Free Alternatives toPaid Mac Apps

Bitwarden

FREEOSS

Bitwarden is the definitive free password manager. Unlimited passwords, unlimited devices, open-source transparency, and regular security audits—all at no cost. Premium features like TOTP are just $10/year if needed. The combination of zero-cost core functionality, proven security, and cross-platform support makes Bitwarden the obvious choice for users leaving 1Password.

Pearcleaner

FREEOSS

PearCleaner handles app removal better than CleanMyMac's uninstaller (finds more remnants, manages Homebrew). OnyX covers system maintenance with more control. GrandPerspective provides superior disk visualization. All three free tools together replicate CleanMyMac's functionality with more transparency.

Kap

FREEOSS

The most powerful free recording and editing combination available. OBS handles professional recording and streaming with unlimited sources and advanced features. DaVinci Resolve provides Hollywood-grade editing, color correction, and effects. Together they exceed ScreenFlow's capabilities across every dimension—and both are completely free with no restrictions. Used by millions of professional creators worldwide.

Stats

FREEOSS

Feature-complete iStat Menus alternative that monitors CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network, fans, and sensors. Completely free, open-source, actively maintained, and works perfectly on Apple Silicon. With over 17,000 GitHub stars and monthly updates, Stats has proven itself as the definitive free system monitor for macOS. The modular architecture allows customization that even iStat Menus can't match, and the active community ensures bugs are fixed quickly.

Rectangle

FREEOSS

Identical functionality to Magnet, completely free, open-source, actively maintained with 25,000+ GitHub stars, and supports even more layouts (halves, quarters, thirds, sixths). There's no reason to pay for Magnet when Rectangle exists and exceeds it in every way.

Cyberduck

FREEOSS

Covers FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and 20+ cloud storage services in one free, open-source application. Native Mac interface, actively maintained (version 9.3.1 December 2025), excellent protocol support, and integrates well with macOS Keychain and Quick Look. Best all-around Transmit replacement for 90% of users.

OpenLens

FREEOSS

CNCF-backed under prestigious kubernetes-sigs governance ensuring long-term sustainability, actively developed with modern features like AI natural language queries, 100% open source under permissive Apache 2.0 license with no hidden costs. Represents the community-driven future of Kubernetes GUIs with transparent governance preventing unilateral licensing changes, strong community support, and enterprise backing from Microsoft/Kinvolk. Multi-cluster comparison, flexible deployment options (desktop/web/in-cluster), and extensible plugin system make it the most complete and future-proof Lens alternative.

Keka

FREEOSS

Handles all common archive formats with create and extract support, creates AES-256 encrypted archives with password protection matching BetterZip's security, splits large files into multiple parts for email limits and distribution, creates self-extracting archives for Windows users without compression software, and integrates seamlessly with Finder through context menus—completely free with no limitations, ads, or trial periods. It's what BetterZip does for daily tasks, minus the preview feature and in-place archive editing. For 95% of users, Keka provides everything needed for professional archive work at zero cost.