Skip To Main Content

| Alternative | Best For | Cost | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Basic apps, Apple's iWork (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) | Free with new Macs | | 2. Setapp (7-day trial) | 240+ premium apps (CleanMyMac, Ulysses, Bartender) | Free trial then $9.99/mo | | 3. Open Source Alternatives | GIMP (instead of Photoshop), Audacity (instead of Logic), Inkscape | Completely free | | 4. Student/Humble Bundles | Adobe CC (60% off), Parallels (50% off) | Varies (often $20–$30) | | 5. Official Trial Versions | Final Cut Pro (90 days), Adobe (7-30 days) | Legal and safe |

Open-source alternatives are often 90% as capable as paid software and carry zero legal or security risk.

: Be wary of software that comes as an .exe (Windows) or suspicious .pkg files that ask for administrative permissions unnecessarily. Most Mac apps should arrive as a .dmg or .app .

: Use free, professional tools that serve the same purpose: LibreOffice (instead of Microsoft Office). GIMP or Krita (instead of Adobe Photoshop). VLC Media Player for video playback.

Cybercriminals often bundle malware with popular cracked software. A user might download a torrent for a video editor, install it, and find it works perfectly. Meanwhile, hidden in the background, a "trojan" is running.