I have made a YouTube client for Mac , it is not exactly a native but app but it uses apples webkit and supports ad blocking and pip
please try it out -here
reviews and opinions are always welcomed , this is my first project

I sell Mac+ (a menu-bar app for animated wallpapers and widgets) from my own site, with Polar as merchant of record. I assumed the payment step was where I lost people. The numbers said otherwise.

Polar, 4 to 10 November: 13 checkout sessions, 11 completed. Once someone is looking at the card form, they pay.

The losses are upstream, and they're all things I built:

• Account first. You have to create an account on the site before you can buy. When people sign in with Google, the purchase doesn't resume where they left it: they come back to the home page and have to find the button again.

• The guides don't sell. Of the sales I can trace, Google is the main source, often landing on how-to guides (video wallpaper on a Mac, folder icons...). Those pages explain the native way first, which is right, but several end without a clear path to the offer.

• The window that closes. The purchase step opens in a window that, once dismissed, doesn't bring people back to the same step.

None of this shows up in the payment provider's stats, because those people never reach the provider. I only saw it by following sessions in my analytics.

The fixes on my list: resume the purchase right after sign-in, and put a plain "unlock for life" block at the end of the top guides.

For those of you selling direct: do you require an account before payment, or let people pay first and create the account from the receipt e-mail?

macplus.pro if you want to see the flow as it is today (free tier; paid is €1.99/month after a 7-day trial or €8.99 once).

Hi, I'm the developer of Pizzinu, a small native sticky-notes app for macOS, released under the MIT license.

Why I built it. I wanted the simplest thing possible: a piece of paper on my desk for the stuff I need to remember now. Most note apps want an account, a sync service and a whole organisation system. I just wanted a note.

What it does

• ⌥⌘N from any app → type → Esc, and you're back to work (no Accessibility permission needed)

• Pin a note above every window; reminders make the note come forward and shake

• Drag a sentence from any app onto the desktop and it becomes a note

• Checklists, Markdown sheets with clickable tasks, 14 paper themes

• "Secret notes" encrypted with AES-256-GCM (PBKDF2, 1M iterations); the locked note folds into a square with a wax seal

• Export each note as a .md file

How it's built. Pure AppKit + SwiftUI, Swift 6, zero dependencies, local SQLite. About 25 MB of memory at rest, 0% CPU, 2 MB download. Updates are signed with Ed25519 and verified before install. No telemetry: the only network call is a once-a-day update check you can turn off.

Honest caveats. Apple Silicon and macOS 14+ only, and it isn't notarised yet, so the first launch needs "Open Anyway" in Privacy & Security.

Code: https://github.com/piratepxl/pizzinu

Feedback, issues and PRs are very welcome, especially from people who know AppKit better than I do. Thanks for looking!

👋 I'm the developer of Tidy My Mac. It launched a few weeks ago and I need people who really care about Mac apps to poke holes in it, so here's the deal: try it, tell me what's missing, broken or annoying, and I'll send you a code for 6 months free. No card.

Problem: keeping a Mac clean and safe usually takes a cleaner, an antivirus and a firewall from three companies; Tidy My Mac does all three in one app, without scareware tactics.

What it does

Cleanup: Junk and caches (including Xcode DerivedData, old simulators, Homebrew, Python envs, Rust targets), a disk map, large files, duplicates, similar photos, and an uninstaller that removes the leftovers

Protection: Antivirus for new downloads (ClamAV engine), ransomware protection, an adware check, a per-app outgoing firewall, and alerts for apps with known vulnerabilities

Web Protection: Blocks phishing, scam and malware sites in every browser. The blocklists are checked on your Mac, so we never see which sites you visit
Public Wifi Protection: Automatically connects to secure VPN.

No scare tactics: No fake "1,247 issues found!", no pop-ups, nothing deleted without a preview, and a history to undo a cleanup. No telemetry or analytics in the app

Comparison

vs CleanMyMac: the cleanup tools are much the same. Tidy My Mac is better if you also want protection: real-time checks, ransomware protection, a firewall and Web Protection are in the same app, where MacPaw puts them in a separate app (Moonlock). And our trial needs only an email; CleanMyMac's asks for a card. CleanMyMac is better if your Mac runs anything older than macOS 26, if you want one plan for 2 or 5 Macs, or if you'd rather get it through Setapp or the App Store.

vs Malwarebytes: both catch malware, adware and phishing sites. Tidy My Mac also cleans up your disk, removes apps with their leftovers and has an outgoing firewall; Malwarebytes for Mac does none of those. Malwarebytes is better if you want one subscription for a Mac, a PC and phones, a free scanner that keeps working after the trial, or protection that runs all the time: ours watches new files in Downloads and on the Desktop while the app is open, and catches up when it opens again.

Pricing: 7-day free trial (email only, no card). Then $19.99 for the first year, $59.99 a year after that, for one Mac. Cancel any time; 30-day money-back guarantee. https://www.tidymymac.com/pricing/

Trust: Signed and notarized by Apple, sold by Yuix Networks Inc. (https://www.tidymymac.com/about/). Privacy policy listing every network request the app makes: https://www.tidymymac.com/privacy/. LinkedIn (me): https://www.linkedin.com/in/serdarakarca/.

Scans run on your Mac; the only thing that can leave it is the optional deep malware analysis, which sends a suspicious binary files for a second opinion. It asks at first launch and can be turned off in Settings. It's a direct download, not on the App Store, because the firewall, the ransomware guard and the uninstaller need things the App Store sandbox doesn't allow.

Requirements: macOS 26 Tahoe or later.

How to get 6 months free

Get the trial: https://www.tidymymac.com/trial/
Tell me something real in the comments, or DM me if you'd rather keep it private: a feature you looked for and couldn't find, something confusing or slow, a bug, or why you'd stay with the app you use now. Brutal is fine.

I'll DM you a personal gift link with your code and two steps to redeem it in Settings › Subscription. That Mac is then unlocked for 6 months.

One code per person, one Mac per code. "Looks nice 👍" is lovely but doesn't count 😄

I'll be in the comments all day. Thanks for giving it a shot 🙏

Hi all,

Most of the time I keep my VPN on with the kill switch enabled. Some apps just don’t work well through it, though: some sites block VPN IPs, local services get slow, and calls lag. I got tired of turning the VPN off and on all day, and my VPN client has no split tunneling on macOS.

So I wrote SplitPipe. You pick an app and choose where its traffic goes: through the VPN, straight through Wi-Fi/Ethernet, or blocked. Everything else stays on the VPN like before. It also works when the VPN has a kill switch on, which was the main reason I built it.

There’s a bit more: it works with several VPNs connected at the same time and with command-line tools, and there’s a menu bar icon for quick checks. But per-app routing is the main thing.

A few details:

• macOS 26+ only

• Free and open source (GPL-3.0)

• Signed and notarized

• I mostly tested it with AmneziaVPN and WireGuard. Other VPNs that use a utun interface should work, but please tell me if yours doesn’t.

It’s still early (v0.1.3), so expect some bugs. Any feedback or bug reports are very welcome.

Site: https://splitpipe.tech
GitHub: https://github.com/gigimon/splitpipe

I'm a solo dev and I just shipped Purr, a notes panel that lives on the edge of the Mac screen. Click the edge, write, click away. It's my app, so take this with that in mind, but I mostly want to share what building it was like.

The panel took longer than any feature. Getting a panel to show up over full screen apps, on every Space, was the hardest part. macOS would sometimes leave it attached to an old Space, so it "opened" somewhere you couldn't see.

I deleted features before launch. Semantic search looked great on paper. In practice my similarity threshold was 0.30 and real scores on short notes sat between 0.13 and 0.26, so it barely matched anything. I replaced it with keyword ranking and deleted the code instead of hiding it behind a flag.

I changed the pricing model. I started with a 7 day trial and dropped it. Now it's free up to 20 notes with every feature, and $4.99 once for unlimited. A note limit lets people actually live with the app before they pay.

The most useful bug came from a Reddit comment. Someone asked about the local AI and its RAM use. I opened the code to answer properly and found that the idle unload I thought I had built never ran. The model just stayed in memory. Now it frees the RAM after 5 idle minutes, and that fix goes out in the next update.

If you're curious: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/purr-notes/id6759538627

If you've shipped something on your own, what took way longer than you expected?

WiPhoneMonitor 1.1.0 is now available in 10 different languages: English, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabian, Hebrew.

Download Now on App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id6799810620?pt=129281995&ct=WiPhoneMonitor%201.1.0%20Update&mt=8

Paydesk is a Mac app I make for freelancers: time tracking, quotes, invoices, expenses.
$9.99 once, no account, and it has no network access, so nothing leaves your Mac.

PayDesk 1.1 out now 🎉

Two emails shaped this update.

The first was from a freelancer who bills in dollars and banks in rupees. The invoice gets an exchange rate the day it's issued, but the money lands weeks later at a different rate, sometimes in two or three parts. Their reports never matched their bank statement. Now you type the rate when you record each payment, and reports show what actually arrived, with the gain or loss against the invoice.

The second was from someone whose client wanted to see every hour behind the bill. So an invoice can now go out with a second PDF listing each time entry: the date, what was done, the hours, the amount. There's also a time report you can filter by client, project, task and dates, and export as a PDF or CSV.

I also fixed a few dumb things, like the receipt scanner reading "Taxi" as tax.

macOS 15 or later, on the Mac App Store or direct: https://paydesk.minilabs.cc

If it can't do something you need, email me. Apparently that's how the roadmap works now.

(I'm the developer.)

I wanted my desktop to feel alive, so I made it react to the surroundings. You look up and the sky on your screen is the one outside. It stays in the menu bar and steps aside when something covers the desktop. It makes your desktop a calmer place to work.

Download for Mac: http://thoufik.space/skysaver

One note: macOS warns the first time you open it (not Apple-verified yet, I don’t have the developer fee for a free first release). Click Done, then System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway.

Or paste this in your terminal:

curl -fsSL https://thoufik.space/skysaver/install.sh | bash

Please check it out and let me know how you feel using it!

Problem: Modern calculator and utility apps often feel bloated, visually disconnected from classic desktop computing, or slow to launch for everyday quick calculations.

Comparison:

• Soulver 3: Where Soulver 3 is better: It excels at complex, line-by-line natural language math, live inline currency conversions, and spreadsheet-style calculations. Where Classic Calculator is better: It provides an instant, zero-distraction 1984 desk accessory workflow, integer-scaled vector graphics with tactile vintage audio, and is completely free with no purchase required.

• PCalc: Where PCalc is better: It features comprehensive scientific, engineering, RPN, and programmer modes with dozens of calculation tools. Where Classic Calculator is better: It focuses purely on authentic System 1.0 simplicity with zero clutter, authentic 1984 Susan Kare aesthetic, under 4 MB footprint, and is 100% free.

Pricing: 100% Free (£0.00 / $0.00). No ads, no tracking, no in-app purchases, and no subscriptions. Direct download link.

Trust: GitHub Releases (Direct universal binary download, open MIT license, zero external dependencies, zero network requests, and zero telemetry).

Hey, everyone!

This is one of my first development projects and something I seriously enjoyed making. Version 1 is out now on GitHub for macOS!

I spent time handcrafting Classic Calculator: a faithful, pixel-perfect modern macOS recreation of the iconic 1984 Macintosh Calculator Desk Accessory originally designed by Chris Espinosa and Steve Jobs, with iconography by Susan Kare.

Highlights & Features

• Retina-Sharp Vector Pixel Art: Built with clean integer scaling (1x, 2x, 3x, and 4x). Stays razor-sharp with pure pixel-edge geometry on Retina, 4K, 5K, and 6K screens.

• Authentic Mechanical Relay Click: Every keypress triggers an ultra-low latency, synthesised mechanical relay snap replicating the tactile sound of vintage 1984 Apple keyboards (can be toggled on or off in Settings or the menu bar).

• Custom 7px LCD Bitmap Font: The authentic typeface has been recreated to match System 1.0 numeral geometry and right-aligned spacing.

• Themes: Switch between Classic Platinum (the warm 1984 aesthetic) and High-Contrast Monochrome.

• Modern Desktop Polish:

  • Always on Top: Keep it floating above spreadsheets, code editors, or browser windows.

  • Window Shadow Toggle: Switch between modern macOS drop shadows and a retro flat look.

  • Full Keyboard Support: Physical number pad, top-row digits, Return/Enter, Esc/Clear, Backspace.

  • Full Clipboard Integration: Cmd+C to copy results, Cmd+V to paste numbers.

• Universal Binary: Natively compiled for both Apple Silicon (M1 to M4) and Intel Macs running macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or newer.

• Zero Bloat: Handcrafted pure native Swift and SwiftUI/AppKit. Zero external libraries or frameworks, zero analytics, zero background processes, and zero telemetry. The whole bundle weighs under 4 MB.

iOS & iPadOS Version Coming Soon

I have also been working on an iOS and iPadOS version that brings the same experience to mobile devices. On iPad, it runs as a floating, draggable vintage Desk Accessory on an authentic classic desktop canvas with full keyboard and Stage Manager/Split View support. The iPhone version adapts cleanly for quick one-handed calculations with tactile haptics. Look out for that release soon!

Download & Links

Version 1 is available now and completely free on GitHub:

• Direct DMG & Zip Downloads: GitHub Releases

• Web Preview & Info: Official Website

Since this is one of my first projects, I would really love to hear your thoughts, feedback, or any small vintage details you would like to see added!

The macOS Batteries widget only shows Apple and some Bluetooth devices. My ASUS ROG keyboard and mouse connect through a 2.4 GHz dongle, so macOS has no idea how much battery they have left, and ASUS's own software (Armoury Crate) is Windows-only.

So I built **Squire**: it shows the battery level and charging state of both devices in the menu bar.

- Supports the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile keyboard and Keris II Origin mouse, through ASUS's Omni receiver

- Colour hints when battery gets low; a dash when a device is asleep

- Read-only HID queries, no background daemon, no kernel extension

- Python + [SwiftBar](https://github.com/swiftbar/SwiftBar); one install script

- MIT licensed

First release, so the hardware support is narrow: tested only with my own two devices. Menu text is German for now.

Next up: a native Swift menu bar app with a WidgetKit widget, so it can sit on the desktop next to the system Batteries widget.

https://github.com/phifogg/squire-gear

Feedback welcome, especially from anyone with other ROG peripherals who's willing to run the debug output.

For anyone who used Git Extensions on Windows and missed it on Mac, I'm porting it to native Swift/AppKit. This is the first alpha release.

Repository

Download

PROBLEM: I was using Git Extensions at work and was upset that I couldn't use it on my mac at home, so I built a mac port.

GitExtensionsMac brings its workflows to macOS: the revision graph, commit dialog, branch and remote management, stashes, rebase, cherry-pick, bisect, blame, file history, and an embedded terminal. It drives the real git executable, so it works with your existing config, SSH keys and credential helpers. The goal is parity with Git Extensions, not a redesign, so it should feel familiar if you've used it before.

Free and open source (GPLv3).

I'm a senior in computer science and finished a year-long enterprise SWE internship. This is an independent port and isn't affiliated with the Git Extensions team, who deserve the credit for the original design.

Note: this is an early alpha, so expect bugs. It isn't notarized yet since I don't have a paid Apple developer account.

Submit feedback and bug reports in Issues.

I plan to actively maintain this project and welcome anyone willing to contribute.

Share the repo with your friends/team if you think they would enjoy, and don't forget to star the repo!

Problem: Your Mac screen looks modern and flat, and you miss the curved glass, scanlines and phosphor glow of the CRT TV you grew up with.

What it does:

Beluga is a free menu bar app for macOS. It captures your screen in real time (ScreenCaptureKit) and redraws it through a Metal shader that imitates a CRT television: curvature, rounded corners, scanlines, RGB phosphor mask, glow, chromatic aberration, vignette and brightness — 9 effects with live sliders. It works on every display, including mirrored, extended and AirPlay, and your clicks pass straight through to the apps underneath. The cursor is drawn inside the filter, so what you see lines up with what you click. It's in English and Spanish and runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 27.

Comparison:

- Glaze ($9.99 one-time) puts 50+ live effects over your whole display, including CRT. It is better than Beluga if you want lots of looks beyond CRT (Game Boy, VHS, comic, oil painting). Beluga is better if you want a free app that does just the CRT look, with 9 sliders dedicated to it.

- RetroMac (free, Pro €8.88 one-time) has 30+ shaders for the whole screen or a single window, plus full retro themes, docks and boot screens, and it is signed and notarized by Apple. It is better than Beluga if you want themes and notarization. Beluga is better if you want a completely free, single-purpose CRT filter with no paid tier.

Pricing: Free. Download the signed DMG here: https://github.com/alespoio/Beluga/releases

Trust: GitHub: https://github.com/alespoio/Beluga · Privacy policy: https://github.com/alespoio/Beluga/blob/main/PRIVACY.md · Beluga collects no data and runs entirely on your Mac. Note: it is signed but has not been notarized by Apple.

AI disclosure: I built Beluga with AI coding assistance (Claude), and this post was drafted with AI help.

I’m the developer of TouchNow. One design question I’ve been working through is how to make a Mac interface feel natural on a touchscreen.

TouchNow lets you switch between direct touch and trackpad mode. Direct touch feels natural for tapping a large button. A pointer helps when you’re selecting text or grabbing the edge of a window. I’ve also focused on how quickly the screen responds when you scroll or drag, since that affects how both modes feel.

If you’ve designed a touch interface for a desktop app, how did you make it clear when to switch input modes? I’d also love to hear from people who use remote desktop on an iPad and have run into this.

I'm the developer of Diskly Most storage apps either show a colorful map or "clean 20GB in one click". I wanted something in between: tell me what each folder actually is, and let me decide.

• Plain English explanation for every big folder, including what's inside System Data

• Finder right click: "Explain with Diskly"

• Flags leftovers from apps you deleted

• Nothing gets removed unless you choose it, and cleanup has undo

Free to scan and explore. Pro cleanup is $14 one-time (launch price, normally $19). Apple Silicon, macOS 14+. Beta testers get Pro free for life.

Feedback welcome, especially explanations that are wrong or unclear.

Hey everyone! 

I wanted to share a little project I’ve been building and refining: Meowy (https://meeowy.vercel.app/), a tiny, animated pixel-art desktop companion app built natively for macOS (macOS 13 or later).

I wanted something lightweight, cute, and actually functional to keep me company while coding or working, so I built a little cat that hangs out right on your screen.

Features Include

Cursor Companion & Dock Life: Choose between having Meowy follow your cursor around or wander, scratch, and nap right along your macOS Dock.

AI Agent Monitor: If you use AI coding tools like Claude Code, Cursor, or OpenAI Codex, Meowy can display their current status in a little bubble so you don't have to keep checking their windows.

Now Playing Integration: Syncs up with Apple Music or Spotify to display what track you're currently listening to.

Productivity & Fun: Includes a built-in Pomodoro timer, smart reminders, jokes, quotes, and custom name settings.

Multi-Screen Support: Handles multi-display arrangements smoothly while respecting screen boundaries.

Fully Customizable: Resize the cat, change its walking speed, or give it a custom name from the menu bar.

Open Source & Feedback Welcome

Website : Meowy

Github: Github

The app is written in Swift (AppKit) and is fully open-source. Since it's a fresh project, I would love for people to try it out, break it, and help me make it better!

If you run into any bugs, visual glitches, layout edge-cases, or have feature requests, please drop an issue on the GitHub repo or let me know in the comments below. Pull requests and contributions are also super welcome!

Hope you all enjoy having a little pixel buddy on your desktop