24 Update: macOS Mojave is here and third-party apps are already supporting Dark Mode! Check out our. Buying a is like getting a ticket to a land of fantastic new software.

In addition to all of the free apps that Apple gives to every Mac owner, both the Mac App Store and independent developers provide tools that make using your computer easier — and a little more fun. Our must-have list includes apps that remember your passwords, organize your notes and to-dos, and follow your package deliveries. There's even a Mac App subscription service that outfits your MacBook with more than 75 programs for only $9.99 per month! 1Password to rule them all: Given how many accounts we have, it's getting harder to keep these username and password combos straight, let alone differentiated. (You're using a different password for every account, right?) AgileBits' secure app lets you keep all of your passwords in one place, so you can create a single master login password with the maximum security. The app lets you store credit card information to auto-fill forms, and it keeps track of your security questions for different sites.

Jul 21, 2013 - Looking for the best free Mac apps? We've compiled a list that will make you want to download all 16 right away. May 11, 2010 - 100 Incredibly Useful & Free Mac Apps. Free iPhone Apps, 100 Incredibly Useful & Free iPad Apps and the all-new The Top 100 iPad Apps.

You get Dropbox and iCloud syncing support, and for a few extra bucks, you can get mobile apps to take your passwords on the go. Now a free download, 1Password is currently offered as a service, with pricing starting at $4-per-month for individuals. A $6-per-month family plan that includes up to five installations on multiple devices is also available.

This Retina display-optimized app provides a front face for accessing Evernote's popular note-taking and storage service. While the app's design lacks some finesse, it does simplify note-taking, by capturing quick tasks and saving documents as web pages. The process of searching through notes is now simplified, so all you need to do is tell it what you want in plain language. For instance, you can tell the app you want to search for 'notes with PDF.' All of this info is then synced to the cloud, so all of your devices have access to the same data. Install adobe illustrator free for mac. Step up to Evernote Plus to add offline notes and password protection ($4 per month or $35 per year), or Evernote Premium to add annotations and markup ($8 per month or $70 per year). If you're stuck in the Microsoft camp, the company's software offers similar functionality, also for free.

When I'm working on a post for my personal blog, I brainstorm and edit in the Bear writing app. Not only does it sync between my MacBook and my iPhone and my iPad (all writing apps by this point), but its support of the Markdown syntax writing style allows for faster, easier writing that create smaller-sized files.

Bear also offers a variety of neat themes, if you don't like its black, red and white default. While Bear is a free download, its cross-device syncing and other advanced features are locked behind its Pro subscription, which costs either $1.49 per monthly or $14.99 per year. Antivirus software protects you from attacks, malware and unwanted programs, but what about non-threatening apps that poke their nose where they don't belong?

For example, if you're using your webcam for a Skype call, but another app decided to peep through that lens, you wouldn't know. Also, there's no way to know when your microphone is being used either. F-Secure's XFENCE, currently in beta, prevents this problem, alerting you when apps operate outside of their expected behavior process.

Thankfully, it's free! Just remember to set it to Simple mode, which is novice-friendly. We used the tool back when it was called Little Flocker, and found its alerts a little too confusing under the default settings. Flexibits, the developer of Fantastical 2, calls the app 'the calendar app you won't be able to live without,' and it may be right. In a lot of ways, this calendar replacement reminds us of Siri. For instance, you don't click specific days and times to set appointments.

Instead, you just type your sentence in plain English, and the program figures out what you're trying to schedule. Fantastical can work with Calendar, iCal, BusyCal, Entourage or Outlook. While Fantastical 2's functionality somewhat overlaps with that of Clear, we preferred Clear for simple daily tasks, and Fantastical as a robust appointment system. We love the full window view and how easy it is to view your home and work appointments separately. Google's Chrome Remote Desktop is the best and easiest tool for accessing your computer from afar.

If you're sitting at work and need to do something on your home desktop or laptop — assuming it's on — then Chrome Remote Desktop makes it very, very easy to interact with your remote system as if you were sitting right in front of it. You don't have to memorize your home system's IP address or any of that; a simple PIN authentication is all you need to gain access to your remote system's mouse, keyboard and desktop.