Free Big Mac App

  

It is that time of the year, again. The long-awaited macOS Big Sur is here!

In case you haven’t been paying much attention, macOS Big Sur is one of the most groundbreaking releases in the history of the OS. Apple has practically overhauled almost every part of the OS for better productivity, compatibility, and User Experience.

🍔 Big Mac 2 For Mac enthusiasts who want to run macOS Big Sur or macOS Monterey on Unsupported Mac hardware. New Video: Installing on a Mac Pro 3,1 with a Flashed AMD Video Card; New Download: bigmac2v2.0.5.dmg 23.1MB; Bluetooth, WiFi, Handoff possible on Monterey (Mac Pro 3,1 4,1 5,1). To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, McDonald's app promotion currently features buy one Big Mac, and receive a MacCoin! This is redeemable for another Big Mac for free. You will find this promotion along with many others under the 'Deals' section of the app, deal valid on August 2nd, 2018 only! MacOS Big Sur & MontereymacOS App icons. MacOS App icons. Download one of our free icon templates from the resources page. Important There's a technical issue with the server and I'm currently away on holiday until next week. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. (All your icons are safe, don't worry 😊).

  • This OS update is available for free for your Mac. We find that it’s a big improvement on the Catalina update. It’s a 12.6 GB download, so be prepared to wait for some update time. After installing, you may find that some mentioned features are not available.
  • So, take a look below at some of the must-have free macOS software and apps. Preview & Apple Photos. If you are on the lookout for a decent Mac photo editor for free, you don’t have to look beyond Preview. The app comes with macOS and is the default application for opening any picture.

But, is a Mac experience complete without the right set of apps by your side? Yes, Apple includes the basic set of apps, such as the iWork suite, Mail, and Safari. Nevertheless, sometimes, you may need third-party apps for better performance — and getting things done.

Contrary to popular opinion, being on Mac doesn’t mean that you have to pay for everything. You can easily find reliable apps without paying a penny. And, at TheSweetBits, we are passionate about finding what is up with this area.

This article covers the 30 best free apps you can get for macOS Big Sur. We have classified the whole list into different categories, such as productivity, utilities, and more. In the end, all of them can uplift your macOS Big Sur experience in one way or another.

Note: We have chosen apps that come from trusted developers. It means that these apps have already been updated to work with macOS Big Sur or soon will be. Even in the worst-case scenario, you can expect these apps to work fine by the time the public release of macOS Big Sur is available.

Best productivity apps for macOS Big Sur

Here are five apps that can uplift your productivity, with Big Sur or otherwise. Since all these apps are popular among Pro users, they are already compatible with Big Sur.

#1 Alfred

Alfred is a must-have productivity app that can effectively replace Spotlight on macOS. You can use this app to search for almost everything on your Mac — and beyond. We are talking about web searches, calculator entries, and system commands. Because Alfred integrates so well with macOS, you won’t have trouble when it comes to accessing in-app content, such as contacts or calendar entries.

The powers of Alfred go beyond searching across your Mac. For instance, there are useful functions like built-in define and spell. More importantly, you can launch the settings and customize almost everything. Still, we must add that some of these features require Powerpack, a premium upgrade that will cost $37. Having said that, if you just need a Spotlight alternative on steroids, the free plan of Alfred is enough.

Pricing: Free, Upgrade ($37) available

#2 Brave

Brave is a web browser app available for macOS and other platforms, including Android and iOS. While it is based on Chromium, Brave does not become a memory hog. It means you can enjoy super-fast web browsing without slowing down the rest of your Mac. There are also some additional features like built-in ad-blocking and anti-tracking.

This innovative web browser takes an extra step to support content creators while removing intrusive pop-ups and ads from the web. As a user, you can earn rewards by signing up for its Rewards program. In case you are just into the browsing part, you can count on features like advanced privacy reports, HTTPS upgrade, Tor support, etc. You should also note that you can stay off the Google radar.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS

Pricing: Free

#3 Evernote

Evernote is an advanced note-taking app that syncs everything with cloud storage. So, if you would like to take notes and share them quickly, you should check out Evernote for Mac. The developers have designed Evernote to help you organize almost everything, including checklists, photos, webpages, and documents of different file formats.

You should keep in mind that the Evernote app for macOS is only one of the many apps you can get for the service. Once you create an account and sign in, you get an accessible space from many devices. As a macOS app, Evernote helps you store everything necessary in a safe place. There are also many integrations you can check out.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS

Pricing: Free, Premium available

#4 Resilio Sync

Resilio Sync is a free-to-use Mac app that lets you transfer files between your Mac and other devices. In our case, we use Sync to transfer data from our Mac to Android devices quickly. This app comes from uTorrent and uses the same P2P protocol. As long as you have connected both your Mac and Android to the same Wi-Fi network, you can enjoy blazing speeds as well.

If you prefer using fewer cables, Resilio Sync is an excellent option for you. There are also options to add specific folders and keep them in sync. Even when you are away from your Mac, you can download the files to another device — given that both devices are connected to the internet. There are also advanced features such as selective sync and channel control in the Pro version.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and NAS

Pricing: Free, Premium available

#5 Amphetamine

Amphetamine is a keep-awake utility that you can use on Mac without paying anything. As you can guess, it prevents your Mac from going to sleep. While you can enable this feature manually, Amphetamine makes a lot of things easier. Compared to other apps that do the same job, we think this app offers more control over how things work.

For instance, you can enable the keep-awake mode for a specific duration, until a point in time or when you are downloading a file from the web. There are also options to automate the process based on accessories that you may connect. For instance, you can set up your Mac to stay awake if connected to an external display.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

Best utility apps for Big Sur

Here are some apps that can help you save a lot of time. Most of these tools add features that we wish Mac had by default.

#6 The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a free-to-use archive manager from MacPaw. Compared to the built-in archive utility that you can find on your Mac, The Unarchiver does the job done quickly. More importantly, the app comes with an intuitive User Interface that shows you the process of archiving/extracting files. If you want to manage a lot of compressed files, this is a must-have app.

You can always go to its Preferences section and control how the zipping/unzipping process works. Sure, you won’t get many automation or customization options. However, when we compare the experience to what the default compressor offers, you can’t go wrong with The Unarchiver. In the end, it all comes down to if you need a better way to manage multiple compressed files.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#7 f.lux

f.lux is an impressive utility that can adjust the screen temperature of your Mac based on sunrise and sunset timings. Once you have provided your location — or the custom schedule —, f.lux would adjust the display temperature to suit the lighting outside. For instance, the display would shine bright as it should during the daytime and dim itself during mornings and evenings.

We think f.lux is a must-have app if you use your Mac for an extended period every day. This app can keep your eyes away from stress, with little effort from your side. There are some customization options, such as inputting your wake up time and choosing the desired color. You also have a few options to disable flux for some time. Last but not least, getting used to f.lux takes some time.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Free Big Mac App

Pricing: Free

#8 CopyClip

CopyClip from FIPLAB is one of the best clipboard manager utilities for macOS. Fortunately, it offers a fully-functional free version. You can use this app to keep track of every piece of text you copy to your clipboard. Unfortunately, you don’t have options to access media-based clipboard entries. This app stays on your Mac’s menu bar, which is convenient.

You can click on the menu-bar icon and access any number of clipboard entries from the past. You also can control how many entries get recorded, and you can clear the clipboard entries after some time. You should indeed check out CopyClip if you have to do clerical tasks where you need to copy and paste various text entries, multiple times.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#9 AppCleaner

AppCleaner is a completely free Mac cleaning utility app that helps you to uninstall applications correctly. In case you didn’t know, Mac apps also leave residual files when you uninstall them from your device. These files might slow down your Mac and cause security issues. AppCleaner solves this issue by removing all files belonging to an app intelligently.

Currently, AppCleaner is available for Macs running up to Catalina, but we should expect Big Sur compatibility soon. You can use AppCleaner in two ways. One, you can drag the application to the interface, and it would do the job. You can also see the list of apps and inspect individual apps to know how much space it takes in the system. Either way, it removes every trace of the app from your Mac.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#10 Tiles

Tiles, a powerful macOS utility, fixes one of the most underdeveloped areas in the OS: window management. It makes it easy for you to resize and place multiple windows on your Mac screen. When you drag a window to a part of the screen, it will preview how the window would look. You can drop the window, and it will take the right size.

Tiles also resides in the menu bar of your Mac. You can also access various window spaces using several keyboard shortcuts or drop-down menu entries. We recommend this app if you recently shifted to macOS from Windows. Even otherwise, Tiles can improve your productivity since it simplifies the whole process of window management.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

Best education apps for macOS Big Sur

Do you use your Mac for learning and education? If you are also waiting for the launch of macOS Big Sur, do check these apps out.

#11 Numi

Numi is a smart calculator app every learner should have on their Mac. It comes in handy while doing typical calculations as well as handling scientific figures. You can also use Numi to do some advanced tasks like data conversion and currency conversion. Considering that macOS does not have the best calculator app inside, Numi is something worth checking out.

As a student, Numi becomes a multipurpose app. You can use this smart calculator to keep track of scientific figures, convert between SI metrics, and a variety of trigonometric functions. We love that Numi can understand every day, conversational language. For instance, Numi can give you the right answer if you ask it ‘CAD 30 in USD’.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#12 LiquidText

LiquidText is a document annotation and review tool available for macOS. Not only is it compatible with Big Sur, but it offers smooth performance as well. LiquidText allows you to capture different contents from many types of documents and annotate them intelligently. More importantly, the app makes it easy to check the annotations later, through proper tracking.

We recommend LiquidText to all sorts of students and researchers. If you have to handle multiple PDF books and documents as a part of your dissertation or essay, LiquidText can be a life-saver. In addition to PDF docs, you can open webpages and images as well. One bottleneck is that advanced annotation options are limited to the paid version.

Availability: macOS, Windows, iPadOS

Pricing: Free, Premium available

#13 Manuscripts

Manuscripts is every student’s best companion when writing essays, dissertations, and PhD thesis document. This free, open-source macOS app comes with multiple templates and support for different styles that you may need. From setting up the outline to managing your references, Manuscripts can help you deal with the entire thesis.

We recommend Manuscripts to anyone who needs a centralized space to manage their academic writings. More importantly, there are several automation triggers and UI elements that motivate you to write better. The outline sidebar on the left side and academic-oriented editing features add so much value as well. You also get some options to publish your manuscript once you are done.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#14 iStudiez Pro

iStudiez Pro is a legendary planner application that can help students and teachers alike. You get an option to grab complete control over your education life, including but not limited to time-tables and other schedule methods. Once you have provided the basic information, iStudiez Pro will help you track your assignments, exams, and whatnot.

Considering that the world of studies can get really confusing at times, an app like iStudiez Pro can skyrocket the productivity of your Mac. Most features in the app are free, but you have to get the premium plan if you want multi-platform sync. Finally, every section of the app uses an intuitive User Interface that gets the job done.

Availability: macOS, iOS, iPadOS

Pricing: Free, Upgrade available

#15 Flippy 2

Do you use spaced repetition for effective learning? If so, you should check out Flippy 2, a native macOS app that makes learning with flashcards simple. You can create as many sets of flashcards as you want and use them for continuous learning. The best part about Flippy 2 is that it automates many tasks. For instance, the app can generate tailor-made sessions for you.

Considering that conventional reading is not effective when you want to remember things for an extended period, you should have Flippy 2 on your Mac. As you move forward with the help of Flippy 2, it would also show you detailed statistics. This comes in handy when you want to streamline your learning process to get the best results.

Availability: macOS, iOS, iPadOS

Pricing: Free, Upgrade available

Best media apps for macOS Big Sur

Are you a media enthusiast? Do you love to collect and watch movies? Well, here are some apps that can be helpful with everything media.

#16 IINA

IINA is a modern media player that is made for macOS. Completely free and open-source, this media player offers more features than VLC for macOS. You also get some fantastic features like Touch Bar support, system media control, music control, gesture support, and plugin system. You can use this app to run almost every media format you come across.

We think you should have IINA on your Mac due to several reasons. Most importantly, the built-in QuickTime Player does not support even some of the popular video formats. Nor do you get the options for streaming content from platforms like YouTube. On the other hand, IINA brings all of these features, with a design better than that of VLC.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#17 ApolloOne

ApolloOne is a pretty robust image and video viewer that you can get on your macOS Big Sur device. Even if you are not into professional photography, this EXIF editor will help you manage photos better. On any given day, this app performs better than the default Photos app on macOS. Besides giving you a platform to view all photos and videos, there are some organizing features.

We believe ApolloOne is an effective alternative to Photos and Preview on macOS. As a photographer, you’ll have to edit photo collection and even change a specific photograph’s details. With the help of this app, you can do all those tasks from a unified interface. For instance, the drag-and-drop maps feature to edit the Geotagging details of a photograph.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

#18 HandBrake

HandBrake is an ultimately powerful video transcoder app that helps you convert videos from practically any format to another. Because the app comes with support for so many different codecs, you don’t have to be worried about compatibility. Even when it comes to ripping CDs and DVDs, HandBrake can get the job done. As an app, it receives constant updates as well.

We think every media enthusiast and professional should have an app like HandBrake on their Mac. It helps you to save time and get the best out of your Mac’s performance. As a video editor or filmmaker, you would have to convert videos more often than you think. The best part is that HandBrake is available other OSs — giving you the same performance.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux

Pricing: Free

#19 Movie Explorer

If you have too many movies and TV series stored on your Mac, keeping them is a herculean task. Well, this simple app called Movie Explorer solves that problem for you. Once you have selected the folder, the Movie Explorer app automatically indexes and organizes all the movies. It even goes to the extent of downloading the right banner of the film or TV series.

Once again, we don’t have a built-in movie organizing app on macOS. Looking from that perspective, Movie Explorer gets everything right. In addition to simple organizing, it supports technical information as well as categorizing as well. If you want, you can create a special section and keep all the movies in that collection. In the end, you save a lot of time.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free, Pro version available

#20 OBS Studio

Even if you are barely into streaming and content creation, you should consider installing OBS Studio on your Mac. This frequently-updated free app works seamlessly with macOS, and you can make the best out of its comprehensive support for media sources as well. The app comes with easy integration with many streaming services as well.

There are many premium streaming software in the market, but Open Broadcast Software Studio is powerful enough for most people in the industry. Even if you are trying to create professional-grade content via more than media sources, you can count on OBS Studio. Just like some other tools on this list, OBS Studio is also available for multiple platforms.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux

Pricing: Free

Best free security apps for macOS Big Sur

Just like every other version of macOS, Big Sur also comes with security improvements. Even then, these free apps will make your life more secure.

#21 LastPass Free

LastPass is an effective password manager app that offers many premium-quality features without asking for a payment. You can enjoy features like multi-device password syncing and other privacy features in LastPass Free version. The best part is that the service offers a fully-fledged app for macOS and extensions for each web browser.

We think you need LastPass because of two reasons. First, you should use complex passwords, even for the slightest things on the internet now. Second, LastPass makes it easy to keep track of these passwords — no matter which device you are using. Besides, using this app is an effortless thing. It doesn’t add much weight but makes your life easier.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Chrome

Pricing: Free

#22 Sophos Home Free

Sophos Home is one of the most reputed antimalware protection suites in the industry right now. Well, the free version of the service is a great option to ensure the best security of your macOS device, even when it’s running Big Sur. This free security app brings a handful of features like real-time monitoring, web filtering, and advanced ransomware protection.

In the past couple of years, cyber threats targeting macOS have increased like anything. Looking at things in light of that, you certainly need a dedicated antimalware tool for your Mac. The good thing about Sophos Home Free is that you don’t have to worry about ads or privacy. And, at any point in time, you can upgrade to its premium version — but you won’t probably need that.

Availability: macOS, Windows

Pricing: Free

#23 CCleaner for Mac

CCleaner for Mac is a popular macOS cleaning app that doesn’t cost you a bit. You can use this app to remove junk files and tracking web cookies from your Mac with ease. The best part is that you can select the apps whose data you want to clean. In the end, you can have a more spacious and secure Mac in just a few seconds.

Privacy protection and computer speed-up are the two major features you can enjoy in the free version of CCleaner for Mac. If you are looking for extra security, there is a paid option as well. We think the free version is sufficient for most people. If you use many apps for content creation or browsing, a tool like CCleaner can help you make things faster.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

Best development apps for macOS Big Sur

If you are a coder or developer, you can find a fantastic collection of development apps optimized for Mac. Here are some of the best free options from that list.

#24 Atom

Atom is a desktop-grade text editor that has been made for the most modern coders. It has been designed to work with almost every coding language out there, giving you freedom of choice. While it may not be as powerful as an IDE, Atom comes with support for many things, including GitHub and Teletype. You can also enjoy features like auto-completion and theme support.

We think the Atom editor is an excellent choice for beginners and Pros alike. In both cases, the smart auto-completion and the minimal editing environment enables a smooth coding experience. In case you missed, it’s an open-source tool that gets regular updates. With thousands of developers using Atom as their primary editor, you have a robust community to depend on as well.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux

Pricing: Free

#25 Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is a better choice for developers if they need an advanced environment for development projects. This app from Microsoft also supports many programming languages, regardless of the domain. It should be noted that Microsoft has added features like IntelliSense for highlighting and auto-completion and built-in GitHub support.

Despite being completely free, the Visual Studio Code is a competitive option for colossal development projects. Even if you want to build a super-huge web app and its back-end, VS Code should do the job. In the end, installing Visual Studio Code on your Mac is about whether you want a seamless development process or not.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux

Pricing: Free

Miscellaneous free apps for macOS Big Sur

Here are five more apps that you may want to install on your Mac.

#26 LibreOffice

LibreOffice is a free and open-source document suite you can use on your Mac. Sure, macOS comes with the iWork suite, but it’s not always the most compatible choice. And, if you don’t want to spend a few hundred dollars a year on MS Office, LibreOffice is your best friend. The collection consists of a word processor, one powerful spreadsheet manager, and a slideshow maker.

Unlike some other open-source apps, LibreOffice receives frequent updates and support. In the case of macOS, it already has Big Sur support, which means a lot. We think you should give LibreOffice a try before moving to Microsoft Word or Excel. In the end, you get almost the same experience, with similar UI and better compatibility.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Linux

2 Free Big Mac Deals

Pricing: Free

#27 iMovie

iMovie comes with the macOS installation but sometimes goes unnoticed. Nevertheless, iMovie is a superb choice if you want to edit movies and get started with filmmaking in general. In light of using it for lectures and documentaries, we can vouch for its capability. Even more impressive is the fact that you can get top-of-the-class speed from the app.

We have used a variety of free editors for Mac so far. Even after all that, we prefer iMovie for native and optimized performance. There is also a great collection of effects and transitions that you can depend on. It may not be as powerful as FCP or Premiere, but it’s the right choice for beginners. And you can integrate it with other apps as well.

Availability: macOS, iOS

Pricing: Free

#28 Spark

Spark is a feature-rich email app that can easily replace the default Mail app on your Mac. If you have to manage hundreds of managements every day, you should install this free app. In addition to its support for most webmail clients, you get so many features to take control of the inbox. Intelligent prioritization is one outstanding feature that matters.

There are advanced features like email scheduling, follow up reminders, built-in calendar, smart search, and quick replies. All these features come in handy from the productivity standpoint. The best part is that you’d be able to enjoy the same features on your iPhone/iPad as well. Spark Email also comes with some team-based features.

Availability: macOS, iOS

Pricing: Free

#29 Grammarly

Even the most fluent speakers of English make grammar mistakes sometimes. However, writing error-free becomes a necessity in professional environments, you know. This is why you should check out Grammarly’s free plan, which points out and corrects the several grammar and syntax errors in your document. The Mac app of Grammarly offers a unique writing environment as well.

We can definitely recommend Grammarly to students and professionals in the world. When you upgrade to Big Sur, this app will ensure that you can understand and correct the mistakes you may make. In some cases, Grammarly suggests readability-based changes as well. There is a premium plan that you can shift to if you need more features.

Availability: macOS, Windows, Chrome, Web

Pricing: Free, Premium available

#30 Meeter

Meeter is a must-have macOS app during the work-for-home days and otherwise. In case you didn’t guess, the app makes meeting management easier than ever. Meeter can analyze your calendar for appointments in the future and give you a one-click interface to access these meetings. Even after the pandemic is over, it will help you keep things up-to-date.

Probably the best thing about Meeter is that it has a minimal User Interface. The app resides on your Mac’s menu-bar and controls everything from there. Because Meeter can understand the various meeting apps in the world, it can give you hotlinks. In the long run, Meeter helps you focus on the meetings instead of worrying about the logistics.

Availability: macOS

Pricing: Free

Mac

The bottom line

That’s about it, folks. We hope you loved our collection of the best free apps for macOS Big Sur. All of these apps come with the best experience and can elevate your overall computing experience. In the end, that is what you expect when you get a Mac, right?

With the rapid rise of streaming services, it’s time to digitalize your DVD collections. By doing so, you will be able to play your DVD movies on iPhone, iPad, Samsung Tablets, or any other portable devices and put them on the cloud. Moreover, ripping DVDs to media files can save your room space. This article points out the tips you should consider, and lists the top 5 free DVD ripper for Mac, together with the best alternative to free ones.

Best DVD Ripper for Mac (Support DRM-ed DVD)

Use Cisdem Video Converter- the powerful DVD ripping software for Mac to:

  • Rip movie DVD to MP4/HD MP4/HEVC MP4, MOV, AVI MKV, M4V, etc.
  • Extract audio from DVD to MP3, AAC, AC3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, etc.
  • Convert DVDs to optimized presets for iPhone, iPad, HUAWEI, MI, PS4, etc.
  • Rip DVD/DVD folder/ISO to digital formats
  • Remove DVD copy protection like Region Code, CSS, etc.
  • Convert video & audio files between 300+ digital formats
  • Download videos from 1000+ websites, YouTube.com included
  • Edit (trim, crop, apply effects, etc.) and merge DVD videos
  • Advanced settings to change the output file codec, quality, bitrate, etc.
  • Preview DVD movies via built-in video player
  • 30X faster speed
Free Download
  • >> 4 Tips to Choose the Best Free DVD Ripper for Mac
  • >> Top 5 Best Free DVD Ripper for Mac
  • >> Where Free DVD Ripping Software for Mac Fall Short?
  • >> Perfect Alternative- The Robust yet Simple DVD Ripper for Mac

4 Tips to Choose the Best Free DVD Ripper for Mac

There is a vast variety of free DVD ripper software on the market. Each of them has a common advantage, which is to help you rip DVD for free. But it's not enough, and more aspects you should take into consideration while choosing a free DVD ripper for Mac. I've sorted out several tips below for your reference.

1. DVD Ripping Speed - DVD videos are usually in large sizes and need to spend some time to convert. Using a super-fast free Mac DVD ripper will save you a lot of time.

2. The Output Quality - To enjoy the high-definition video is of great pleasure. Or else, not only your eyes may get hurt, but also the annoying jumpy and mosaics will also bother you.

3. Supported Format - The output format compatible with your digital player device is another point you should take in. The more output options, the better the DVD ripper.

4. Additional Customization Features- It will be the icing on the cake if a free DVD ripper lets you configure the output parameters and edit DVD videos before ripping them out.

Top 5 Best Free DVD Rippers for Mac

#1 HandBrake

OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.11 or later

HandBrake is an open-source video transcoder. It's the most welcomed free DVD ripper for Mac and Windows. The app was produced by Eric Petit and originally designed for ripping movies from DVD.

Today, Handbrake allows you to rip non-protected DVDs, Blu-ray to MP4, MKV, and universal device presets like iPhone, iPod, Apple TV (2/3), Android Tablet, etc. But this free Mac DVD ripper can only output MP4 or MKV video files. If you wish to make the ripped video compatible with other formats such as AVI, MOV, MPEG, MP3, etc., HandBrake can't help.

Its ripping speed depends on the files upload. For a small file, it won’t take too long. For a large one, it maybe takes a long time. The final quality is not bad. If you are not hurrying to get your converted video, you could take it.

#2 MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition

OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.6 or above

MacX offers a free DVD ripper for Mac users. The free version can rip DVD movies to MP4, MOV, M4V, MP3, AAC, AC3, Apple TV, and iTunes.

But Compares with its paid version, it's unable to back up & rip the latest copy-protected DVDs for free, and rip DVDs for some hot devices, like iPad Pro, iPhone (11/Pro/Max), Android, Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC, PS4, etc.

If you can bear the limited output formats and unsatisfying speed, this Mac DVD ripper free is a decent option. Anyway, it can meet your basic DVD ripping necessary.

Note: MacX seems to have given up upgrading and promoting DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition. The download link on its official website has been replaced by MacX DVD Ripper Pro (the paid program). To download the free version, you are able to find it on some app download sites like softonic.com, download3k.com, etc.

#3 ffmpegX

OS Platform: OS X 10.7 to 10.14 (OS X 10.3 to 10.7 version available on official site)

ffmpegX is an open resource free DVD ripper for Mac. It was first to run on Linux, and later it can be compiled under most operating systems, including Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, AmigaOS.

ffmpegX is a very experimental and developer-driven project. It supports the most popular formats except HD video. Based on the customers' review, its output quality is not too bad. The components mpeg2enc (mpeg-2 encoder and multiplexer), mencorder (mpeg-4 encoder with subtitles support), myplayer are not distributed with ffmpegX and must be self-installed.

This free DVD ripping software for Mac has not been updated for over 10 years. When you start encoding, it's prone to failure. Meanwhile, ffmpegX doesn't recognize a DVD disk device, just a DVD folder & VOB file, and can't remove any DVD decryption.

#4 MacTheRipper

OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.8 or higher

MTR (named MacTheRipper) is the Mac’s oldest and smartest DVD - backup application, now greater than ever. The speed of the MTR is ok. It merely takes a few minutes to rip a small DVD.

However, this free DVD ripper for Mac is unstable, especially on Sierra, High Sierra version, and later versions. It may be crashing, shut down by itself, or failure to launch. And the output quality will not as good as you think.

Note: MacTheRipper is no longer free currently. For example version 5.0.0.5 is a paid upgrade. Licensed owners of version 4.3 who donated within the last 365 days can upgrade for free. But for those who donated more than 365 days ago should upgrade for $10. The last free version is MacTheRipper 2.6.6, which only supports Mac OS X 10.6 Leopard or older.

#5 VLC

OS Platform: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or above

VLC, coming from a non-profit organization composed of volunteers, is dedicated to the development and promotion of open-source multimedia solutions. It can also run on Windows, Android, and Ubuntu. The initial function of this free DVD ripper for Mac is to play media files in various formats and resolutions. Through improvements, VLC began to support audio and video transcoding to help you convert videos and DVDs.

However, VLC free Mac DVD ripper can't process multiple videos, DVD folders, or ISO images in batches and won’t defeat any kind of DRM. And you have to accept the fact that the video ripped by VLC will cause quality degradation.

Note: If you agree with its concept and its effort in developing VLC, don't forget to donate $5.00 on its page.

Where Free DVD Ripping Software for Mac Fall Short?

From the above introductions, we can judge that the free DVD ripper for Mac has obvious shortcomings, for example:

  • Can't retain high-quality output
  • The speed is not always fast
  • Limited output formats and profiles
  • No further video editing feature
  • Can't rip DRM encrypted DVDs, like Handbrake and VLC
  • Stop update, like MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition
  • Not free in the new versions, such as MacTheRipper
  • Difficult for the novice, such as FFmpeg

It seems that no free Mac DVD ripper meets the criteria mentioned in part 1, but paid one does. Therefore, you are better off using the commercial and effective DVD ripper instead.

Perfect Alternative- The Robust yet Simple DVD Ripper for Mac

Cisdem Video Converter is the best alternative to the free DVD ripper Mac. It's a highly interactive program that delivers lossless ripping of media content at an ultra-fast speed and obtains high-quality possible results. It provides a free trial version for you to test its performance before purchasing. The trial version can rip the first 5 minutes of the DVD. If your DVD video is less than 5 minutes, it will convert half of the content.

Best DVD Ripper for Mac

  • Rip general or copyrighted DVD to mainstream video/audio formats
  • Rip movie or music DVD to ready-made presets for all popular devices
  • Adjust the frame rate, resolution, bit rate, etc. of DVD video
  • Edit DVD video with trimming, cropping, subtitles, watermarks, and more
  • Convert digital video from one format to another
  • Download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, and other 1000+ sites
  • Rip DVDs, convert & download videos in batches
  • Crisp and easy-to-use interface
  • Available on OS X 10.10 or higher, including macOS Big Sur
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How to Rip DVD via the Best Alternative to Free DVD Ripper for Mac:

Step 1. Launch Cisdem Video Converter

After installation, run the software. You will see 3 tabs for different functions. The second tab is for DVD ripping.

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Step 2. Import DVD videos

Insert your DVD into the Mac slot. Its icon will appear in the sidebar of the Finder app. Then you have two ways to add the DVD disc:

  1. Straightly drag the DVD or VIDEO-TS folder to the interface of Cisdem Mac DVD ripper.
  2. Navigate to 'File' > 'Add DVD' in the menu bar to import your DVD content.

Step 3. Configure output profiles

Click the format icon to open the output file panel. All the output formats have been already divided into various categories. For example, if you desire to play the DVD movie on your iPhone, you can go to 'Apple Device' > 'iPhone', and choose your phone model. Or select the universal format- MP4, just head over to 'General Video' > 'MP4 Video'.

For getting better video/audio quality, click icon to open a window, and tweak the output parameter settings.

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Step 4. Choose titles and languages

A DVD movie may contain multiple titles, audio languages, and subtitle languages. You can manually choose what you want.

Step 5. Rip DVD to digital files

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Hit button at the lower right corner to begin ripping your DVD to MP4, Apple TV, or other formats.

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Pro tip: edit your DVD videos

Click button to find your ripped videos. Drag-n-drop them to the “convert” interface.

Click button, and you'll able to edit the DVD movies by rotating, adding 3D effects, and external subtitles & audio.

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Bottom line

These are the 5 free DVD rippers for Mac and alternative. If you only want to rip DVD to a common-used format without editing feature, I recommend Handbrake, MacX DVD Ripper Mac Free Edition, and VLC for beginners. For users who are using OS X 10.6 or lower, MacTheRipper 2.6.6 and ffmpegX are nice options. To make everything easy and efficient, an all-in-one DVD ripping software for Mac like Cisdem Video Converter is the best choice, which can rip copy-protected DVDs as well.