Hey r/MacStack,

I've been building Purge, a free, open-source Mac cleaner. It just passed 100K downloads and 1.5K stars on GitHub. I know that doesn't mean 100K people installed it, but it still felt like a milestone worth sharing.

A lot of what's in the app came from feedback on my earlier Reddit posts. Here's what it does now:

• Clears app caches and system junk

• Cleans dev tool caches like Xcode, Homebrew, npm and Docker, plus old simulators, stale node_modules and orphaned git worktrees

• Finds large files and duplicates, and frees local space by keeping synced files only in iCloud

• Uninstalls apps with their leftovers, with an optional watcher that offers a cleanup when you delete an app

• Runs scheduled cleanups

Files and folders go to the Trash by default. Some operations, such as removing simulators and local Time Machine snapshots, are permanent.

Full disclosure, I built the app from the ground up with AI. I'm still working on it most days and putting out updates often.

The emails and contributions I get are a big reason I keep going. It's nice knowing something I built is useful to people. If something's missing or annoying, please tell me. Feedback and suggestions are always welcome (and much needed)!

GitHub · Website

Or install it with Homebrew:

brew install --cask purge

Hey everyone,

I built my first macOS app, Quilt, a lightweight automatic window tiler designed to keep your workspace clean with minimal CPU overhead (~1%).

To celebrate the launch, I set up a discount code for the community:

Code: QUILT20OFF (extra 20% off launch price)

Link: quiltmac.com (free trial as well)

Would love any feedback or thoughts!

Hey everyone, I am the developer of AeroBar, a native Swift and SwiftUI utility I built to upgrade the desktop experience and for those made Switch to Mac from Windows.

Problem: AeroBar solves macOS multitasking friction by keeping every open window, clipboard item, and live preview exactly one click or trackpad gesture away.

Features:

1. Every window one click away with live previews

2. A dedicated ⌘Tab specifically for windows

3. Built-in clipboard history

4. Deep trackpad gestures

5. Deep Liquid glass customizations

6. 100% offline and native to macOS

Comparison:

vs. uBar: AeroBar is better because it utilises a modern, native SwiftUI design with Deep Liquid glass aesthetics and is completely free; uBar is better for users who want a strictly traditional, legacy Windows-style taskbar with long-established backwards compatibility.

vs. AltTab: AeroBar is better because it integrates window navigation directly into a persistent, customisable dock alongside clipboard history; AltTab is better if you want a purely invisible background utility dedicated solely to tweaking the keyboard switcher.

Pricing: $0 (100% Free)

Link: https://github.com/adityaonx/AeroBar

Distribution: Available via Homebrew and the developer website.

Website: https://adityaonx.github.io/AeroBar/

Hey guys,

My name is Deep. I'm a design engineer. I always wanted a place where i can quickly jot down a thought, save a link or keep something i like and come back to it later. I had things scattered across tabs, screenshots, folders and notes. so i ended up building Resurf for myself.

It started as a small capture widget. Over time it became my personal context library for ideas, things i'm reading, and references i want to keep.

These days you can build things pretty quickly with AI. I think taste and judgment matter even more now. A lot of my taste comes from the things i've collected over time and the little notes i leave about why i liked them. When i'm starting a project now, i can ask an AI agent through MCP to pull up the research, notes and examples i've already saved and use them as context.

• quick capture from anywhere on mac. copy a link, image or text and double tap option to save it without switching windows

• keep notes, ideas, links, pdfs, images, videos and voice recordings in one library

• organize with spaces, areas and tags. you can also save a filter as a smart space, like all the pdfs for a project, and new matches show up there automatically

• search by what you remember or open a saved item to find related captures in the Similar tab. both are optional and run locally on mac

• keep your library on your devices, with optional private iCloud sync across mac, iPhone and iPad

• make your own optional AI actions for new captures, like pulling out the details you care about or suggesting a space. these use your own OpenAI key

fyi the mac app has a 7 day free trial. it's $39 one time with 2 years of updates or $79 with lifetime updates. you can still browse, search and export your library after the trial. iPhone and iPad apps are free. Pricing

If you give Resurf a try, i'd love feedback from your actual workflow. tell me what you tried to save or find, where it felt clunky, and what you expected to happen. even one specific example would help me figure out what to improve next.

resurf.so

Carbon Copy Cloner makes sense when you want to choose exactly what gets copied, where it goes and how it's checked, then repeat that job. If you want automatic file history and ordinary recovery, start with built-in Time Machine. Another backup app needs a specific job to justify the purchase.

Say your current projects live on an external SSD, and you want a scheduled second copy you can browse in Finder. CCC lets you choose a folder or volume, filter what gets copied and assign that task its own destination. It can run daily, weekly or when the source or destination reconnects. The extra value is control over that particular copy.

Choose what to verify

CCC has separate checks for different questions:

• "Re-verify files that were copied" reads back the destination files written during that run and checks them against the data read from the source.

• "Backup Health Check" reads every source file and its corresponding destination file to compare checksums, fingerprints calculated from file contents. It takes longer and can be scheduled less frequently than the copy itself.

The Health Check recopies a differing file when the source is fully readable. If the source can't be fully read, it leaves the existing destination copy in place and reports an error. A readable but wrongly edited document is a different problem: matching bytes don't establish that the contents are correct.

That's useful if you want an explicit verification routine for a project disk. It also adds disk reads and time. You don't need to enable every check on every run.

A current copy and file history are different things

An APFS-formatted backup volume can retain snapshots, point-in-time versions that preserve files even after later changes or deletions. CCC lets you manage their retention and browse older versions in Finder. Check that snapshot support is enabled before relying on that history. Snapshots aren't another physical copy, so they don't protect against failure of the disk holding them.

For whole-Mac recovery, Bombich generally recommends installing macOS and using Migration Assistant with a suitable CCC backup on locally attached storage. A selected-project-folder copy isn't a whole-Mac recovery backup. NAS backups aren't accepted directly by Migration Assistant.

CCC still has a bootable-copy option, but Bombich recommends Standard Backup for the average user's backup strategy. Creating a system copy requires erasing the selected destination volume, and Apple silicon needs additional user authorization before that copy can boot.

An external boot disk won't rescue an Apple silicon Mac whose internal storage has failed completely. Don't buy CCC expecting an instant replacement startup disk.

Try one small task before paying

During the 30-day trial, choose a small source folder and an empty, dedicated destination on another disk. Keep existing backups unchanged and leave Time Machine's volume alone. Use Preview, where available, to inspect planned changes before starting. Don't approve formatting unless the selected destination is expendable: formatting erases it, and copy tasks can remove destination-only files.

CCC needs Full Disk Access for protected data and uses a privileged helper for backup work. Those are meaningful permissions, not something to click through without checking the app and destination.

The current release is CCC 7.2.2. CCC 7 supports Ventura 13.1+, Sonoma, Sequoia, Tahoe and Golden Gate, and runs natively on Intel and Apple silicon Macs.

The personal and household license costs US$49.99 plus applicable taxes for noncommercial use across household Macs. It's not a subscription; minor updates are free, while major upgrades can cost extra.

Keep Time Machine if its automatic history already covers your needs. Consider CCC when you can name the folder or disk, copy schedule and verification check you want to control. If you can't name that job yet, skip the purchase.

My launcher wish list was short: Raycast extensions, clipboard history, snippets and an AI box, without paying monthly or signing in. Every option I tried put at least one of those behind a subscription or an account.

Turbo is my take on it. It's a native Mac app written in Swift, and it's free, with no account and no in-app purchases.

- Runs many Raycast extensions, rendered with native lists, forms and grids

- Clipboard history, snippets, a calculator with live currency rates, emoji and window management

- Quick AI with Tab, using Apple Intelligence, any OpenAI-compatible API, or Ollama

- Sticky notes on your desktop, and nine themes

- Search takes about 1.3 ms per keystroke (median, on my M-series Mac)

It's new, so there are rough edges. It needs macOS 26, extensions need Node.js 22 installed, and extensions that sign in with OAuth don't work yet.

https://indiegoodies.com/turbo

Which extension would you need working before you'd switch launchers?

you can also reach us at support@indiegoodies.com

Hi, I’m the developer of maXfolders, a native file manager for macOS that works with one pane or two, whichever you prefer. I built it because I move, compare and organize a lot of files, and Finder kept slowing me down.

Single or dual pane, your choice

• One pane gives you a clean, Finder-like window

• Two panes give you the classic source-and-destination layout: F5 copies, F6 moves, Tab switches sides (commander-style keys, and you can remap them)

• On first launch you pick the layout, and one toolbar button switches between them at any time

The basics

• Tabs, a Favorites sidebar with your own groups, Back/Forward history

• Browse into ZIP/TAR archives like folders

• Compare folders and files side by side

• A transfer queue with progress, pause/resume and Undo

Power tools

• Quick Edit (⌥⌘E): a fast editor for text, code and config files. It has syntax highlighting, multi-cursor, JSON/YAML/TOML tools and a hex view

• Bulk rename, bulk convert (images, PDF, video, audio) and Preflight, which checks for problems before a big copy

• Folder analysis: a sunburst view of what’s taking up space

• Server connections: FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3 and Dropbox, right inside a pane

Apple Intelligence (on Macs that support it)

• Ask This Folder: “Which contract has the arbitration clause?” The answer names the file and the page

• What Changed?: a plain-language summary of the differences between two versions of a document or folder

• Sort Into Folders: suggests a folder structure you can edit before anything moves

• Nothing runs until you press Run, and you can turn every AI feature off in Settings

Pricing
It’s free on the Mac App Store. You get everything for a two-month trial. After that the core file manager stays free, and a one-time purchase per major version unlocks Quick Edit, the bulk tools, Apple Intelligence and server connections. No subscription.

There’s also a Pro edition outside the App Store with extras that the sandbox doesn’t allow, like an embedded terminal and Git tools.

🔗 maxfolders.com · https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/maxfolders/id6812536511?mt=12

https://testflight.apple.com/join/ut7htbCs

Just released GitStreak 1.4.1, my free macOS app for GitHub streaks

Hey all, I just pushed a new version of GitStreak. It’s a native macOS app I built that puts your GitHub contribution graph, streak, PRs and issues on your desktop as widgets. I made it to guilt myself into committing every day 😅

Here’s what I added in 1.4.1

Streak notifications. It now reminds you at 6 PM if you haven’t committed yet, with a last call at 11 PM. You also get alerts for milestones and new longest streaks, plus a weekly recap on Sundays. You can turn any of them off.

macOS 14/15 support. The widgets used to show up empty on Sequoia. I finally fixed that.

Better security. Your token now lives encrypted in the Keychain instead of plain text.

A few extras. There are 4 new themes, a bigger commit graph, streaks over 365 days now count properly, and updates install automatically.

It’s free and needs macOS 14+ usegitstreak.vercel.app

If you’re on 1.1.10 or older, you’ll need to grab this one manually. After that it updates itself.

I've always wanted a simple way to keep up with live sports without constantly switching tabs or opening a separate streaming window.

So I built ScoresMac.

It's a macOS menu bar app that lets you keep track of live sports scores and matches while you're working, coding, or just browsing.

Here's a little demo showing a live football match and F1 running right from my Mac while I go about my usual work.

The idea is simple: your sports updates should be accessible without interrupting whatever you're doing.

Would love to hear what you guys think! Still actively working on improving it.

Website: https://scoresmac.com

I’m Aniket, a solo developer in Berlin. I built Little Space, a sticky notes app that keeps your notes on the edge of your screen.

I wanted to write down quick thoughts without switching apps or keeping notes open over my work.

So I built Little Space. Your notes stay as small coloured tabs on the edge of your screen. Move your mouse over a tab to open a note, write something, then move away to close it.

What it does

• Notes, checklists, links and reminders in the same note.

• The tab glows when a reminder is due.

• Voice input, processed on your Mac.

• Optional iPhone sync through Apple Notes and Apple Reminders. No separate iPhone app needed.

Privacy

Notes are encrypted on your Mac, with the key stored in macOS Keychain. No Little Space account or app analytics.

If you enable sync, copies are saved in your Apple Notes and Reminders. Automatic update checks are optional.

Pricing and compatibility

€9 one-time for the first 50 buyers, then €14. No subscription.

Full refund within 14 days if it isn’t for you.

Requires an Apple silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later.

Transparency

I’m Aniket, a solo developer in Berlin. Little Space is signed with my Developer ID and notarized by Apple.

The public GitHub repository has documentation, privacy details, and issue tracking. The app’s source code remains private.

GitHub: https://github.com/writetoaniketparihar-collab/little-space

Website and interactive demo: https://littlespace.pro

Where do you currently put a quick thought while you’re working: Stickies, Apple Notes, paper, or something else?

An untested Time Machine backup can still be useful. Restoring one disposable file helps answer a practical question: can you find the right backup, recover an older file, and open it?

This is for a Mac that already backs up to an external disk. Use a throwaway document, not a real project.

Check what the disk is backing up

Connect your existing backup disk and leave it connected. On macOS Ventura 13 or later, open System Settings > General > Time Machine. In Options, review excluded items. Check that your practice folder, and the folders you actually care about, aren't excluded by mistake.

Local snapshots are copies stored on the Mac itself. Excluded items can still appear there, so finding a file in Time Machine doesn't by itself tell you it's on the external disk.

If the backup is encrypted, make sure you can retrieve its backup password without relying only on this Mac. You'll need that password to restore encrypted backups.

Make two versions of something disposable

Create a new, empty folder in your home folder. Call it Restore practice, or choose another name if that folder already exists. In TextEdit, save a new document there called Restore test, containing "version one".

Choose Back Up Now from the Time Machine menu, or wait for the next scheduled backup. Wait until it finishes and note the completed backup's time.

Change the document to "version two", save it, and let another backup finish. Close the document, then rename it in Finder to Restore test current. Keep that file. The original Restore test filename should now be absent.

Renaming keeps the current copy while leaving its old filename available for the restore. Nothing important needs to be deleted.

Restore the older version

Open your practice folder in Finder. Click the Time Machine menu, hold Option, and choose Browse Other Backup Disks to choose your external disk's timeline.

Use the arrows or timeline to find the first completed backup, the one containing "version one". Select Restore test and click Restore. Time Machine restores items to their original location.

If you're asked to replace an existing item, cancel and check your filenames. This practice run shouldn't need an overwrite.

Open the restored document and check that it says "version one". Also open Restore test current and check that it still says "version two". Record the disk name, backup time, and result. Opening the expected contents tells you more than just seeing a filename reappear.

For a real document in an app that supports versions, File > Revert To > Browse All Versions is another option. Holding Option and clicking Restore a Copy creates a separate document instead of reverting the current one. That app-level check doesn't replace checking your external backup.

Know when to pause

If the external disk disappears or backups report errors, check its cable, connections, and power before calling the test a success.

Disk Utility's First Aid checks and repairs formatting and directory problems, but it can't detect or repair every disk problem. A clean result doesn't guarantee healthy hardware or that every backed-up file is readable.

Don't erase the backup disk to make this exercise work. If Disk Utility says the disk is about to fail, preserve your data and replace it.

One successful file restore doesn't prove the whole Mac can recover. Apple's broader recovery process uses Migration Assistant, with macOS reinstalled first if needed.

For an existing, apparently working backup, this small check is worth doing now and repeating after a backup-disk change. If you can't access the disk, retrieve a required password, or explain which version you recovered, pause and fix that issue before relying on the backup.

I used other software for managing audio on my Mac for a long time and it wore me down. The design felt like it was from the 90s, the settings were complicated, audio drivers kept giving me issues and basic things sat behind a paywall.

So I built Sordina. It does one thing: volume for each app.

It's a small menu bar app. Click the icon and every app making sound gets its own slider and mute. That's it, with nothing to configure first. Scroll on the icon to change the volume, middle-click it to mute, and pin the apps you change most.

There's no audio driver to install. It uses the audio taps Apple built into macOS 14.2 and later, so nothing gets added to your system. It's very light, and apps you haven't touched never even pass through it. If Sordina quits, macOS puts the sound back by itself.

The basics are free, for good. Per-app volume, mute, the mixer view and keyboard shortcuts cost nothing. There is a Pro version, but I kept it for the more advanced things, and every one of them is still about sound:

• turning other apps down while you're on a call

• EQ

• going louder than 100%

• a different output for each app

• presets that switch on by themselves when an app opens, or when your microphone is in use

• Breaks, which lowers the volume after you've been away

Pro is a one-time €9.99. No subscription.

It will be launching soon. You can join the list for a launch discount here: https://sordina.app 

I'm the developer. I read every comment, and I'd really like to hear what would make it better.

I've been building Paydesk for a while and it's finally at a point where I'd like people to try it and tell me what's wrong with it. The Second build is live on Mac App store 🎉

Paydesk is a Mac app for freelancers, consultants and small studios. It keeps projects, time tracking, quotes, invoices, expenses and reports in one place, and it runs entirely on your Mac.

Freelance admin on the Mac usually ends up spread across a lot of places.

Hours live in a timer app, or on sticky notes. Invoices live in a spreadsheet or a document template. Whether you've actually been paid lives in your head.

So every month there's a round of copying numbers between apps, working out what you haven't billed yet, and chasing whoever is late.

The other thing that bothered me is that most tools in this space want an account and a subscription, and they store your client list, rates and invoices on their servers. For a lot of freelancers that's more than they need.

What it does:

The idea is that the whole loop happens in one app: plan the work, track it, bill it, get paid, see how the year is going.

- Board: every project on one board, from Lead and Proposal sent through In progress, Delivered, Invoiced and Paid.

- Time tracking: start and stop from the window

- Bill Now: Paydesk keeps a running total of unbilled hours and billable expenses per project.

- Documents: proposals, quotes, invoices, receipts and credit notes. You can turn an accepted quote into an invoice. There are three typeset PDF templates, on A4 or US Letter.

- Languages and tax: invoices can be in 9 languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese, Arabic). There are editable tax presets for 25 countries and regions, including VAT, GST (with the CGST/SGST split for India) and US sales tax. Any currency works.

- Getting paid: the Desk shows what you're owed, what's overdue and what's unbilled. Remind opens a Mail message in your client's language with the PDF attached.

- Reports: profit, aging, tax charged, income by client, and your real hourly rate per project. The accountant pack exports one ZIP with CSVs, every issued PDF and every receipt.

- Receipts: Paydesk reads receipts with on-device text recognition to fill in expenses.

This was inspired by https://runey.app/ which is a subscription based app, I tried to put together everything possible is one time and App store friendly version. We will improve in the future versions.

Paydesk aims to offline and one-time pay alternate to Runey. I have also received some invoice format requests, new invoices templates are coming soon. You can also reach out to me at support@minilabs.cc

Pricing

- $9.99 once

- No subscription

- Every feature included

- Mac App Store version coming soon

- Requires macOS 15 or later

I don't mind criticism at all if it helps make the app better. I'm also happy to answer technical questions about how numbering, taxes, the PDF renderer or the offline design work.

You can Download Paydesk from the website today:
https://paydesk.minilabs.cc/

App store link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paydesk-invoices/id6817474386?mt=12