- 18 Best Free Apps for Mac 03 June 2019; by: Cezar Popescu When you buy your first Mac or MacBook you will be a bit overwhelmed by how different macOS is in comparison with other operating systems. So to get started right away you will need some free apps that can help you do basic stuff like write text or edit photos.
- Apr 17, 2018.
There is no shortage of free yet useful programs for Windows, but when it comes to macOS, most of the good macOS apps are always paid. So, for the past few months, I've been building a list of free productivity apps for macOS. And I finally have a solid list.
Oct 08, 2019.
So, let's check it out. Shall we?
Free macOS Apps to Boost Your Productivity
1. Itsycal
Looking for a Calendar in the Menu Bar?
Unlike Windows, macOS doesn't show you a calendar when you click on the clock icon in the menu bar, Yes, you can bring up the calendar app from the spotlight (press cmd + spacebar, type in ‘calendar' and hit enter), but that takes too long.
Enter Itsycal, it's a tiny calendar that sits at your menu bar and displays your monthly calendar. It also If you want, it will display your events as a companion to the Mac Calendar app. And to jump between different months and years, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard.
2. ExternalDisplayBrightness
ExternalDisplayBrightness is a simple utility that allows you to change the brightness of external displays connected to your Mac using keyboard shortcuts. No need to use the keys on your external monition for controlling brightness and contrast.
3. Pearl
Every once in a while, when you want to check your hair, see if something is stuck in your teeth; you scrounge for a mirror to look into and there's none around to your embarrassment.
Before discovering Pearl, I often used facetime to see how I look before you get ready for skype call. But the issue with that is, the preview is so big, that even people sitting beside you might spot your narcissism.
And that's where Pearl comes in, it's a tiny app that sits in your menu bar. Click it, make sure the lights and angles are good enough for your meeting.
4. Be Focused
No productivity app list can be completed without a Pomodoro timer app.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Pomodoro technique is pretty simple. Set a timer for 25 minutes, work for that duration of time, take a short break, then reset a timer and work again.
In Be focused, you can customize work timers like 25 mins or 45 mins, set different break times, and even change the alarm sounds.
You can add up to ten tasks to your to-do list, however, if you are a beginner, I would suggest taking it slow. The less you do Pomodoro, the effective it gets.
5. Timeout
So, here is a disturbing fact for you – if you sit in an office chair for more than six hours a day, then you just might be a risk of getting heart disease 64 percent more than usual.
Well, what can you do about it? I try to follow two systems.
- Drink a lot of water, which will not only keep you hydrated, but you'll also have to periodically get up to go and pee.
- Use a 20-20-20 rule. I.e. every 20 minutes, walk 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
And guess what, this is where time out, comes in picture.
By default, it freezes your computer after the 20 minutes by showing an overlay, and won't let you work for 20 sec, expecting you to walk towards your co-worker and start an awkward conversation for 20 sec.
Although, I'm if, in high productivity mood, I prefer to set up the intervals to about 25 mins so that it syncs well with Pomodoro timer.
6. Usage
One thing that rings true for every work environment is that really It's easy to get distracted these days. And one way to solve this problem is time tracking.
If you know where you are spending your time, you'll have a better idea on how to manage it.
Once you install it, the app will run in the background, it requires no input from your side. And after waiting for few days or weeks, the app will give you a bird's-eye view of your work, about where you are spending most of your time and if you are being productive or not.
7. Quitter
Another way to fight distraction is by hiding or quitting the app, that you no longer use on your mac.
If you waste too much time checking for new messages on skype and slack, then Quitter is what you need. Simply put, if you don't open an app for a select amount of time, Quitter will hide or quit that app so you don't think about it. Overall, if you find yourself wasting time with certain apps just because they're in front of your eyes, this might help you out.
8. Monosnap
macOS already offers a way of capturing screencast with QuickTime. And tbh, it's decent. However, if you do if you often take screenshots and record your screen, then having a third-party app is a must.
For a long time, I was looking for a good screen recording app for my mac, and then I discovered monospace.
Just like any recorder, you can record a part of the screen or the complete area, and it also has a built-in editor. But the best thing I like about it is, say, I found an image, which I want to quickly edit, you can just simply copy the image to your clipboard, go to Monosnap and open it from the clipboard, and you can edit it right then and there.
So, let's check it out. Shall we?
Free macOS Apps to Boost Your Productivity
1. Itsycal
Looking for a Calendar in the Menu Bar?
Unlike Windows, macOS doesn't show you a calendar when you click on the clock icon in the menu bar, Yes, you can bring up the calendar app from the spotlight (press cmd + spacebar, type in ‘calendar' and hit enter), but that takes too long.
Enter Itsycal, it's a tiny calendar that sits at your menu bar and displays your monthly calendar. It also If you want, it will display your events as a companion to the Mac Calendar app. And to jump between different months and years, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard.
2. ExternalDisplayBrightness
ExternalDisplayBrightness is a simple utility that allows you to change the brightness of external displays connected to your Mac using keyboard shortcuts. No need to use the keys on your external monition for controlling brightness and contrast.
3. Pearl
Every once in a while, when you want to check your hair, see if something is stuck in your teeth; you scrounge for a mirror to look into and there's none around to your embarrassment.
Before discovering Pearl, I often used facetime to see how I look before you get ready for skype call. But the issue with that is, the preview is so big, that even people sitting beside you might spot your narcissism.
And that's where Pearl comes in, it's a tiny app that sits in your menu bar. Click it, make sure the lights and angles are good enough for your meeting.
4. Be Focused
No productivity app list can be completed without a Pomodoro timer app.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Pomodoro technique is pretty simple. Set a timer for 25 minutes, work for that duration of time, take a short break, then reset a timer and work again.
In Be focused, you can customize work timers like 25 mins or 45 mins, set different break times, and even change the alarm sounds.
You can add up to ten tasks to your to-do list, however, if you are a beginner, I would suggest taking it slow. The less you do Pomodoro, the effective it gets.
5. Timeout
So, here is a disturbing fact for you – if you sit in an office chair for more than six hours a day, then you just might be a risk of getting heart disease 64 percent more than usual.
Well, what can you do about it? I try to follow two systems.
- Drink a lot of water, which will not only keep you hydrated, but you'll also have to periodically get up to go and pee.
- Use a 20-20-20 rule. I.e. every 20 minutes, walk 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
And guess what, this is where time out, comes in picture.
By default, it freezes your computer after the 20 minutes by showing an overlay, and won't let you work for 20 sec, expecting you to walk towards your co-worker and start an awkward conversation for 20 sec.
Although, I'm if, in high productivity mood, I prefer to set up the intervals to about 25 mins so that it syncs well with Pomodoro timer.
6. Usage
One thing that rings true for every work environment is that really It's easy to get distracted these days. And one way to solve this problem is time tracking.
If you know where you are spending your time, you'll have a better idea on how to manage it.
Once you install it, the app will run in the background, it requires no input from your side. And after waiting for few days or weeks, the app will give you a bird's-eye view of your work, about where you are spending most of your time and if you are being productive or not.
7. Quitter
Another way to fight distraction is by hiding or quitting the app, that you no longer use on your mac.
If you waste too much time checking for new messages on skype and slack, then Quitter is what you need. Simply put, if you don't open an app for a select amount of time, Quitter will hide or quit that app so you don't think about it. Overall, if you find yourself wasting time with certain apps just because they're in front of your eyes, this might help you out.
8. Monosnap
macOS already offers a way of capturing screencast with QuickTime. And tbh, it's decent. However, if you do if you often take screenshots and record your screen, then having a third-party app is a must.
For a long time, I was looking for a good screen recording app for my mac, and then I discovered monospace.
Just like any recorder, you can record a part of the screen or the complete area, and it also has a built-in editor. But the best thing I like about it is, say, I found an image, which I want to quickly edit, you can just simply copy the image to your clipboard, go to Monosnap and open it from the clipboard, and you can edit it right then and there.
In a nutshell, Monosnap is the best screen recording and screenshot app you can find for free.
9. Space launch
To open an app on macOS, what we usually do is, bring up the spotlight with cmd + space and type in the first few letters of the app, like ch for google chrome. But what If I told you, there is an easier way to launch an app on macOS with a simple keyboard shortcut. For instance, to open chrome you can press spacebar + c. Or press space + s to launch the slack app.
You can also set child keys, like Space + F then D (while you are holding the space button) to open the Downloads folder and Space + F then c to open iCloud directory.
10. Cleaner for Memory
Newer Macs come with plenty of RAM, so you won't see your macOS slowing down or app crashes. but older Macs can get really slow, especially while running apps like FCP or photoshop.
And this the problem Cleaner for Memory tries to solve. It's a small app that lives in your menu bar, and show you memory statistics when you click on it.
But the cool thing here is, — if your system is a bit sluggish, you can click on optimize button, and it'll free up some of your RAM.
But how does that work? Where does it get extra ram from?
Well, your Mac likes to cache things in your 'free' RAM so that it can load apps quickly. This might be nice sometimes, but if you need to free up a lot of memory for a particular app, let's say running FCP on old MacBook, then you'd delete your cache files. And get some extra ram from there.
Contents
A lot of companies have switched over from using fax machines to simply sending out faxes from their computers or their cell phones.
It's not entirely possible for a lot of companies to completely abandon the practice of faxing. However, it is possible to adapt faxing into the modern world. That's where online fax service comes in.
These online fax services provide you with fax numbers, toll-free and international sometimes, that can allow you to send faxes anywhere you want from your mac itself. However, all of these fax services come with their unique set of advantages and drawbacks.
As such, in this article, I offer a comparative run down of the 5 best free fax apps for Mac so you can decide which ones to use.
Comparison
The following table lists out the 5 best free fax apps for Mac. You can go through their specifications and features to narrow down your options and then read about them in the following parts.| Fax App for Android | Review | Features | Ease of Use | UI Design | Check App |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CocoFax | CocoFax Review | Very Good | Very Easy | Great | |
| eFax | eFax Review | Very Good | Very Easy | Great | |
| iFax | iFax Review | Very Good | Okay | Good | |
| FaxDocument | FaxDocument Review | Weak | Easy | Okay | |
| FaxFresh | FaxFresh Review | Weak | Easy | Okay |
Part 1: CocoFax
CocoFax is an extremely reasonable online fax service, perhaps one of the most reasonable services in the market.
However, that reasonable nature is conditional. It's ideal for companies that need to send out hundreds of faxes every month within domestic boundaries. However, it doesn't fare so well when it comes to international faxing. In that case, you'll be charged an additional 5 cents to $1 for every fax sent out.
The price plans in CocoFax are extremely flexible and offer a wide range of options. You can choose a package with which you can send out 1000 faxes a month.
The CocoFax app for Mac is very user-friendly and it can help you send multiple faxes. You can also manage contacts with it or integrate it with Outlook so that you can receive all faxes directly to your mailbox. You also have the option of sending faxes either directly from the online account or from your mailbox.
Website: https://www.cocofax.com
Apps For Mac
| Pros | Cons |
| Contact management is easy. | Expensive. |
| Send up to 1000 faxes per month | |
| Easy integration with Outlook, Dropbox, etc. | |
| Can send unlimited faxes a month. | |
| 24/7 customer support. |
Part 2: eFax
eFax is the ideal option for businesses that need to send faxes to international recipients on a regular basis. It's one of the few apps in the market in which you can send out international faxes without a surcharge. That's one of the main reasons for its popularity.
However, the ability to send out international faxes comes at a high price point, and it also leads to a decreased number of faxes being sent out. Whereas its competitors can let you send at least 400 or 500 faxes a month, eFax lets you send out a maximum of 200 faxes a month without surcharge.
eFax comes with a trial period of 30 days. Once that's over, it becomes the most expensive fax app in the market.
The eFax app for Mac allows you to efficiently manage all your faxes. You can send faxes through the online account or from your email directly. Both of these methods are pretty simple. If you want to send faxes from the online account, you have to simply go to the online account and click on ‘Send Faxes'. If you want to send a fax from your email, you just have to enter the fax number in the address bar and suffice it with '@efaxsend.com'.
eFax also comes with some great features with which you can forward faxes to several recipients and you can also add digital signatures to your documents.
Website:https://efax.com
Best Free Mac Apps
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy management of faxes. | Expensive. |
| International faxing with no surcharge. | Only 200 faxes a month possible. |
| Digital signatures. | |
| 24/7 support. |
Part 3: iFax
iFax is an online fax service available in 17 countries across the globe, and faxing between those countries is free from surcharges. iFax was designed to provide simplicity and ease of use. Sending faxes from this app is like sending an email, a few taps and you're done.
One of the major issues with iFax is that it only provides a short 7-day trial period whereas many of its competitors provide a trial period of 30 days.
The iFax mac app is extremely user-friendly. In the main menu, you can choose whether to go to your inbox, send faxes, or arrange them. You also get to choose from a set of templates for the cover letter and modify it according to your needs. Furthermore, you can also add a brand logo or a digital signature to your documents. All of these features make iFax one of the most feature-rich mac fax apps in the market.
Furthermore, iFax also supports all the major file formats, in addition to the popular ones such as PDF and TIFF.
iFax payment works on a credit system. In the chart below you can check out the pricing breakdown.
| Pros | Cons |
| Powerful features. | Only a 7-day trial available. |
| Intuitive UI. | Expensive. |
| Wide range of file formats available. |
Part 4: FaxDocument
FaxDocument is an extremely efficient means of faxing documents to any of the countries that are supported in the application without any surcharge. The app supports 39 countries around the world, and you can send faxes to these countries easily.
Unlike other fax seeing services mentioned above, the FaxDocument Mac App allows you to purchase packages of faxes rather than monthly packages. As such, you can buy a package of 50 faxes for $29.99 or a package of 25 faxes for $19.99.
Once you've bought the package, you can simply send out the faxes to all the necessary recipients. You can also add a cover page along with your documents. There are several other features that you can avail of. For example, you get a complete fax log of all the faxes sent out, and you can also modify the cover letter template.
However, if you compare this to the other services, you'll find that FaxDocument is a lot more expensive than its competitors. Furthermore, beside the bare essentials of sending and receiving faxes, it doesn't have a lot of advanced features such as adding digital signatures, etc.
| Pros | Cons |
| Simple to use. | Expensive. |
| Efficiency. | Lack of features. |
Part 5: FaxFresh
FaxFresh is a similar free fax app for mac with which you can send out faxes anywhere at all. The process of using FaxFresh is extremely simple as well. It can be completed in a 4 step process:
- Upload the PDF of the documents you want to send and enter the recipient's fax number along with country code.
- Make the requisite payment through an online gateway.
- Send the fax on it's way.
- You'll receive a confirmation message that your fax has been delivered.
With this process you need to only pay when you have to send out a fax and you don't need to worry about any subscriptions. The cost of a single fax is 25¢ per page, though you have to send faxes worth at least $1.99 for every transaction.
This is pretty expensive and not a great option for companies that need to send large quantities of faxes on a regular basis. However, if you're an individual in need of sending faxes only occasionally, this is a great option for you.
You can use the FaxFresh Mac App to render the process even smoother and better. It's currently only available in 100 regions such as Europe, Japan, Australia, the US, etc.
Best Free Macbook Apps
| Pros | Cons |
| Pay as you go. | Lack of features. |
| No subscription. | Not ideal for big businesses and corporations. |
| Flexibility. | |
| Ease of use. |
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of different means by which you can send faxes from a Mac.
If you're a big business or company, you should ideally use services like eFax or CocoFax, depending on how many faxes you need to send out per month and whether it's domestic or international.
However, if you're just an individual, then you can use services like FaxDocument or FaxFresh so you can pay for a select number of faxes for an unlimited period as opposed to having to subscribe to it.
Whichever option you go with, do comment down below and keep us informed about your decision.
