Level up your apps!

Amazing alternatives to the apps you use every day

- - Phil King

Still using the default apps that came with your Mac? It's time you gave these awesome alternatives a go instead. While the bundled apps in macOS cover quite a few bases, and are fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem, there's a whole range of third-party apps that go way beyond what they can do. With one exception, the apps included here do cost money, but we think they're well worth considering for their advanced feature sets, especially for professionals and committed hobbyists.

First, we take a look at video- and photo-editing apps to replace iMovie and Photos respectively. If you're serious about your film-making and/or photography, you'll definitely want to check the apps chosen here for their advanced editing tools that enable extra precision and control.

Next, we visit the office to explore alternatives to Apple's iWork bundle and other pre-installed productivity apps such as Mail and Calendar. By upgrading your work tools, you could well become more productive.

For your downtime, we also have some entertainment-based apps to improve your viewing, listening and reading experience. Finally, we look at creative apps for music-making and design. So let's unlock your Mac's power with these upgraded apps!

Video editing

Add extra polish to your videos

Final Cut Pro Alternative to iMovie > £299.99 > FROM apple.​com/uk > FEATURES Advanced tools, large range of effects, high-res format support

Easy to get to grips with, iMovie is ideal for beginners and casual hobbyists who want to combine video clips. It's a relatively simple tool for making basic cuts and adding titles, sounds and transitions to create reasonably polished-looking results. However, more serious hobbyist filmmakers should consider upgrading to something more capable.