20 20 Software Free Download for Mac Updated

20 20 Software Free Download for Mac

There's something exciting nigh buying a new piece of software, unwrapping the packaging and slipping the disc into your Mac ready to install your new goodies. And, of course, the new Mac App Store has made the process of obtaining new software past a digital download but a few uncomplicated mouse clicks.

Whichever method you prefer, the biggest drawback is the coin you have to hand over. Forking out for your goods is a necessary evil, and the price of things is usually a good indicator of its quality. Just the good news is it'due south not always that fashion, especially when it comes to Mac software.

As we will show you lot, there are many apps bachelor for gratuitous that have all the polish and avant-garde features yous would wait from a premium paid-for version, merely without the nasty price tag. In that location are apps that will clean up your hard drive or organise your day-to-day activities. Some even work on your iPhone and iPad, too.

We've presented the best ones below – they're all really fantastic and, best of all, they're all free.

A number of these applications, while still great as a free version, also accept more fully featured pro versions. So if you actually enjoy ane, you can consider spending the extra money.

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Best gratuitous Mac media tools

1. Boxee Online

Idiot box channels put a lot of their content online for free, just you usually have to become to their websites to discover out what's available. Not with Boxee.

This app lets you browse through episodes of shows from sources such equally YouTube, among many others. It also pulls in media from your Mac. The interface can be controlled via the keyboard, an Apple remote or the free Boxee app available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

It's a doddle to navigate, enabling you to quickly find sports, movies, music or photos to enjoy on your computer. For entertainment on your Mac, Boxee is hard to vanquish.

2. Vuze

BitTorrent clients accept received a bad rap over the years for enabling users to download copyrighted material for free. Vuze is no different in this respect. That said, downloading via BitTorrent is not illegal and, should you exist accessing legal fabric, you lot're fine.

Even meliorate than that, Vuze volition act as a media player for about formats and even convert files for playback on your devices, including iPads and games consoles. Y'all tin even stream video from Vuze via Wi-Fi to compatible devices such as the Xbox 360, making it more of an platonic media viewing solution than a nuisance to lodge.

3. Flip4Mac

There'south been little love lost between Apple and Microsoft over the years, and the same extends to their media formats. The dreaded .WMV (Windows Media Video) file is the scourge of the Mac OS Ten operating system and will not run natively in QuickTime.

Fortunately, the gratis Flip4Mac software volition eradicate this headache and, once installed, lets you forget about formats and enjoy the video you lot are after. The WMV player likewise allows for Windows Media files to play back in Safari equally well to assistance you enjoy a more than consummate browsing experience. A must-accept install to convalesce format folly.

4. HandBrake

Those looking to bring their motion-picture show drove into the modernistic globe should certainly consider HandBrake for all their ripping needs. This simple app tin can grab a movie from DVD and encode it into a multifariousness of formats for playback on your Mac, iPhone or iPad.

Those with the new Apple tree TV volition also be able to create compatible files from their movie discs and add them to iTunes without having to dabble around with DVD players and tons of cases. The app can even retain the chapter pick features and subtitles of your original disc.

While ripping a DVD to your Mac tin take some fourth dimension (and please respect copyright) if handled right, the outcome makes accessing your amusement a great deal easier. The latest version of HandBrake introduces a live preview feature that allows you to bank check the quality of your rip before committing to hours of encoding also. Yous tin likewise utilize HandBrake to catechumen video files into different formats.

5. Spotify

Spotify came from out of nowhere and took the music lovers of Europe past storm. This is streaming music done correct. This service is free to those who tin handle an advert every three songs or so. It offers a catalogue of more than x million songs of all genres, which stream instantly through the Spotify app.

It can as well link to your iTunes library so all of your favourite tracks are in one place. You tin can log in from multiple Macs using your Spotify account, create playlists, share music with friends and more.

One of our favourite features is the innovative collaborative playlist, where your friends can add tracks over the cyberspace for yous to listen to. If y'all wish, you can pay to upgrade Spotify to a premium account, at which point you become advertisement-complimentary.

And for £9.99 per calendar month you can fifty-fifty have the same service on your iPhone with music stored for offline playback.

half dozen. VLC

VLC is 1 of those apps you can turn to if QuickTime and other media-playing apps won't work with a media format you want to use. Initially, you might wonder why you lot'll ever demand this app, but if you lot ever stray beyond the bounds of the iTunes Shop and download video from another online source, you're more than likely to meet a trouble – that is, it's not playing properly in iTunes or QuickTime.

Converting the video with HandBrake is always an option, but, to be honest, using VLC is simply quicker. The app tin handle DVD playback as well every bit more obscure formats that crop up from time to time.

Files that are missing pieces or broken can still exist played in VLC to the best of its ability and it provides a wealth of codecs to assist your Mac handle all kinds of media file formats.

VLC is an awarding that every Mac user should accept installed for when their media won't behave.

Social apps for Mac

vii. AddressBookSync

The Address Book app on your Mac is swell for organising contacts and syncing them to your iPhone. However, the problem is with and so many contacts held, continually calculation information and profile pictures tin become a time-consuming task.

AddressBookSync is an ingenious tool that connects to your Facebook account to pull in your friends' altogether info as well as images from their accounts into your Mac's Address Book. This is particularly handy for iPhone users with images appearing on screen when a contact is calling.

8. Adium

The chances are you have an business relationship for more than one instant messaging client. With then many available from iChat to Windows Messenger through Google Chat and Yahoo! information technology'due south not surprising.

So, practice you go out all of these clients open up and consuming retention or do you find an all-in-one solution? If y'all want the latter, Adium is your app.

Uniform with more IM clients than you probably knew existed, Adium combines all your accounts into one piece of cake-to-use solution and then yous can keep in touch with all your contacts regardless of the service they are using.

9. Twitter

This is the official Twitter app for Mac. It was launched at the same fourth dimension as the new Mac App Store, and quickly became the well-nigh popular download in that location. To go it yous'll demand to have the Mac App Store installed (which ways you'll need to exist running OS X 10.6 and have installed the latest system updates).

Dissimilar other Twitter clients, Twitter offers a very Bone X-friendly environment without skimping on the features you demand to enjoy your 140-graphic symbol set.

A specially swell feature is that y'all can view all tweets in a conversation simply by double-clicking on the main tweet. You can also search for trending topics and use multiple accounts within the same app.

Composing a new tweet is at present fabricated far easier with the Compose window that floats outside the interface, ready for yous to type your thoughts. If you desire to add an image to your tweet simply drag and drop it into the new tweet window.

Yous can select which image hosting service you utilise from the Preferences pane, and too which URL-shortening service the Twitter app will use. You can also get the official Twitter app for iPad and iPhone to complete your Twitter experience wherever you are in the world.

x. Skype

Skype isn't a new service only the way it has adult over the years keeps information technology incredibly useful. The premise is simple, with an internet connection and a re-create of the free software installed, you tin talk to anyone on Skype via audio or video conversation. And you tin can fifty-fifty swap files, create conference calls or just chat via instant messaging.

For an additional fee, you lot can add voicemail to your account and fifty-fifty call mobiles and landlines if y'all wish.

Handy utilities

11. Evernote

Whatever you're doing in life there are things you need to remember, be they pictures, notes, websites or sounds. Evernote provides a identify to store your ideas, plans and reminders.

Using cloud-based storage, the Mac app syncs with your iPhone and iPad, as well equally whatsoever other figurer to keep your notes close to hand whenever you need them. Unique search features let you to dig out anything yous've stored and it can even recognise handwritten docs.

This app not only organises your notes, photos, screenshots and more, but you can add custom tags to make things easier to search.

12. r-name

Have y'all always had a agglomeration of files in a folder and then discovered you lot need to rename each one? For a renaming job that comprises more than than ten files or more it can become a very dull and repetitive task.

And that's where r-proper noun comes in. It's a simple, free app that allows files and folders to be dropped in and renamed in whatsoever way yous require. Ideal for photos or television series, this app will relieve a smashing bargain of fourth dimension.

13. Burn

While information technology'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to burn a CD or DVD from within Mac Bone X, Burn brings simplicity, also equally advanced options to the task. For case, it allows y'all to set up which file arrangement your disc will employ so Windows owners can access files.

Information technology tin can create audio CDs and MP3 discs, and caters for DVD, VideoCD and DivX discs. An Inspector tool allows y'all to change settings on your disc such as file permissions, dates and the icon.

14. Carbon Copy Cloner

Everyone talks about backing up their reckoner files, but how many of us are committed to doing it properly?

Carbon Copy Cloner makes it piece of cake to back up your system simply to move it to another Mac or larger hard drive without having to reinstall the Os. It fifty-fifty offers incremental backups, which only updates files that have inverse since yous last ran the software.

Considering this is a free application, it's an absolute powerhouse for any Mac user who wants security for their arrangement and flexibility for their hardware.