Mac users don't settle. They pay extra to get the best computer they can, and they expect the best software. They want that software to fit in on their operating system of choice, using familiar keyboard shortcuts and design conventions. Most importantly, they want those apps to feel like Mac apps. It's not good enough to put the web version in a window.
5 things you should automate todayIt's great, then, that so many developers have worked to build Mac productivity apps that do exactly this, and they're better than what you can find on other platforms. That's right: some of the best productivity apps on the planet aren't available on Windows. Sorry, Microsoft fans—it's just the truth.
Productivity, though, isn't one-size-fits-all: the best productivity apps for Mac will be different for each person—what works for me might not work for you. With that in mind, here's a list of the kinds of productivity apps every Mac user should have, based on dozens of hours of testing from the Zapier team and my own insights from using these tools.
Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog.
Category
Standout feature
Pricing
Apple ecosystem focus
$4.95/month for individuals; $4.95/user/month for teams
Intuitive keyboard shortcuts
$49.99 for the macOS version; $19.99 for iPad; $9.99 for iPhone
Impossible to disable once set
Syncs timers across Apple devices
Free with ads; $12.99 for Pro on Mac, $9.99 for Pro on iOS
Instant loading and support for lots of file types
Free with 5GB of iCloud storage; Paid plans start at $0.99/month for 50GB of iCloud storage
Allows you to make GIFs
Free for local recordings and screenshots
Turns articles into podcasts
Free; $4.99/month for Premium
Works seamlessly in the background across Apple devices
Free with an Apple ID; iCloud+ plans start at $0.99/month
Macs come with a whole suite of built-in productivity apps and tools (I'll dive into a few throughout this article). If you exclusively use Apple platforms and prefer to use Apple's dedicated apps—many of which are just as good, if not better, than their premium non-Apple counterparts—here's a roundup of native Apple apps you should check out:
If Apple's built-in productivity apps and tools alone aren't doing it for you, though, here are my picks for the best Mac productivity apps that are worth the download.
Time is a resource, and you only get so much of it every week (at least, that's how I understand it, but I am admittedly not a physicist). This is where calendars come in: they organize time so that we know when things like meetings or doctor appointments are happening. This is crucial for planning your work week and generally just functioning as a person.
A dedicated Mac calendar app makes it possible to combine your work and personal calendars in one place while also using notifications to make sure you don't miss any appointments. Fantastical does all of this all while pulling off the best-designed calendar app for macOS—that's one of the reasons why it topped Zapier's list of the best calendar apps for Mac. Plus, Fantastical makes it easy to add new appointments and to see everything in a day, week, month, or even quarterly view.
If that doesn't work for you, you should check out the Calendar app already installed on your Mac. It doesn't have all the nice touches of Fantastical, granted, but it's free and does almost everything. Or, if you just want a little calendar in your Mac menu bar, check out Itsycal, which can pull in appointments from the default Mac app.
Fantastical pricing: $4.75/month (billed annually) for individuals; $4.75/user/month (billed annually) for teams.
Once you choose a calendar app, take it to the next level. With automation, you can do things like automatically turn calendar events into tasks on your to-do list or use forms to create calendar events. Here's how you can bring context to your calendar by connecting other apps.
Sometimes you have to do things. The tricky part is keeping track of all the things you need to do. The worst place to store said things is in your brain, where they will jingle around endlessly, only to resurface when you cannot act on them.
A to-do list app helps keep your tasks organized and helps you decide when to do them. And there isn't a better to-do list app out there than the aptly named Things, which tops Zapier's list of the best Mac to-do list apps. This elegant app looks simple at first, but the more digging you do, the more power you'll find. And most importantly, it fits very naturally into the Mac environment.
Things also integrates with Zapier, which means you can automatically do things like create Things tasks from Slack messages, emails, or any other app you use for work. Learn more about how to automate Things, or get started with one of these automated workflows.
