Best Developer Tools for Mac
Editors, terminals, and dev utilities.
The best developer tools for Mac are the editors, terminals, and small utilities that sit between you and the work, and either get out of the way or quietly make you faster. This collection gathers the native macOS tools worth a place in a working developer's setup — from the apps you stare at all day to the menu bar helpers you forget are running until they save you.
Inside you'll find dev-focused utilities for serving local files, managing Git state, tracking AI coding sessions, and keeping an eye on the metrics that matter while you ship. Several are open source, a few are free, and the paid ones are built by developers who clearly use them on their own machines.
Developer tooling is personal — what's essential for one workflow is clutter in another — so this list isn't a ranking. It's a vetted shortlist you can pull from, organized so you can scan by what each tool actually does rather than how it markets itself. We favor apps that are fast, scriptable, and respectful of system resources, because a tool that drags down the machine isn't saving you anything.
Browse the full set below. Every pick is verified, native to macOS, and chosen for usefulness over hype.
BoltAI
The best AI client for Mac
LocalCan
Local domains and persistent Public URLs
Claudoscope
Gives developers a clear, real-time view of their Claude Code sessions, tracking usage, costs, and history while scanning for leaked credentials, all locally with zero telemetry.
BucketMate
Native S3 GUI Client for macOS
CC Usage Bar
Switch between multiple Claude Code accounts instantly, without the usual logout ritual or browser detours. See live usage and rate limits, keep credentials secure, stay in flow.
DevUtils
All-in-one offline toolbox for developers (42+ tools)
Git Glance
Keeps your recurring revenue visible without the usual dashboard clutter, combining Stripe, Polar and Lemon Squeezy data while nudging you about every meaningful change.
Paw
Advanced API tool for Mac
Postico
Modern PostgreSQL client for macOS
Proxyman
Native HTTP debugging proxy
RocketSim
Enhance Xcode Simulator productivity
Seeports
Run local HTTP servers on macOS by dragging any folder to instantly serve files with automatic port assignment, multiple server management, logs, and directory listings.
TablePlus
Modern native database management tool
SF Symbols
Browse and export Apple's SF Symbols
TablePro
Native database client for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis, and more
Whiplash
Helps developers stay on top of Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and Codex sessions in one place, tracking what's running, idle, or finished, with task awareness.