Best Free Apps

for your Mac, iPhone & iPad

Are the best things in life free? We put it to the test by scouring the app store for the most useful Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps that don’t cost a cent.

1 HANDBRAKE HANDBRAKE.FR

If you’re like us, you’ll have a ton of old family videos that you can’t play on your Apple devices — but fear not, because HandBrake can sort them out. It looks a little intimidating at first, but all you need are its presets and a video file to convert. It’s a lifesaver if you think those treasured memories are stuck in a folder buried deep on your Mac.

2 Stocard stocardapp.com

Carry around so many loyalty cards that your wallet is bursting at the seams? Don’t make life difficult for yourself. Try Stocard. It lets you scan your cards and store them in a virtual wallet; the cashier then scans the code at the checkout and away you go. Now you never have to worry about leaving a loyalty card at home — and your wallet will be much lighter.

3 Doodle doodle.com

If you’re a member of a club, and want to get decisions on group gatherings, Doodle makes it easy to do so. It works like this: you offer up dates and times to the group, each member votes, then everyone gets to see which option works best for most people. Anything that eliminates the need for endless to and fro messages is a sure winner!

4 PHOTOSCAPE X X.PHOTOSCAPE.ORG

Want a good photo editor but put off by Photoshop’s price? Give this app a go. It’s free, but don’t let that fool you — PhotoScape X is an accomplished app that’s ideal for light editing. It’s great for quick edits and fixes and to spruce up your collection of snaps. There’s a paid–for Pro edition too, but the free version is solid.