There are many Mac productivity apps for developers on the market, and a ton of developers making them. Productivity is only made easy if the app is easy to use. This selection of Mac apps is simple to use and doesn’t require much setting up. If you are a busy developer you don’t have the time right. So, which are the best?
One thing to note about the following apps is that they are all available on Setapp. Setapp is a subscription-based software solution with over 230 apps available including CleanMyMac, Disk Drill, Bartender and Ulysses.
For $9.99 USD a month you can have all these apps available to download. If you are a student you can get this heavily discounted at half price for the year. Give Setapp a go and grab your free 7-day trial.
1. OpenIn
OpenIn is a godsend if you have multiple browsers installed. When you click on a link, like in an email or an app, the normal browser behaviour will open up a tab in your default browser. Openin works as a middleware for your browsers.
When you click on a link OpenIn will open a little dialogue which will ask you which browser you want to open the link in. This saves time having to copy and paste the URL from the source or default browser.
Visit the OpenIn website.
2. TextSoap
Have you ever copied text and included unwanted formatting? You then have to go through that text to remove it manually. Frustrating isn’t it? TextSoap takes the hassle out of having to do this.
It has lots of default actions including removing tabs, extra spaces, making paragraphs, and capitalizing sentences. If you have HTML tags inside your text, these can also be removed. There are so many options including the ability to create your own scrubs.
Visit the TextSoap website.
3. SheetPlanner
Finding the right project manager can be cumbersome. I have tried many, some are very complex and you spend the majority of the time trying to understand how it works. Sheetplanner takes the hassle out of planning tasks. It has an interface similar to that of a spreadsheet with every task on a new line.
The columns include the task itself, the date started/completed, duration, progress and more. You can hide columns so the interface is clutter-free. Within the tasks themselves, you can add notes, links to websites and indent sub-tasks. It simplifies projects for you.
Visit the SheetPlanner website.
4. Paste
It is common for developers to spend a lot of time copying and pasting from Stack Overflow. Am I wrong? Paste is a replacement for your built-in clipboard manager. Not only can you keep all of your text clippings from yesteryear. You can create sections to store your favourite clips. I store email reply responses in them and even some URLs.
Visit the Paste website.
5. Session
Session is a Pomodoro timer that sits in your menubar. It initiates a session timer for focusing for a short period of time. This is generally around 25 minutes, although it can be changed. This has proven to enable a clear focus whilst completing work.
During your session, you can stop unwanted distractions by disabling access to websites and apps. Once your timer has ended you can see analytics gathered from your session. This can be used if you are doing a time-constrained project for example.
Visit the Session website.
6. CodeRunner
CodeRunner can be used as a text editor or simply to run snippets of code if you don’t want to open your fully-fledged IDE.
It features code completion, live errors, multiple selections, debugging and auto-indent. It has support for 25 different programming languages including JavaScript, Python, C++ and PHP. It has a great selection of themes to choose from and features a sidebar where you can access documentation quickly.
Visit the CodeRunner website.
7. CleanShot X
You might think that a screenshot tool is not directly a developer tool. Technically it’s not but they still come in handy if you want to take a quick screenshot. CleanShot sits in your menubar and is also accessible by keyboard shortcuts.
The features include the standard capturing areas, fullscreen and windows. In addition, you can record your screen, you can capture your screen whilst scrolling and it features a timer for your captures. One of its best features is OCR and capturing the text from any image.
Visit the CleanShot website.
8. PathFinder
Finder can be quite frustrating to use sometimes. PathFinder is an alternative that has a suite of handy functions. The dual pane file explorer has a folder sync, a hex editor and a built-in terminal.
There is a checksum calculator to ensure that your downloads haven’t been compromised, which would have to be done via the terminal otherwise. Situated at the top left sidebar is a handy little drop stack feature where you can temporarily hold files/folders until you find the location you want to put them.
Visit the PathFinder website.
9. Dash
Dash is a go-to for accessing offline developer documentation quickly. You can download over 200 docsets and 100 cheatsheets for your favourite programming languages or APIs. You can create your own docsets and share them with others.
It features a snippet manager to search and access all your favourite code snippets. Dash integrates with major code editors including Visual Studio Code and Jetbrains products. You can save your profile and snippets to cloud storage for backup.
Visit the Dash website.
10. DevUtils
DevUtils is a suite of offline developer tools available at a click of a button. You can format and validate JSON data, convert UNIX timestamps, debug JWT tokens and generate UUIDs. Other features include beautifying and minifying code, URL parser and much more.
Its smart detection feature analyses the clipboard and picks the utility required for the job. If you are cautious about uploading your data to a website then DevUtils is the tool for you.
Visit the DevTools website.
Conclusion
As previously stated Setapp is a low-cost alternative to having fully updated apps available instead of purchasing them separately. No need to buy a new license for your software every 2 years, no need to update it manually. Developers can earn a living and everyone is a winner.
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