Free Mac apps that replace the paid ones

A typical Mac setup collects a few paid utilities: a cleaner, a menu bar tidier, a screenshot tool, a launcher, maybe Parallels and Adobe. Most have a free or far cheaper twin that does the main job. Here's the list, with what you give up.

Cleaning up apps: CleanMyMac → Pearcleaner

CleanMyMac is $39.95 a year for one Mac. Pearcleaner is free and open source, and it does the part most people actually use: uninstalling apps along with the files they leave behind. You lose CleanMyMac's malware scan and one-click "smart care".

Menu bar: Bartender → Ice

Ice is a free, open-source menu bar manager that hides and arranges icons, which is the main reason people buy Bartender. Bartender has more styling and trigger options.

Screenshots: CleanShot X → Shottr

Shottr is an $8 one-time license against CleanShot X at $29. It does scrolling capture, text recognition, markup and on-screen measuring. It doesn't record video or GIFs, so keep CleanShot (or use the built-in Cmd+Shift+5 recorder) if you need those.

Launcher: Alfred → Raycast

Raycast's launcher, clipboard history, snippets and window management are free. Those are the features Alfred puts behind its £34 Powerpack. Raycast charges for AI and cloud sync.

Running Windows: Parallels → UTM

UTM is free and runs Windows and Linux virtual machines on Apple Silicon. Parallels Desktop Standard is $99.99 a year and is faster and smoother for Windows apps and games. For occasional Windows use, UTM is enough.

Video editing: Final Cut Pro → DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is free and used on real film and TV work. Final Cut Pro is $299.99. Resolve takes longer to learn, and a few advanced features need its paid Studio edition.

Design: Adobe Creative Cloud → Affinity

Affinity is free since Canva made it free in 2025, covering vector, photo and layout work in one app. Adobe's Creative Cloud Pro plan is $69.99 a month on an annual plan. Affinity has no video tools, and its AI features need a paid Canva plan.

Screen recordings for demos: Screen Studio → Cap

For polished product demos, Screen Studio is $108 a year or $29 a month. Cap is a cheaper, open-source recorder with shareable links.

Prices checked November 11, 2026. Each listing links to its source.