What are the best open-source developer tools apps for Mac?

By community activity, Zed, Ghostty and CotEditor are the top picks on Mac App Index right now.

Are open-source developer tools apps free on Mac?

Not always. Of the 5 apps here, 3 are free and 1 free to start, while 1 charges for the ready-made app even though the source is open.

How many open-source developer tools apps are there for Mac?

Mac App Index lists 5 apps: 3 completely free, 1 free to start, 1 paid upfront and 0 by subscription. 5 are open source.

Open-source developer tools apps for Mac

5 open-source developer tools apps for Mac, with code you can read, build and fork. 3 are free to download. Most popular right now: Zed, Ghostty and CotEditor.

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Zed

Code editor built for speed and collaboration

83Free + in-appDeveloper tools

How we picked: every app here is listed in developer tools on Mac App Index and publishes its source code. Apps are sorted by community activity; switch to Top or New to reorder them. How we rank apps

Frequently asked questions

What are the best open-source developer tools apps for Mac?: By community activity, Zed, Ghostty and CotEditor are the top picks on Mac App Index right now.
Are open-source developer tools apps free on Mac?: Not always. Of the 5 apps here, 3 are free and 1 free to start, while 1 charges for the ready-made app even though the source is open.
How many open-source developer tools apps are there for Mac?: Mac App Index lists 5 apps: 3 completely free, 1 free to start, 1 paid upfront and 0 by subscription. 5 are open source.