10+ Professional Apps You Can Use on Your Mac for Free
Credit: Mia Baker
Getting a Mac means you have one of the most powerful computers available to do your work, browse the web, and binge-watch your favorite shows.
However, Macs can also be pretty expensive, and if you spend all your money getting one, you may not have enough left over to buy the professional apps you (theoretically) need to get your work done.
Fortunately, there are many pro apps you can use for free on your Mac. Today, we'll take a look at some of the best apps for doing all the things you need. Some of them are web-based apps, while others you can find on the App Store or elsewhere online.
These Mac apps will take your workflow to the next level. Whether you need to edit your photos and videos or make a cool presentation, you can use these apps without spending a dime, and the best part is that even if you aren't sure these apps are for you, you can download them and try them without committing to a subscription or spending your hard-earned cash. Read on for the best free productivity apps for your Mac.
Pages
To start with we have Pages, Apple's answer to Microsoft Word. This is a word-processing app that you can use to do your homework, write a letter, edit a big project, or even work on your next novel.
If you're used to working with Microsoft Word, then you won't have much problem with Pages. There's a small learning curve, but you'll be able to start working on your projects in no time. Plus, you can still save your work as a Word document so other people can access it.
Google Docs
If you don't like Pages or Word, then Google Docs may be the best option for you. What makes this app so great is that you can access it from anywhere.
It doesn't matter if you use an Android device, an iPhone, a Mac, or a Windows PC; you can open Google Docs files anywhere you have an internet connection.
Plus, you can also download and export your work in many different formats, like a PDF file or a Word document. If you always have an internet connection when you work, Google Docs might be your best choice.
iMovie
If you're into video editing, then you've probably already heard of iMovie. It's a great tool for editing videos semi-professionally, and best of all you can do it without spending a dime.
As you can guess by the name, iMovie is made by Apple, and it's a free video editing tool you can use on just any Apple device. Granted, it isn't the most professional video editing app out there, but it still has all the tools and features you need to work on your passion projects and create serious videos. Think of it as a "lite" version of Apple's more powerful (and much more expensive) Final Cut Pro.
GIMP
GIMP is one of the best Photoshop alternatives you can find online. Granted, its user interface could definitely use an update, but with all the features you get for free, it's worth adjusting to GIMP's UI.
What makes GIMP stand out is that it's completely free. The app was made by a collaboration of university students, hobbyists, and open-source software enthusiasts who aren't out to get your money. Not only is the software free, but the team behind GIMP also offers dozens of tutorials you can access for no extra cost.
Of course, you can donate something to help them out or simply as a way to say thanks for providing such a powerful tool for free.
Skitch
If you're looking for a different, more modern-looking photo editing app, then Skitch is a great option.
Skitch has all the basic tools to do light editing with your photos. Sure, you might find it a bit simplistic if you're already a professional, but you'll still find some tools that are useful and quick to use.
Google Sheets
Going back to Google's online apps, Google Sheets is the best alternative for people who need to use Microsoft Excel.
Just like Docs, Google Sheets stands out for how easy it is to access. All you need to do to open it is your own Gmail account. Afterward, you can access, edit, and share all your files on the cloud without paying.
Additionally, you can also save your work as a PDF file or as an Excel document, making it easier for all your coworkers to access your files no matter what operating system they use.
One of the e-mail apps you can find is already installed on your Mac. Apple's Mail app lets you quickly access and check the messages on all your email accounts with just a few clicks. Not only that, but you can also customize it to improve your experience even further.
Also, as you can expect from Apple's first-party apps, you can access Mail from any Apple device. All your changes will be saved in the cloud, so you can start working on an email on your iPhone and then finish it later on your Mac — and even use Apple's handoff feature to pick up right where you left off.
Or better yet, you can ask Siri to write emails for you so you can focus on other important stuff.
Trello
Whether you want to manage your team or keep control of your personal to-do list, Trello is the perfect app for the job.
Trello is a powerful project management app that you can use from any of your devices. All your boards, tasks, and cards are stored in the cloud, so you can keep track of all your projects on the go.
Further, you can also invite people to join your boards. That way, you can let your clients know how the project is coming along or make sure everyone knows what they're supposed to be doing at the moment.
Trello will give you a total of ten boards you can create for free, and each board can have up to two different tools at no extra charge. However, if you want to use the platform to its fullest, you'll need to get a premium subscription.
Toggl Tracker
It doesn't matter how many tools you've got at your disposal if you aren't being as productive as you should be.
That's where Toggl Tracker comes in. This time-tracking app helps you understand where your time is going. All you need to do is start the timer, and you'll be able to see how much time you spend working, playing, or just doing nothing. Later, you can manually see how well you're using your time and what you need to do to become more productive.
You can start using Toggl for free, but if you want to use all of its features, like insights or time-tracking reminders, you'll need to upgrade to its full version.
Keynote
Keynote is one of Apple's coolest first-party apps. This basically works like Microsoft's PowerPoint, letting you create different slides, add images and graphs, and put together a professional presentation for free.
However, Keynote also comes with some really cool templates you can use to create banners, ads, or the slickest presentations your team has ever seen.
Just like Pages, you'll need to get the hang of it. But after a few tries, you'll love using Keynotes.
Xcode
Whether you're a professional developer or just starting out, Xcode has everything you need to build your first iPhone app — and the best part is that it's completely free.
With Xcode, you don't need anything else to start developing apps for iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, iPad, or even Apple TV. Once you learn how to develop apps, the sky's the limit.
Xcode might be a bit hard to get the hang of it at first, but with the right book or tutorial, you can get started in no time.