25 free Mac Apps for freelancers
As a full-time freelancer and part-time geek, I like to play around and install applications on my Mac. In the following list I share some of the free Mac apps that make my life easier. I also own a PC, so I give my readers who use a PC an alternative for each app.
1. Name Changer
Rename lists of files, the perfect software to batch change the files your clients are sending to you. It can be good when working with pictures too.
Windows alternative (no software needed)
2. Anxiety
Manage simple to-do lists with this lightweight application. Perfect for people who don’t want or need complicated GTD software.
3. Cyberduck
FTP software with a nice and usable interface, integrated with several text editors.
4. Adium
Connect to all your messaging accounts in this open-source instant messaging application.
5. Carbon Copy cloner
Create complete and bootable backups with this easy-to-us utility.
6. The Unarchiver
Unpacking utility that handles tons of formats.
7. AppCleaner
Don’t leave any files on your computer when uninstalling applications with this great little app.
8. The Gimp
Image manipulation software, a decent alternative to Photoshop.
Also available for Windows.
9. Skype
Voip service to make free computer to computer calls, or cheap computer to phone calls.
Also available for Windows.
10. Firefox
Free and open source web browser, customizable with tons of great addons.
Also available for Windows.
11. Caffeine
Don’t let your Mac go to sleep, keep it caffeinated.
12. Burn
Advanced CD and DVD burning on Mac.
13. Handbrake
DVD to Mpeg converter, useful for recovering data on DVD.
Also available for Windows.
14. Audacity
Open source software for recording and editing sounds.
Also available for Windows.
15. Smultron
Free and powerful text editor for Mac.
16. InkScape
Open source vector drawing editor, a decent alternative to Illustrator.
Also available for Windows.
17. Freemind
Mind mapping software, my favourite way to organize my thoughts.
Also available for Windows.
18. Disk Inventory X
Disk usage utility for Mac OS X, quickly see what’s taking space on your system.
19. Colloquy
Advanced IRC client, chatting with a nice interface.
20. Neo Office
Open Source office suite for Mac, a great alternative to Word & Excel.
21. QuickSilver
Application launcher and much more, a real productivity booster.
22. NetNewsWire
My favourite RSS reader, opened every morning while having a coffee.
23. DeepVacuum
Download full websites or web pages with this software through http or ftp protocol.
24. HyperDither
Batch image resizing utility, time-saving if you don’t want to use Photoshop actions.
25. Transmission
Filesharing made easy with this simple BitTorrent client.
helpful resources thanks for share..
such a great share. i will tweet this for you. thank you
Its really great information for me, thanks for sharing.
Nice although some are not tools, useless you chat for dollars. These are shareware but more useful to get the dollars baby.
Add to the list:
File Juicer: Hey can you just get the images out of that old PowerPoint and use it for a comp? Oh and grab all the copy from these pdf’s while your at it. No problem.
File Buddy: batch rename, intense search, change file type and creator, strip resource forks, etc., etc., etc.
GraphicConverter: Oh, and resize and change all these assorted 200 arcane format images to jpgs. Whatever dude…
Tex-Edit Plus: GREP, vast applescript libraries online. Does everything until you need BBEdit.
Default Folder: get there faster
Perian: Use Quicktime to open and run just about all formats.
BatChmod: Get geeky.
Pacifist: Get even more geeky.
VLC: My go to playah. Movie time!
Funny,I have most of the applications listed here another geek tool will be macfuse + macfusion . Remote hard disk solutions.
cheers
> Don’t leave any files on your computer when
> uninstalling applications with this great little app.
I prefer fdisk. It wont leave any file on the computer.
Thanks for this ressources. Can I translate this ticket in French for my Blog ? With a BackLink
N.B: There are two boxes for notify the follow-up in e-mail.
As mentioned earlier by Roninkai FILEJUICER, it is such a great app!!! Buy it!!!
ImageDither doesnt actually resize images though, it just converts them to a 1-bit dithered image
Instead of Pidgin, try Digsby! It’s much better, has more features, and is actually compatible with Adium themes.
http://www.digsby.com
Neo Office is a mac port of openoffice.org and os pointless now that OO.Org have a mac version. Get that instead it’s newer and better.
Nick
Funny,I have most of the applications listed here another geek tool will be macfuse + macfusion . Remote hard disk solutions.
cheers.
You come across these sorts of posts fairly frequently, but this one’s actually useful! I’ve grabbed a few of the apps herein, thanks for this.
Love the simplicity and elegant design of this article!
Good list. I’m bookmarking it. I love lots of the programs on here. There’re a few I didn’t know you could get for free, like Disk Utility X and AppCleaner.
Your description of HyperDither is a bit off. It would make image file sizes smaller because it reduces images to 1 bit colour, but it doesn’t really reduce the dimensions of an image.
Stay with Adium. Digsby doesn’t have a Mac client. I don’t think they ever will because it has been “coming soon” for a long time.
While I use Linux at home, I use Mac at work, and have family and friends who use Mac also, and so I found this post to be useful in the extreme. Nice of you also to link to Windows alternatives for each of these apps. Just thought I would point out for those who might be un-aware that the majority of these apps are also available for Linux as well, and the few that are not have fairly well known alternatives available. Thanks again for this useful post.
1. What’ s wrong with Automator? It’s built-in. No need to install anything. Oh, and yes, you can do the same thing on the Terminal as well
21. QuickSilver is a LOT more than your Windows alternative
23. There’s “curl” so no need to install anything
24. Dunno about HyperDither but if you want batch image resizing, there’s Automator (again)
Just a question…I like the list but if you have a Mac you automatically have a version of GarageBand which I think blows Audacity, while still a good windows app, straight out if the water. It may not be a free app but my absolute must have as a freelancer is Billings 3!
Missed one…
15. Learn “vi” (or “vim”) and you won’t need anything else
And, yes, I second that one about “GarageBand” and the one about “Linux”. Many on the list actually came from Linux/BSD world.
Good list! But you might want to check pre-installed/built-in tools first (yeah, there’s a lot more) before installing anything
Wow, truly amazing stuff!
RT
http://www.privacy-tools.us.tc
Who said anything about Pidgin? This is for a Mac. They dont have Digsby for Mac (yet). I’ve used used both, and Adium (suggested here) and Adium is by far my fav.
I’ve used both open office and neo office within the last three months and neo office destroys open office. Neo office is friendlier, faster, and more robust. Interesting enough, in regards to speed, Neo Office seems to open and load a lot faster then actual Office.
My top 5 favorites in this list are:
Firefox
Quicksilver
DiskInventoryX
The Unarchiver
Handbrake
Nice list! Although I would switched Transmission for uTorrent (Mac Version)
I would recommend Name Mangler over Name Changer.
http://www.manytricks.com/namemangler/
A little more robust, but still easy to use for simple things.
Nice list. I’ve seen a lot of these kinds of lists popping up lately, but I think this may be the best one I’ve seen. I use and love a lot of these programs and I’ll be checking out some the ones I’m not yet using.
24. HyperDither
hyperdither 25 free Mac Apps for freelancers
Batch image resizing utility, time-saving if you don’t want to use Photoshop actions.
For Windows XP:
You can always use the powertoy and have gui integration.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Good list. I have to agree that #1 is completely unnecessary with Automator. I also echo the feelings of those who recommend OOO over NeoOffice. On my intel macs, OOO is significantly faster and more responsive. Granted on the PPC NeoOffice is a better (the only?) option.
i use and love a lot of these. I’d also suggest Senuti for pulling content off your iPod and VirtualBox for running a virtual machine.
Would you have something to convert those infamous corel files to eps or ai?
Anxiety looks cool, I think a simpler alternative for windows (and for any OS, as it’s done in adobe air) is Doomi: http://www.doominow.com/
Thanks for the round up! You’ve got some here I haven’t heard of and think I will use!
Great post!
Great list, but I think HyperDither is miscategorized. From their docs: “HyperDither is an OS X image processing utility that converts color or grayscale images to 1 bit black & white using a sophisticated dithering routine.”
Doesn’t do resizing as far as I can tell and is pretty selective use I’d say, check the screenshots on their site. Not an alternative to Photoshop resizing automation.
I really think the video player program VLC should be added to this list. Allows you to play video in pretty much every video type & codec.
Under the Windows alternative for Adium, the link goes to Pidgin.
I prefer doing batch resize using Automator. It can be done straight from Finder and it works like a charm too.
Booooring…. Nothing really new. And also very ridiculus to put Firefox & Skype in the list…
I would add iDrive to the list. You can get 2-12GB of free cloud storage through there service. Enough to back up your latest submission in case of fire/theft/etc. You can pay for more storage if you need it.
http://www.idrive.com/
thanks! awesome suggestions!
Graat app listing. I would substitute uTorrent for Transmission, though. It is less faster, buggy and has more seeds.
Awesome list! Filezilla is pretty handy too.
Really great stuff. Thanks a lot for sharing. The post has been translated into Chinese http://www.yeeyan.com/articles/view/395/34804?orgin=index
I still prefer Filezilla (for Mac OS X) over CyberDuck; it’s faster and has more features
I don’t like the Windows alternative to Anxiety… It’s too bloated and nothing like the simple, elegant interface of Anxiety. I prefer Homeworks.
I have switched from NeoOffice to the native MacOS version of OpenOffice 3.0. Much better than NeoOffice.
Love this, I too have a PC as well as a Mac I have pretty much given up on my Windows PC, which my Wife uses all the time now.
This is Fantastic, thank you!
Tweetted it as well thanks
I don’t think I could live without Quicksilver. I need to keep digging into its extended features. It is so much more than an App launcher. Anyone have any good tutorials for this?
awesome awesome awesome awesome!!!!
Thanks so much for this, some of these were exactly what I need for my mac =)
thank you
Nice and useful list of applications. Ihave most of them installed at my Mac . really looking for Mind mapping Application. Love to mention that for those who having more appetite Should check out this link. Its better layabout and more precise and it hase more than 100 Application. Not to forget All free……
http://www.usingmac.com/2008/11/12/100-free-applications
15. Smultron is not developed any more. Should it be removed from the list?
Definitely going to check some of these out right now!
Another brilliant list guys. Please make more!
d.
Great! provided a good collection.
Advanced CD and DVD burning on Mac.
Nice list, and nice comments I didn’t know MacFuse and MacFusion, those are awsome
I’ll add “TNEF’s Enough” a very nice little utility that let you handle those bloody “winmail.dat” that comes sometimes with email sent with outlook.
http://www.joshjacob.com/mac-development/tnef.php
cheers