# Best developer tools apps for Mac

> Editors, terminals, Git clients and debuggers that respect your machine. 35 native apps, hand-picked by MacWorthy. Facts checked 2026-10-19.

Editor's picks: Zed, Ghostty, OrbStack.

## Compared

| App | Price | Mac App Store | Homebrew | Open source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Zed](https://macworthy.com/apps/zed/) | Open source | No | `zed` | Yes |
| [Ghostty](https://macworthy.com/apps/ghostty/) | Open source | No | `ghostty` | MIT |
| [OrbStack](https://macworthy.com/apps/orbstack/) | Free + Pro | No | `orbstack` | No |
| [Warp](https://macworthy.com/apps/warp/) | Free + Pro | No | `warp` | No |
| [iTerm2](https://macworthy.com/apps/iterm2/) | Open source | No | `iterm2` | GPL-2.0 |
| [Nova](https://macworthy.com/apps/nova/) | Subscription | No | `nova` | No |
| [Tower](https://macworthy.com/apps/tower/) | Subscription | No | `tower` | No |
| [Fork](https://macworthy.com/apps/fork/) | One-time purchase | No | `fork` | No |
| [Kaleidoscope](https://macworthy.com/apps/kaleidoscope/) | Subscription | No | `kaleidoscope` | No |
| [TablePlus](https://macworthy.com/apps/tableplus/) | Free + Pro | No | `tableplus` | No |
| [Postico 2](https://macworthy.com/apps/postico-2/) | Free + Pro | Yes | `postico` | No |
| [Sequel Ace](https://macworthy.com/apps/sequel-ace/) | Open source | Yes | `sequel-ace` | Yes |
| [Proxyman](https://macworthy.com/apps/proxyman/) | Free + Pro | No | `proxyman` | No |
| [Transmit 5](https://macworthy.com/apps/transmit-5/) | One-time purchase | No | `transmit` | No |
| [Dash](https://macworthy.com/apps/dash/) | Free + Pro | No | `dash` | No |
| [CodeEdit](https://macworthy.com/apps/codeedit/) | Open source | No | `codeedit` | MIT |
| [DevUtils](https://macworthy.com/apps/devutils/) | One-time purchase | Yes | `devutils` | No |
| [Cork](https://macworthy.com/apps/cork/) | Open source | No | `cork` | Yes |
| [Xcodes](https://macworthy.com/apps/xcodes/) | Open source | No | `xcodes-app` | MIT |
| [Hex Fiend](https://macworthy.com/apps/hex-fiend/) | Open source | No | `hex-fiend` | BSD-2-Clause |
| [Flow Diagram](https://macworthy.com/apps/flow-diagram/) | One-time purchase | Yes | No | No |
| [Macsmith](https://macworthy.com/apps/macsmith/) | Free + Pro | No | No | No |
| [Lunavect](https://macworthy.com/apps/lunavect/) | Open source | No | No | MIT |
| [Tracexy](https://macworthy.com/apps/tracexy/) | Free + Pro | No | `tracexy` | No |
| [Rockxy](https://macworthy.com/apps/rockxy/) | Free + Pro | No | `rockxy` | No |
| [Toplify](https://macworthy.com/apps/toplify/) | Free + Pro | Yes | No | No |
| [TablePro](https://macworthy.com/apps/tablepro/) | Free + Pro | No | `tablepro` | No |
| [PortKiller](https://macworthy.com/apps/portkiller/) | Open source | No | `portkiller` | MIT |
| [RepoBar](https://macworthy.com/apps/repobar/) | Open source | No | `repobar` | MIT |
| [DevHub](https://macworthy.com/apps/devhub/) | Free | Yes | No | No |
| [Contained](https://macworthy.com/apps/contained/) | Free | No | No | No |
| [CaskHub](https://macworthy.com/apps/caskhub/) | Open source | No | `caskhub` | MIT |
| [MakerNotch](https://macworthy.com/apps/makernotch/) | One-time purchase | No | No | No |
| [Riffle](https://macworthy.com/apps/riffle/) | Free + Pro | No | No | No |
| [InboxFox](https://macworthy.com/apps/inboxfox/) | Free + Pro | Yes | No | No |

## The apps

- **[Zed](https://macworthy.com/apps/zed.md)** (editor's pick): A code editor that runs at the speed of thought. Written in Rust and rendered on the GPU, Zed opens large projects instantly. Multiplayer editing, a built-in agent panel and Vim mode come standard.
- **[Ghostty](https://macworthy.com/apps/ghostty.md)** (editor's pick): A fast, feature-rich, truly native terminal. Ghostty uses real macOS tabs, splits and windows, renders on Metal and stays responsive under heavy output. Configuration is a single text file.
- **[OrbStack](https://macworthy.com/apps/orbstack.md)** (editor's pick): Docker and Linux machines, light as a feather. OrbStack runs containers and Linux VMs with a fraction of the memory and battery cost of the alternatives, and starts in about two seconds.
- **[Warp](https://macworthy.com/apps/warp.md)**: The terminal, reimagined around blocks and agents. Warp groups commands and their output into blocks, gives you a real text editor at the prompt and builds coding agents into the terminal.
- **[iTerm2](https://macworthy.com/apps/iterm2.md)**: The terminal that taught macOS new tricks. Split panes, hotkey windows, shell integration and tmux mode. iTerm2 is still the most capable terminal on the platform.
- **[Nova](https://macworthy.com/apps/nova.md)**: Panic's beautiful, extensible code editor. Nova is a native editor with a built-in terminal, Git, task runners and a growing extension library, all designed with Panic's eye for detail.
- **[Tower](https://macworthy.com/apps/tower.md)**: Git, with an undo button. Tower makes interactive rebase, conflict resolution and stacked branches visual and safe. Almost every action can be undone with ⌘Z.
- **[Fork](https://macworthy.com/apps/fork.md)**: A fast, friendly Git client. Fork is quick to open, easy on the eyes and powerful where it counts, with interactive rebase, a merge-conflict helper and a great diff view.
- **[Kaleidoscope](https://macworthy.com/apps/kaleidoscope.md)**: See every difference, in text, images and folders. Kaleidoscope compares and merges files and folders with clarity, and plugs into Git, Xcode and your editor as a diff tool.
- **[TablePlus](https://macworthy.com/apps/tableplus.md)**: A modern client for every database you touch. PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Redis and more in one fast native app with safe-mode editing, SSH tunnels and a clean query editor.
- **[Postico 2](https://macworthy.com/apps/postico-2.md)**: PostgreSQL, made approachable. Postico is a focused Postgres client that turns tables, queries and schema edits into friendly, native interactions.
- **[Sequel Ace](https://macworthy.com/apps/sequel-ace.md)**: The free MySQL and MariaDB client. The open-source successor to Sequel Pro, Sequel Ace browses, edits and queries MySQL and MariaDB databases with ease.
- **[Proxyman](https://macworthy.com/apps/proxyman.md)**: Inspect every HTTP request, beautifully. Proxyman captures and debugs HTTPS traffic from Mac, iOS devices and simulators, with breakpoints, scripting and map-local rules.
- **[Transmit 5](https://macworthy.com/apps/transmit-5.md)**: The legendary file transfer app. SFTP, S3, WebDAV and a dozen cloud services in a two-pane browser with fast sync and Panic polish.
- **[Dash](https://macworthy.com/apps/dash.md)**: Every API doc you need, offline and instant. Dash downloads documentation for hundreds of languages and frameworks and searches it at keystroke speed, even on a plane.
- **[CodeEdit](https://macworthy.com/apps/codeedit.md)**: A native, open-source code editor in Swift. CodeEdit is a community-built editor that aims to feel like a first-party Mac app: lightweight, familiar and free.
- **[DevUtils](https://macworthy.com/apps/devutils.md)**: Forty-plus developer helpers, offline. Format JSON, decode JWTs, test regexes, convert timestamps and more. DevUtils even detects what's on your clipboard and picks the right tool.
- **[Cork](https://macworthy.com/apps/cork.md)**: A friendly face for Homebrew. Cork lists, installs, updates and cleans Homebrew packages in a SwiftUI app, so you rarely need to remember brew flags.
- **[Xcodes](https://macworthy.com/apps/xcodes.md)**: Install and switch Xcode versions painlessly. Xcodes downloads every Xcode release in parallel, verifies it, and lets you pick the active one with a click.
- **[Hex Fiend](https://macworthy.com/apps/hex-fiend.md)**: A fast hex editor for enormous files. Open multi-gigabyte files instantly, compare binaries and define templates. Hex Fiend is free and open source.
- **[Flow Diagram](https://macworthy.com/apps/flow-diagram.md)**: Sequence diagrams and flowcharts written as text. Flow Diagram draws sequence diagrams and flowcharts from a short text language, with a live preview and inline errors. It reads Mermaid files, exports SVG, PDF and OmniGraffle documents, and a command-line tool lets coding agents write diagrams too. One purchase covers Mac and iPad.
- **[Macsmith](https://macworthy.com/apps/macsmith.md)**: One window for the command-line plumbing of a dev Mac. Macsmith puts a SwiftUI front end on everyday developer chores: Homebrew packages and services, local Postgres, MySQL and MongoDB, ports in use, SSH keys, the hosts file, mise and nvm runtimes, Colima and more. Browsing is free; a one-time Pro licence unlocks changes.
- **[Lunavect](https://macworthy.com/apps/lunavect.md)**: Your Claude Code and Codex sessions, watched from the menu bar. Lunavect lists every running Claude Code and Codex session with its state, so you can see which one is waiting on you, and shows weekly and five-hour usage limits with reset times. It can pause a session at a usage level you set, and adds desktop widgets.
- **[Tracexy](https://macworthy.com/apps/tracexy.md)**: Packet analysis organised by app and session. Tracexy captures live traffic or opens PCAP and PCAPNG files and groups packets by app, domain and session, with decoded layers, timing and raw bytes alongside. The Community edition is free and open source, and Pro is a one-time licence.
- **[Rockxy](https://macworthy.com/apps/rockxy.md)**: An open-source HTTP and HTTPS debugging proxy. Rockxy captures traffic from Mac apps, simulators and devices, including WebSocket and GraphQL, then lets you replay, rewrite, map and break on requests and redact data before sharing. The core is free and open source, with one-time Pro licences.
- **[Toplify](https://macworthy.com/apps/toplify.md)**: Watch where your apps rank on the App Store. Toplify follows Top Free and Top Paid chart positions for any iOS or Mac app across 175 countries and alerts you when an app moves sharply or enters a new market. It needs no App Store Connect access; Pro removes the country limit.
- **[TablePro](https://macworthy.com/apps/tablepro.md)**: An open-source database client for many engines. TablePro connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis and more, with a SQL editor, an editable data grid, schema tools and an AI assistant. Core features are free; paid plans add iCloud sync and team sharing, and there are iPhone and iPad apps.
- **[PortKiller](https://macworthy.com/apps/portkiller.md)**: See what is holding a port, and free it. A menu bar app that lists every listening TCP port with the process behind it, so you can stop a stuck dev server in one click. It also runs kubectl port-forward sessions that reconnect on their own and shows your Cloudflare Tunnels.
- **[RepoBar](https://macworthy.com/apps/repobar.md)**: Your GitHub repositories, one click from the clock. RepoBar shows CI status, open issues and pull requests, releases and API rate limits for the repos you follow, right in the menu bar. It also matches your local clones and shows branch, ahead/behind and dirty state next to the remote view, with a CLI for the terminal.
- **[DevHub](https://macworthy.com/apps/devhub.md)**: A drawer of small developer tools that works offline. DevHub gathers JSON and HTML formatting, Base64 and URL encoding, JWT decoding, regex testing, hashes, RSA keys, timestamps, QR codes and image utilities into one local app. A URL scheme lets Raycast or scripts open a specific tool directly.
- **[Contained](https://macworthy.com/apps/contained.md)**: A Mac interface for Apple's container tool. Contained puts Apple's container CLI behind a SwiftUI window for running, editing and inspecting containers, images, volumes, networks and registries. It previews the exact command before running it and can import Compose files into editable forms.
- **[CaskHub](https://macworthy.com/apps/caskhub.md)**: Browse and install Homebrew casks like an app store. CaskHub lists Homebrew casks with icons, categories and charts from Homebrew's install data, and installs, updates or removes them through your own brew binary. It can also bring apps you installed by hand under Homebrew management.
- **[MakerNotch](https://macworthy.com/apps/makernotch.md)**: Project health for indie developers, in the notch. MakerNotch groups GitHub checks, Vercel and Cloudflare deploys, Stripe and Polar revenue, Sentry errors and Linear issues by project, so you can check each one without signing in to every dashboard. API keys stay in your Keychain, and it works on Macs without a notch.
- **[Riffle](https://macworthy.com/apps/riffle.md)**: Compare files, review changes and resolve merges. Riffle shows two-way diffs of files and images, and its Pro license adds three-way merge, folder comparison and Git reviews where you can stage individual hunks, view blame and step through history. It works with Git, Tower and the command line.
- **[InboxFox](https://macworthy.com/apps/inboxfox.md)**: A local SMTP inbox for testing app email. Point your app's mail settings at InboxFox and it catches every message, showing the HTML, plain text, headers, source and attachments plus compatibility warnings. Pro adds separate inboxes per project, a Mailpit-compatible HTTP API and an MCP server for coding agents.

HTML version: https://macworthy.com/categories/developer/