Free picks · Mac
Best free automation tools for Mac (2026)
Every pick is listed under Automation in our directory, runs on a Mac and is completely free or has a free plan. We rank them by our rating and popularity, then favour tools made mainly for automation and apps built for Mac.
Short answer
The best free automation tools for Mac are Alfred, direnv and Hammerspoon, the top three of 40 matches in our directory. 8 of the 10 picks are completely free and the other 2 have a free plan; 8 are open source.
Updated
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
At a glance
Counted from the top 10 picks, except the total.
- Matching tools
- 40
- Completely free
- 8
- Open source
- 8
- Work offline
- 10
- Native apps
- 9
Comparison table
“Free plan” means a free tier with paid upgrades. A dash in Licence means our directory does not list the tool as open source.
| # | Name | Pricing | Platforms | Licence | Why pick it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfred | Free plan | macOS | — | A classic Mac launcher that is free forever, with an optional Powerpack. |
| 2 | direnv | Free | macOS, Linux | Open source | Automatically load the right settings when you open a project folder. |
| 3 | Hammerspoon | Free | macOS, Offline | Open source | A powerful macOS automation tool you control with simple Lua scripts. |
| 4 | gptme | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | Your agent in your terminal, equipped with local tools. |
| 5 | Raycast | Free plan | macOS, Windows, iOS | — | A launcher that turns your Mac or Windows PC into a command palette. |
| 6 | Espanso | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux, Offline | Open source | An open-source text expander that types your snippets anywhere on your computer. |
| 7 | Karabiner-Elements | Free | macOS | Open source | Remap any key on your Mac and build your own shortcuts. |
| 8 | Task | Free | macOS, Windows, Linux | Open source | A modern task runner that turns your repeated commands into short, named steps. |
| 9 | iTerm2 | Free | macOS | Open source | A powerful terminal replacement for Mac. |
| 10 | Node-RED | Free | Linux, Windows, macOS | Open source | Free, open-source low-code tool for wiring together devices, APIs and online services. |
Why each pick made the list
Every reason is taken from the tool's own listing: its categories, platforms, features, rating and pricing.
Our top Mac pick, rated 4.7/5. Made mainly for workflows, it is one of 5 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A Mac app that runs on a Mac and nowhere else. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (2 of 10 here). It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows). Not tagged open source.
Watch out for: Workflows and themes need the paid Powerpack
Number 2 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 5 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows). Tagged open source: number 1 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: Only for shell users
Number 3 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 5 such picks here. A Mac app that runs on a Mac, and also on Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows). Tagged open source: number 2 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: Mac only
Number 4 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for AI productivity, it is one of 5 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here), is privacy-focused (2 of 10 here) and has AI features (2 of 10 here). On our Windows list it is number 2. Tagged open source: number 3 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: Terminal-first workflow
Number 5 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.9/5, the highest here. Made mainly for workflows, it is one of 5 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and iOS. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here), has AI features (2 of 10 here) and is easy to pick up (2 of 10 here). On our Windows list it is number 3. Not tagged open source.
Watch out for: Best experience is macOS
Number 6 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 5 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows, Linux and Offline. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On our Windows list it is number 4. Tagged open source: number 4 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: Setup is done in config files
Number 7 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. Made mainly for workflows, it is one of 5 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A Mac app that runs on a Mac and nowhere else. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here) and is privacy-focused (2 of 10 here). It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows). Tagged open source: number 5 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: macOS only
Number 8 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 5 such picks here. A desktop app that runs on a Mac, and also on Windows and Linux. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On our Windows list it is number 5. Tagged open source: number 6 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: Mostly useful to developers
Number 9 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.7/5. Made mainly for workflows, it is one of 5 picks here that cover automation as a second use. A Mac app that runs on a Mac and nowhere else. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). It is not in the Windows top 10 (not listed for Windows). Tagged open source: number 7 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: Mac only
Number 10 of 10 for Mac, rated 4.6/5. Made mainly for automation, one of 5 such picks here. Runs on a Mac, and also on Linux and Windows. Its listing says it works offline (10 of 10 here). On our Windows list it is number 6. Tagged open source: number 8 on the open-source Mac list.
Watch out for: You install and host it yourself
Running these on Mac
Counted from each pick's listing type and platforms.
- By listing type, the 10 Mac picks are 5 desktop apps (direnv, gptme, Raycast, Espanso and 1 other), 4 Mac apps (Alfred, Hammerspoon, Karabiner-Elements and iTerm2) and 1 automation tool (Node-RED).
- 9 of 10 are apps you install on a Mac, and Alfred, Hammerspoon, Karabiner-Elements and iTerm2 are made specifically for Mac; the other one is a web or cloud tool listed for Mac.
- Alfred, Karabiner-Elements and iTerm2 are listed for Mac and nothing else. Espanso reaches furthest, on 3 other platforms besides Mac.
- 1 of 10 also run on iPhone and iPad, so the same tool can follow you between Mac and iPhone; Alfred, direnv, Hammerspoon, gptme and 5 others do not.
How this list compares
The same search on other platforms, and the other price filter. Only the differences are named.
- Free automation tools for Windows
5 of these 10 Mac picks also make the Windows top 10. 5 are on this list only: Alfred (not listed for Windows), direnv (not listed for Windows), Hammerspoon (not listed for Windows), Karabiner-Elements (not listed for Windows) and iTerm2 (not listed for Windows). In their place the Windows list has AutoHotkey, Nushell, Cline for Desktop, topgrade and Cursor; AutoHotkey is not listed for Mac.
- Free automation tools for Linux
5 of these 10 Mac picks also make the Linux top 10.
- Free open-source automation tools for Mac
Want code you can inspect? 8 picks of 10 here are tagged open source; the open-source Mac list ranks 33 such tools, led by direnv, Hammerspoon and gptme.
More matches
30 more free automation tools for Mac in our directory; the next 20 by our ranking are below.
- Nushell · Free
- Cline for Desktop · Free
- topgrade · Free
- Capsomnia · Free
- Cursor · Free plan
- Gum · Free
- Cerebro · Free
- rclone · Free
- Onorca · Free
- n8n · Free plan
- Text Blaze · Free plan
- Orca · Free plan
- OCRmyPDF · Free
- Quicksilver · Free
- Kopia · Free
- chezmoi · Free
- OpenMausBot · Free
- mise · Free
- Genie · Free
- Kando · Free
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free automation tool for Mac?
- Alfred is our first pick. A classic Mac launcher that is free forever, with an optional Powerpack. Alfred has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features or usage.
- Are these automation tools really free?
- Yes, every pick is free to start. direnv, Hammerspoon, gptme, Espanso and 4 others are completely free. Alfred and Raycast have free plans with paid upgrades.
- Which of these automation tools are open source?
- direnv, Hammerspoon, gptme, Espanso, Karabiner-Elements, Task, iTerm2 and Node-RED are tagged open source in our directory, so you can read the code of each and, depending on the licence, self-host or modify it.
- Which ones work offline on a Mac?
- Alfred, direnv, Hammerspoon, gptme, Raycast and 5 others are listed as working offline. The others need an internet connection for at least some features.
- Which are easiest for beginners?
- Alfred and Raycast are rated beginner-friendly. 8 picks take more time to learn.
- How many free automation tools for Mac are in the directory?
- 40 match: listed under Automation, available on a Mac and free to start. This page ranks the top 10 and names up to 20 more under More matches. The Automation category page has every listing, paid ones included.
Keep exploring
Wider lists
Related free lists
- Free open-source automation tools for Mac
- Free automation tools for Windows
- Free note-taking apps for Mac
- Free automation tools for Linux
- Free to-do list apps for Mac
- Free open-source automation tools for Windows
- Free project management apps for Mac
- Free time management apps for Mac
- Free writing apps for Mac
- Free AI productivity tools for Mac
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