ProcessSpy - Native macOS process monitor updates

[ProcessSpy - macOS process monitor](https://preview.redd.it/csar9lbdmd6g1.png?width=3118&format=png&auto=webp&s=a67c5ab4bf3104d8e5f31abe4755f194328f47cf)

Dear r/macapps users,

After a few months I'm here again with some updates:

* multi-property quick search
* regex support in quick search
* ability to reveal finished processes \[paid\]
* ability to pause and resume process
* performance improvements

The app is free to use, with some extra features available through a paid license (lifetime).

Check it here: [https://process-spy.app](https://process-spy.app/)

Documentation (in progress): [https://docs.process-spy.app/](https://docs.process-spy.app/)

Happy monitoring!



https://redd.it/1pj2b5e
@macappsbackup

My Take on Bloom, a Mac File Manager

Bloom

I've always used a file manager as the center of the way I interact with my computer, much more so than a launcher, dock, or menu-driven UI. I used PathFinder for 17 years before switching to Qspace in 2024. I took advantage of the Black Friday sale on Bloom, a relatively new app, to give it a try. Bloom is a well-designed, affordable app with a lot of promise. It's definitely a tool for advanced users and may be overkill for those who aren't. It's not a Finder clone, so you'll have to reprogram your muscle memory to use it efficiently. The developer is actively adding new features and seems responsive to user feedback.

# What I Like

Multi-pane layouts
Speed of file operations
Archive view - see inside compressed files without opening them
Paste copied images and text as new files
Search is better than Spotlight
Built-in file operations for image operations, previewing, and renaming files
Portal window, a unique and powerful implementation of the shelf concept
Saved named workspaces

# Wish List

Auto-mounting of WebDAV and NFS shares. The hooks into conventional cloud storage options are OK, but this is a power user app, and it should improve support for self-hosted services and European services like Koofr and kDrive.
To really stand out from the competition, improving its renaming capabilities (with regex and EXIF awareness) would go a long way.
Improvements in dual-pane persistence ~~and the ability to save named workspaces~~.
More powerful tab management - pinned tabs, color-coded tabs, tab groups, keyboard shortcuts for more tab operations
Integration with Shortcuts, AppleScript, Service Menu, and the addition of a plugin system that other devs could hook into, like they do with Finder.
It wouldn't appeal to me, but I can see the app reaching a larger audience by implementing a Finder compatibility mode that mimics Finder's keyboard shortcuts, viewing modality, and folder opening behavior.

If you like this kind of tool, I'd pick up a copy now, for $16. The dev's website says that all future updates will be available to anyone who purchases the app--no subnoscriptions, no paid updates after a year, or any of that monetization optimization stuff. If you need more features right now and don't want to wait, try Qspace, but keep Bloom in mind.

https://redd.it/1pj2t0a
@macappsbackup

Messenger for macOS Shut Down - Alternatives?

Starting December 15, Meta officially shut down its standalone Messenger app for macOS. What will you use from now on? Besides the web interface, which is slow and inconvenient just for sending messages. Maybe Beeper? Or what other alternatives do we have?

https://redd.it/1pj3zcg
@macappsbackup

Is DeepPeek any good?

How good is DeepPeek and what similar alternatives are there?

https://redd.it/1pj1fuw
@macappsbackup

InstantLingua - Open source PopClip extension for AI-powered translation and writing

Hey everyone,

I've been working on a PopClip extension called **InstantLingua** and wanted to share it with the community.

**What it does:**

InstantLingua brings LLM-powered language tools directly to your text selection workflow. Select any text, and instantly get:

* Translation between 18 languages with optional bilingual comparison
* Grammar correction
* Text rewriting (8 styles: professional, concise, fluent, etc.)
* Summarization
* Smart reply suggestions for emails/messages
* Custom prompts for any text processing task

**Multi-Provider Support:**

Works with OpenAI (GPT-4.1/5), Anthropic (Claude Sonnet/Haiku/Opus 4.5), Google (Gemini 2.5/3), xAI (Grok 4.1), and Ollama for fully local processing. Bring your own API key.

**Privacy-Focused:**

* No data collection or storage
* API keys stored locally in PopClip settings only
* Direct communication with AI providers

GitHub: [https://github.com/laurensent/InstantLingua](https://github.com/laurensent/InstantLingua)

Would love to hear your feedback or feature suggestions. Pull requests welcome.

https://redd.it/1pj6w5i
@macappsbackup

Best CAD/Design MacApps for 3D Printing?

I'm looking for a good 3D CAD/Design MacApp that balances functionality and price. What have you used and what would you recommend?

Also interested in related apps like slicers, if anyone has additional recommendations.

Background/vent: I'm making the best of a new 3D Printer after u/BambuLab's customer service informed me their paid return policy only covers malfunctions, not product listing info inaccuracies.

https://redd.it/1pj34n4
@macappsbackup

A native macOS app for searchable Claude Code (and Codex!) history - fully offline

https://redd.it/1pjb7dh
@macappsbackup

What apps are worth it ? Besides Downie I have it !
https://redd.it/1pj4t66
@macappsbackup

Apps on a Budget: TripMode or Traffic?

# Preface

I’m kicking off a fresh series called Apps on a Budget, and it's all about more affordable alternatives to popular Mac apps. I'll be digging through the Mac App Store and other corners of the internet to unearth some real treasures. Now, this isn't going to be your typical comparison. Instead, think of it as a friendly chat about these tools. My main goal is to help you figure out if you really need to shell out big bucks for those popular apps, or if a cheaper option might actually do everything you need, saving you some cash along the way. Plus, I'm excited to shine a spotlight on some cool apps that haven't gotten much attention in our community yet.

Notice: If you already own a license for a full-featured application-based firewall like Little Snitch, Tiny Shield, or Vallum on your macOS, you probably don’t need to read further. You can achieve the same effect that TripMode offers without any additional cost. This article is meant more for people not using a Mac firewall standard-wise and are interested in using TripMode because of its main advertising feature to save data while underway.

# Introduction

So, while I was recently researching application-based firewalls for macOS for a previous post, I stumbled upon a neat little tool called Traffic. At first glance, it reminded me of TripMode. TripMode is a macOS firewall designed to help you manage network connections, to save on data usage. However, TripMode now costs a hefty $49.99, which is pretty steep for many folks. I decided to try Traffic and compare it to TripMode to see how it stacks up and if it could be a viable alternative to TripMode.

# Comparison

|App|TripMode|Traffic|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Regular Price|$49.99|$4.99|
|Developer|Alix Sàrl|Alexandru Denk|
|Version|3.2.6|4.2.1|
|Framework|SwiftUI|AppKit|

# TripMode

While TripMode certainly didn't invent application firewalls, it was the first app to really push the idea of controlling network traffic while you're on the go to save on data-usage. But TripMode can even serve as a replacement for a traditional application-based firewall, though with some limitations. TripMode is priced at $49.99 as a one-time purchase, but is also available for monthly or annual subnoscriptions on the Mac App Store. It provides a limited-time trial period.

https://preview.redd.it/18bpe5vbsf6g1.png?width=772&format=png&auto=webp&s=933621abe1850f2acd50f54ff21e84eb470de13b

TripMode lives right in your menubar and shows you all the network activity that's happened since it was activated. Since it's primarily designed for use when you're out and about, it's usually deactivated when you're at home. You can also change the time selection to view traffic from today, this week, or any other period, and it will show you which apps connected to the internet during those times. The menubar window also acts as a live network monitor, showing current traffic, and you can sort the apps in the list by various categories

https://preview.redd.it/sq4i3qc0sf6g1.png?width=732&format=png&auto=webp&s=d7334a6f8684b649a8dbcb1757868bcac999ca09

In TripMode's settings, you can choose whether it automatically blocks internet connections for new apps or allows them by default. Based on your choice, you can then easily check or uncheck apps in the menubar to allow or block their access. When using TripMode for saving data usage, it’s usually more practical to restrict your apps to only those necessary for your specific task and block all other by default.

https://preview.redd.it/23yyy32gsf6g1.png?width=1748&format=png&auto=webp&s=4f48206268880f5b885f14356bc00d5c3e234526

TripMode also

offers profiles, which are super handy. You can set up different profiles for various situations, like when you're traveling abroad, on the move, or using public Wi-Fi. There's no limit to how many profiles you can create, and you can quickly switch between them from the menubar. You can even set up triggers to automatically activate profiles when you connect to specific networks, like when you're tethering with your iPhone or connected to your office Wi-Fi.

https://preview.redd.it/q65x5jjdsf6g1.png?width=1648&format=png&auto=webp&s=493b5fe0d45fd9cbc7bee02cdd7d5ddb4ffd811c

Another cool feature is the built-in scheduler. This lets you enable TripMode to run according to a predefined schedule. You can choose to turn TripMode on or off for specific times of the day or week. These schedules are easy to set up in TripMode's preferences and can be toggled on or off anytime. Furthermore, TripMode provides an option under its privacy preferences to permanently shadow domains that you don’t want to log in your history.

# Traffic

Traffic, developed by indie developer Alexandru Denk, is a super lightweight (just 4.1 MB) alternative to TripMode. It costs only $4.99 and offers a limited free tier, which is unfortunately quite useless since it only allows you to block one app.

https://preview.redd.it/divlaegisf6g1.png?width=1142&format=png&auto=webp&s=54552977723b214e1d34d33b70cd54d21180a0aa

When you install Traffic, it walks you through the setup process with clear instructions on how to enable it in macOS settings, specifically under Network Extensions. Just like TripMode, Traffic conveniently sits in your menubar. Its intentionally limited feature set makes it incredibly simple and easy to manage.

https://preview.redd.it/8m0323pjsf6g1.png?width=588&format=png&auto=webp&s=a7fab6170bd1bc62134c39c38ec53f9586e15537

Traffic's core functionality is actually more similar to Radio Silence than TripMode. You can add any number of applications to a list and then choose between two modes: either blocking only those selected apps or, conversely, allowing only them to access the internet. There's also an option to completely pause Traffic. However, that's pretty much where the features end. Traffic doesn't offer profiles, live monitors, detailed insights, or other advanced functionalities. Similar to TripMode, it doesn't let you block individual network connections an app makes; instead, it blocks or allows entire applications and all their connections.

# Conclusion

So, after all that, what's the big takeaway? Well, if you're just looking for a simple and affordable way to control which apps can use the internet, Traffic is a really neat helper. It performs its intended functions without unnecessary features. That simplicity also means it's pretty much foolproof and super straightforward for anyone to use. Now, if you really need any advanced features, like custom profiles, detailed monitoring, or even scheduling, then TripMode might be exactly what you need.

Ultimately, it really just comes down to what's more important to you. Both of these tools are equally good at blocking network access for specific applications; it's just the extra bells and whistles that are different.

Disclaimer: I am neither the developer nor affiliated with any of the apps mentioned.

https://redd.it/1pjdsky
@macappsbackup

Terminal Shortcuts End of Year Discount!

https://redd.it/1pjfoue
@macappsbackup

A love letter to Slidepad

I want to start by saying that I am neither the developer nor am I associated with them in any way. I just had to take time to thank them for making this fantastic app. I have searched high and low for an unintrusive browser that can float/slide over on top of other apps on my Mac. I tried a couple of other apps (MenubarX and DuckFloat, both good apps, feel free to blame the user here), but they did not work the way I wanted them to. I am happy to say that I am finally settled on Slidepad and it is working perfectly for me. Slidepad is intuitive and versatile. This app definitely deserves more love.

On a side note, DuckFloat is an awesome clipboard manager.

https://redd.it/1pjl5jb
@macappsbackup