Let’s say you need to paste your full signature frequently — instead of typing it out every time, you just type sign, and boom — the full signature (with credentials) appears.

That’s the magic of text expansion software.

It lets you create shortcuts that automatically expand into longer bits of text. Whether it’s a repetitive paragraph, a form response, or formatted data, you save time and typing effort.

No wonder 86% of people surveyed say that workflow automation helps them work more efficiently and productively, according to Smartsheet.

Bottom line? You type less and do more.

Best Text Expansion Tools for Mac

Instead of giving you random selections, we tested the most popular text expansion tools on macOS Sequoia for a week.

We needed two levels of testing before we could choose these 10 options. First, we tested a pool of 20+ text expansion utilities for reliability, efficiency, and value. The idea was to check whether the apps were reliable on a regular basis.

After thorough testing, we shortlisted the 10 best apps (plus a bonus) based on what they offer uniquely.

• TextExpander – Best overall cross-platform text expander
• Typinator – Best one-time purchase alternative
• Rocket Typist – Best for simplicity and affordability
• Espanso – Best open-source and developer-friendly option
• Text Blaze – Best for chrome users and cloud-based snippets
• aText – Best for rich text and cost-effective expansion
• PhraseExpress for Mac – Best for teams and enterprise use
• TypeIt4Me – Best for fast, direct text expansion
• Keyboard Maestro – Best for advanced macros and automation
• Alfred – Best for power users via universal search
• Bonus Pick: Snippety – A fresh take on native-looking text expansion

#1 TextExpander

TextExpander is a go-to text replacement and keyboard shortcut solution on Mac, and it appears to stand its ground. It packs a bunch of features that help you enable text expansion across devices and collaborate with your team while you are at it. We found that the latest version of TextExpander has brought many refinements as well.

Something we liked in the beginning is that TextExpander doesn’t require a hefty setup. Instead, you can set things up by installing the macOS app and enabling the Accessibility permission. After this point, you can use TextExpander to its fullest.

As far as basics are concerned, TextExpander makes it easy to set up plain text, rich text, and even script-based expansions. You can also insert images and links using abbreviations. You get the standard set of features like delimiters and macro support.

This means you can insert variables like time, date, special characters, and scripts into a snippet. However, if you don’t have to customize these things, you can download pre-made snippet collections from the official TextExpander site. There is one called Past and Future Dates that we love, as it lets us insert dates quickly.

It’s also convenient that all this data is tied to your account. When you set up TextExpander on your Windows PC or Chrome web browser, you can access these snippets easily. We also found the menu bar interface and search function of TextExpander handy.

Price

TextExpander uses a subscription system that lets you access the service via different devices and platforms. You can get the Individual plan for $3.33 per month, whereas the Team plan with collaboration features will set you back at $8.33 per month. TextExpander also offers a Growth plan at $10.83 per month.

Pros

• Easy setup and maintenance
• Multiple customization options
• An impressive template collection

Cons

• No one-time purchase option

Our Take

Considering how easy TextExpander makes it to expand, replace, and correct text, it’s a great addition for all professionals and teams. We could think of hundreds of ways the app can help you increase individual/team-level productivity. It would be nice for TextExpander to offer a one-time purchase option, though.

#2 Typinator

You should check out Typinator if you need a text expansion app without the hassle of a subscription. For one, the app does better than most text expansion/correction utilities out there. In fact, Typinator can work with other apps and extensions to improve your overall typing productivity.

As we expected, setting up Typinator was like a breeze. The installation takes only a few minutes, and you’ll be able to use the Typinator app right away. We noticed that Typinator also follows the UI design that we’ve seen with TextExpander. You can see the abbreviation collections on the left and abbreviations on the right.

At the bottom side, you get a full preview of the abbreviation that you can edit. You also get to control some settings like case sensitivity and matching conditions for expansion. Typinator also lets you download a set of abbreviations, which makes the text expansion experience superb.

Among them are TIDBITS Autocorrection, Product Names, and AutoCorrect engines for French and Deutsch. We also found some interesting ones like Inline calculation, which lets you do simple calculations within the text input. The statistics function always provides data on how much time you have saved using Typinator.

Though Typinator lets you share your snippet collections via Dropbox, collaboration features are limited. We also felt the program could offer advanced customization options. You should also remember that Typinator is available only on macOS devices.

We also wanted to mention that Typinator stores all your snippets/abbreviations on local storage. It means your data does not get to the cloud. This might be an appealing feature if you want to insert some sensitive content through these abbreviations.

Price

One great thing about Typinator is its one-time purchase option, which lets you get the latest version for just $29.99. This license lets you use Typinator on up to 2 computers, and you will get minor updates. Typinator also offers a trial version.

Pros

• Versatile expansion, including calculation and dynamic content
• Reliable performance with ample technical support
• A good collection of extensions and snippet collections
• Secure text expansion with local data storage

Cons

• The UI could be better

Our Take

Overall, Typinator for Mac offers incredible value and a smooth text expansion experience. Though the app lacks collaboration features, other features are impressive, indeed. Though its macro options are somewhat limited, the ones included are great.

#3 Rocket Typist

Rocket Typist is a text expansion app that offers all the necessary features for boosting your productivity at an affordable price. If you need a budget-friendly alternative to Typinator or TextExpander, Rocket Typist is worth considering.

We were pretty much impressed with what Rocket Typist had to offer. For starters, it lets you easily create snippets and use them across your Mac. One thing to note here is that Rocket Typist prioritizes an easy way to insert snippets instead of abbreviation expansion.

Rocket Typist integrates pretty well with macOS. You can search for snippets and pick one, and the app will paste the original content into any text field. The macro function lets you create easy-to-use boilerplates for needs like legal forms. You can easily customize these macros to your needs.

You can assign a short series of letters to a snippet, and Rocket Typist will expand it to the original phrase. We found it a little complex to access the abbreviation point, and it can be confusing for new users. But you get a clear way to change how an abbreviation works once you access the UI.

We also noticed that Rocket Typist has added new features to the latest version. For instance, we loved the Smart Snippet function, which uses OpenAI’s tech to create adaptive snippets. However, you need an OpenAI API key to use this feature.

Price

Rocket Typist is available for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, offering a uniform experience. There is a free version that lets you access basic features, but you need Rocket Typist Pro to get the full set. The macOS version will cost $19.99, whereas the iOS/iPadOS app costs $9.99. You can set it via Setapp as well.

Pros

• It packs versatile text expansion options
• Packs new features like Smart Snippets with AI
• Affordable one-time purchase plus a free option

Cons

• No pre-made abbreviation collections

Our Take

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option that still includes all the necessary text replacement features, Rocket Typist is an excellent choice. Though the UI could use some work, its one-time purchase option is also great. Surprisingly, the free version works fine, too.

#4 Espanso

We wanted to have only three top picks for the article, but Espanso was too good to exclude. For starters, it is not like the other text expansion apps we have featured. For one, Espanso does not have a GUI for creating or modifying snippets or abbreviations. Instead, you need to use coding skills.

We didn’t know what we were jumping into when we installed Espanso on our Mac. And we won’t lie: we were quite surprised about what we came across. However, we gradually figured out the power that Espanso offers when it comes to managing snippets and other preferences.

At its core, Espanso is a powerful text expansion app that works on both Windows and macOS. It can enhance your typing experience with custom snippets and other integrations and helps you type multiple sentences quickly. However, you need to use macOS Terminal or a text editing app to define these abbreviations.

Because it’s an open-source setup, you get the benefits of a powerful community. It means you can use the Espanso Hub to explore packages. You also get ample options with Shell and Script, along with form support. Once you set up a configuration file, you can use it across platforms like Windows, Linux, and macOS.

We also loved the super-detailed Documentation page from Espanso, as it lets you know everything about the text expansion suite. So, if you are ready to explore the power of full control over snippets and how they work, there is nothing out there better than Espanso.

Price

Espanso is completely free to use and is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Because it deals with YAML configuration files, you can sync these with different devices as well.

Pros

• It offers advanced customization and flexibility
• Cross-platform compatibility and open-source
• Transparent code that you can always verify

Cons

• Steep learning curve and requires basic coding skills

Our Take

Sure, we wouldn’t recommend Espanso to everyone out there. You should have the patience and technical expertise to use Terminal and text editors. But if you can do that, Espanso is better than every text expansion tool we’ve come across.

#5 Text Blaze

Text Blaze is not a dedicated text expansion software for Mac. Instead, it is available for Chrome-based web browsers. So, if you use something like Google Chrome, Arc, or even Microsoft Edge on your Mac, you can use this tool to expand text and correct it when you’re typing something on the web.

For what it’s worth, the tool gives you access to dynamic templates, which make it easy to fill out forms and other documents. You also get an incredible set of sharing and collaboration features, which is great if you’re working across teams. So, you can think of Text Blaze as a more powerful autocomplete tool.

Text Blaze offers a free plan with limited snippets. If you need more, you can pay $2.99 for the Pro plan.

Pros

• It works great with Chrome-based browsers
• All your snippets are stored in the cloud
• You get a free-tier plan with decent features

Cons

• Offline support should be better.

#6 aText

aText is a simple text expansion tool available for macOS and Windows. You also get a standard set of features such as support for rich text, auto-correction, cloud synchronization to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or iCloud Drive, and a number of built-in snippets that allow you to work out of the box.

We also loved the aText UI very much. It easily lets you go through the multiple snippets you have, and the fully-fledged editing system allows you to craft beautiful signatures or rich text content that will come in handy multiple times.

Because aText is available across Windows and macOS, you can synchronize your snippets easily. However, we think the synchronization options could be better. Overall, however, aText offers sufficient value for the amount you pay.

aText is also the most cost-effective option, as its macOS license costs $4.99 per year.

Pros

• Cost-effective pricing plans
• Support for advanced features
• Regular maintenance and updates

Cons

• Synchronization features could be better

#7 PhraseExpress for Mac

You should check out PhraseExpress for Mac if you are looking for an enterprise-grade text expander and text template manager. Because it is designed for enterprise users, you get a whole lot of customization options when it comes to managing snippets.

It also offers synchronization options between Windows, iPhone, and iPad so that all the snippets that you create on your Mac will be available on all devices. The folder categorization options and reusable auto-text functions are something that we loved in this application.

You can use macro functions to perform math calculators and string operations on text fields. It is also great that you can control how PhraseExpress works with different apps. It integrates well with macOS and offers migration tools for shifting to other apps.

The best thing? The base version of PhraseExpress is free for personal use. Paid ones start at $100.

Pros

• Works great for advanced macro functions via AI
• You can customize how it works with different apps
• Migration tools for transitioning

Cons

• The UI is subpar compared to competitors

#8 TypeIt4Me

Typeit4Me is another affordable option that we can recommend without a doubt. Compared to other tools we have covered, TypeIt4Me has a minimal interface design. It calls itself the original text expander for Mac, and it delivers to a great extent, too.

As we said, the interface is minimal, and adding and managing snippets is super easy. You can access all these snippets from the menu bar interface as well. You also get the standard customization options such as setting triggers, expansion patterns, and AutoCorrect.

In addition to iCloud-based sync, Dropbox and Google Drive can also be used as the syncing platform. In this aspect alone, TypeIt4Me offers more flexibility than other tools we have come across. However, you might miss some advanced customization options.

You can try TypeIt4Me through the free trial, but a full license will cost $19.99.

Pros

• Quick and reliable text expansion
• Support for iCloud Sync
• One-time purchase option

Cons

• Customization options are limited

#9 Keyboard Maestro

Keyboard Maestro is another tool that you can use for text expansion, correction, etc. However, you should keep in mind that this is a completely powerful macro tool for macOS. So, using that only for text expansion would be a waste of resources.

But if you already have Keyboard Maestro, you don’t need another app to expand text or corrections. The setup could be a little complex in that you have to insert custom macros as per your needs. Unlike other tools we have covered here, we can’t export or bulk-add macros into the system.

On the bright side, you get some wonderful automation access. For instance, if you want the snippet to be copied once you have done a calculation-based expansion, you can ask Keyboard Maestro to do that for you.

You can get Keyboard Maestro by paying $36 for the latest version.

Pros

• Works better as an overall automation tool
• You can connect other automation with snippets
• Great for highly flexible workflows

Cons

• It can be an overkill for text expansion alone

#10 Alfred

Alfred is a universal search utility that people use instead of Spotlight. It packs many utilities, and the collection includes a text expander as well. However, you should have a Powerpack subscription to access the snippet management function.

Once you have set it up, Alfred works just like a fully-fledged snippet manager. You can set up the hotkey and snippet keywords and do things based on the trigger. However, it works most easily with text-based snippets. That is, you don’t get as many macro options as you would on other tools we have covered.

Though Alfred is free to use, the Powerpack will cost you 34 GPB.

Pros

• Integrates snippet management into universal search
• Easy to search and find all the snippets
• You get system-wide search options and automation

Cons

• Not a good investment if you only need text expansion

Special Mention: Snippety

We believe Snippety, a new app, requires a special mention when it comes to expanding and replacing text on Mac. You can use Snippety to create snippets that work on both macOS and iOS, and it lets you go a long way when it comes to custom snippets.

You get a set of features, including advanced support for scripts and text expansion, along with automation and collaboration features. For instance, the smart placeholder feature is great when you want to insert a variable kind of data into the text field.

You can also use the AI assistant built into the application to correct your text or perform actions like summarizing and translation. We also loved how it integrates very well with the shared menu of both macOS and iOS.

You can purchase Snippety for $29.99. Unfortunately, there is no free trial or free plan.

Pros

• Most features are great for developers and Pro users
• The universal option for managing and adding snippets is great
• Synchronization is super-smooth across devices

Cons

• It lacks a free trial or free version.

FAQs

What are text expanders and how do they work?

Text expanders are tools that let you assign short keywords (called snippets or abbreviations) to longer blocks of text. When you type the shortcut, the expander replaces it instantly with the full text — like magic.

For example, typing addr can expand to your full mailing address, or sig might drop in your email signature with links and all.

It all starts with a trigger — a short, memorable abbreviation that you set up. That trigger is linked to the full text you want to appear. Once you type the trigger, the expander kicks in and replaces it with the content you’ve assigned.

So instead of retyping your phone number or your favorite email reply over and over, you just type a few characters, and boom — it’s done.

Does macOS have a built-in text expander?

In essence, macOS does have built-in text replacement features found under Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacement. They work in apps like Notes, Mail, and Messages and sync with iOS and iPadOS.

While handy for simple use, it’s limited — no rich text, no smart macros, and no broad app support. If you’re a power user, social media manager, or just someone who loves shaving time off daily tasks, third-party text expanders offer far more functionality.

Text Expanders, Snippets, and Shortcuts: what’s the difference?

These terms are often used interchangeably, but here’s a quick breakdown:

• Text Expander: The app or tool that makes it all happen. It monitors your typing and triggers the expansions.
• Snippet: The content you want to insert — a word, phrase, paragraph, or even a formatted email.
• Shortcut (or Abbreviation): The short piece of text you type to trigger the snippet. Think of it as the “key” to unlock the longer text.

In short: you use a shortcut to trigger a snippet using a text expander tool.

Are text expanders like Espanso.org considered safe and private?

Yes — tools like Espanso are generally considered safe and private. Espanso is open-source, so its code is fully transparent and can be audited by anyone. It does not log keystrokes and only temporarily stores a few recent characters (by default, the last 5) to detect triggers.

That said, snippets are stored in plain text on your local system. So if you’re using sensitive data (like passwords or personal info), it’s best to avoid including that in snippets — or protect the config directory with encryption or strict access controls.

Is text replacement (text expander) actually useful?

Yes — and if you type a lot, it can be a total game-changer. Here’s why text replacement is worth it:

• Save Time: Why type out “Best regards, [Your Name]” every time? Just create a shortcut like /brg and let the expander do the work.
• Fewer Typos: Using predefined snippets means you’re typing less and making fewer mistakes. Everything stays consistent and accurate.
• Fully Customizable: Whether it’s email templates, coding snippets, or common replies, you can create shortcuts for just about anything.

If you spend a lot of time at the keyboard, text replacement isn’t just useful — it’s essential.

Final Thoughts

We hope this roundup of the best text expansion tools for macOS has helped you narrow down your choices. Each tool we included is reliable, feature-rich, and aimed at helping you boost your productivity by cutting down repetitive typing.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded, cross-platform solution with team collaboration features, TextExpander is hard to beat. It’s ideal for professionals, writers, and teams who need powerful control and syncing across devices.

Prefer a more minimalist, code-friendly experience? Espanso is perfect for tinkerers and developers who love open-source flexibility and keyboard-driven workflows.

Not a fan of subscriptions? Typinator offers a great one-time purchase model with advanced features like macro support and downloadable snippet sets — a solid pick for solo users or small businesses.

And if you’re new to text expansion and want something lightweight and easy to use, Rocket Typist provides a great entry point without overwhelming you.

Ultimately, the best text expander for you depends on your workflow, preferences, and whether you value simplicity, power, or flexibility. Try a couple out — many offer free trials — and see which one clicks with your typing habits.

Happy expanding!

READ ALSO

• 25 Mac Apps for Students – Productive Study Guide
• The Best Font Manager Apps for Mac
• The Best Clipboard Manager for Mac
• Top Productivity Apps for Working From Home
• Top Sites for Free and Premium Fonts Online

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post Type Faster: The Best Text Expanders for Mac (2025) first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

At TheSweetBits, we heavily depend upon screenshots, especially for preparing the best how-to content and reviews for our readers. It also means we have to use the best screenshot apps available for macOS. And we thought we should recommend some of these tools to those in need.

Key takeaways

• CleanShot X is the best all-in-one screenshot and screencast app for Mac.
• Xnapper offers a quick way to turn screenshots into share-worthy images.
• LightShot is a great free screenshot app that packs standard features.
• Snagit for professionals who need screenshots and video recordings.

Read along if you want to know how exactly these apps made it to the top!

About built-in macOS screenshot.app

Again, you can access the native screenshot utility on Mac using some keyboard shortcuts.

• You can press Shift + Command + 3 to capture a screenshot of the entire screen.
• You can press Shift + Command + 4 to capture a screenshot of a select area.
• You can press Shift + Command + 4 + Space Bar to capture the screenshot of a specific window.

The Good

By default, macOS will save the screenshots to the Desktop. But, of course, you can change the location through the Screenshot app settings. You can also use the app to record a video of the screen. Apple has integrated a timer into the Screenshot app as well. So, it’s all a piece of cake.

The Bad

Despite all these standard features, the native screenshot utility is not enough when you want to take better screenshots. For instance, there are no options for enhanced annotation or editing. You cannot customize the entire workflow and enable the cloud-sharing, either.

The Worse

Also, you cannot use the native screenshot utility everywhere. For instance, it does not let you capture the content from Apple TV. These issues might come your way if you have to take professional screenshots regularly.

On the bright side, most third-party screenshot apps can help you overcome these issues! They also offer multi-device syncing, scrolling screenshots, and advanced editing tools.

But you should know what’s best for your needs.

Best screenshot apps to snip on Mac

We tested over 20 screenshot apps for Mac and chose the best four options (Read the full rundown of how we select tools to feature on TheSweetBits blog). More importantly, we have recommended the best apps for particular needs. For instance, if you need ultimate editing options, we have one recommendation. On the other hand, if you want something straightforward, there is something else.

#1 CleanShot X — Best overall screenshot app

Even after years, CleanShot X remains the best overall screenshot app for Mac. It packs all the core features you would expect from a screenshot/screencast utility. By any level of comparison, CleanShot X is way better than the built-in macOS screenshot app.

Accessing CleanShot X is a breeze, either through the menu bar or keyboard shortcuts. You can capture screenshots in various modes, including area selection, full screen, individual windows, and scrolling shots. A built-in timer helps schedule your captures precisely. We regularly use the options for OCR screenshots as well as screen recordings.

Editing is effortless with CleanShot X’s extensive annotation tools. Crop, highlight, redact, draw, mark, and add shapes and text to tailor your screenshots perfectly. Sharing is equally convenient – upload with a single click and copy the link to your clipboard. Advanced features like team management and self-destruct control ensure secure and efficient collaboration.

It is also impressive that you can customize almost every aspect of a screenshot. For instance, you can select the background for the image or how it interacts with other graphical elements. We use CleanShot X as an annotation utility for images from other apps as well.

Pros

• An intuitive and productive UI
• It integrates so well with macOS
• It offers advanced editing options
• Suitable for content creators

Cons

• Many features are limited to the paid version

Pricing: You can use the basic features of CleanShot X for free. But the paid version costs $29 (one-time payment) or $9.99 per month per user of Setapp subscription.

Also: read our full CleanShot review here.

#2 Xnapper: Best for quick and beautiful screenshots

Xnapper is probably one of the most underhyped screenshot apps for Mac. It allows you to capture stunning screenshots and share them in a jiffy. While doing it, you do not have to worry about how it looks on target platforms, either.

It packs many features that make our lives easier. For instance, you can use automatic balancing to get optimized screenshots in a click. Similarly, social media templates can save time when preparing screenshots in bulk. We loved how you can use multiple presets to save your preferences for later. Once done, you can select a preset to make specific changes.

We also loved the annotation tools from Xnapper. Even though some of these features are in the beta stage, you can count on them. In the end, you can easily annotate the screenshots based on your needs. For us, it is convenient to add tutorial elements like highlights and instruction graphics. It also brings the standard set of features for drawing and markup.

An area where Xnapper needs improvement is sharing. Unlike CleanShot X, Xnapper does not offer options for built-in sharing. It does not have a cloud storage option, either. Considering how share-worthy Xnapper screenshots are, we would love to see such features in the package.

Pros

• Instant, share-worthy screenshots
• Plenty of social media templates
• Auto-balancing and presets

Cons

• No built-in cloud sharing options

Pricing: While a free trial is available, unlocking the full potential requires a one-time purchase of $24.99, or $9.99 per month per user from a Setapp subscription.

#3 LightShot: Best free screenshot app for Mac

LightShot is the best free screenshot app for Mac by all means. Before I shifted to CleanShot X, LightShot was my go-to option for great screenshots. So, if you do not want to spend money on a screenshot tool, you can check out LightShot.

Setting up and using LightShot does not take more than a minute. You can capture screenshots of the selected area with just two clicks. Once you have captured an area, you can access the annotation/editing tools from the integrated widget.

Though not a lot, the editing tools from the LightShot package are sufficient for most users. You can add a variety of elements and annotate the screenshot. You can also add text boxes and shapes to the image. It also features an integrated sharing interface that helps you instantly upload and share screenshots with ease.

You will receive a notification once the file has been uploaded. Then, you can copy the link and share it with others. Unlike Snagit, LightShot does not consume a lot of system resources. So, you can use the screenshot function even while running heavy-duty apps. Once you have set up the hotkeys, you won’t even know the presence of LightShot.

Pros

• A simple and lightweight design
• It does not consume many resources
• You can easily upload and share screenshots
• You get standard editing options

Cons

• It lacks multiple screen capture modes.

Pricing: LightShot is free to use and does not contain any ads. You can download it from the official website, and the app is also available for Windows, Chrome, Opera, and Firefox.

#4 Snagit: Best for screenshot & screen recording

Snagit is often called the best screen capture software for professionals. We think this fully-fledged tool from TechSmith deserves a place on this list. We recommend you consider this app if you need advanced editing and screen recording capabilities.

Snagit’s core features are designed for optimal results. For example, you can record video and audio when you capture the screen — a suitable approach for recording tutorials and presentations. Beyond standard all-in-one and scrolling screenshot options, Snagit offers support for creating animated GIFs and recording screens from your macOS and iOS devices.

Despite its feature set, we found the editing options on Snagit to be smarter and easier to use. For instance, the ‘Step Tool’ simplifies creating informative tutorials, while the ‘Grab Text’ tool seamlessly extracts text from screenshots. Additionally, pre-made layouts and templates expedite the creation of polished videos and GIFs.

You can easily share your screenshots with other platforms as well. For instance, Snagit easily integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Word. By the way, you can also capture screenshots or record videos from most apps.

Pros

• Snagit enables a professional workflow
• Advanced features for editing videos
• It supports video and audio recording
• Excellent tech support and community

Cons

• It does not offer a free version

Pricing: You can purchase Snagit 2024 for a yearly subscription of $39.99, which is reasonable enough. You can explore education/enterprise discounts as well.

Read our full Snagit review here.

Other candidates

Here are some of the other screenshot apps we looked at:

#5 Droplr: Best for cloud-based workflows

Droplr is a comprehensive screenshot tool compatible with both Mac and Windows. It primarily caters to business and enterprise users, offering high-resolution screen capture capabilities along with cloud storage and enhanced security features, all available through a monthly subscription. It seamlessly integrates with platforms such as eBay, Mailchimp, Intercom, Slack, and more.

Once your screenshot or recording is complete, it’s automatically saved to your Droplr cloud account, with a link conveniently copied to your clipboard for instant sharing with your team. While it offers the option to record videos in 4K resolution, there are limited video editing capabilities, primarily limited to trimming the video length.

Pricing: Droplr is starting at $6/month. A free trial is available.

#6 Monosnap: Best for business use

We recommend you check out Monosnap if you are looking for additional features for sharing screenshots within your business. Even though it packs the standard editing/annotation features, the better focus is on how easily you can create a workflow with screenshots.

Though Monosnap does not have as many features as CleanShot X, there are ample ways to annotate or edit your screenshot. You can use tools like highlighter, blurring, shapes, and text. You can also export the image to your desired photo editor app.

You can do more with the enterprise plan from Monosnap. It will give you access to awesome features like team management, quality control, custom sharing, and enterprise-grade security. You can also get tailor-made workflows.

Pricing: You can get a limited free version, which gives you 2GB of cloud storage and supports most formats. If you want additional features, the non-commercial and commercial plans cost $2.50 and $5, respectively.

#7 Gemoo Snap: Best multipurpose screenshot app

Gemoo Snap is a new, free and easy-to-use snipping app for taking quick screenshots for any kind of project. It can also recognize text (OCR) for grabbing unreadable text from the image.

We love the Screenshot & Beautify feature as it allows us to capture screenshots and beautify them by adding annotations, arrows, text, shapes, and numbers. The core editing tools from Gemoo Snap still save more time for video creators, marketers, and project managers. It is impressive that you can set up hotkeys for almost all types of screenshot needs.

Pricing: Gemoo Snap is free and it is compatible with both Mac and Windows OS. There is also a Chrome Extension that helps take screenshots from the web page.

#8 MarkupHero: A free option for markups

MarkupHero is another free screen capture and annotation tool for macOS. You can use the app on not only Mac but also Windows, Linux, and Chrome. As its name suggests, the app delivers an experience focused on annotating your screenshots.

We also love how integrated MarkupHero is with the web platform. It means you can share your annotations and ideas with others. Furthermore, you can edit your notes on the go. The app offers some collaboration-oriented features in the enterprise plan.

Pricing: You can get a free version of MarkupHero, which is excellent.

#9 Shottr: Free & lightweight screenshot App for Mac

Shottr is a killer choice if you have an old Mac! The app weighs only 1.5MB but delivers several cool features. For instance, you can get scrolling screenshots and markup screenshots on your Mac. In addition, the app lets you zoom in on pixels as well.

What’s more, you get advanced options like OCR and M1-optimized performance. It even comes with a color picker, a feature we have not found elsewhere. Overall, the package looks okay. However, it could use better integration with macOS.

Pricing: Shottr is a free app, but it is regularly maintained and updated.

#10 Skitch: For simple and straightforward

Skitch is a straightforward screenshot app for Mac, and it comes from Evernote. So, if you use Evernote for your note-taking needs, Skitch will easily integrate with your workflow. The User Interface is simple, and you can quickly add shapes and text content to the image.

More importantly, you can share your screenshots with Evernote with a single click. But, of course, there are options to share the screenshot with third-party apps. However, we thought the performance aspect could be better.

Pricing: Skitch is available for free, though.

#11 Awesome Screenshot

Awesome Screenshot is not technically a Mac snipping tool. On the other hand, it lets you create beautiful screenshots and recordings from your web browser. You can get this extension for popular browsers, such as Google Chrome and Edge.

Despite being a browser extension, Awesome Screenshot packs ample features for capturing video content and screenshots. You can resize the screenshot, set it up to share the content with people online as well. You can use the extension to capture windows other than the browser too.

Awesome Screenshot is free to use for the most part, but some features may require upgrades. But it works great for in-browser screen capture.

Bonus option: TextSniper

If you have been looking to capture a small portion of the screens to save text, images, videos, and files that are impossible to copy-paste, then the TextSniper app is worthy of mention here. TextSniper is a Mac snipping tool that helps capture and copy text from images, PDF files, videos, or any other digital sources that contain text.

The app is quite simple and easy to use, it uses OCR technology, you simply select ‘Capture Text’ from the menu bar,  and the text inside the selection will be quickly recognized and copied to the clipboard. This is a convenient and effective technology that extracts and recognizes any text that is non-editable and non-searchable on your Mac’s screen. Read our full review of TextSniper here.

Pricing: TextSniper starts price at $7.99, you will have a 7-day money-back guarantee, and you can also download and give the app a try.

Choosing the best screenshot-taking app

Here’s the thing about our coverage of the best screenshot apps for Mac.

You can expect a better screenshot-capturing experience, no matter which app you choose. However, if you want to know our opinion, here is what we think.

We recommend CleanShot X as the best screenshot app for macOS for apparent reasons. It packs almost all the features you need to take professional screenshots. At the same time, it does not stress out your Mac, either. It offers a free plan, but we think the premium upgrade is a worthy investment.

Equally impressive is Xnapper, which has become our favorite recently. Xnapper makes it effortless to create screenshots and turn them into something worth sharing. In our daily lives, Xnapper is a time-saver that does not compromise quality.

You may also check our comparison article: CleanShot X vs Xnapper: Which screenshot tool is best?

But, hey, feel free to check out other options (including the free ones) if you have specific needs.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post The Best Screenshot Apps for Mac (Free and Paid) first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

What we are saying is this: fonts are essential. Picking the wrong font for even the right design can ruin the design altogether. But, how do you collect and manage the various fonts out there? You’re in the right place if you use a Mac for your design workflow.

TL;DR: the best Mac font managers right now

• Typeface 3
• FontBase
• Extensis Connect Fonts
• RightFont
• FontAgent
• Webfont
• flipping typical
• Fontcloud
• Monotype Fonts

Basics on macOS fonts

Just like every other Operating System, macOS requires many fonts to function.

The system ships with various fonts belonging to different categories. However, only some of them are the most essential for the OS and most third-party apps to function correctly.

The list includes fonts like AppleGothic, Arial, Comic Sans, Georgia, Impact, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Verdana, etc. However, if you use the iWork suite, you need more fonts like Chalkboard, Optima, Baskerville, Papyrus, Futura, etc. As you can guess, these are some of the cleanest-looking fonts too.

So, on an ideal day, you should not remove the mentioned fonts from macOS. Of course, you can’t remove most of them if you use macOS Catalina or later. But, as a designer or developer, these fonts are not enough. You can’t make the best design using these fonts alone. Apple recommends developers use fonts other than the standard ones we mentioned.

Well, that’s why macOS allows you to install third-party fonts on your Mac. According to Apple,

macOS supports TrueType (.ttf), Variable TrueType (.ttf), TrueType Collection (.ttc), OpenType (.otf), and OpenType Collection (.ttc) fonts. macOS Mojave adds support for OpenType-SVG fonts.

So, if you have a font with the extensions mentioned above, you can install it on macOS. Double-clicking on the font file will handle the installation for you. Quite simply, if you ask us.

But, you don’t always need all the fonts. You may have to disable, group, and manage fonts in general.

That’s why you need a font manager.

What about Apple’s own Font Book?

So, macOS ships with a decent utility called Font Book.

Font Book is the native font manager for macOS, offering you a platform to access/manage the fonts installed on the Mac. As you can see, the latest version of Font Book brings a lot of handy features.

You can see the list of System and User-installed fonts and categorize them. When you select a single font, it also shows a preview of how it looks. You can also create smart collections using this utility. At first look, you may think the Font Book is enough.

But, then, you should understand that a designer needs to handle hundreds of fonts at best. It’s when you’d start noticing some severe limitations with the Font Book utility. For instance,

• Font Book lacks many smart organization and customization options.
• It offers fewer options to compare and contrast two different fonts/variations.
• You also get limited options while trying to manage an individual macOS font.
• Font Book does not work with web-based font libraries such as Google Fonts.

These are some reasons why many professionals prefer using a third-party font manager on Mac.

It’s just that you should have the best of the best.

The 9 best font managers for Mac

Let’s look at some of the best font managers available for Mac. Don’t worry; we have hand-picked options from different categories.

How we evaluate and test apps

Our testing environment was simple. We had a moderately fast Mac mini with M1. To keep everything straight, we hand-tested more than 20 apps from the market and tried to use almost all the features. Based on our testing sessions, we’ve found the following 9 options of your dreams. (Read the full rundown of how we select tools to feature on TheSweetBits blog.)

#1 Typeface 3 (best overall)

Typeface 3 is a dedicated font manager for Mac and our favorite. We can easily recommend Typeface 3 for anyone needing complete font management experience. The latest version, Typeface 3, packs many features you cannot find on Apple’s Font Book or many other font managers.

Intuitive UI

Even if you are entirely new to fonts, Typeface 3 can help you navigate your way through. The UI allows you to focus on the specific aspect of the font(s) you consider. For instance, you can either have an overview of the font or explore how each character looks.

Font Compare

You can explore various font organization features in the Typeface 3 package. We are talking about additions like font filters, synced directories, multi-tagging, duplicate removal, tag export, etc. Its advanced “font compare” toggle lets you preview and compare two fonts side by side, you can also preview a font in different scenarios, like body text layouts.

Focused Management

If you deal with thousands of fonts, you will love the font management features on Typeface 3. For instance, you can enable specific font groups and use them as you want. In addition, the program integrates so well with macOS that it does not even feel like a third-party app.

Incredible Compatibility

Typeface 3 works great with other tools and platforms. First, you can easily import and manage fonts from Google and Adobe Fonts. It even comes with a drag-and-drop font activation feature for your favorite apps. You can seamlessly use it with Adobe CC and MS Office suite.

Pros

• Built and optimized for macOS (Apple Silicon, native)
• It packs font compare and many other features for professionals
• A lightweight app packed with productivity-focused options
• Advanced font management features and compatibility

Cons

• It does not offer a free version; only a free trial is available

Pricing: Typeface 3 offers a free trial, after which you need to pay $39.99. Alternatively, you can get the app via a Setapp subscription.

#2 FontBase (best free)

We recommend FontBase to designers who need to manage multiple fonts for free of charge. Compared to other tools we have mentioned, FontBase is a simpler option. At the same time, the program offers a clear overview of all the fonts you have installed.

Straightforward UI

Instead of adding so many options, FontBase has chosen a simple look. On the sidebar, you can find different categories and collections. On the right-hand side, you can see a representative list of fonts. So, when you search for fonts, you can see how they look in real-time.

Google Fonts Support

Like other options, FontBase also offers support for Google Fonts. It can easily download and install all the fonts from the Google Fonts library. In addition, you won’t have trouble organizing these fonts, thanks to features like nested folders and universal search.

Made for Beginners

Altogether, FontBase has been made and optimized for beginning designers. The core features allow you to organize and discover new fonts you need for projects. While the core app is free, a FontBase Awesome subscription offers additional features like auto-activation, multiple views, tag support, etc.

Pros

• A straightforward User Interface design with a sidebar
• Full support for Google Fonts and OpenType features
• Its features are made and optimized for beginning designers
• Advanced categorization and searching options for fonts

Cons

• Many features require the FontBase Awesome subscription
• FontBase lacks font comparison options for the most part

Pricing: FontBase is free; You can get additional features with the FontBase Awesome package, which costs $3 per month.

#3 Extensis Connect Fonts (best cloud-based)

Extensis Connect Fonts, formerly known as Suitcase Fusion, has undergone significant transformations since its integration into Monotype’s ecosystem. This cloud-based font management solution is designed to streamline the workflow of designers and creative professionals by providing advanced features that enhance font organization and usage.

Cloud-Based Management

Connect Fonts allows you to manage the font libraries in the cloud, ensuring easy access from multiple devices. This feature is particularly beneficial for teams working remotely or across different locations, as it facilitates seamless collaboration on projects.

AI-Recommended Font Pairings

One of the standout features of Connect Fonts is its AI-driven font pairing recommendations. When a user selects a font, the system suggests complementary fonts that work well together, streamlining the design process and enhancing aesthetic coherence in projects.

Collaboration Tools

You can create shared libraries of fonts and creative assets, ensuring that all team members have access to the same resources and maintaining consistency across projects. This is particularly useful for teams using Adobe Creative Cloud and other popular design tools.

Pros

• Automatic font pairing suggestions
• Intuitive font search functionality
• Auto-activate fonts in Adobe apps and Sketch

Cons

• The interface might not be as modern

Pricing: 15-day free trial is available, Connect Fonts is $9 per user per month; you can also purchase digital asset manager Connect Assets with separate subscriptions.

#4 RightFont

RightFont is another great choice for those who need a neat font manager for macOS. In many aspects, this app is similar to Typeface 3. However, some differences may appeal to specific purposes. For instance, RightFont offers a better layer of integration with professional apps.

Professional UI

The User Interface of RightFont is optimized for professional needs. It makes the best use of screen space to give you a neat overview of multiple fonts. In addition, the sidebar comes in handy more often than you think, mainly if you deal with thousands of fonts.

Better Integration

RightFont integrates itself better with macOS and other professional apps. For instance, the app can enable specific fonts when you open documents. Similarly, you can easily switch between fonts when using software suites like Adobe Creative Cloud and Affinity Publisher.

Powerful Search

The search function within the RightFont app is quite impressive for most people. It helps you search by the name and filter based on criteria such as category, weight, format, activation status, etc. Once again, if you use hundreds of fonts for a project, you can count on this feature.

Pros

• It offers better integration with macOS and professional apps
• You can sync with online font libraries like Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts
• It provides optimized performance for Apple Silicon-based Macs
• You get a reliable and space-optimized User Interface

Cons

• It lacks options for comparing different fonts
• It would be nice to see a tag-based categorization system

Pricing: Free trial available; individual license costs $59 and offers free updates for 12 months. You can also avail of discounts if you buy multiple licenses.

#5 FontAgent

FontAgent is an enterprise-centric font manager for Mac. The app has an old-school UI compared to other tools, and some people may struggle to get started. However, from an industrial point of view, you get some advantages.

Maximum Performance

FontAgent 10 has been optimized for Apple Silicon-based Macs. Therefore, you can enjoy better previewing and activation options within the package. The developer Insider also offers cloud-native solutions in an integrated and flexible font management platform to organize, distribute and control your fonts in your private cloud or the Insider Cloud.

Metadata Management

Compared to its contenders, FontAgent has better options for metadata management. This feature will come in handy if you deal with different aspects of fonts during design. You can also integrate tags and categories to organize the content better.

Catalog Management

You can enjoy additional features in catalog management as well. For instance, you can track where you are using a specific font. Similarly, there are options to detect duplicates and manage them better. In the end, the complicated UI becomes helpful in some situations.

Pros

• It is designed and optimized for enterprise needs
• FontAgent offers advanced metadata management
• Catalog management options are rich and effective
• It creates a suitable environment for collaboration

Cons

• The User Interface is old-school and complex
• The setup requires a lot of time

Pricing: A free trial is available; a Standard license of FontAgent 10 for Mac costs $99, but it does not provide upgrades.

#6 Webfont

Webfont is different from the other macOS font managers we have mentioned. This app lets you organize, maintain and share custom icon fonts and SVG sprites. You can also use its collaboration features if you work with icon fonts.

Complete Control

Webfont provides you with maximum control when it comes to custom font management. You can quickly import icons, customize the font, export them and use them for everyday needs. You would not have trouble with the steps, either.

Integrated Sharing

The Webfont app for macOS makes it easy to share custom icon fonts and SVG sprites with other apps and platforms. You can select the font and click on the Share button, and that’s it. This feature will be helpful if you work as a team where you need to manage multiple icon fonts.

Collaboration

Despite being a simple app, Webfont offers excellent collaboration features. You can invite designers to your team and share the collection with them. If you bring developers to the discussion, they can copy the CSS code directly and start working.

Pros

• A lightweight app with a pleasant User Experience design
• Suitable for individual and organization-level use-cases
• Optimized for managing custom font collections with ease
• Webfont makes it easy to create custom fonts and export them

Cons

• It does not work with standard fonts
• It lacks font comparison and metadata options

Pricing: Webfont is free to use, but you can have only 16 icons per project. You can get the Pro version for $9.99 per year if you want more icons in a project.

#7 flipping typical

If you are looking for a simple way to give you a WYSIWYG heads up of your fonts right in your browser, Flipping Typical may be the right thing for you. It’s a web browser font management tool that offers a quick font comparison on their website – where basically you can type any text and see the result with all the classic typefaces in real time – Pretty cool!

You can simply visit flippingtypical.com, type in some words and they instantly display in the typefaces you have installed. We like it because it’s good for brainstorming a quick font choice.

Pros

• have a quick overview of your fonts
• View fonts in bold and italics
• Direct and simple interface

Cons

• Only on browsers

Pricing: completely free!

#8 Fontcloud

Fontcloud, designed by Creative Fabrica, offers an simple font management solution within its all-in-one design tools ecosystem. As a creative professional, we found Fontcloud to be a valuable resource for storing fonts in the cloud and exploring a wide range of typefaces through its lightning-fast user interface with intelligent search capabilities.

One of the standout features of Fontcloud is its exceptional ease of use. Sorting through multiple font options becomes a smooth process, and the ability to view all characters within a font with a simple click is a time-saver during the design phase.

Fontcloud offers a secure backup service that is entirely free to use. However, for access to the platform’s unique features, such as graphic assets, distinctive fonts, and embroidery designs, a subscription purchase is necessary.

Pros

• User-friendly interface.
• Convenient font sorting and quick access from any location.
• Effortless preview of all font characters with a single click.
• Free secure backup service for added data protection.

Cons

• Subscription required to access exclusive features.

Pricing: It’s FREE.

#9 Monotype Fonts

Monotype Fonts happens to be the last option that you may need a font subscription service. As you may know, Monotype discontinues their FontExplorer X family of traditional font management products. With access to one of the world’s largest font libraries, designers can choose from thousands of fonts suitable for various use cases.

The platform not only provides a wide selection of fonts but also enables you to experiment with different styles and typography sets. Its user-friendly interface allows for the creation of countless prototypes. The Monotype Studio feature included in the subscription allows for easy categorization of fonts and a preview of how they will appear in different formats before the design process begins. Additionally, premium fonts can be tested before purchase.

Pros

• Vast selection of thousands of fonts
• Simplified activation and deactivation of fonts
• Extensive library for efficient font organization

Cons

• Pricing may be considered steep for some users
• Font comparison can be challenging

Pricing: starting at $99 per year for an individual user.

Tips for picking a font manager

So, you have seen the best font managers for Mac. But how do you pick the right one for your needs? Well, here are a few tips that can help you. We have made these tips into a few questions you can answer — and decide.

• What kind of designer are you?

Your expertise in design matters a lot when choosing a font manager. For example, if you’ve just started and need a place to organize your font collections, you’re better off with something like RightFont or FontBase.

On the other hand, if you want to delve into the world of fonts and customize every detail, you have to choose an advanced font manager. In that case, we recommend something like Typeface 3.

• Which software do you use?

Every design process has a preferred set of software for its workflow. Anyway, you have to consider the flow while picking a font manager. If you didn’t know, many font managers could integrate with software suites like Adobe Creative Cloud and iWork.

So having a font manager that can work with these tools on-demand is a huge relief.

• How many fonts do you have?

The size of your font collection — or the potential collection — also plays a role in deciding which is the best font manager for your needs. Because not all font managers are made alike, some can handle heavy-duty tasks better than others.

So, if you have a vast collection of 2000+ fonts, you need an advanced manager. On the other hand, if you have a well-curated collection, you can survive with minimal alternatives.

• Do you use web-based platforms?

If you use web-based platforms, such as Google Fonts or Adobe Fonts, you need a font manager that offers support for both. For instance, both Typeface 3 and Extensis Connect Fonts can work with several online font libraries, including paid ones.

Typeface 3, our top pick, has a one-click import option to download all the fonts from Google Fonts. If you value these features, you should ensure the support first.

• (How much) Do you want to pay?

This article covers both free and paid font managers for Mac. Even in the paid section, you can find products that vary between $20 and $150. You can pick any font management tool depending on your style and features.

The right font manager can boost your productivity like anything, just like an underpowered font manager can slow you down. So, we recommend understanding your needs and choosing the product accordingly.

On top of all these, you should also consider basic concepts like security, privacy, and reliability. You can do this by choosing products from trusted developers, which is the case for all software suites we’ve recommended above.

Tips for managing fonts on Mac

If you have found the right manager, here are some font management tips for Mac that you can follow.

• You should always try to refine your collection of fonts. While it’s good to have thousands of fonts on your Mac, they also add load on the system. Also, finding the right font may take time, even when you have tens of categories.
• Making the best use of smart collections is a great way. Most font managers have an option to create a smart collection, to which fonts are automatically added. This way, even if you forget to put fonts into categories, you will benefit from a well-organized font library.
• Using web font libraries is also an excellent way to keep font management under control. For example, a simple sync with Google Fonts can give you a comprehensive collection of suitable fonts. This is way better than downloading and installing individual fonts from the web.
• Instead of using the predetermined directories on macOS, transfer your fonts to a new folder. It will help you in the smooth management of fonts, even without a dedicated manager. Even in the worst case, you can open up this folder and delete the files — thereby removing the fonts.

We hope these tips help you manage fonts well on your Mac.

The future of typography

The future of typography is brimming with exciting possibilities, driven by technological advancements, changing user preferences, and a continuous search for meaning and expression. Here are some key trends and predictions shaping the typographic landscape:

• Variable fonts become the norm, flexibly adapting across screens and devices.
• AI-powered tools generate diverse and adaptable typefaces.
• Personalized font choices emerge with generative design, shaped by user preferences and context.
• Open-source collaboration leads sustainable font development.

FAQs

• How do I manage my fonts on Mac?

Managing your fonts is easy, and all you need to do is run the Font Book app on your Mac or go to the library folder and look for the “Fonts” folder, or you can also use any other third-party app such as Typeface to manage all your fonts quickly.

• Where do fonts go on a Mac?

All your fonts are stored in the library folder. You can view the folder by holding the “Option” key and clicking on Library. Finally, look for (Library/Fonts), and you will see all the available fonts.

• Do fonts slow down my Mac?

Fonts are small files that don’t impact your Mac’s performance. However, if you have many fonts, it can get a little choppy as all your apps need to scan through many fonts to select the one to use.

• What font does Apple use?

Apple uses their proprietary “San Francisco” or SF font, first released in 2015. It is present across all your Apple devices, making the experience consistent and easy to remember.

• How do you download fonts on a Mac?

Downloading fonts on Macs is as easy as downloading the font from your browser, going to the download folder, running the .ttf file, and installing the fonts by clicking on the “Install Font” button. Finally, just use a font manager and select the font as default.

• How do I turn off protected fonts on a Mac?

You can remove or disable all the protected fonts on your Mac. Just run the Font Book app and then click on a font. Now, click the “Disable” or the “Remove” button to turn off the protected fonts.

Conclusion

We have shared everything that helps us effectively manage and use fonts on macOS. We have made even the product picks based on our months-long experience. And we have been using many of these programs for years. So here are some quick recommendations based on what we have discussed above.

• Typeface 3 is the best option for most people; it provides a seamless font management experience on Mac, thanks to its brilliant features.
• If you need a simple font manager, you can check out FontBase, which is entirely free to use and excellent to manage.
• On the other hand, if you have custom enterprise and cloud needs, you can get Extensis Connect Fonts, which comes with customization and digital assets management.

As we have said, always choose a font manager that suits your needs. Getting an advanced font manager by paying more than $100 doesn’t make you a Pro at fonts. Understanding this, you must select a font manager that suits your requirements.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post Best Font Manager Apps for Mac (and a Few Tips) first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Preview in Mac is a great PDF viewer and annotator, but it’s not enough for editing. Normally, people have to convert the PDF file to something else and edit it afterward. That isn’t the most convenient option, either.

That is why a fully-fledged PDF editor for Mac makes sense! Fortunately, there is an impressive variety of Mac PDF editing programs.

And, Adobe Acrobat Pro is most people’s go-to option.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is great, but…

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC has been the standard for PDF editing for quite a long time. Considering that Adobe built the format, it’s quite not surprising. Anyway, it’s not a great reason to keep using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC as the macOS PDF editor.

The Good: Acrobat Pro DC is undoubtedly one of the most powerful PDF solutions out there. You can get the best results if you use other Adobe products. If you use Adobe Reader to view PDF documents, you can have the benefits of a familiar UI as well.

The Bad: Even then, Acrobat Pro DC does not offer the best User Interface in town. Sure, it gets the job done, but that’s not enough. We cannot recommend Acrobat Pro DC when you want to edit multiple documents and manage everything with ease.

The Ugly: Acrobat Pro DC is damn expensive. It comes with a monthly subscription charge of $14.99. Adobe Pro 2017, an older, standalone version, is available for a hefty price tag of $449. These rates are way beyond what a normal user can afford.

We believe these reasons are enough for anyone to look for an Adobe Acrobat alternative — or one better PDF editor for Mac.

What makes a good Adobe acrobat alternative?

There are quite a few alternatives to Adobe Acrobat, and most of them do the job quite well. However, before we start exploring them, it would help to look at the criteria that help decide the best PDF editors on your Mac.

Simple user interface: The PDF Editor must have an easy-to-use UI. It must be non-distracting and functional. We always recommend a UI that works well with single-document and multi-document management, and a multi-tabbed design is great.

Easy & advanced PDF editing: Advanced editing tools are a must-have in a PDF editing tool. Automated selection recognition is great since it enables easy editing of other components like images, boxes, shapes, and signatures.

Pricing: One of the reasons we need an Acrobat alternative is the pricing aspect. Therefore, we have to find PDF editors that offer better value for money. It does not always mean paying less than Acrobat. Instead, we are looking for programs that offer a balance between their price and features.

Additional Features: The ideal PDF editor should have additional features as well. On top of the list are Optical Character Recognition, PDF security management, and Digital Signing. You may, indeed, go for a minimal editor, though.

Top Adobe Acrobat alternatives for Mac

In the past two weeks, we looked over 20 PDF editing apps for personal use and evaluated 10 professional-grade options. Based on our thorough evaluation, we’ve handpicked these tools that stand as worthy replacements for Adobe Acrobat Pro. Additionally, we’ve outlined the specific purposes for which each app shines. Read the full rundown of how we select tools to feature on TheSweetBits blog.

• PDF Expert: Best Overall For Mac/iPadOS
• PDFelement: AI-Powered PDF Editor
• Nitro PDF Pro: Premium Option
• pdfFiller: Web-based Acrobat Alternative
• PDF Chef: for Beginners/Personal Use
• Able2Extract Professional: For Professional PDF Management
• ABBYY FineReader: Best For OCR Capability

#1 PDF Expert: Best Overall For Mac/iPadOS

PDF Expert is one of the most popular PDF editors, available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. It lets you annotate, edit, scan & OCR, and export PDF documents efficiently. With the latest update, PDF Expert has acquired plenty of advanced features, especially for macOS Sonoma. This comprehensive PDF editor is the best choice when you need a hassle-free PDF experience across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

UI

PDF Expert has an intuitive User Interface design focused on productivity. The multi-tab design makes it easy to manage many PDF documents simultaneously. In addition, because there are four sections, you won’t be bombarded with too many buttons or toolbars. Instead, you can conveniently shift between options to edit, annotate, OCR, or export.

Editing Options

The PDF editing tools in the PDF Expert package are sufficient for most people. In addition to standard annotation tools, you also get Stamp and Signature support. You can also use PDF Expert to remove and add different elements to a document. We tried editing multiple types of documents with PDF Expert, and the tool could manage everything easily.

Compatibility

PDF Expert is available for both macOS, iPadOS, and iOS. It also enables content sync between the devices. So, if you want to access documents you created using PDF Expert for macOS, you can easily do it from an iPhone or iPad. On iPad, you can expect more from PDF Expert thanks to native support for Apple Pencil. We also love the PDF Expert widgets on Mac and iPad.

Additional Features

We love the Smart Scan feature attached to the OCR module. You can open a scanned PDF, go to the OCR & Scan section, and scan the document. It does an impressive job of recognizing text and arranging everything. Then, Smart Enhance uses AI to make your scanned PDF look better. The quick options to compress PDFs and password-protect documents are also impressive.

Pricing

The multi-device bundle from PDF Expert is available for $79.99 annually, providing you with access to Mac, iPad, and iPhone. However, if you just want the Mac version, you can get a lifetime license for $139.99. PDF Expert offers a seven-day free trial as well.

PDF Expert vs. Adobe Acrobat Pro

In terms of features, pricing, and compatibility, PDF Expert is a more balanced package than Adobe Acrobat Pro. We also noticed that PDF Expert offers more options to create a PDF document from scratch. The best part is that PDF Expert works great natively on your Mac, even if you do not have other Adobe products. At the end of the day, this PDF editor does not take up a lot of system resources, either.

#2 PDFelement: AI-Powered PDF Editor

It’s time we normalize getting the best out of AI, and PDFelement brings the power of AI to PDF editing. The best part about PDFelement for Mac is that it is a great PDF editor even without the AI tools. You get a clean and powerful environment to deal with various PDF documents. You get all these features while paying half what you would for Adobe Acrobat.

UI

PDFelement for Mac has one of the most pleasant UI designs we have seen on a PDF editor, too. It looks so pretty, and you can easily manage multiple PDF documents without bothering about the clumsiness. The customizability of the UI is also impressive in that you get to choose what appears on the screen. Like PDF Expert, PDFelement also lets you toggle between different sets of tools.

Editing Options

Even when we exclude AI editing options, the editing capabilities of PDFelement are impressive. For instance, in the edit system, you can easily choose between different elements and modify them. And when you want to redact or encrypt the document, you have tools right under the specific table. Once again, the tool could handle almost every PDF document we threw at it.

Compatibility

PDFelement is also one of the most compatible PDF editor apps we have seen. The dedicated apps are available for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android. You can also use the scanning app to bring the content straight to the PDF editor. Lastly, there is also an option to use these services from the cloud. But as you can guess, many of these cross-platform devices are only available on the premium plan.

Additional Features

We noticed that PDFelement comes with several tools, including AI-powered ones. For instance, you can OCR and watermark the content or add page numbers as you wish. There are also options to crop pages and arrange them as per the design. The AI tools include instant translation, proofreading, and an AI sidebar which makes document management easier.

Pricing

PDFelement comes with a couple of options when you need premium features. There is a yearly plan that sets you back at $79.99, or you can get the permanent version by paying $40 more. The premium plans offer AI features via ChatGPT as well.

PDFelement vs. Adobe Acrobat

Compared to Adobe Acrobat, PDFelement for Mac is a more intuitive and user-friendly option. You also get the benefits of Artificial Intelligence by paying almost half the price. Overall, it has what it takes to replace Adobe Acrobat on any day. You should also consider how feature-rich PDFelement is compared to the Adobe counterpart.

#3 Nitro PDF Pro: Premium Option

Nitro PDF Pro (formerly PDFpenPro from Smile Software) is one of the best PDF editing options available for macOS. So, if you need a PDF editor that can get the job done without compromising performance and usability, you should consider getting this instead of Adobe Acrobat. However, unlike the other products we have covered, Nitro PDF Pro is a rather expensive option, but you get certain benefits in terms of scalability.

UI

We cannot say that Nitro PDF Pro has the best or the most intuitive UI. However, it gets the job done when it comes to the essential editing, annotating and form-filling tasks. But when you want to set up things and scale the proportions of your work, the UI becomes a game-changer. It would have been nice to see a few more customization options, though.

Editing Options

While there are standard editing options, you might need some time to figure out how they work. On the other hand, it feels elementary to annotate or modify the PDF. There are additional options for drawing and filling form items within the PDF document as well. However, you get the upper hand when it comes to inserting new pages and adding DOC entries to the document.

Compatibility

Nitro PDF Pro for Mac is now managed by Nitro, which is an industry leader when it comes to PDF solutions. So you can make use of the products across different platforms without worrying about performance or major changes in the UI. Even if you want to go to the enterprise level, the e-signing and information management features from Nitro are impressive.

Additional Features

Compared to Adobe Acrobat and most of the alternatives, Nitro PDF Pro is a focused PDF editor. It translates to the tool having fewer additional features. However, you will be able to customize and use the features according to your needs. But you will have to choose them from one of the available subsections. You have advanced OCR capabilities, which are the best in the industry.

Pricing

As we said earlier, Nitro PDF Pro is an expensive option, and you will have to pay $140 to get your hands on this tool. There are options for subscriptions, but they are also expensive. On the bright side, you can have access to Nitro PDF Pro with a Setapp subscription, which you can get for just $10 a month.

Nitro PDF Pro vs. Adobe Acrobat

Even though both Nitro PDF Pro and Adobe Acrobat are equally expensive, Nitro PDF Pro offers a couple of options that you can’t find on Adobe. For instance, advanced control over the OCR process and enterprise scalability are some things that you should look forward to. And it is great that you have options to access the tool through other subscriptions like Setapp, which is not the case with Adobe.

Read our full Nitro PDF review.

#4 pdfFiller: Web-based Acrobat Alternative

If you are looking for a performance-focused but convenient web-based alternative to Adobe Acrobat, you should check out pdfFiller. This platform comes with all the features you need to create and edit PDF documents, enable protection, and carry out tasks such as e-signatures. And you can explore all these features from the same interface.

UI

As you can expect, pdfFiller has one of the best UIs we have seen on web-based PDF editors. When you get started, you can upload or import the PDF document before you start the editing process. For what it’s worth, the web-based editor works as efficiently as you would expect a native editor to work. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you can expect the best performance too.

Editing Options

The editing options with pdfFiller are pretty straightforward and content-focused. As soon as you open the interface, you can select the element that you want to modify. For instance, when you select a picture, you have an option to move it to someplace else. On the other hand, through the simple shortcuts on the side, you can easily insert signatures, watermarks, and even fillable fields inside the document.

Compatibility

Perhaps the best thing about PDF filler is that you don’t have to worry about which device you access it from. Even if you open it from a mobile device, you can expect a decent editing experience. For those who are on the fly, it means you don’t have to install a native client on your device. And as we said earlier, an internet connection would ensure that everything is working super fine.

Additional Features

If you are willing to pay, the premium plans from pdfFiller offer many options that you can’t find elsewhere. For instance, you get to create reusable templates and offer easier options for US legal forms. There are also options to collect and export data with little effort. The ability to set up advanced workflows and online FAQ support is also impressive when you think from an enterprise point of view.

Pricing

If you don’t want to use the restrictive free plan, you can choose between three plans, which start from as low as $8 a month. Compared to Adobe Acrobat, it is a very inexpensive option, but the features that you get will depend on the price you are ready to pay.

pdfFiller vs. Adobe Acrobat

Even though Adobe Acrobat offers certain web-based features, they are not as efficient as the ones we have come across in pdfFiller. And compared to this difference in features, the price you pay for PDF filler is incredibly low. Therefore, it is a great alternative if you prefer managing PDF documents using a web-based interface.

#5 PDF Chef: for Beginners/Personal Use

Are you looking for a super simple PDF editor that is suitable for beginners? In that case, PDF Chef is a suitable option. You might have heard the name through its set of web-based tools, but the desktop version for Mac is a great option for most users with personal needs. You can avail all these benefits without worrying about the security of the PDF documents in question.

UI

The first thing you would notice about the user interface of PDF Chef is that it is a bare-bones structure. On the left side, you get a sidebar and there are options for editing the document. You can also choose between multiple viewing options and the zooming amount at your convenience. Once again you have a multi-tabbed design which is a great option for managing multiple documents.

Editing Options

Even though PDF Chef does not have a lot of editing options, the available options are pretty straightforward. You have a collection of buttons to insert images, text elements or a signature, and you can change each element through the sidebar that appears on the right. There is a separate menu for annotation as well if you would like to make changes on that side of the PDF.

Compatibility

PDF Chef could be the least compatibility-friendly option on this list. Currently, the desktop version is available only for Windows and macOS. And there is no way to sync between different devices. So that is an area where the simplicity of the tool becomes a problem for some people at least. But if multi-device syncing and a similar UI on mobile devices are not an issue, the compatibility aspect of PDF 2022 should be just fine.

Additional Features

Once again, PDF Chef does not have many additional features to talk about. But, if you are looking for specific features, you can check out the online version, which is known for its utility-oriented take. However, I would appreciate it if the developers could add at least a basic version of OCR. Currently, you need another tool if you want to deal with scanned PDFs.

Pricing

The pricing plans of PDF Chef are pretty straightforward. You can get the PDF Chef cloud plan by paying $35.99, and you get access to the macOS, iOS and web versions of the tools. However, if you want a lifetime license of just the macOS app, you can simply pay $45.99, and you get 1 GB of cloud storage for 6 months.

PDF Chef vs. Adobe Acrobat

It must be obvious that PDF Chef is not as feature-rich or advanced as Adobe Acrobat. But, on the bright side, you don’t have to pay as much as you would for Adobe Acrobat Pro. Furthermore, when you need a simple user interface and rather optimized workflow for editing and annotating PDF files, PDF Chef is something that you can rely on. The pricing options as we have seen are pretty reasonable for most users.

#6 Able2Extract Professional: For Professional PDF Management

If you are looking for the same set of features that you get on Adobe Acrobat Pro but do not want to pay as much, you should consider getting Able2Extract Professional. Due to this reason alone, Able2Extract Professional becomes a smart choice for those who want to handle a wider variety of PDF documents at an enterprise level.

UI

Because it is designed for professional purposes, Able2Extract Professional 18 comes with a rather complex user interface. One might find it a little intimidating at first, but you can master the entire toolbox and the tab system within a few minutes. It is worth noting that you can have better control over the document because the options are spread across different tabs.

Editing Options

The editing options on Able2Extract Professional 18 are impressive indeed. For instance, you can adjust existing elements, and you get definitive options for redacting and deleting information. You also get separate tools to manage form-based elements within the PDF document. Under the review tab, you can also add stamp highlights and sticky notes to make sure that you are navigating through the PDF properly.

Compatibility

Because it’s an enterprise-level tool, able to extract Professional 18 comes with a better line of compatibility. The tool is available for Windows and macOS, and you can make it work on mobile devices as well. But the best part about the compatibility aspect of this PDF editor is that it can scale itself according to your requirements.

Additional Options

The first thing you would notice among the additional features of this tool is the incredible support for files and batch conversion options. For instance, you can easily convert HTML, AutoCAD and image files with the help of this tool. There are also options to enable searchable PDF, which is another way of saying OCR. Finally, there is an option to extract data from the tables that you may find in a PDF document.

Pricing

The full license of Able2Extract Professional 18 is available for $199.95. But, if you just want to use the tool for 30 days, you can get the 30-day license for just $99.95. While it’s true that the tool is expensive, the sheer number of features that you get on the package is just impressive.

Able2Extract Professional vs. Adobe Acrobat

Able2Extract Professional is a better option than Adobe Acrobat Pro if you are looking for advanced control and compatibility. Because this tool is made for advanced users, you have the option to use multiple file formats and have finer controls over each element in a PDF file. Considering that this is a power tool and that you can save the money that you would otherwise spend on multiple utilities, it is a reasonable pick.

#7 ABBYY FineReader: Best For OCR Capability

ABBYY FineReader is the best PDF editor and Acrobat alternative when you need the best results in terms of OCR. Therefore, it is a common pick for those who want better control over scanned PDF documents and other files that one might come across at the professional or enterprise levels. But it is important to note that ABBYY FineReader does not compromise on the standard PDF editing features either.

UI

The first thing we noticed about ABBYY FineReader is that it comes in a colossal package. It is because the OCR capabilities of this tool are off the charts. On the bright side, once you have set up the tool, the user interface looks pretty simple, and you can get the hang of all the features in a few minutes. The quick conversion options make sure that you can turn scanned documents into editable content.

Editing Options

The editing options on the ABBYY FineReader app are pretty rich. You have the option to go through different tabs and enable different types of edits. And the detection algorithm is pretty quick in that it can recognize what kind of content you are dealing with on each page. And once you are done, the export options are also pretty good.

Compatibility

The compatibility aspect of the ABBYY FineReader app is impressive in that it works with different sources. For instance, when you want to scan something, you can use the continuity camera option or a connected scanner. The huge package of the tool has been optimized to work natively on Mac. The tool also has features so that you can easily accommodate scanned content.

Additional Features

As we said earlier, the biggest strength of this tool is the OCR capabilities. You can use this tool to OCR documents that are made in different languages, and the support and accuracy of these conversions are increasing day by day because we are dealing with enterprise-level software. You can also expect on-time support, which is great when you are scaling.

Pricing

As opposed to what you may think, ABBYY FineReader PDF for Mac is not an expensive option. You can get the 1-year license of this tool for just $69, which is not much compared to the features you get.

ABBYY FineReader PDF vs. Adobe Acrobat

If you can prioritize OCR, accuracy and finer controls over increased compatibility, ABBYY FineReader PDF is indeed a better option than Adobe Acrobat. And considering the features you get in the package, the price you pay is pretty low as well. However, we should note that the FineReader PDF OCR app is colossal and takes up plenty of resources on your Mac. And it is not an option we recommend if you want to keep a minimal load.

Read our full Abbyy FineReader review.

Free options you can try

#8 UPDF Editor

UPDF PDF Editor is a great option when you need a free Adobe Acrobat alternative for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android. The free version of the app packs almost all the features you need for reading, editing, annotating and converting PDF documents. You can also integrate features like OCR and PDF compression, and the AI ability to do all these things in batch is great indeed.

#9 Preview in macOS

The preview and notes apps in macOS Sequoia have also gotten so much better these days. And you can expect better PDF editing options later this year. So if you want to keep things minimal and want to stick to something free, you should always use the preview app. Even though it might not have fully-fledged PDF editing options, it is great for annotation and markup.

#10 Acrobat Reader

Finally, you can use Acrobat Reader for basic edits on the PDF. Even though it is a PDF reader, you get basic options for annotating and markup options on the PDF document. So, if you don’t want to create a document from scratch or remove something major from the content, it is an option that you can consider. It might be a little annoying because of the regular pop-ups, though.

FAQs

Is there a free version of Adobe Acrobat available for Mac?

Yes, Adobe offers a free version called Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac, which allows users to perform basic PDF tasks like viewing and filling forms. However, advanced editing and professional features require a paid subscription. For more robust free or affordable alternatives, apps like Nitro PDF Pro or UPDF provide enhanced editing options for Mac users.

What is the Apple equivalent of Adobe Acrobat?

Apple’s built PDF app, Preview, is the native equivalent to Adobe Acrobat on Mac. It provides a user-friendly interface for viewing, annotating, signing, and filling PDFs.

Can I rely solely on Preview instead of Adobe Acrobat on Mac?

For most Mac users, Preview is sufficient for everyday PDF tasks like reading, annotating, signing, and basic form filling. It is faster, free, and well-integrated into macOS. However, if you require advanced PDF editing, redaction, complex form creation, or enterprise-level features, Adobe Acrobat or other paid alternatives like PDFelement or PDF Expert are better suited. Many users keep both apps installed and use Preview for simple tasks and Acrobat for advanced needs.

The bottom line

So, these are the good alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for macOS you can find today. We have tried to suggest PDF editors that work well for particular needs. We hope it helps you choose the right one.

If you are still confused and want a PDF editor that’s easy and effective and similar to Adobe Acrobat, you can go with our pick, PDF Expert. As far as you don’t need anything fancy out there, that choice won’t go wrong. However, if you think you need more advanced features to manage documents, we recommend Nitro PDF Pro or Able2Extract Professional. But if you need the power of AI to improve your PDF documents, you can check out PDFelement.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post Best Adobe Acrobat Alternatives for Mac first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

It means your internet experience could take a hit without a proper ad-blocker. These days, ads and pop-ups have also made it to native macOS apps, also bringing privacy concerns. Thus, using an ad-blocker is not just about having a less annoying internet experience. Instead, it can protect you from many threats.

Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia introduce a new feature called “Distraction Control” in Safari. This tool allows users to manually hide distracting web elements, such as pop-ups, overlays, and ads. While not a full-fledged ad blocker, it provides an additional layer of control over your browsing experience. However, for comprehensive protection, traditional ad blockers remain essential.

Honestly, we have been using ad-blockers even before they became a necessity. Here are some of our favorites.

Best ad blockers for Mac

Based on these ideas, we have split the options into three categories. Rest assured, all these ad-blockers are 100% safe and privacy-friendly. In addition, we tested each of them to check whether they fulfilled all the promises they made.

• System-wide: AdGuard, NordVPN, AdLock, SurfShark
• Safari extensions: Wipr, Ghostery, AdBlock Pro, 1Blocker
• Browsers: Brave, Opera

System-wide ad-blockers

These are some of the best system-wide ad-blockers available for macOS. We have chosen products with a native macOS app. However, within these options, you can focus on multiple aspects like privacy. But rest assured, these ad-blocker utilities will provide a holistic ad-free experience on your Mac.

#1 AdGuard – Best Mac system-wide ad blocker

AdGuard remains one of the most straightforward and efficient ways to block advertisements across your Mac.

We love AdGuard for the comprehensive protection it provides. In addition to blocking almost all kinds of ads, this ad blocker can help you improve traffic speed and security. For instance, because AdGuard gets rid of the HTML container, you will have a smooth page-loading experience.

But what makes AdGuard a fantastic option for Mac is its native macOS app. This app lets you set up many ways to control how ads appear on your device. Through URL blocking, proxy servers, and DNS filtering, the app ensures you are away from trackers and ads. What’s more, AdGuard are incorporating AI into their technology to keep pace with the new wave of AI-generated ads. While not exclusively AI-powered, AdGuard has AI-based filters to enhance its ad-blocking capabilities.

We have been using AdGuard for a couple of years, and it has been effective, even when it comes to YouTube ads. Even at the time of writing, AdGuard does an impressive job of stopping all sorts of YouTube ads. It must be seen how things change, though. It effortlessly blocks pre-roll and mid-roll YouTube ads.

This app also brings privacy protection and browsing security into a single package. You can also use the ad-blocker app to enable parental control over your network. You also get full ad-blocking support on most web browsers and applications. AdGuard does not require a browser extension for that.

Pricing

You can get AdGuard for Mac for as low as $2.49 per month when you get the annual subscription. To see if these features work for your needs, you can try the fully-fledged free trial for 14 days.

Pros

• A balanced set of ad-blocking features and customizability
• It blocks almost all ads at the system level across browsers
• Built-in tracking protection and parental control options

Cons

• Limited free tier

Overall, AdGuard for Mac gets almost everything right when it comes to protecting your Mac from annoying advertisements and problematic trackers.

#2 NordVPN Threat Protection – Best ad blocker + VPN for Mac

Threat Protection Pro from NordVPN is another way to block ads system-wide. This all-in-one cybersecurity suite helps you get rid of trackers and annoying ads in one step.

Of course, we shall focus on the ad blocker element in the NordVPN Threat Protection package. It helps you get rid of pop-ups, banners, and video ads in a single click. It means enjoying your favorite news websites or a YouTube video without any distractions.

The ad-blocker module works great with the tracker-blocking module, giving you protection from both types of threats. More importantly, you get plenty of customization options, including allowlisting and notifications for vulnerability detection.

The best part? All these features are available through the NordVPN app for macOS. However, you must use the side-loaded version—not the one from the Mac App Store. Threat Protection Pro is multiple times better than Threat Protection, its free counterpart.

When you get this all-in-one ad blocker from NordVPN, you also get some additional options like proactive anti-malware protection, tracker prevention, malicious link blocking, and advanced DNS filtering. You get a good security ecosystem with the browser extensions.

Pricing

NordVPN Threat Protection Pro is available with NordVPN Plus and NordVPN Complete plans, which start at $3.99 and $4.99, respectively. With the Complete version, you get 1TB of encrypted cloud storage as well.

Pros

• Advanced protection from all types of advertisements and trackers
• Built-in VPN, password manager, and encrypted cloud storage
• Web-based and proactive protection against malware/phishing

Cons

• Requires a side-loaded version of the macOS app

While some may find it overkill, NordVPN Threat Protection Pro packs everything you need for a secure internet experience. If you don’t think so, you are severely underestimating the digital threats of today.

#3 AdLock for Mac – Best customizable ad blocker for Mac

AdLock for Mac is another system-wide ad-blocker utility we have tried. We came across AdLock when it became a part of the Setapp subscription, and it has been a reliable option since.

Compared to AdGuard for Mac, AdLock for Mac offers a dedicated interface. You can use this UI to toggle ad blocking features as well as other options. It neatly provides statistics about blocked ads and trackers. The numbers might give you a shock, though.

You also get consistent notifications about traffic and protection modules. For instance, you get to choose the apps where you want filtered traffic. By default, AdLock works for most browsers, but you can add more as you wish.

Thanks to its UI design, AdLock makes it easy for beginners to customize their ad-blocking settings on a Mac. For instance, you could set up ad filters and optimize network settings. You can always check out additional controls such as auto-updating filters and HTTPS filtering.

We also like AdLock a bit more because it goes the extra mile. For instance, you can report an incident if you come across an ad when AdLock is active. In our experience, they were quick to make changes to the filter and get the job done.

Pricing

AdLock is available through a subscription, which starts at $1.05 per month. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee, making AdLock something you can try. AdLock is available through Setapp as well.

Pros

• Comprehensive ad-blocking across the macOS system
• Advanced options for customizing filters and ad-blocking
• It has a minimal software footprint and resource consumption

Cons

• It does not have a free trial

Overall, AdLock is a decent choice if you need a customizable ad-blocker for Mac. It may not have many extra security features, but you get sufficient features for the amount you pay.

#4 Surfshark CleanWeb – Affordable ad blocker + VPN for Mac

Surfshark CleanWeb is another ad-blocker you may want to try for system-wide impact. You can get the VPN app from Surfshark and bundle the many features for a peaceful web experience.

You get complete protection from Surfshark Starter, which is the basic plan for the VPN service. In addition to VPN access, the macOS app can block ads and those annoying cookie pop-ups. But if you spend a dollar more and get the Surfshark One package, you get more identity-protection features, too.

If we focus on the ad-blocker utility alone, you may not find anything unique. It looks and works like a typical ad-blocker for Mac and is close to 100% effective. However, you get the best value when you combine those security and privacy-centric features from the package.

However, unlike other ad-blockers, Surfshark CleanWeb claims to block video ads on your smart TVs also. In our experience, the experience on smart TVs was okay. You should remember that Surfshark uses VPN tech to block advertisements, meaning that you may notice a slight impact on speed.

The latest feature set from Surfshark, called CleanWeb 2.0, is available on browsers alone. However, I hope this will soon be available system-wide. For the time being, you need to stick to the basic CleanWeb suite, available on Windows, Mac, Android, Linux, and FireTV.

Pricing

You can get Surfshark CleanWeb with any purchase of Surfshark VPN. The base plan, called Starter, will set you back at $2.19 per month.

Pros

• It offers a comprehensive privacy and security protection plan
• You get some customizable options for a clean web experience
• The pricing structure is nominal, considering that you get a VPN

Cons

• The app may affect the browsing speed

Overall, you can confidently check out Surfshark CleanWeb for most of your ad-blocking needs. Considering that you can get this for less than $40 per year and a VPN, this deal can’t get any sweeter.

Ad-blocker extensions for Safari

If you use Safari instead of third-party apps for most of your needs, you may not need a system-wide blocker. More importantly, you may want to use separate filters on Safari. In that case, you should check out these superb ad-blocker extensions for Safari.

#5 Wipr – Best one-time purchase extension

Wipr is our favorite ad-blocker extension for Safari for two reasons. First, it is 100% effective in blocking web and video ads. It also works on both Mac and iPhone. Like icing on the cake, Wipr is available through a one-time purchase instead of a subscription.

For less than $2, you get an effective way to block ads, trackers, crypto miners, GDPR notices, and cookie-consent banners. Setting up and using Wipr does not take more than a minute, either. It works with a variety of languages as well.

Wipr is also great because you don’t need to worry about VPNs or proxy servers. It lets you control the filter on specific sites as well.

#6 Ghostery – Best free Safari extension

Ghostery, on the other hand, is a free ad blocker extension available for Safari. This open-source solution is a great pick and has been a favorite for years. For those who are wondering, Ghostery Ad Blocker is available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera as well.

Like Wipr, Ghostery also prioritizes a balance between privacy and speed. Therefore, even as the extension gets rid of annoying HTML elements from your page, you won’t have to compromise speed. The tracker and management interface of Ghostery is also excellent.

Once again, since it receives blocklists and allowlists from communities, you don’t have to worry about proxy servers or VPNs.

#7 AdBlock Pro for Safari – Ad blocker with pro controls

AdBlock Pro for Safari is another primarily free way to block advertisements while browsing the web. According to our tests, AdBlock does a decent job and works great in combating YouTube ads, though. You also get to choose between multiple blocking modes.

For instance, you can set up AdBlock Pro for Safari to block all types of ads. You can also ask the AdLocker extension to bypass anti-ad-blocking systems. This extension also offers options to block adult sites, cookie prompts, crypto mining tools, and custom scripts.

However, many of these features are restricted to the paid version. You can also use AdBlock Pro for Safari for basic ad-blocking and tracking prevention.

#8 1Blocker for Safari – Free-to-use ad blocker with upgrades

1Blocker for Safari is another extension we wanted to recommend. Like AdBlock Pro, 1Blocker lets you pick from many filtering options, including the ones to block widgets, annoyances, comments, etc. However, you can enable one of the filters with the free version.

But, yeah, if you just want to stay away from annoying ads on Safari, 1Block should just be fine. Also, when you come across websites where you can survive ads but not something else, you can toggle another filter. In short, it works whether you want to pay or not.

But, if you ultimately decide to go for the paid plan, 1Blocker for Mac does not cost a lot. You can get it for a minimal amount per month.

Mac browsers with ad-blocking

Even though it packs anti-tracking protection, Safari (or Chrome) doesn’t offer built-in ad blocking. But you can use some great browsers with built-in ad-blocking features. Here are some of the options you can try.

#9 Brave – Privacy-centric browser with built-in ad blocker

Brave is one of the best ad-blocking-enabled web browsers available for macOS right now. It is powered by the Chromium engine and has a familiar user interface. However, unlike Chrome, Brave has its entire focus on privacy and security. Doing this includes blocking those annoying advertisements as well.

One significant advantage is that you get built-in control for each website. For instance, if you want to turn off Brave Shields for a specific site, you can do so with a click. It’s also impressive that Brave does not take up a lot of system resources.

In short, this privacy-focused web browser provides you with a peaceful web experience.

#10 Opera – Productivity-based browser with built-in ad blocker

Opera used to be a popular browser in the 2010s and it is now an excellent option for macOS users. Opera goes the extra mile to bring you an annoyance-free web browsing experience. It offers a built-in VPN service in addition to the ad and tracking-blocker utilities.

Rest assured, this AI-powered web browser is packed with features. You get maximum performance and tab management options. You do not have to worry about productivity loss, either. If anything, shifting to Opera from Safari will boost productivity.

Plus, you get to use all these free of cost. So, unless you really love ads and trackers, you won’t find a reason not to shift to something like Opera or Brave.

Understanding ad blockers

For the end-user, ad blockers are as straightforward as they get. When you install an app/extension, almost all ads disappear from your browser and other apps. But, different ad-blockers use different technologies to achieve this objective. Here are a few:

• URL Blocking: The ad blocker will block the URLs of ad servers, preventing ads from loading. It works great in preventing third-party ad services from loading.
• Hiding HTML Elements: The ad blocker will hide HTML elements where ads are put. It works even if the ads are inserted at the rendering stage.
• Script Blocking: This method is used to block ads that are loaded via JavaScript. By blocking the script, ad-blockers will make your internet experience less annoying.
• DNS Filtering: DNS filtering works at the network level by blocking access to ad-serving domains. It is a standard method to block ads across devices.
• AI and ML: Some developers use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to study ad patterns on websites and block them altogether. AI-powered ad filtering and blockchain-based ad solutions are two promising technologies that could revolutionize the way ad-blocking works.

These days, ad-blockers use multiple methods to enable system-wide or browser-wide ad-blocking on a Mac. Thus, we wanted to consider these aspects while choosing the best ad blockers for Mac and Safari.

How we chose the best?

Like other Mac apps, ad blockers are not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Therefore, while including a broader variety of options, we wanted to ensure minimum quality. Here are a few things we considered.

• Compatibility with native macOS apps and web browsers like Safari
• Effectiveness in blocking different types of advertisements
• Support for blocking YouTube advertisements
• Customization options for blocklists and allowlists
• Additional features like DNS filtering and tracker blocking

In addition to these, we used some additional criteria while judging each ad-blocker utility. We have specified these points for each pick.

Other questions you may have

Does Mac have an ad blocker?

The macOS system does not have a built-in ad blocker. This means that third-party applications display ads for many needs, including remuneration and promotion. However, Safari, the default browser for Mac, offers a built-in tracking blocker.

Are Mac ad blockers safe to use?

Ad blockers are generally safe when downloaded from reputable sources. However, like any software, there’s a risk of malware if obtained from untrustworthy websites. To protect your Mac, stick to ad blockers from trusted app stores or official developer sites. Be cautious of free ad blockers that might include unwanted software. Premium ad blockers often provide enhanced security features. The ad blockers recommended in this guide have undergone careful evaluation for safety and reliability.

What is the best adblocker for Mac?

If you are looking for a system-wide solution, AdGuard and AdLock are the best adblocker apps for Mac. But if you are looking for a Safari extension, you can find options like AdBlock Plus for Safari and 1Blocker.

Is AdGuard good for Mac?

If you have the paid plan, AdGuard is an excellent option for Mac. It packs all the necessary features to block advertisements throughout your Mac. It does so without consuming a lot of system resources as well.

How do I block YouTube ads on Safari Mac?

To block YouTube ads on Safari Mac, consider using an ad blocker extension like AdBlock Pro or 1Blocker. Install the extension from Safari’s Preferences menu and customize its settings to suit your needs. For more comprehensive protection, system-wide ad blockers like AdGuard can also effectively block YouTube ads. Remember that ad-blocking effectiveness may vary depending on the specific ad blocker and YouTube platform. Also here’s a comprehensive guide on How to Block YouTube Ads On PC, Mac, iPhone and Android.

Do Mac ad blockers work on streaming sites?

The effectiveness of Mac ad blockers on streaming sites can vary. While system-wide ad blockers may successfully filter out certain ads within streaming apps, many streaming platforms employ advanced anti-ad-blocking measures, which can limit their effectiveness. Browser extensions, in particular, may struggle with ads embedded directly in video content. The success of ad blocking largely depends on the specific ad blocker used and the particular streaming service.

TheSweetBits’ final words

With everything covered, get ready for an ad-free experience and download your favorite choice of ad-blocker. Depending on what you expect from an ad-blocker utility, you can choose any of the options we have talked about. They work great and you don’t have to be tech-savvy to enjoy a web free from annoying ads. And if you are still confused, we recommend AdGuard, Adlock, and Wipr as some great options to begin with. So, buckle your seatbelts and go ahead, blocking all the annoying ads you can for a better and safer browsing experience.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post A Shortlist of Ad Blockers for Mac and Safari first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Whether you’re struggling with organizing your inner thoughts or have a harder time communicating your thoughts when you’re working with others – FigJam can make things easier for you and here’s why. Down below, We’ll tell you everything there is to know about FigJam AI from our perspective and how it helped us discover new levels of sweet productivity at TheSweetBits.

Related: Top 9 AI-Based Design and Prototyping Tools

What does FigJam AI do

Imagine a digital playground where ideas take flight and your team thrives. That’s FigJam, your AI-powered whiteboard for brainstorming, diagramming, and collaboration.

• Turn brainstorming ideas into actionable plans with sticky notes, mind maps, and AI-powered suggestions.
• Unleash teamwork superpowers on real-time whiteboards and live chat.
• Unravel tangled marketing campaigns or navigate labyrinthine product timelines with visual workflows and AI summaries.

A quick look at pros and cons

Pros

• The lightness of the FigJam is one of the pros since you can get started quickly and you can use it both online and offline.
• A variety of custom boards that come with preinstalled templates.
• Versatility and the ability to use FigJam for anything from organizing personal thoughts to taking a lead on team projects.

Cons

• FigJam can seem less attractive to teams due to its simplicity and a possible lack of features for businesses.
• You always need an internet connection to use FigJam.
• Certain functions might be missing compared to FigJam competitors.

A deep dive into FigJam

The future of work is collaborative. FigJam AI embodies this vision, seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence with collaborative tools to revolutionize team productivity. Let’s explore how FigJam AI goes beyond traditional brainstorming platforms, fostering a dynamic and efficient workflow for your team.

Generation of templates with an AI

With the boom of artificial intelligence, FigJam followed and introduced a sweet AI functionality that helps users ease into the tool. We asked FigJam to make us a to-do list as that’s the main way we keep things going daily and weekly at TheSweetBits.

FigJam over-delivered and surprised us with the way it created a to-do list for us. Instead of a simple to-do list, FigJam introduced us to a to-do list that can help us prioritize tasks, create task lists, and track the progress of these tasks.

Needless to say, this to-do list is good enough to keep things moving as a team, creating tasks, and getting things done while tracking progress. With the help of FigJam’s collaborative features, we were able to share the same to-do list board with other team members. The board is straightforward to understand so switching to FigJam was a breeze process for us.

The to-do list also features steps which is a bit unusual but it’s a great way to keep all of our tasks categorized in different processes (steps), which helps with the flow management. Additionally, we were also able to generate a simple budgeting plan with the help of AI in addition to our to-do list board. This helped us have a clear overview of our income and expenses across budgeting categories, but also a strategy to optimize our income and spending.

Library full of options

FigJam’s AI integration helps in the creation of any board type you desire within minutes. What we also like about FigJam is the number of available templates in the library. The library is full of premade templates that are also aimed at teams and sweet productivity increase.

On top of that, these items in the library are fully customizable so when you find a template you like, you can edit color styles for different teams, create your color styles, use existing color styles, edit text styles, create text styles, create various components you can integrate into the template, use existing premade integrations, and even publish your template.

You have freedom over the type and style of your template and since it’s aimed to fit teams too, once you finish a template, you can share it with your team and put it to use and track the productivity and performance.

Another great thing is that you can use the library both online and via the FigJam app for a desktop computer. There is a variety of templates and integrations so you can create simple but efficient templates for brainstorming, diagramming, meetings, workshops, strategies, and other planning.

There are also a variety of specific additions for the templates that feature customer journey maps, standups, project timelines, roadmaps, flow charts, and even weekly team meeting templates. Whatever it is you do on your own or within the team and your company, you can keep track of it with FigJam.

Automation with the AI

FigJam integrated AI to create the easiest way possible to go from a scratch board to a board full of templates and add-ons that will fit your specific needs. Earlier, we mentioned how you can input a sentence into FigJam’s AI chatbot and let it create the specific board upon request. This itself lowered the learning curve and sped up the setting up process.

With the help of AI, FigJam can speed up the switch to the tool and also increase optimization. We believe it would take us twice as long if we had to create these boards on our own and that’s why we think adding AI to FigJam is one of the best updates.

Other than automated creation, AI can help FigJam users set various automation processes that can run across custom boards. For example, we were able to summarize our team meetings with a single click and have a clear summary in front of us in minutes. Otherwise, this would take us quite a while and now it’s a valuable resource we had FigJam generate in minutes for us.

Collaborative feeling

After we created our two templates for our main FigJam board, upon testing the board as a team, we noticed that there was a great collaborative feeling that was much better than what we’ve experienced in other similar tools. Working remotely is still extremely popular and FigJam introduced features that can help teams interact. Not only is FigJam good enough of a tool to keep virtual communication clear, but it also has a great way of keeping the conversation going and empowering the team to communicate more.

FigJam also added a human aspect to virtual communication by featuring audio and live chat functions, which can be used as comments on tasks. This way, each team member will receive feedback that’s most similar to the actual feedback he’d get in the office.

Expressing yourself isn’t hard either, which is the second thing we like about FigJam’s communication. There are various reactions you can use to tasks and comments in the FigJam, but they’re not overwhelming or in the way. With a great amount of optimization, FigJam was able to strike a great balance between the interaction you’d do on social media and the expression you’d do within tools we often use for work. Needless to say, we found this good balance to be a warm addition to the tool that helps teams stick together even when they’re not together in the office.

Also, this is one of the ways FigJam helps give a say to every member of the team, regardless of the role, so if you’re trying to strike a healthy balance in your team and have everyone get the credit they deserve, you will like this feature as much as we did, and so will your team members. There’s even an option to create your avatar, so that’s how much further FigJam went to provide that collaborative feeling for the teams.

Freehand sketching and creative flows

Artificial intelligence is an incredible addition to FigJam and it can do a lot for you. From creating templates from scratch upon request to automating processes. However, one thing you can still do in FigJam is freehand sketching. If you have an iPad or any other tablet, you can turn your ideas into action by drawing them out.

If typing and creating ideas using templates isn’t your thing and you like free workflow and visually presenting your thoughts, that’s also something you can do in FigJam. With plenty of integrated tools, you can choose from a variety of brushes to make your visuals exciting and attractive.

While you’re sketching and expressing your thoughts via digital ink, you can use FigJam’s music integration to keep things interesting, as well as a task timer to ensure you get the sweetest efficiency across without burning yourself. There’s even a voting option so your team so your drawings can still be used as the centerpiece of your workflow. With such versatility, FigJam was able to accommodate our team members in unique ways, so in such an optimized way, the thought flow is outstanding. With or without AI, sweet efficiency is guaranteed!

FigJam AI pricing

If you’re in love with FigJam already, wait until you hear that FigJam is free to use. There’s a free plan, which isn’t a trial, so you can use it for free for as long as you wish. Of course, it comes with certain limitations, so you can only use it for 3 design files with basic file inspection.

However, there are other FigJam pricing plans you upgrade to, to meet your company’s and team’s needs:

• Starter Plan – Free
• Professional Plan – $3/month
• Organization Plan – $5/month
• Enterprise Plan – $5/month

For increased admin security and more custom templates, we highly recommend going with the Organization plan. If you need an Enterprise plan, remember you’ll need to contact FigJam’s sales department.

FAQs

Who is FigJam for?

FigJam is suitable for anyone. It’s ideal for personal use, even for the simplest way of keeping a to-do list, shopping list, or managing your time. However, it’s also a very powerful tool for small, medium, and even the largest teams and companies that need a way to stay efficient while collaborating and working together on tasks and projects.

Is FigJam efficient?

FigJam is very efficient and the best thing about it is that you can fully customize the templates or create them from scratch. This gives you a chance to create a custom way to improve workflow within your team or a company. With the use of AI, FigJam is one of the most powerful collaborative tools on the market.

Can you use FigJam without Figma?

Yes, FigJam can be used without Figma. However, if you still use Figma, the good thing is that you can open FigJam files within Figma.

So, whether you’re a solopreneur or a captain of a creative crew, FigJam AI has the tools to unleash your team’s potential. Ditch the clunky old ways and dive into the AI-powered future of brainstorming, organization, and action. Your next big idea is waiting.

Is FigJam worth it?

First things first: FigJam’s packed with features and honestly, it can be overwhelming at first, but don’t be scared off! We got up and running in 30 minutes, and within an hour, were brainstorming like the new section for TheSweetBits where we discover the sweet productivity and AI tools.

But FigJam’s real magic is the AI. Imagine meeting summaries written on the fly, to-do lists born from your sentences, audio chat, live comments and custom templates whipped up in seconds. It’s like your productivity just got rocket boosters.

Plus, a free plan lets you take a test flight, and affordable upgrades scale with your team’s ambitions. FigJam AI even plays nice with Figma, making it a dream duo for creatives.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post This FigJam AI is Your AI Brainstorming Buddy first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

With so many tools at our disposal, each with special features and skills, finding the ideal presentation platform can be difficult. With a carefully curated list of the top tools suited to different needs and scenarios, this guide seeks to help you pick the best presentation software without spending a lifetime looking for one. We’ve got you covered with everything from user-friendly apps ideal for iPad fans to AI-driven generators that promise to transform content creation.

Key takeaways

Here’s a quick summary of some top presentation software options, categorized by key strengths:

• For free: Look at Canva for user-friendly design templates and Google Slides for seamless collaboration within the Google ecosystem.
• For AI-powered: Explore Slide.ai for AI-powered content generation and Prezi for non-linear, conversational presentations.
• For Mac: Consider Apple Keynote for its intuitive interface and smooth Mac integration.
• For Windows: Explore Microsoft PowerPoint (the industry standard) or WPS Office for a feature-rich, affordable alternative.
• For educators: Check out Nearpod for interactive presentations with embedded quizzes and polls.
• For presentations on the go: Look at Powtoon for its focus on animated video presentations and its mobile-friendly design tools.

Remember, this guide explores a variety of options, including familiar favorites alongside innovative newcomers. The ideal software depends on your specific needs – explore the roundup list for details!

Best free presentation software

In the landscape of free presentation software, three tools stand out for their ability to empower you without a price tag: Google Slides, Canva, and Zoho Show. Each offers unique features tailored to different needs, from seamless collaboration to creative freedom.

Google Slides stands out as a beacon of collaboration and integration. Its hallmark feature, real-time editing, transforms the way teams, separated by geography, can come together on a single presentation. This collaborative spirit is further amplified by its seamless integration with Google Workspace, creating a cohesive ecosystem across Docs, Sheets, and Drive. Accessibility is a key advantage of Google Slides, ensuring that presentations are within reach of any internet-connected device. This, combined with a rich selection of themes and animations, allows you to tailor their slides to perfection.

Canva emerges as the go-to platform for those with an eye for design. Its extensive template library democratizes professional design, making it accessible to users of all skill levels. The drag-and-drop interface is a testament to Canva’s commitment to simplifying the design process, enabling the effortless addition of images, text, and design elements. Collaboration is at the heart of Canva’s ethos, with features designed to facilitate sharing, co-editing, and gathering feedback from team members. What truly sets Canva apart is its capability to infuse presentations with rich media, such as videos, gifs, and animations, ensuring that your message is not just seen but felt.

Zoho Show is tailored for those in pursuit of a comprehensive toolkit for crafting sophisticated presentations. It distinguishes itself with advanced animation and transition options that breathe life into slides. The platform champions real-time collaboration, offering tools for comments, chat, and live edits, making teamwork effortless. Beyond creation, Zoho Show excels in sharing, with broadcasting features designed to engage remote audiences interactively. Its strength lies in its versatility, with robust compatibility and integration features that facilitate work across various devices and platforms, including straightforward import and export capabilities for PowerPoint files and seamless integration with cloud storage solutions.

Best AI Presentation Generators

In the evolving landscape of presentation creation, the integration of artificial intelligence by platforms like Beautiful.ai, SlideAI and Prezi are not just a leap toward the future but a stride toward redefining creativity and efficiency. These AI presentation generators are equipped with features and capabilities that cater to a broad spectrum of needs, from simplifying design processes to enhancing content with data visualization.

SlidesAI emerges as a game-changer in the field of presentation software, harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to transform basic outlines into fully fleshed-out slides. This tool excels in understanding the context of your content, suggesting relevant visuals, layouts, and even text content that align with your message. SlideAI’s strength lies in its ability to automate the time-consuming aspects of presentation design, allowing you to focus on refining their message and delivery. It’s particularly beneficial for professionals and students who need to quickly put together polished presentations without compromising on quality.

Beautiful.ai stands at the forefront of design innovation with its AI-driven approach to automatically selecting layouts and visual elements that best suit your content. This platform shines in its ability to understand the essence of your message and translate it into visually compelling slides. The AI suggests design adjustments and improvements, ensuring that presentations are not only aesthetically pleasing but also aligned with best design practices. This makes Beautiful.ai particularly useful for you if you aim to impress their audience with professional-grade designs without investing hours in manual adjustments.

Prezi AI introduces a new dimension to the non-linear presentation space by integrating AI capabilities into its platform. This tool enhances Prezi’s already dynamic presentation style by offering AI-driven suggestions for content organization, design, and even interactive elements that can make presentations more engaging. Prezi AI is designed to help you create more impactful and memorable presentations by leveraging data and user engagement insights. It’s an ideal choice for educators, marketers, and anyone looking to make their presentations stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

Best Presentation Software for Mac

For those immersed in the Apple ecosystem, Keynote Deckset and FlowVella stand out as the premier choices for crafting presentations that resonate.

Keynote is the quintessence of presentation software tailored for Mac users, seamlessly integrating with the ecosystem of Apple products. Its strength lies in its intuitive design interface and the ability to create visually stunning presentations with cinematic transitions that captivate audiences. Keynote is particularly adept at leveraging the hardware capabilities of Macs, offering smooth performance and high-quality visuals that are expected from Apple software. This makes it an ideal choice for professionals and creatives who rely on Mac for their work, providing a tool that complements their workflow and enhances their presentations.

Deckset transforms the way you approach presentation creation, offering a streamlined process that turns plain text documents into visually appealing slides. If you’re someone who values content and wants your ideas to take center stage without the hassle of intricate design processes, Deckset is your ally. It allows you to write your presentation in Markdown, a straightforward markup language, and automatically applies design elements to your text. This means you can focus on what you want to say, not how it should look. With a variety of themes and the ability to include speaker notes and export to PDF, Deckset ensures your presentations are not only beautiful but also versatile and shareable.

On the other hand, FlowVella is perfect if you’re looking to create presentations that go beyond static slides, offering a platform for building interactive and multimedia-rich experiences. Imagine embedding videos, audio clips, PDFs, and links directly into your presentation, making each slide a gateway to a deeper exploration of your topic. FlowVella’s template library, tailored for various purposes from business to education, along with its unique Kiosk Mode, turns your presentations into interactive displays ideal for engaging audiences in a more dynamic way. Plus, with analytics on viewer interactions, you can continuously refine your approach to ensure maximum impact.

Best for Windows

On the Windows front, Microsoft PowerPoint and Democreator emerge as the top contenders, each bringing distinct advantages to the table.

Microsoft PowerPoint is synonymous with presentation software, offering an unrivaled set of features that cater to a broad spectrum of users. Its deep integration with the Microsoft Office Suite and widespread adoption in the professional world make it a go-to choice for businesses and educators. PowerPoint’s comprehensive toolset, including advanced animation controls, extensive template libraries, and robust collaboration features, ensures that you can create detailed and interactive presentations tailored to your audience’s needs.

Adding to the diversity of Windows-compatible presentation tools is Wondershare DemoCreator, a software that extends beyond traditional presentation creation to offer screen recording and video editing capabilities. This makes DemoCreator an excellent choice if your presentations require demo videos, tutorials, or interactive content. With its intuitive interface, you can capture high-quality screen recordings, incorporate webcam footage, and edit videos to include annotations, captions, and animations. DemoCreator is particularly useful for educators, marketers, and software developers who need to create comprehensive tutorials or product demonstrations as part of their presentations.

Best Presentation Software for Educators

Tools that facilitate and enhance the delivery of knowledge are essential for students, teachers, and academics. Google Slides, Nearpod, and Explain Everything emerge as top contenders, each offering unique features that cater to the dynamic needs of the educational community.

Genially emerges as a standout presentation tool for students, teachers, and academics by enabling the creation of interactive, media-rich presentations and learning materials. With Genially, you can transform static PDFs or slides into captivating stories, quizzes, and virtual tours, all without requiring any coding skills. Its drag-and-drop interface, combined with over 50 interaction and animation settings, makes it simple to create content that keeps audiences engaged and facilitates a deeper understanding of complex topics. Whether for classroom learning, online courses, or professional development, Genially offers an innovative approach to presenting information that encourages exploration and interaction, making it a valuable tool in any educator’s toolkit.

Nearpod takes interactive learning to new heights, allowing educators to create engaging and interactive presentations that can include quizzes, polls, and videos. This platform transforms passive learning into an active experience, encouraging student participation and providing instant feedback to help tailor teaching to the student’s needs. Nearpod’s ability to integrate with existing lesson plans and its vast library of pre-made, standards-aligned lessons across subjects make it an invaluable resource for educators looking to enhance engagement and comprehension in their classrooms.

Explain Everything is an interactive whiteboard app that redefines the boundaries of traditional presentations. It allows teachers and students to create, present, and share ideas in a dynamic and visual format. With features like drawing, annotation, and animation, Explain Everything encourages creativity and facilitates a deeper understanding of concepts through visual learning. Its collaborative features support real-time participation from multiple users, making it an excellent tool for group projects and remote learning scenarios.

Best Presentation Software for iPad

For iPad users, Keynote, and Powtoon stand out, each leveraging the strengths of Apple’s tablet to provide a seamless presentation creation and delivery experience.

Keynote for iPad is a natural choice for those deeply integrated into the Apple ecosystem. It offers a touch-optimized interface that makes creating and editing presentations on the iPad a breeze. With iCloud integration, presentations are synced across all devices, ensuring that your work is always accessible. Keynote’s array of templates and animation tools allows you to create visually stunning presentations that take full advantage of the iPad’s Retina display.

Powtoon extends the presentation landscape on the iPad by focusing on animated video presentations, a dynamic alternative to traditional slide decks. As a web and iOS/Android platform, Powtoon empowers you to create animated presentations and explainer videos that can significantly enhance audience engagement. With a user-friendly interface and a wide range of animation templates, characters, and objects, Powtoon allows you to convey your message through storytelling and animation, making complex ideas more accessible and enjoyable.

Tips for creating impactful presentations

• Know Your Audience: Tailor your presentation to the interests and knowledge level of your audience to ensure engagement and comprehension.
• Simplify Your Message: Focus on key points. Avoid cluttering slides with too much text or data. Use bullet points to break down information.
• Use Visuals Wisely: Incorporate relevant images, charts, and videos to complement your message, not overshadow it. Visuals should enhance understanding, not distract.
• Practice Your Delivery: Familiarize yourself with the content and flow of your presentation. Practice speaking clearly and confidently, and time your presentation to avoid running over.
• Engage with Your Audience: Ask questions, encourage participation, and be responsive to feedback. Interaction keeps the audience invested in your presentation.
• Leverage the Software’s Features: Utilize the unique features of your chosen presentation software. Animations, transitions, and interactive elements can add depth to your presentation.

Presentation FAQs

Q: Can I use these presentation tools offline?

A: Many presentation tools offer offline capabilities. Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint, for example, allow you to download presentations for offline access. Check the specific features of your chosen tool for offline functionality.

Q: Are these tools suitable for large-scale conferences?

A: Yes, tools like Keynote, PowerPoint, and Prezi are equipped to handle presentations for large audiences, offering features like live broadcasting and integration with conference systems.

Q: Can I collaborate with others who use different presentation software?

A: Collaboration across different software can be challenging due to compatibility issues. However, exporting presentations in common formats like PDF or PPT can help. Tools like Canva and Google Slides also offer web-based sharing options that are software-agnostic.

Q: How can I make my presentation accessible to all audience members?

A: Use clear, legible fonts and high-contrast color schemes for readability. Incorporate alternative text for images and use a structured layout to aid those using screen readers. Keep accessibility in mind when choosing animations and transitions.

Conclusion

In the modern era of presentation software, it’s evident that the field has expanded far beyond the traditional staples of PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides. Innovations like Genially and SlideAI, along with specialized tools for macOS like Deckset and FlowVella, showcase a dynamic shift towards more interactive, engaging, and visually stunning presentations. These platforms offer unique features such as AI-driven design, interactive storytelling, and seamless integration with modern technology, catering to a diverse range of needs and preferences.

Choosing the right presentation software now involves considering a blend of creativity, functionality, and user experience, tailored to your specific objectives and audience. Whether you’re an educator aiming to captivate students, a professional seeking to make an impact, or simply exploring new ways to communicate ideas, the current landscape provides a wealth of options. This evolution encourages us to think beyond the conventional, embracing tools that elevate our ability to share knowledge and connect with our audience in meaningful ways.

Read also:

• Best Font Manager Apps for Mac (and a Few Tips)
• Top 9 AI-Based Design and Prototyping Tools
• The Extensis Connect Streamlines Your Digital Assets & Fonts

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post The Best Presentation Software for Every Need first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Research shows that concrete plans with calendars help people achieve their goals. These innovative tools go beyond scheduling appointments and meetings; they leverage artificial intelligence to automate tasks, prioritize your workload, and optimize your schedule based on your energy levels.

In this article, we’ve explored 8 of the best options, comparing their features and functionalities to help you find the perfect fit for your scheduling needs.

The best AI calendars at a glance

• Reclaim AI for smart scheduling and life-work balance. Best for busy professionals.
• Vimcal masters time zones and team scheduling. Ideal for effortless group coordination.
• Mayday Calendar learns your habits and suggests optimal meeting times. A popular choice for smarter scheduling.
• TimeOS analyzes your energy levels and schedules tasks accordingly. The perfect tool for focus and distraction control.
• Motion offers dynamic task prioritization and personalized scheduling. Ideal for solopreneurs & small teams.
• Clockwise prioritizes focus time and helps find meeting times that work for everyone. The perfect tool for work-Life balance.
• Any.do uses AI to streamline your calendar and offers insights to improve efficiency on multitasking.
• ClickUp provides a powerful platform with AI features like summarizing documents and managing workflows. Frequently used app for project management & AI integration.

The impact of AI calendar on productivity

AI calendar apps are not just fancy scheduling tools. They can be your planning assistant for boosting productivity and achieving your goals. Here’s what sets them apart:

• Smart Automation: AI calendars help automate repetitive tasks like scheduling meetings, finding optimal times, and sending reminders.
• Prioritization Powerhouse: AI algorithms analyze your schedule and prioritize tasks based on importance and deadline.
• Energy Flow Expert: These apps can learn your peak productivity times and suggest scheduling key tasks accordingly.
• Focus Ninja: AI calendars help minimize distractions and context switching, allowing you to focus on deep work.

With an AI calendar app, you can:

• Take control of your schedule and reclaim your time.
• Increase productivity and achieve your goals.
• Create a better work-life balance and reduce stress.

What we prioritized in AI calendar apps

AI calendar apps, in our opinion, are the best productivity apps. To help you boost workflow, we identified four main factors that come together to help you make a right pick.

• Your scheduling needs
• AI features
• Integration capabilities
• User interface

Everyone is different but the main purpose of these apps is to make your scheduling easier. During our tests, we realized it’s important to decide whether you need simple even tracking or extensive meeting planning. These AI calendar apps range in sophistication levels so the most advanced pick might not be necessary for everyone.

Each tool comes with a bunch of AI-enabled features and we highly recommend looking for some of the most useful features like smart suggestions for scheduling, time blocking, and even predictive analytics or insights. This way, a tool can learn from your tasks and habits.

If you’re a part of a team or want to use one calendar for a team or a company, it’s important to check out the integration capabilities. Even if you decide to use it as an individual, if you want to sync the AI-powered calendar with the traditional one you use on your computer, this is something to consider.

Lastly, every one of these tools features a different user interface. While most are user-friendly, certain picks allow you to customize the interface. The learning curve isn’t something to worry about with the AI calendar apps from the list.

Deep dive into 8 top-rated AI calendars

As you can see, standard calendars can’t compete with AI calendar apps and these apps will seem like a significant improvement over the way you run your calendar. We like to think of these apps as personal assistants because that’s how evolved they are. Here are the top picks that we liked testing.

Note: To evaluate and test apps, we spend dozens of hours using each app in its intended way. We then identify the specific strengths of each tool to help you find the perfect fit. For more details, read the full rundown of how we select tools to feature on TheSweetBits blog.

Reclaim AI –  Best for Busy Professionals

What we like the most about Reclaim AI is its intuitive design that’s very easy to integrate with an existing calendar, so we didn’t spend a ton of time setting this up. With an easy way to sync the Reclaim AI calendar with the Google Calendar, the next step was all about prioritizing our tasks.

One of the most useful features is the block out time for personal activities, which is something you might like as well if you hardly find any break during a busy work day. And, its task scheduler is an AI-powered feature that helps automatically find the best time for tasks you add to the calendar.

Of course, no one is perfect and can keep up to schedule 100%, so another great benefit of this feature is its ability to move and shift tasks on your calendar to keep up your efficiency while ensuring you’re working at your most productive times is spot-on. We saw a huge increase in productivity gains, especially with the integrated LifeWork feature. This feature helps keep both personal and work tasks synced in one calendar so you have control over your whole life productively in one calendar.

Pros

• Smart 1:1 meetings
• Easy calendar sync
• Full of stats and insights

Cons

• Hard to integrate with Outlook
• No smartphone app

Reclaim AI Price: Lite is free, Starter is $8, Business is $12, Enterprise is $18 (per user, per month).

Vimcal – Best for Teams

Vimcal is one of the rare calendars that took consideration tasks from different time zones and worked them into our calendar. This just shows how powerful the AI technology behind this app is. Thanks to such technology, what we loved the most was the quick and efficient scheduling. The whole app seems to us that it’s designed to improve speed, so it is a game-changer being able to input tasks quickly and let Vimcal sort things out for us.

Another thing we noticed and liked is that Vimcal is good with scheduling meetings and it even pays attention to the availability of participants. This showed to be a great fit for our team and our weekly meetings, but also for sudden quick meetings that helped improve our communication.

Being able to integrate Vimcal with our other tools was important and we’re safe to say that Vimcal’s integration is seamless and it doesn’t take a lot of time to get things right. Lastly, we loved using the sleek and intuitive user interface. We believe that Vimcal put a lot of effort into removing unnecessary complexity and did its best job to produce an AI calendar that operates in a simple traditional way, with bonus features, of course.

Pros

• Perfect for keeping a calendar with integrated time zone management
• Plenty of keyboard shortcuts for easier navigation
• Customizable time slots for meetings

Cons

• The price is a bit pricey
• Some features are harder to access even though they’re still very beneficial

Vimcal Price: iOS only is free, iOS & Desktop is $15/month, Enterprise – contact Vimcal.

Mayday Calendar – Best for Smarter Meeting Schedules

Mayday calendar stood out for its ability to pick up on our habits, right after we synced our traditional calendar. Being able to pick up on habits, the Mayday calendar can predict the best personal times for most productivity, and even suggest meetings at times we believe we would prefer.

On top of that, we notice that the Mayday calendar can understand the context of the events and to-do tasks we have in our calendar. This helps streamline the process, so the more things we add to our calendar, the better it gets organized by the Mayday AI model. If you have meetings, Mayday can schedule blocks so the meetings don’t ruin your productivity or momentum in a workday.

The integration with our regular communication and work tools/platforms is a breeze so keeping a both personal and work schedule in one Mayday calendar is simple. Needless to say, we also love the intuitive and user-friendly interface that has no learning curve. Lastly, we aren’t big fans of notifications that feel like pressure, but we like Mayday’s smart notifications that are based on intelligent prompts. These prompts can understand the context of our day and bring up notifications at the right time about the right tasks and things related to our schedule.

Pros

• AI-assisted time keeping and management
• Effortless scheduling meetings
• Auto scheduling ability

Cons

• Initial setup takes a bit of time

MayDay Calendar Pricing: Freemium model with in-app paid upgrades.

timeOS – Best for Blocking Distractions

timeOS is one of the more advanced AI calendar apps. While this might be a bit overwhelming for some users, we liked it because of the productivity increase due to a few smart features. These smart features include analysis of patterns and even our energy that can help suggest the most ideal time for meetings, productivity blocks, and personal time. You know we are big on improving the productivity levels and achieving more and that’s what timeOS can help us with through its set of features.

Besides prioritizing tasks and finding the right time in our calendar to get these done, timeOS can also block certain times in a day. These are often the times we never thought about blocking, especially during a busy work day. By trying timeOS’s way, we realized that timing our tasks and regenerating energy in the blocked periods can lead to a productivity increase.

The interface is intuitive enough but we also like how timeOS is the rare AI calendar assistant that allows you to customize the interface. With an easy way to integrate timeOS with other apps and the ability to multitask at the same time, we couldn’t ask for anything more from timeOS.

Pros

• Seamless integration with third-party tools
• Advanced AI planner capabilities that go beyond the calendar
• Has a free plan

Cons

• The price might be a bit more expensive than other picks

timeOS Price: Free for individuals, Pro is $12/user/month, Enterprise – contact timeOS.

Motion – Best for Solopreneurs and Small Teams

Motion is an AI calendar that gathers most of the features from all other AI calendars to improve its scheduling system. Some of the best features we’ve noticed include analysis of the tasks to produce personalized schedules while paying attention to work habits, personal to-do things, and commitments.

If you had to try Motion for only one feature, we believe this feature would be dynamic task prioritization. It’s also the feature we like the most about the Motion. Dynamic task prioritization helps Motion create a realistic daily plan to follow, which automatically adjusts to new tasks and tasks you’re late on.

From other features, we like how effortlessly integration works, the way Motion blocked certain times for personal time, and how it shifts the meeting times to try and help achieve the best productivity individually. Motion AI also comes with certain beta features such as predictive analytics and reporting, which are also on the way to shaping the way AI calendar apps work.

Pros

• Fast automated scheduling
• Great choice of task management options
• Maximizes productivity with automatic scheduling

Cons

• Can be slightly glitchy
• Only one pricing plan for teams

Motion Price: Individual is $19, Team is $12 (per user, per month).

Clockwise – Best for The Right Life Balance

If you’re someone who spends a lot of time in meetings, Clockwise is the right calendar AI app to use. Clockwise has efficient coordination that works incredibly well for team members so we had a chance to see how our meetings can be coordinated much more efficiently. Clockwise can scan multiple schedules and help team members find the right meeting time that works for everyone.

Since we already have a team calendar we use, integrating it with Clockwise was a breeze and that’s another important aspect since we didn’t spend a lot of time setting things up.

Pros

• intelligent features for better time management
• Reduces interruptions while maximizing productivity
• Great integration options

Cons

• Lacks support for smartphone use
• AI features might come with a learning curve

Clockwise Price: Free model, Teams is $6.75/user/month, Business is $11.50/user/month, Enterprise – contact Clockwise.

Any.do – Best for Personalized Multitasking

Any.do is another AI calendar app that has similar features to other tools, but some things that stood out for us were a user-friendly interface and intelligent scheduling features. As a result, Any.do was able to streamline our calendar (synchronization was effortless) and its help felt like a tiny productivity boost.

The unique feature we haven’t seen in other AI calendar apps is the Moment feature. This feature allows users a quick way to plan activities, improving proactive mindset and productivity. After using Any.do for a while, you’ll also get insights that will show you how you can become even more productive with the help of multitasking. All it takes is a couple of minutes a day, and from there, Any.do takes it to streamline everything else.

Since we’re nerds when it comes to improving efficiency and productivity, we loved Any.do’s feature to analyze our calendar to improve time management with the introduction of multitasking. Not only did Any.do change things up around a bit for us to have a more productive and efficient day, but it also gave us a few important insights that also set us on a path to self-improvement, whether or not we continue using Any.do.

Pros

• Affordable for small teams and individuals
• Best shared calendar app for teams
• Very simple to use with templates for workspaces
• Great for personal use and multitasking practices

Cons

• Lacks integration with a few common traditional calendar apps
• Support is lacking

Any.do Price: Personal is free, Premium is $5, Family is $8, Teams is $8 (per user, per month).

ClickUp – Best for Streamlined Work Processes

If you’re looking for a calendar app that’s also a platform that can help you improve both workflow and project management in one place, ClickUp is a great tool you’re looking for. With AI capabilities, ClickUp can summarize documents, and meeting notes, and even generate actionable discussions, as well as translate text into multiple languages.

This makes it ideal for larger teams, especially since there’s no learning curve and the dashboard is very user-friendly. With a free model, trying ClickUp is a breeze. Regardless of the wealth of features, ClickUp isn’t very confusing to new users.

We’ve noticed certain features are specifically designed to help improve workflow and productivity, on both personal and team levels. Having such a powerful platform with many different AI integrations in one place that you can use for many purposes gives users plenty of reasons to consider ClickUp.

Pros

• Integrated AI features for increased productivity and workflows
• Customizable dashboard
• Freemium model
• User-friendly and versatile

Cons

• A slight learning curve
• Self-managed onboarding process

ClickUp Calendar Price: Free plan, Unlimited is $7/user/month, Business is $12/user/month, Enterprise – contact ClickUp.

Conclusion

The landscape of AI calendar apps is rapidly evolving, offering various features to enhance scheduling and productivity. When choosing an AI calendar app, consider your specific needs. Do you require basic scheduling assistance or advanced features like time blocking and predictive analytics? Additionally, evaluate the app’s integration capabilities and user interface. Seamless integration with your existing calendar tools can streamline workflow, while a user-friendly interface minimizes the learning curve.

Ultimately, the “best” AI calendar app depends on your individual requirements and preferences. In this article, we provide a starting point for your exploration, and with a little research, you can find the perfect tool to transform your calendar into a powerful planning assistant.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post These AI Calendar Apps Will Boost Your Workflow in 2024 first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Even though we don’t do a lot of graphic designing work, we still have certain needs that need to be fulfilled. By trying Extensis Connect, we noticed that we can streamline our work by bringing order to a work that can quickly turn into chaos. Therefore, if you’re looking to learn more about Extensis Connect and how it can improve your sweet productivity levels, you’re in the right place.

Down below, we’ll show you the pros and cons of Extensis Connect but also review some of the features that had the hugest impact on us during the test, so let’s break it down!

What does Extensis Connect do

Extensis Connect is a versatile tool designed to help you organize, share, and collaborate on digital assets. It caters to graphic designers, marketing teams, and anyone who needs a secure and centralized hub for their creative content.

A quick look at pros and cons

Pros

• Secure and safe cloud space to store digital assets
• Great file organization and powerful search functionality
• Incredible way to manage fonts and collaborate with others

Cons

• There is a slight learning curve you must adapt to
• It’s not very easy to integrate into other third-party tools
• It requires an internet connection at all times

A deep dive into the Extensis Connect

Extensis Connect is a great tool that not only helps you store and share your digital assets and content, but it also helps keep it secure, and most importantly, improves collaboration. Since everyone at SweetBits is all about reaching new levels of productivity, Extensis Connect was preferred and liked, and here are the features we liked the most.

Storing and managing digital assets

We know you must’ve heard that content is king, so Extensis Connect made its mission to ensure you have a safe space to store and protect your digital assets. Whether it’s images, documents, artwork, or a variety of file types, Extensis Connect can store it in the cloud.

What we like the most about Extensis Connect is that you don’t need multiple storage places for certain file types. This cloud-based service features a unified repository, which means you can upload almost any format there is and the database will store it and sort it for you.

No matter how much data you upload, Extensis Connect ensures that you always have access and organization tools to categorize everything you have stored. It has the ability to annotate assets. This way, if you’re using Extensis Connect as a team (just like we are), you can keep uploaded files tidy and organized for everyone on the team.

We know that data and files can get out of control but that’s not an issue to be worried about with the Extensis Connect. There’s a centralized management system in place that allows larger businesses and teams to upload as much data as they have without worrying about sacrificing the usability or workflow of the team.

Collaboration and sharing capabilities

We’re a decently sized team so keeping the productivity at the highest levels possible to efficiently get our tasks done is important for us. As someone who loves sweet productivity, we also liked Extensis Connect’s ability to make collaboration within the tool simple for teams.

Several team members can connect with the tool simultaneously and still use it without logging anyone off. On top of that, sharing content you have uploaded with external people who aren’t part of your team is also very simple. This way, External Connect makes things convenient for everyone, and as the name says, provides the preferred connection.

Another thing that kept us going strong was the real-time updates and notifications. Whenever someone from our team added a file, removed it, or left an annotation, the right people on the team got notified. This is well combined with the tracking ability so working on multiple projects together while sharing one cloud space in the External Connect is still a convenient possibility.

While the integration isn’t very Extensis, there is a certain capability of integration as it is, but we’re looking forward to seeing more third-party integration options available. Lastly, one thing we like the most when it comes down to productivity and collaboration is accessibility. Yes, you will need internet at all times to use Extensis Connect, but it allows remote teams to work and collaborate in real-time, on the same files, in one place

Font management integration

Another Extensis Connect’s strength that’s often overlooked is the font management integration. Since any type of document uses letters, font is inevitably one of the things that you have to work with daily.

Extensis Connect makes things simpler by providing a centralized font library where you can store the fonts you use regularly and ensure the whole team has access to the fonts of your brand identity.

We like the easy access and how no questions are left once team members get to know this integration. It’s one of the integrations we like to think of as a setter for team members to get it right from the start and get the team together on the same page, even when it comes down to fonts.

A great life-saver with this integration is the license management where Extensis Connect ensures compliance with licensing agreements. This removes the worry in the back of your head about using a certain font, leaving you with thousands of fonts you can freely use for your business.

Switching between the fonts even got easier with a new built-in feature called automatic font switching. And if you’re collaborating or sharing, you get to share fonts among team members. We saw an increase in productivity levels since there’s no time spent on getting small things right such as fonts. Yet this shows how crucial it is to have everything neatly organized, and that’s what Extensis Connect is all about.

Cloud-based security

We get it, uploading your important and valuable data to the cloud and having to let the safety of your digital assets into the company’s hands can be scary. Luckily, Extensis Connect ensures proper data security and safety, no matter the amount of files you have in the cloud.

The biggest benefits of cloud-based useability lie in accessibility. You only need an internet connection to virtually access data from any location or device. We like how the platform works even with smartphone devices so productivity can be taken to another level and you won’t ever be stopped from working with your team, even when you’re on the go.

The actions taken in Extensis Connect’s cloud system are synchronized in real-time so all team members can work on the same type of files as if they’re working in-house. Since not all members might need access to all levels of data, you can manage the access for each member of your team.

With such customizable access controls, it’s much easier to administrate the data and reduce the risk of data misuseage.

If you’re still skeptical about keeping all your data in the cloud, Extensis Connect’s disaster recovery feature will rest assured. This is a feature that can recover your data even in the worst-case scenarios of data loss. With such protection, you can get your data rapidly restored, which also minimizes downtime and ensures your company and team keep on working without losing productivity levels.

Search functionality

We’re a big fan of Extensis search functionality rather than a basic search engine, especially when working with files. Extensis Connect provides a powerful search functionality that allows you to search for your files and find them in seconds, no matter how many files you have there.

Besides using keywords, you can perform a visual search, and even have a list of saved searches or history that you can refer to. Giving the team members the option to tag and categorize files, you can use the integrated advanced filtering to find files quicker.

If that’s not enough, you’ll be surprised (just like we were) with Boolean operators and wildcards for advanced search functionality options. This way, users can combine multiple search queries to further refine the results. This can help you pinpoint the specific type of file you’re looking for.

This helped us in situations when we had a specific file on our mind but couldn’t find it with ease visually or using the filters. Boolean operators and wildcards functionality are some of the most specific ways you can use to search for your files in the cloud. That’s also another area where we noticed how Extensis Connect likes productivity boosts, just like we do, so it was a pleasure knowing we can rely on tools that have similar values to ours.

With such phenomenal search functionality, scaling up the files without losing productivity or performance is made easier. With rapid results even if you have Extensis digital libraries, performance is still intact and reliability and speed are some of the benefits you have to gain.

Extensis Connect pricing

Extensis Connect offers tiered plans for individuals, small teams, and large organizations:

• Connect ($150/user/year): Ideal for solo creators & small teams. Includes storage, asset management, font licensing tools, and integrations.
• Connect + Insight ($200/user/year): Builds on Connect with risk management features for larger teams: project risk scanning, font risk reports, and more storage.
• Connect for Large Teams: Caters to large organizations with custom pricing. Includes all Connect + Insight features plus dedicated support and tailored services.

The pricing of Connect for larger teams isn’t publicly available and you will have to contact Extensis for a quote.

Extensis Connect verdict

After testing Extensis Connect with our data, we were impressed by its robust security and organization features. It streamlines workflows, improves organization, and enhances communication, leading to a significant boost in productivity.

Collaboration features, unique font management, and great accessibility make Extensis Connect ideal for teams and businesses. The Connect Fonts version also makes it a valuable tool for individual creators, keeping their fonts organized and ensuring license compliance.

FAQs

How does Extensis enhance collaboration among team members?

There are several features we noticed that help the most within Extensis Connect, including great sharing functionality, integrated communication tools, and real-time updates.

Can Extensis Connect integrate with other tools?

Yes, Extensis Connect can integrate with other tools, but its integration is still fairly limited and we’re looking forward to having more integration options available soon.

Is there a trial version of Extensis Connect?

No, there isn’t a trial version that allows users to experience full functionality for a limited period.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post The Extensis Connect Streamlines Your Digital Assets & Fonts first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>

Here’s one thing you might not know about TheSweetBits. We are always in search of great macOS apps. It also means we get our hands on indie apps and new releases before they become popular. In some cases, great apps go unnoticed for a long time. Today, we have compiled 10 of those favorite apps.

Top 10 lesser-known mac apps

#1 Raycast

If you are like us, you have a soft spot for Spotlight (pun intended.) But it does not change the fact that Apple needs to improve Spotlight Search. While it does, you can use Raycast as a more productive alternative for system-wide searches and more.

It is a full collection of features, for those who are wondering. From a built-in calculator to a baseline window manager, multiple utilities are included in Raycast. You can customize things further via add-ons, snippets, or your code. I believe Raycast is not as popular as Alfred, a go-to Spotlight Search alternative.

#2 IINA

The QuickTime Player built into macOS is never a great option for media playback. Instead, you can use IINA, a free-to-use media player. This little-known media player is optimized for macOS and works better than the go-to options like VLC.

As you can guess, IINA is free and open source and receives constant updates from the developers. It is also impressive that you get advanced control over subtitles, user interface, and multiple plugins. You can also check out its browser extensions to take control over online streams.

#3 Pixea

Some of you might believe that Preview is the best image viewer for macOS. However, once you start using Pixea, you will change your opinion. I came across this app a few months back. It has changed the way I deal with images on your Mac.

The best part about Pixea is that it practically stays hidden. It does not take up an entire window. Instead, it is possible to watch and shift between image files using keyboard shortcuts. It also comes with almost all the options you would have seen on Preview.

#4 Stats

Most people want to keep track of CPU, GPU, and RAM resources on their Mac but you might first think that most of these system resource monitoring tools are paid. Stats is a free and open-source alternative to the popular iStat Menus, focusing on the essentials.

This lightweight app makes it easy to track different aspects of resource utilization on your Mac. The features include disk utilization, network usage, fan control, and battery level. You may even want to try their multi-time zone clock.

#5 MediaMate

Compared to other Mac apps on this list, MediaMate is small and straightforward. It adds a superb-looking widget to yo/ur Mac interface. This media widget will help you track whenever you have an audio or video file playing in the background.

We’d also add that MediaMate is one of the most customizable options out there. You can control almost every aspect of the app, including notifications, appearance, triggers, etc. You can also use the app to change how the brightness and volume controllers appear on the screen.

#6 MenubarX

We all know the struggle. You need a quick Twitter check, news glance, or email reply, but opening a full browser feels like overkill. Enter MenubarX, a tool that transforms your menu bar into a mini-command center for the web.

From social media and productivity tools to casual games, MenubarX lets you add any webpages. And, it’s all about personalization: resize windows, rearrange them for your workflow, and set up auto-refresh for essential sites. Embrace flexibility with ad blocking, user agent simulation (like iPhone or Kindle!), and even create custom icons for your “mini apps” for a touch of organization and flair.

For me, MenubarX is indeed an app that I cannot live without. And I believe everyone should check it out at least once.

#7 MeetingBar

If you have too many online meetings, keeping track of them can be difficult. With MeetingBar, you get to join all your meetings right from the menu bar. The application works with your calendar apps to track your meeting information and present it in a drop-down menu.

Despite being free and open source, MeetingBar works with more than 50 meeting services, including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Discord. I have found this not-so-popular app a blessing on those days when I need a quick look at my meeting agenda.

#8 MurmurType

MurmurType is that one lesser-known app that makes me feel great about having a Mac in the first place. It is a straightforward transcription tool that can convert speech into text. The best part? It uses the WHISPER model from OpenAI.

Here is what it means. You can use MurmurType to transcribe the content in real time. It does not take up a lot of space or resources. Instead, you can press the keyboard combination, say what you want to type and paste the content whenever it is ready. Things don’t get any easier for a writer.

#9 Shottr

Shottr is a lesser-known screenshot utility that everyone should check out. It is as powerful as, if not more, professional screenshot tools out there. More importantly, you will love Shottr if every pixel matters on an image.

I particularly love the options for color tracking and image size control from the same interface. You can also make use of powerful annotation tools and text recognition technology to make your life easier. I use it as a screen ruler at times.

#10 DisplayBuddy

DisplayBuddy is another great app that I don’t see enough people talking about. It is a blessing for those who struggle with multiple displays. You can use DisplayBuddy to manage the brightness and other aspects of your secondary display through a simple interface.

I have been using the app for almost a couple of years and its compatibility is great. Unless you have an off-brand monitor, DisplayBuddy should work fine. It has been a lifesaver for the multi-monitor setup that I use daily.

Final thoughts

You will notice that 7 out of the 10 applications I mentioned are not only free and open source, but also actively maintained by developers who are constantly pushing updates and improvements. It’s truly inspiring to see what passionate individuals can achieve.

We are sure you found at least some good apps on this list. And, kudos if you already knew about some of these apps. It simply means you have been making better use of your Mac.

* Readers like you help support TheSweetBits. When you buy something through the links in this article, we may get a small commission at no extra charge to you.

<p>The post 10 Lesser-known Mac Apps That You MUST Check Out first appeared on TheSweetBits.</p>