I review Macs for a living, and I install these 5 apps first on every MacBook

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Install these things first to make your Mac your own

MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021 sitting on a patio table
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
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Setting up a new Mac? Whether it's a MacBook or a Mac mini, I have some suggestions for the apps you should install right away.

Sure, Safari and the rest of Apple's default apps are good enough to get by with in a pinch. But I find nothing makes a Mac feel more comfortable to use right out of the box than kitting it out with all the apps and tools I use on a daily basis.

I've had a lot of time to refine my list, too, because I regularly review Macs and MacBooks as part of the Computing team here at Tom's Guide. And every time I unbox a new Apple computer, one of the first things I do is install all the software on this list.

(The very first thing I do is turn on dark mode, of course!)

I have a similar list of 7 apps I install on every Windows 11 PC I get in for review, and I like to use the service Ninite to create a custom installer package with all those apps in one handy file. Unfortunately, Ninite isn't supported on Mac, so you may have to just head to each app's website and download it the old-fashioned way.

Macapps.link can help you download multiple great Mac apps in one fell swoop. (Image credit: Future)

You could also try using macapps.link, which offers a similar one-stop-shop for Mac apps: you just click the ones you want from the big list, and macapps packages them all up for you in one easy-to-download installer. It has a pretty good selection that includes some of the best Mac apps we recommend, including everything on this list.

The site can look a little dodgy if you don't use an ad blocker since it displays a significant number of ads, but I've used it many times myself and never had an issue.

Macapps.link in action

Macapps.link will spit out a terminal string that you need to copy and paste into Terminal (instructions are provided) to get your apps, but I've tried it and it works! (Image credit: Future)

Whether you choose to try macapps for yourself or want to click through to every app before downloading, these are the 5 apps I recommend you install first on your new Mac!

Discord

(Image credit: Discord)

I didn't think much of Discord back when it launched in 2015, but nowadays it's become one of my most-used tools for staying in touch with old friends and colleagues around the world. For that reason, it's one of the first things I install on any new Mac.

Once upon a time it felt like Twitter was the best place to stay in touch with people, but these days I prefer the more comfortable intimacy of a Discord server with pals. The service has evolved significantly over the years, too, and now you can use it for cross-platform voice chat, so friends on Macs, PCs, and even a PS5 can all hop into the same voice channel to catch up after work.

While you can get by with the browser version of Discord, I like to download the app because I feel like the quality of my audio sounds better when I'm broadcasting using the app vs. the browser version—but that's entirely subjective, and your mileage may vary. 

GIMP

(Image credit: Future)

As a working journalist I need to edit images on a regular basis, and the Photos app just doesn't cut it. I like to download GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) on every new MacBook I get my hands on because it's capable, quick to download and most importantly, free.

I've also spent years using it, so I know my way around this image editor in a way I'll never understand Photoshop. And while there are lots of great free image editors available out there, including lots you can access right in your browser, I prefer to have an app downloaded to my Mac hard drive so I can work with images even when I'm on the go and don't have a reliable Internet connection. 

Sure, the name is a little silly and the interface could be better, but for the asking price you can't beat GIMP.

Google Chrome

(Image credit: Future)

Like I said up top, Safari is fine—in fact, it's better than ever thanks to the upgrades in macOS Sequoia—but I still prefer to use Chrome on my Macs.

Admittedly, partly that's just laziness and habit: I have Google accounts for both work and personal business, so it's convenient to have Chrome because I can stay on top of both with a browser logged into each account. 

But I also love Chrome because while it's demanding, it feels faster and more responsive than Safari. I also like how it supports every website and web service I need to use. Plus, it has robust cross-platform support so I can open a link on my phone using Chrome for iOS, then hit a button to send it to my desktop Chrome instance running on my MacBook for easier reading when I'm back at my desk.

Steam

(Image credit: Future)

Macs are better gaming platforms than ever thanks to the work Apple's been doing to help game developers get their games running well on the company's M-series chips, so Steam is a must-have.

You can get games off the Mac App Store, the Epic Games Store or a few other places, but Steam is the first (and often only) game storefront I download because it simply has more games than anywhere else. And with the power of Apple's top-tier chips in premium Macs like the MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max you can enjoy the best Mac games  (including my fav, Baldur's Gate 3) at killer framerates.

It's not just about the games either—I also keep in touch with a few friends on my Steam friends list, so it's nice to have it installed and running on my PC to keep abreast of who's playing what.

VLC

VLC MEdia Player running on a MacBook Pro 2023

(Image credit: Future)

Sometimes you need to watch a .wmv (Windows Media Video) on a Mac, and QuickTime Player isn't up to the task. For those moments, you want a capable alternative like VLC media player installed.

I put this media player on basically every laptop I review because I watch a lot of videos while testing display quality and conducting research, and I can't afford to be constrained by the limits of Apple's default software. I recommend VLC because its lightweight and easy to download, yet supports a broad variety of file formats and codecs. 

Plus, it's free!

Bottom line

Every Mac I get my hands on gets these apps installed as soon as possible, because navigating the web in Safari or editing images in Photos feels terrible. And when work is done, I'm ready to fire up Discord and Steam and have some fun with my friends.

I wish Ninite supported Mac because I already regularly use it all the time for Windows 11 PC software, but at least there's macapps.link. I've been using it with my new MacBooks for a while now, and as long as it stays as useful as it is, I think it's a great way to grab all of these apps in one fell swoop. 

And of course, you don't have to stick to my suggestions--macapps offers a wide variety of free software, so have a look around and try out some new finds!

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Alex Wawro
Alex Wawro
Senior Editor Computing

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice. 

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • tmmr
    Wow, no security or antivirus apps? My very first two installs are always Little Snitch and Malware Bytes.

    After that Firefox, and then in no particular order, come crucial MacOS improvements such as Jumpcut, Bartender, Moom, and Tuxera NTFS.

    Then iTerm, Mimestream, BBEdit, Syncthing, openVPN Connect and Google Drive. Gimp is the only one on your list that might crack my first twenty.
    Reply
  • dfcloseupman
    "you can't beat GIMP."

    Yeah you shouldn't be beating a GIMP!
    Reply
  • bkkcanuck8
    tmmr said:
    Wow, no security or antivirus apps? My very first two installs are always Little Snitch and Malware Bytes.

    After that Firefox, and then in no particular order, come crucial MacOS improvements such as Jumpcut, Bartender, Moom, and Tuxera NTFS.

    Then iTerm, Mimestream, BBEdit, Syncthing, openVPN Connect and Google Drive. Gimp is the only one on your list that might crack my first twenty.
    When I first came over to the Mac I installed an antivirus program thinking it would do something.. (intego -- before all the others arrived)... all it did was cause random kernel panics. I then read what it protected against at the time, and the list was basically a list of things that a person with physical access would have to install on the computer. macOS already has built in anti-virus software for known threats (XProtect). Little Snitch as a monitor/firewall against unwanted information gathering for advertising - is nice though. I also install pretty much only user space software and software from known publishers... though I do have a few terminal apps through homebrew (though they are known sources - not randomly selected ones).
    Reply
  • bkkcanuck8
    tmmr said:
    Wow, no security or antivirus apps? My very first two installs are always Little Snitch and Malware Bytes.

    After that Firefox, and then in no particular order, come crucial MacOS improvements such as Jumpcut, Bartender, Moom, and Tuxera NTFS.

    Then iTerm, Mimestream, BBEdit, Syncthing, openVPN Connect and Google Drive. Gimp is the only one on your list that might crack my first twenty.
    I uninstalled (and cleaned up what I needed in menubar) bartender after it's secret sale and shadiness. I don't think I will need it going forward - especially once apps start migrating / using the control center (currently in beta now)
    Reply
  • bkkcanuck8
    Have to say -- that was one of the most boring and disappointing - must install I have ever read.
    Some of the apps I install early on is: Keyboard Maestro, TextSniper, Alfred, DevonThink Pro (use it for organizing all my documents and notes etc.), iTerm, Sublime Text, and MacUpdater....
    Reply
  • djggettys
    must install apps? This is a really disappointing Article from a site that I still went to more than others for actual technical information. The senior writer who looks about 20 obviously being paid for the sponsoring of these apps? And setting up a new Mac doesn’t always mean it’s a brand new Mac -it might be new to me, but actually 5 to 10 years old.
    I am not installing any of these apps on said Mac Until I have fully upgraded to whatever current OS system that mac can handle- Especially for the older ones, a significant amount of space needs to be open, and boot installers might have to be Put into action. This is really a terrible article that turned me and my fairly decent opinion of this site in the other direction.
    Reply
  • tmmr
    bkkcanuck8 said:
    When I first came over to the Mac I installed an antivirus program thinking it would do something.. (intego -- before all the others arrived)... all it did was cause random kernel panics. I then read what it protected against at the time, and the list was basically a list of things that a person with physical access would have to install on the computer. macOS already has built in anti-virus software for known threats (XProtect). Little Snitch as a monitor/firewall against unwanted information gathering for advertising - is nice though. I also install pretty much only user space software and software from known publishers... though I do have a few terminal apps through homebrew (though they are known sources - not randomly selected ones).
    Xprotect is nice, but its signature-based approach still misses polymorphic viruses and other adaptive disguise malware. And while I agree and also implement your best practices, I have clients who are not so responsible...

    Little Snitch also does a pretty good job of preventing malware from phoning home as well--or at least alerting you to the attempt. Info stealers (passwords, account numbers, etc.) are the latest trend in malware.
    Reply