Top 10 Must-Have Apps for Every New Mac (2025 Edition)

January 13, 2026 9 views

Buying a new Mac is exciting — the sleek design, powerful hardware, and smooth macOS experience are hard to beat. However, a Mac truly becomes powerful when you install the right software. Whether you are a student, creative professional, or business user, the apps you choose will define how productive, secure, and enjoyable your Mac experience will be.

This guide introduces 10 must-have apps for every new Mac in 2025, carefully selected to cover productivity, system performance, security, and everyday usability.

1. Google Chrome – The Ultimate Browser Choice

While Safari is fast and optimized for macOS, Google Chrome remains the most versatile browser for users who rely on cloud services and cross-platform workflows.

Chrome offers:

Seamless syncing across Mac, iPhone, Windows, and Android
Thousands of extensions for productivity, security, and design
Excellent performance for web apps like Google Docs and Notion

If you work online, Chrome quickly becomes your most used app.

2. Alfred – Supercharge Your Mac Workflow

Alfred transforms how you interact with macOS. Instead of searching through folders and apps manually, you can launch anything with a few keystrokes.

With Alfred, you can:

Launch apps instantly
Search files and folders
Control system commands
Automate repetitive tasks

Once you use Alfred for a few days, you’ll wonder how you ever worked without it.

3. Notion – Your Digital Workspace

Notion is more than a note-taking app — it is a complete productivity system. It allows you to combine notes, tasks, databases, and project management in one place.

Notion is perfect for:

Students managing classes
Freelancers tracking projects
Teams collaborating remotely

It replaces several apps at once and keeps everything organized.

4. 1Password – Secure Your Digital Life

Mac users value security, and 1Password is one of the best ways to protect your accounts. It stores your passwords in an encrypted vault and fills them automatically when you log in.

This means:

You never reuse weak passwords
Your data stays protected
Logging into websites becomes faster

In 2025, strong password management is no longer optional — it is essential.

5. CleanMyMac – Keep Your Mac Running Fast

Over time, even new Macs collect junk files, caches, and unnecessary system clutter. CleanMyMac helps you maintain peak performance.

It allows you to:

Free up disk space
Remove leftover files
Monitor system health
Improve startup speed

This is especially useful for MacBooks with limited storage.

6. Magnet – Master Your Screen Layout

macOS still lacks powerful window-snapping tools. Magnet fixes that by allowing you to snap windows into place with keyboard shortcuts.

You can:

Split your screen for multitasking
Quickly move apps to different monitors
Stay organized while working

It’s a small app that makes a big difference.

7. Dropbox – Reliable Cloud Storage

While iCloud is useful, Dropbox offers superior cross-platform file syncing and collaboration features.

It is ideal if you:

Work across multiple devices
Share large files
Collaborate with teams

Your files stay updated everywhere, automatically.

8. VLC Media Player – Play Any Video Format

VLC is a must-have because it plays almost any video or audio file without extra codecs.

No matter what format you download, VLC will open it smoothly. It’s lightweight, fast, and completely free.

9. Rectangle – Free Window Management

If you want Magnet-style window snapping without paying, Rectangle is an excellent open-source alternative.

It offers:

Keyboard shortcuts
Window snapping
Custom layouts

Perfect for productivity on large displays.

10. Time Machine – Built-in Backup That You Should Use

Although it comes preinstalled, many users ignore Time Machine. That’s a mistake.

Time Machine lets you:

Back up your entire Mac
Restore deleted files
Recover after system crashes

Using it from day one can save you from serious data loss later.

Why These Apps Matter

A Mac is only as powerful as the software you run on it. These ten apps work together to create a fast, secure, and highly productive environment — whether you’re writing, coding, editing videos, or running a business.

Installing these tools right after setting up your Mac will save you time, frustration, and performance issues in the future.