At work, I’m required to use Windows 11 – sometimes necessity dictates our tools. However, in my personal life, I gravitate toward macOS and always keep at least one Linux system running. My go-to distribution is usually #Debian-based, and right now, it’s Linux Mint.

Since macOS is my primary operating system for personal use, this article will focus heavily on the software I use on macOS. Don’t worry if you’re not a Mac user – I rely on open-source software wherever possible, so many of these tools are available across multiple platforms.

Here’s a rundown of the apps and software that keep my digital life organized and efficient:

On My MacBook:

Web Browsers:

• Mozilla Firefox: My preferred browser on all operating systems for its flexibility and privacy features.
• Safari: A reliable alternative when I need a change or for specific tasks – it’s always good to have a backup.

Email Clients:

• Thunderbird: My go-to email client, thanks to its versatility and robust features

VPN:

• WireGuard: I self-host my own instance, making this lightweight and fast VPN my security partner.

Cloud Solution:

• Nextcloud: More than just cloud storage, it’s an all-in-one tool that I self-host for privacy and control.

Office Software:

• LibreOffice: A powerful and free open-source office suite that meets all my document needs.

Password Manager:

• Bitwarden: I self-host my own Vaultwarden instance to manage passwords securely across all devices.

Editor:

• cotEditor: A lightweight plain-text editor that’s perfect for quick edits on macOS.

File Transfer Client:

• Cyberduck: A free, open-source file transfer client that supports a wide range of protocols, making file transfers a breeze.
• Filezilla: FileZilla Client is a fast and reliable cross-platform FTP, FTPS and SFTP client with lots of useful features and an intuitive graphical user interface.

Image Editing:

• GIMP: My open-source tool of choice for image editing, available on almost any operating system.
• Pixelmator Pro: For when I need a more Mac-native alternative to Photoshop.

Video Transcoding:

• HandBrake: The definitive free and open-source tool for all my video transcoding needs.

Terminal:

• Ghostty: A fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator that uses platform-native UI and GPU acceleration.
• iTerm2: A powerful terminal emulator for macOS that enhances productivity with features like split panes and advanced search.

Tools & Helpers:– ICE: A menu bar management tool that keeps my workspace organized.

• IINA: A modern and versatile media player tailored for macOS.
• RustDesk: A self-hosted, full-featured remote control tool that’s my go-to for remote access.

On My Server:

Operating Systems:

• Debian 12.6 “bookworm”: A stable and reliable foundation for my server environment.
• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: A long-term support version that powers some of my critical services.

Services:

• For more details on my self-hosted apps, be sure to check out my separate blog post dedicated to that topic.

Why These Tools?

As you can see, my software choices reflect my philosophy of leveraging open-source tools and self-hosting wherever possible. I believe in the power of open-source not just for its flexibility, but also for the control and security it offers. By hosting services on my own infrastructure, I minimize reliance on third-party platforms and keep my data under my own control.

Your Thoughts?

What tools and software do you swear by in your own workflow? I’d love to hear your recommendations or thoughts in the comments below. Stay tuned for more insights on