In this post, we’re going to look at some of the best apps for your Mac computer to help you save time and increase blogging productivity? Let’s dive right in!
I was always a PC man. I started blogging on an Acer Windows laptop and knew my machine inside out. I loved it.
One weekend, I was visiting my wife’s cousin and got the opportunity to play around on her 2012 MacBook Pro. I was stunned not just by the machine’s performance. But the tools she had installed made being productive fun!
I couldn’t afford a Macbook Pro, so I waited a year, and around 2013, I bought myself a 13 inch MacBook Air, and as they say, the rest was history.
My productivity went through the roof. It tripled, in fact, and I never thought I could fall in love with another computer. I just didn’t look back.
As cringe-worthy as that story might sound to you, it’s the freaking truth!
For man years, I’ve been happily chugging along working on my trusty Acer laptop, and for the most part, it served me well. It was the computer that started it all off for me.
Today, however, I honestly don’t think I could be running my online businesses as smoothly as I have been with my Mac if I was still stuck on a Windows platform.
Maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know, because I haven’t used a Windows computer now since 2013. Maybe things have changed.
But the apps I have on my Mac computer now are the pinnacle of my productivity. In 2021, I’m using a 2016 Macbook Pro and a fully-configured Mac Mini at the time of updating this post.
I’m not only a blogger anymore, but I’m also a freelance designer and front-end web developer, so the Mac, to me, makes perfect sense.
And one thing I will never forget:
Many, many years ago, way before I made the switch to macOS, I can clearly remember being told that PCs were like the workhorses of modern computers, and Macs were used mainly by creative people.
For the most part, I think that is 100% true. This is why I ditched the old workhorse to get a Mac to improve my creative productivity.
Speaking of productivity, what makes a Mac computer so versatile is the abundance of apps available, regardless of what type of blogger or content creator you are.
So, without further adieu, here is my list of the best Mac apps to help you improve your creativity and increase productivity!
#01. Byword (Blog writing)Byword is a simplified distraction-free writing app ideal for writing blog posts.
This is my favorite writing app by far, not just because it’s quick to launch and easy to use, but because it really is distraction-free.
There’s no writing app like it. You can adjust the theme from light to dark and change the text format from plain text to rich text.
The other great thing about this writing app is that you can publish straight to your WordPress blog once you’re done writing. That said, this isn’t something that I’ve done myself because I like to include other elements in my posts, such as images, videos, etc.
You can download Byword here.
#02. PhotoScape X (Photo editing)I’ve mentioned this app many times before, I know. But PhotoScape X is, by far, one of the best free photo editing apps for the Mac.
Yes, it’s free. However, a premium version comes with a few extra tools, filters, design elements, and editing options.
I use the PhotoScape X app daily in my business, mainly to create quick and simple graphics for social media and featured blog post images.
You can download PhotoScape X here.
#03. Skype (Video calling, client Collaboration)The Skype app happens to be one of the most used apps on my desktop right now since I speak to my clients almost daily.
There are other video remote communication apps that have grown in popularity over the years, including Zoom. But Skype, for me, is a lot more user-friendly and affordable too.
As a freelance web designer and remote worker, I highly recommend Skype.
I love using the app for sharing screens, projects, links, resources as well to communicate with my clients and prospects.
You can download the Skype app here.
#04. Evernote (Content research and organizing)Another popular app that I have on my Desktop is the Evernote app.
Evernote is great for writing and researching and gathering information and resources, making it perfect for bloggers.
Some ways in which I use Evernote myself include –
You can grab the Evernote app here.
#05. Atom (Writing and coding)I’ve used many code editors in my time, but these days, Atom is my go-to open-source code editor for writing website code (HTML, CSS, and PHP).
If you’re a front-end developer too, or just like to dabble around with your own custom code to add to your website or blog, this app is the perfect companion for that kind of stuff.
It’s easy to install and begin using. You don’t need to be a tech nerd to figure it out.
Atom supports many web and software developer languages, including the ones I mentioned above, JavaScript, C#, Python, and more. It’s completely hackable, meaning you can personalize it with custom themes for UR and Syntax.
You can click here to learn more about Atom.
#06. Final Cut Pro (Editing videos)When I was using my Windows laptop, I would edit all of my videos inside Movie Maker.
Of course, I then started using iMovie on my first Mac back in 2013.
In 2016, I made the decision to invest in Final Cut Pro. FCPX is a full-blown pro video editing software. It’s expensive, but if you can budget for it, I’d highly recommend checking it out.
I use this app daily to edit and polish up my videos and vlogs for my YouTube channel.
Final Cut Pro comes with all the bells and whistles for top-level video editing. It’s fast, and most of all, it saves me an enormous amount of time editing videos.
Plus, there are some truly amazing plugins available out there to make this software even more powerful to any avid video content creator.
As I said, it is on the expensive side. It costs around $300, and for an app, that’s pretty steep! In my opinion, it that said is worth the investment if you’re going to do a lot of videos to help you grow your blog.
Click here to learn more about Final Cut Pro.
#07. Chrome (Best web browser, period!)OK, perhaps not. Each to their own, right? But for me, I love, love, love using this app more than I do any other web browser app
Chrome is super fast, and you can add a cluster of useful add-ons to enhance your blogging experience, not to mention it’s super powerful for web developers too.
I use Chrome for pretty much everything, though I have other browser apps on my desktop for testing websites I’m developing across multiple browsers.
If you haven’t yet tried it out, I recommend you do.
Get it here to download Google Chrome for your Mac.
#08. Affinity Designer (Creating professional graphics)For all you bloggers seriously into graphic design, I recommend Affinity Designer.
So what is this app? AD is a professional vector graphic design software app for the Mac. It’s also available for Windows if you’re a PC guy.
It costs a fraction of other popular graphic design apps and comes with pro-level editing options and features.
I have used Affinity Designer to create my website logos, custom icons, social media cover graphics, eBook cover artwork, marketing graphics, and more.
Click here to learn more about Affinity Designer.
#09. Screencast-O-Matic (Screen recording)Screencast-O-Matic is a simple but powerful screen recording application, perfect for bloggers recording screen-based tutorial videos.
I’ve been a long-time subscriber to the premium version of Screencast-O-Matic. The premium is extremely affordable at just a few dollars per month.
While this isn’t an official app available directly from the Apple app store, it can be obtained from the screencast website here.
On the Mac, you can record and save your screen recording locally and then drag them into your favorite video editor.
#10. Focus Keeper (Productivity timer)Last but not least, we get to this beauty of a productivity timer. OK, so this isn’t exactly an app available for the Mac, it’s available for iOS. But I had to include this one on my list because it’s a must for busy bloggers!
I never start working on any task without this app running on my phone because it helps me stay focused.
Focus Keeper is more than a productivity timer, you can create custom sessions, set breaks, track focus sessions for up to 30 days, and more.
You can check it out here.
So, there you have it, my friends, 10 must-use blogging productivity apps for Mac users that I recommend checking out in 2021!
I hope some of these will be useful for you, if not now, then perhaps in the future.
Enjoy and happy blogging.
