Which Mac apps would you love to get but find too expensive?

Just curious. Most of the discussions around the sub is around free or best value for money apps.

But which ones do you have or want to get but are too pricey?

E.g if money is not an object - what would you recommend?

https://redd.it/1psx7qx
@macappsbackup

Working on a clipboard sync app for Mac + Android — would love feedback

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

It’s that time again: What is your absolute "God Tier" Mac App of 2025?

As we wrap up 2025 and head into 2026, I want to refresh our collective "Must-Install" list. Last year's thread was a goldmine, but the landscape has shifted (new AI tools, browsers, and LiquidGlass updates etc.).

I’m looking for the apps that carried your workflow this year - whether it's for productivity, creativity, personalization, or just pure fun!

The Question: If you had to wipe your Mac today and could only install three 3rd-party apps first, what would they be for 2026?

To start the discussion, here are my top 3 picks for the year:

1. **TrackWeight**: My "fun" pick of the year. It literally lets you weigh objects using your Mac’s trackpad!!
2. **Ice**: The hot new open-source MenuBar management app.
3. **Pearcleaner**: To keep your Mac clean.

Best Mac Apps of 2025



https://redd.it/1pszln4
@macappsbackup

Notes apps that search document contents, not just noscript

I'm wondering if we can get a semi-comprehensive list going here of apps that can search, not just the noscript, but the contents of a text file. Also, can Spotlight/Alfred/Raycast do it? And I know this is r/macapps, but I'm wondering if Windows' global search can do the same these days. Apps that come to mind are Obsidian, Roam, Logseq — and I know Craft just implemented this. And then there's Houdahspot. But what about, say, Bear, iA writer, UpNote, etc., etc., etc.? The reason I ask: I'm a news reporter and over the years I've found myself wanting to search for a certain phrase or the name of a source inside my hundreds of files of interview notes, but I haven't had the time (or taken the time) to figure out which apps do this and which do it best, so I figured I'd open the question here and see if we can put our brains together.

https://redd.it/1pt5rch
@macappsbackup

Question for Developers About Updates

https://preview.redd.it/g2n45cz77t8g1.jpg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=66dc918dad53e98b4c4218a65915f08ed5c254f0

Why do some apps not cooperate with updater apps that use Sparkle or Homebrew? Does it cost extra money, or is it more difficult to implement than I am aware of? I've heard that you can't use Homebrew unless your app has a GitHub page with more than 50 stars. Is that true? Why do so many apps that have an option within their built-in updaters to "Automatically update in the future" still insist on asking me if I want to update them? For me, the holy grail is an app that can be set to stay up to date and never require anything else from me. Most browsers can do it.

Staying on top of app updates is a constant struggle for me. I know that I am an edge case with upwards of 600 installed apps, but when testing and reviewing software is your hobby, that's what happens. There isn't a single updater that catches every available app on my box, so I run them all on a rotating schedule: Latest, Updatest, Homebrew, MacUpdater (for 10 more days), and even the one built into CleanMyMac (DO NOT COME AT ME). Even with all of those available, there are still a few apps in my stack that don't cooperate with updater apps.

[DynamicLakePro](https://www.dynamiclake.com/) \- a notch app with lots of features and two pet peeves. It adds itself to my startup items without permission, and although it has its own updater, it doesn't work with anything else.
Badegeify \- An app that adds notification badges to the menu bar for apps like Messages, Slack, Teams, and more. It has a habit of showing up in updater apps as requiring a manual upgrade, but then when you run its built-in updater, it tells you that it's at the latest edition already.
The entire [Mac App Store](https://www.apple.com/app-store/) \- is just an inconsistent mess. Apps show up in updater apps as having updates available, but when you check them in the MAS GUI, you can't force an update. I typically use the CLI version of the MAS because it's built into [Topgrade](https://appaddict.app/post/topgrade-upgrade-all-the-things), but even then, there will often be a discrepancy between version numbers, and the same apps will redownload over and over. I've had this happen with Day One and Duplicate Detective.
Tinker Tool, an OG optimization app that's been around forever, wants to use another app from the same developer to download apps, kind of in the same way that Microsoft Office has its own updater app.

Lest I sound like an ungrateful twat, I want to add that, by and large, most of the developers I've contacted, either as a customer or a blogger, have bent over backwards to be helpful. It can be almost surreal to receive help from people I've read about or listened to on podcasts. I'm extremely appreciative of the people who make the apps that help me get work done. Y'all rock.

https://redd.it/1pt8z6s
@macappsbackup

Poll: Do you use home brew for you apps

Do you use homebrew?

View Poll

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

Poll: Does homebrew effect your purchase decision

For those who use homebrew, does whether an app offers home brew make any difference in if you purchase the app?

View Poll

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

Click - Klack and MechVibes but better

https://redd.it/1ptm3ya
@macappsbackup

Hey everyone! 👋

I've been working on Subnoscript Forge, a free and open-source subnoscript tool that I wanted to share with the community.

# What is it?

A cross-platform GUI application for managing subnoscripts from video files. Works on **macOS**, **Windows**, and **Linux**.

# Features:

🎬 **Extract Subnoscripts**

* Extract from MKV files (batch processing supported)
* PGS to SRT conversion with OCR
* VobSub, ASS, SSA support

📝 **Convert Subnoscripts**

* Universal format converter (SRT ↔ ASS ↔ VTT ↔ SSA ↔ SUB ↔ TXT)
* Batch processing
* Preserves formatting where possible

🌍 **AI Translation** (NEW!)

* Translate subnoscripts using **Google Gemini AI**
* Supports **Gemini 2.5** and the new **Gemini 3.0** models
* Intelligent batch processing with progress tracking
* Resume interrupted translations
* Smart thinking settings auto-applied per model

📥 **Insert Subnoscripts**

* Mux subnoscripts back into video files

# Tech Stack:

* Built with **Go** \+ **Fyne** GUI framework
* Uses `gemini-srt-translator` (GST v3.0.0) for AI translation
* Integrates with FFmpeg, MKVToolNix, Tesseract OCR

# Links:

🔗 **GitHub**: [https://github.com/VenimK/Subnoscript-Forge](https://github.com/VenimK/Subnoscript-Forge)

📦 **Download**: Check the [Releases page](https://github.com/VenimK/Subnoscript-Forge/releases/latest) for pre-built binaries

https://preview.redd.it/xm95hvr8nw8g1.png?width=4434&format=png&auto=webp&s=cfaecf35155a4d471abdd5fc23c8d1285202039e

https://preview.redd.it/16tpzxr8nw8g1.png?width=5120&format=png&auto=webp&s=a117d9d1b6809f9df97b3f7dafbfbf70cfc14e21

https://preview.redd.it/l56i1xr8nw8g1.png?width=5120&format=png&auto=webp&s=10b58d2b681318f9f185859f0c01155cd1ff157d

https://preview.redd.it/rry04wr8nw8g1.png?width=5120&format=png&auto=webp&s=0522efc2eda47ec97b3179ceb0a45d02bf90ed80

https://preview.redd.it/yh0cxvr8nw8g1.png?width=5120&format=png&auto=webp&s=dc3671773a4ec59382d63e2bf02ef00ff2b19d63

It's completely free and open source. Would love to hear your feedback, suggestions, or bug reports!

If you find it useful, consider giving it a ⭐ on GitHub. Thanks! 🙏

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

Share my favorite Terminal app in 2025 and how I configured it.

https://redd.it/1ptp6re
@macappsbackup

Share the best designed app

I am a designer, I am going to design a mac app. I am researching about design.

For that asking:

Which app you loved for design? Share the name please 🙌

https://redd.it/1ptp0vz
@macappsbackup

Valid m4a plays as silence in Apple Music, but works in my own player

Hi, I’m new to macOS (switched a few months ago) and I’m a bit confused.

I’m developing a MIDI visualizer app and part of it exports audio from MIDI (m4a). The file is generated without errors, but when I try to play it with Apple Music, it’s completely silent — no error, no warning.

At first I assumed my export was broken, so I tried other players as well (including MKPlayer), but the result was the same: silence.

Out of curiosity, I then played the exact same file with a small player I wrote myself — and the audio plays perfectly.

So:

Is Apple Music (or macOS audio in general) doing some extra validation, indexing, or processing that can cause valid audio files to play as silence?

Why does it take 10–20 seconds to start playing a simple local audio file?

All I want is very basic behavior:

Click a file in Finder → instant playback. No cloud, no library scanning, no subnoscriptions.

Is there a lightweight, “normal” audio player for this on macOS, or is writing your own player the expected solution?

Thanks!

https://redd.it/1ptq55o
@macappsbackup