bar apps but.... na)
-
SaaSHub
SaaSHub - Software Alternatives and Reviews. SaaSHub helps you find the best software and product alternatives
Related posts
-
macOS Tips and Tricks
-
Show HN: macOS app that brings the startup folder feature from Windows
-
QuickRecorder(macOS): open-source, lightweight, high-performance screen recorder
-
6 Open-Source Projects That Will Blow Your Mind | Level Up Coding
-
Ask HN: What macOS apps/programs do you use daily and recommend?