💻 Apps That I Use

Here is a comprehensive list of the applications I use on both my Windows and macOS systems.

🌐 Browsing & Communication

Zen Browser : A minimalist, Firefox/Gecko-based browser focused on mindful, distraction-free browsing. Supports vertical tabs, split view, workspaces, and themes. Currently free and in active development (Windows, macOS, Linux).
Mailspring : A fast, cross‑platform email client with unified inbox, advanced search, and themes. Free plan available; Pro adds read receipts, link tracking, templates, etc. (Pro $8/month).

Raycast: Fast launcher/command palette for apps, files, scripts, and web actions with a large extension store.
Flow Launcher : Keyboard-centric launcher for apps, files, web, system commands, and plugins.
Tabby : Modern, highly customizable terminal for SSH, serial, and local shells. Tabs, panes, theming, plugins, SSH profiles/agent, Zmodem, and portable config. Cross‑platform builds for Windows, macOS (Intel/Apple Silicon), and Linux.
Everything: Ultra-fast instant file search for Windows via real-time NTFS indexing.

itsycal: Lightweight menu bar calendar for macOS that integrates with any calendar accounts that Apple Calendar supports and offers a compact month view and event list.
Shottr ($): Lightning-fast macOS screenshot tool with scrolling capture, ruler, color picker, OCR, and robust annotation.
BetterDisplay ($) : Advanced display management for macOS: HiDPI scaling, virtual displays, brightness/EDID controls, PiP, and more.
Ice : Open‑source menu bar manager to hide/reorder items, profiles, search, and an optional “Ice Bar” for notched Macs.
PairPods : One‑click menu bar app to share Mac audio to two Bluetooth devices. Works with most headphones/speakers.
Rectangle : Free window manager with shortcuts and snap areas. Pro adds advanced snapping.
LinearMouse : Per‑device scrolling and pointer tuning, acceleration control, button remapping, and app‑specific profiles.
Stats : Lightweight menu bar system monitor: CPU, GPU, RAM, disks, temps, network, battery, and more.
Command X ($): Enables true cut/copy/paste for files in Finder with Cmd‑X/C/V and visual move indicators.
Boring Notch : Style or hide the menu bar/notch for a cleaner, uniform top bar with minimal overhead.
TinkerTool: Access hidden preference settings in macOS to activate features in the OS and its bundled apps. No admin rights needed.

Nilesoft Shell : Powerful, free, open‑source context menu customizer for Windows File Explorer. Create nested menus, add custom commands, and manage/remap items with minimal overhead.
File Converter : Convert and compress files from the Windows Explorer context menu. Supports hundreds of formats via FFmpeg and other backends.
PowerToys : Power user utilities including FancyZones, PowerRename, and Keyboard Manager.
QuickLook : macOS-style spacebar previews for many file types in Windows.
MicaForEveryone : Bring Windows 11 Mica material/translucency to Win32 apps for a cohesive look.
AltSnap (AltDrag fork) : Move/resize windows with Alt + mouse drag; super light and efficient.
Twinkle Tray : Control brightness for multiple monitors via DDC/CI from the system tray.
UniGetUI : GUI for winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop—update, install, and remove apps in one place.
Multiscreen Blank: Blank individual or multiple monitors with hotkeys—handy for presentations and focus.

FreeFileSync: Fast, reliable folder comparison and synchronization tool.
Bitwarden : Open‑source, end‑to‑end encrypted password manager with vault apps, extensions, TOTP, passkeys, and sharing.
Private Internet Access ($) : No‑logs VPN with WireGuard/OpenVPN, large server network, port forwarding, and ad/tracker blocking.
OpenVPN Connect : Official OpenVPN client for Access Server and community servers; import .ovpn profiles and manage tunnels.
PuTTY: Classic SSH/Telnet/Serial client and key tools—tiny, dependable, widely compatible.
JDownloader 2: Free, cross‑platform download manager with plugins, link decryption, archive auto‑extract, and batch automation.
ConnectMeNow: A menu bar utility for macOS to quickly and automatically mount network shares (SMB, AFP, WebDAV, etc.)

IINA : Modern, open‑source media player for macOS based on mpv with wide codec support, hardware acceleration, subtitles, and a native Mac UI.
Shutter Encoder : Powerful FFmpeg front-end for video/audio/image conversion, smart cut, rewrap, and subtitling.
EAC (Exact Audio Copy): Bit-perfect audio CD ripper with error correction and metadata tools.
AudioBookConverter : Convert audio to chapterized m4b audiobooks with embedded chapters.
MIDI View: Simple MIDI monitor to view bi‑directional MIDI messages for debugging devices and DAWs.

calibre : Powerful e‑book manager and converter with library organization, device sync, news downloads, and format conversion (EPUB, MOBI, PDF, etc.).

DaVinci Resolve ($): End‑to‑end video editing, color, VFX, Fairlight audio. Free and Studio tiers.
Affinity Photo ($): Pro photo editing with fast raw workflow and non‑destructive tools.
Affinity Designer ($): Vector and raster design app for illustration, logos, UI, and print.
Affinity Publisher ($): Professional page layout for digital and print.
Capture One ($): High‑quality raw processor with elite tethering and color tools.
Reaper ($): Lightweight, deeply customizable DAW for audio/MIDI production. Generous trial; paid license.
Blender : Full 3D pipeline—modeling, sculpting, animation, sim, and rendering. Free/open source.
MuseScore : Open‑source music notation with playback, engraving, and plugin ecosystem.
Siril : Open-source astronomical image processing tool for astrophotography, including calibration, stacking, and advanced editing.
Upscayl : Free and open-source AI image upscaler that uses advanced models to enlarge and enhance images.

Autodesk Fusion ($): Cloud-connected CAD/CAM/CAE for product design, machining (Fusion Manufacture), electronics, and simulation. Commercial subscription; free tiers for personal use and education are available. macOS and Windows supported. Note: Autodesk is ending support for Windows 10 for future Fusion releases and requires Apple‑supported macOS/hardware combos going forward.
SOLIDWORKS ($): Industry-standard parametric CAD with simulation and data management ecosystem. Windows-only desktop application. On Macs it’s commonly run via virtualization (e.g., Parallels) but not natively supported. Perpetual/subscription licensing via resellers.
OrcaSlicer : Free, open-source slicer (based on Bambu Studio/SuperSlicer) with strong calibration tools, seam/wall control, and integrations (Klipper, OctoPrint, Obico). Cross‑platform builds for Win/macOS (Intel + Apple Silicon) and Linux.

PrismLauncher : Community‑driven Minecraft launcher with instance management, modpack support, per‑instance Java, and portable profiles. Cross‑platform.