What's the non-native cross-platform apps you use on your Mac that you can't live without?
Though I use a Mac, iPhone and iPad, I also use an Android tablet and a Linux computer. Some apps I need to function across ecosystems. Sometimes that means I need to sacrifice appearance, or speed, or memory to use a non-native app. This is a short list of the completely cross-platforms apps I can't live without: Joplin - This is a cross platform Markdown note-taking app that works pretty much everywhere. I have used Obsidian in the past, but I don't find the app usable without a half-dozen plugins and rolling my own sync solution. So, I've settled on Joplin. It works across every major OS. It wil sync using the cloud provider of your choice. It allows end-to-end encyption. 1Password - I need a password manager and 1Password seems to be the family favorite. This used to be a Mac native app. But when they went cross-platform, they went with an electron app. Readest - I play a lot of Role-Playing games. And I own a lot of Role Playing Game PDFs. I need those PDFs on my Mac, my iPad and my Android tablet. I need bookmarks and annotations synced across devices and last read positoin. Readest does that very well, and will sync using Google Drive, WebDAV or their own paid sync service. All three of these apps solved a problem for me and I can't live without. My next quest is to find a Todo list that works across Mac/iOS/Linux/Android and does end-to-end encrypted sync. Still no luck finding something.
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Tailscale, surprised it hasn't come up yet. I have my Mac, a MacBook Air, and two Linux workstations meshed with it, and it quietly replaced port forwarding, dynamic DNS, and a pile of file-sync hacks, since every machine can reach every other from anywhere. Honorable mentions: Ghostty as my terminal on both Mac and Linux, and JetBrains IDEs, heavy but identical on every OS.
I wish I could use Tailscale. I set it up. But when I am at work and connected to the guest WiFi, I can't connect via Tailscale. They block access to the Tailscale servers. So, I'm just WireGarding directly to a Raspberry Pi in my house.
I use Blip to quickly send files between my Mac and Windows machines
I use LocalSend. Apparently it’s part-native based on Swift.
LocalSend is open source as well.
Came here to suggest Blip as well
Bitwarden is the only one really since my environment is 100% Apple aside from a Linux VM.
Calibre - powerful eBook management (free) Draw.io - Make diagrams, flowcharts (free) UpNote - cross-platform note app
For sure Obsidian, it's web based but it's such a note taking powerhouse. Plus the fact that it works with Markdown makes it great for AI work
I've gone all-in on Obsidian 3 times now, and after a month, noped out of it. Don't know why it doesn't work for me. I installed a ton of plugins to make it more like other note-taking apps and it still doesn't work for me.
1Password here too. Really wish apple passwords could close the gap. All MacOS/iOS here also other than cachyos gaming pc which I don’t need a password manager for
For a cross-platform todo, Vikunja is worth a look - open source and self-hostable, so your tasks live on your own server instead of a third party's cloud. It has a web app plus mobile apps, so it covers Mac, iOS, Android and Linux.
No native Mac app. No native desktop apps at all.
Todoist and Lastpass
You still use Lastpass after all the issues they've had?
UpNote — fantastic note-taking, quick sync, unbeatable formatting flexibility, I use it for everything TickTick — Fewest steps for adding new tasks, super-flexible for different use cases, I very much use it in ways that weren't intended, but it's key to structuring my day Enpass — password vaults in your own cloud accounts, multiple vaults, super-customizable LocalSend — for popping stuff between my Mac & Android /full disclosure: I do some work for Enpass, but was a user for several year prior
I like UpNote. But they don't offer end-to-end encrypted sync. And when I asked them about it, they don't plan to add it. Other than that one hard requirement for me, it was great.
I’m a developer so I have an iPhone, Xiaomi phone, MacBook and a Windows computer. I needed a note taking app that will support all the platforms. I’m a fan of Apple Notes but I can’t use it on Windows and Android so I built Grape to support all those 4 platforms. Plus it has a lot of AI features.
How does sync work? Is it end-to-end encrypted? Can I sync with a lifetime license? Will there be a Linux desktop app?
Have you checked Capacities?
Subscription. That's HARD NO. Will never consider it.
Mine are: Obsidian and Bitwarden.
Beeper fs has been great to have.
Zsh
Obsidian and 1Password