The best Mac apps for developers in 2026

1. 1

   Raycast

   Raycast · Free · Pro subscription

   Best for Replacing Spotlight with a launcher that also does clipboard history, snippets, window management and extensions.

   • The free plan includes clipboard history, snippets, quicklinks, a calculator and window management.
   • Thousands of extensions (GitHub, Linear, Jira, Docker, Homebrew), and you can write your own in TypeScript.

   • AI, cloud sync and unlimited clipboard history need Pro, which is a subscription.
   • A big app to learn if you only want a launcher.
2. 2

   OrbStack

   Orbital Labs · Free personal · paid commercial

   Best for Running Docker containers and Linux VMs on a Mac with less overhead than Docker Desktop.

   • Drop-in docker and docker compose support, fast startup and low idle use.
   • Linux machines alongside containers, with easy file and network access.

   • Free for personal, non-commercial use only; commercial use is a per-user subscription.
   • Mac only, so mixed-OS teams may still standardize on Docker Desktop.
3. 3

   Ghostty

   Mitchell Hashimoto · open source · Free, open source

   Best for A fast, native, GPU-accelerated terminal that feels like a Mac app.

   • Native macOS UI with tabs and splits, and quick startup.
   • Plain-text config, lots of themes, free and open source.

   • Younger than iTerm2, with fewer power-user extras.
   • Configured by text file rather than a full settings window.
4. 4

   Rectangle

   Ryan Hanson · open source · Free, open source · Pro paid

   Best for Snapping windows to halves, thirds and corners from the keyboard.

   • Keyboard shortcuts and drag-to-edge snapping, free.
   • Spectacle shortcut layout available on first run.

   • macOS 15 added basic tiling, which may be enough for some people.
   • Custom layouts and extra snapping live in the paid Rectangle Pro.
5. 5

   Proxyman

   Proxyman · Limited free · paid license

   Best for Inspecting and rewriting HTTP(S) traffic from your Mac, simulators and devices.

   • Native macOS app with clear request and response previews, including GraphQL and JWT.
   • Breakpoints, Map Local and Remote, scripting and network conditions in the paid tiers.
   • Perpetual licenses are available, not just subscriptions.

   • The free tier is for evaluation: one debugging rule and no breakpoints.
   • Not cheap for an individual.
6. 6

   Maccy

   Alexey Rodionov · open source · Free, open source (MIT)

   Best for Lightweight, keyboard-first clipboard history if you don’t want a full launcher.

   • Search everything you’ve copied, stored locally, and skip passwords.
   • Tiny and focused.

   • Overlaps with Raycast’s clipboard history if you already use it.
   • macOS 14 or later.
7. 7

   Stat SpaceOurs

   Stat Space · Free · Pro one-time

   Best for Knowing what’s running: ports traced to projects, AI agent sessions, orphaned dev processes and system load.

   • Every listening port with its framework, project folder, launcher and uptime; warns when a server is bound to 0.0.0.0.
   • Claude Code, Codex and Cursor sessions, what they spawned, and a one-tap cleanup when they end.
   • A statspace CLI and MCP server, so your agent can check ports before starting another server.
   • Free tier includes the full system monitor and keep-awake timers.

   • Apple Silicon and macOS 14+ only.
   • Closed source; Docker container mapping is in Pro.

brew install --cask raycast orbstack ghostty rectangle proxyman maccy

# What's listening, and which process
lsof -nP -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN

# Dev processes whose parent is launchd (likely orphans)
ps -axo pid,ppid,etime,command | awk '$2 == 1' | grep -E "node|python|vite|next" | grep -v grep

# Keep the Mac awake while a long command runs
caffeinate -i npm run build

We make Stat Space, so weigh our pick accordingly. Prices and features as of November 2026; spotted something out of date? Email [email protected].