The first 10 apps I install on every new Mac (a developer's playbook)

I've set up roughly a dozen new Macs over the years for myself and colleagues. The core 10 apps below go on every one. They're stable across years; they each save real time daily; they each solve a problem macOS defaults don't.

This is the list, in install order, with the brew command.

The 10

1. Homebrew

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Not an app per se but the prerequisite for everything else. Mac package manager.

The first thing on every new Mac. Without it, the next 9 are tedious to install.

2. Warp — terminal

brew install --cask warp

Modern terminal. Better than Terminal.app and (in 2026) better than iTerm2 for AI dev specifically. Block-based, AI inline, command history shared.

If you've been on iTerm2 forever, you can stay; both are fine. Warp is the default I install on new Macs now.

3. mq-dir — file manager

brew install --cask mq-dir

Quad-pane file manager. After living in single-pane Finder for years, having 4 simultaneous panes for parallel work is hard to give up.

This is the most opinionated pick on the list. Forklift is the safer pick if you want commercial polish + SFTP. mq-dir is what I run for local quad-pane parallel AI work.

See mq-dir vs Finder for context.

4. Cursor — editor

brew install --cask cursor

VS Code fork with deep AI integration. The default editor for AI dev work in 2026.

If you prefer vanilla VS Code, swap; both work. Cursor's tab autocomplete and inline edit are the practical advantage.

5. Raycast — Spotlight replacement

brew install --cask raycast

Replaces Spotlight. Faster, scriptable, extensible. Free tier covers most needs.

Bind Cmd+Space to it (System Settings → Spotlight → uncheck the keyboard shortcut, then Raycast claims it).

6. 1Password — passwords + SSH

brew install --cask 1password

Beyond password management, 1Password's SSH key handling is excellent — your SSH agent integrates with the vault, keys never live in plaintext.

For shared team vaults (API keys, shared logins), no real alternative.

If $36/year is a barrier, Bitwarden is the open-source alternative.

7. Rectangle — window tiling

brew install --cask rectangle

Free window tiling. Bind shortcuts to half-screen, quarter-screen, full-screen positions. After a week you can't live without it.

Alternatives: Magnet ($8 paid), yabai (tiling WM, complex). Rectangle is the right default.

8. CleanShot X — screenshots

brew install --cask cleanshot

Replaces native screenshot. Annotation, scrolling capture, video, instant share links via cleanshot.cloud.

AI dev work produces many screenshots; faster screenshot tool compounds. ~$30 one-time or subscription.

9. Git + GitHub CLI

brew install git gh
gh auth login

Git ships with macOS but the bundled version is old. Brew's git is current.

gh (GitHub CLI) is essential for PR and issue work from terminal. After authenticating once, gh pr view, gh pr checkout, gh issue list become muscle memory.

10. cmux — terminal multiplexer

brew install cmux

For users running multiple AI sessions in parallel (Claude Code, agent fleets), cmux's named sessions are critical. tmux is fine if you already know it; cmux is purpose-built for AI sessions.

If you don't run multiple AI sessions, skip and install when you start.

The next 10 (install over the first month)

After the core 10, these typically follow:

11. Yazi — terminal file manager (brew install yazi).
12. fd, ripgrep, bat, eza — modern Unix replacements (brew install fd ripgrep bat eza).
13. Hex Fiend — hex viewer (brew install --cask hex-fiend).
14. Hammerspoon — Lua automation (brew install --cask hammerspoon).
15. Discord — community (brew install --cask discord).
16. Slack — work (mac App Store or brew install --cask slack).
17. Notion or Obsidian — note taking (workflow-specific).
18. Spotify — focus music (brew install --cask spotify).
19. Zoom — meetings (brew install --cask zoom).
20. A specialized app for your domain — IINA (video), Skim (PDF), Bruno (API), etc.

These vary more by individual workflow. The core 10 don't.

What I deliberately don't install

A few apps I never preemptively install:

• Microsoft Office — Pages/Numbers/Keynote work. MS Office only if collaborating with MS-heavy teams.
• Adobe Creative Cloud — designer-only.
• Antivirus — macOS doesn't need third-party antivirus.
• Cleanup utilities — Mac doesn't need them; they're often scams.
• Random Mac App Store browser-helpers — most are bloat.

The dotfiles question

If you have a dotfiles repo, this is when to clone:

git clone git@github.com:you/dotfiles ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles
./install.sh

If not, this is a great time to start one:

mkdir ~/.dotfiles
cd ~/.dotfiles
git init
# move ~/.zshrc, ~/.gitconfig etc. into here, symlink back

Brewfiles capture the install list:

brew bundle dump --file=~/.dotfiles/Brewfile
# Now `brew bundle install` reproduces the install on a future Mac

Setup time investment

For the core 10 + minimal config:

• Apple ID / iCloud setup: 10 min.
• Homebrew install: 5 min.
• Brew install of 10 apps + downloads: 15 min.
• Sign-ins (1Password, Cursor, GitHub): 10 min.
• Basic config (git, dev directories): 5 min.

Total: ~45 min from clean Mac to ready-for-work.

Add another 30-60 min over the first week for the next 10 apps, dotfiles, fine-tuning.

Dev directory layout

After installs, set up the directory structure:

mkdir -p ~/dev/{repos,sessions,_shared/{prompts,templates,references}}

This is the layout we use for AI multi-tasking work. See the project layout post for the full structure.

Verdict

The core 10 covers ~80% of daily work. The next 10 covers another 15%. The remaining 5% is workflow-specific — accumulate as you feel friction.

Total cost for the core 10:

• Free: Homebrew, Warp, mq-dir, Cursor (free tier), Raycast (free tier), Rectangle, git/gh, cmux.
• Paid: 1Password (~$36/yr), CleanShot (~$30 one-time).
• Total first year: ~$70.

For developers, this is the lowest-friction credible setup in 2026. The combination has stayed remarkably stable for years; expect it to hold through the rest of 2026.

mq-dir specifically is the most opinionated pick — it's a young app picking the open-source quad-pane fight. If you want to play it safe, Forklift is the better-tested commercial alternative. mq-dir is what I run, what this list reflects, and what serves AI multi-tasking workflows specifically well.