The ultimate money-making hacks for your Mac.
March 11th 2025
for Coders & Digital Workers
Hey there! I’m a freelance software developer soaking up the sun while coding from Bali. (If i ever get to see some sunlight!)
If you’re anything like me, you’re juggling a million things—writing code, drafting emails, managing projects—all while trying to keep your sanity intact. As a remote worker, I’ve learned that productivity isn’t just about working harder; it’s about working smarter. And guess what? AI is here to help us do just that, especially on macOS.
If you’re a coder, writer, or anyone who lives in a world of text, this post is for you. I’ve rounded up 10 AI-enhanced tools that can supercharge your workflow on a Mac. Plus, I’ll share some real, no-BS tips on how to use AI to be more efficient on macOS. No fluff, just practical stuff that works for me and might work for you too. Let’s dive in!
Picture this: You’re deep in a coding sprint, the coffee’s flowing, and suddenly your Mac starts lagging, or your inbox explodes with notifications. Sound familiar? That’s where AI tools come in—they’re like a trusty sidekick, quietly handling the busywork so you can focus on the good stuff. Whether it’s catching typos, organizing your notes, or even silencing background noise, AI is a game-changer for macOS productivity. And since we’re on Macs, these tools integrate seamlessly with the system we already love.
So, how do you use AI to be more efficient on macOS? It’s all about picking the right tools for your pain points and using them in a way that fits your vibe. Let’s break it down with some of my favorite AI assistants and productivity hacks.
Writing’s a big part of our lives, right? Whether it’s code comments, client emails, or that blog post you’ve been meaning to finish, these tools make it easier.
👉🏼 What it does: TypingMind’s an AI typing buddy with web search, text-to-speech, and a fat prompt library.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: Web search in chat.
👉🏼 Why I love it: Mid-coding, I’ll ask it to dig up a regex tutorial or explain an API. No tab-switching—it’s all right there.
👉🏼 Pros: Web search rocks, super customizable, plugin heaven.
👉🏼 Cons: Needs an OpenAI API key, and the free tier’s limited.
https://www.typingmind.com
👉🏼 What it does: Plus AI brings GPT-4-powered writing help to your Mac apps.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: GPT-4 tech for smart assistance.
👉🏼 Why I love it: It’s like having a brainy co-writer for emails or blog posts (like this one!).
👉🏼 Pros: GPT-4 is next-level, great for formal stuff, tweakable prompts.
👉🏼 Cons: UI bugs sometimes, and no custom API option.
https://setapp.com/apps/plus
👉🏼 What it does: Craft is a gorgeous note-taking and document tool—think of it as a creative hub for your ideas.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: AI-assisted note organization.
👉🏼 Why I love it: When I’m sketching out a new app feature or jotting down meeting notes, Craft’s AI helps me organize everything into neat little sections. It’s perfect for keeping my coding brain on track.
👉🏼 Pros: Looks amazing, awesome for team wikis, won Mac App of the Year for a reason.
👉🏼 Cons: Had some login hiccups once, and it might be overkill if you’re just scribbling quick notes.
Pro tip: Use Craft’s AI to outline your next project—great for prompts for productivity when you’re stuck.
https://www.craft.do/blog/craft-ai-assistant
👉🏼 What it does: Grammarly’s your go-to for catching spelling slip-ups, grammar goofs, and even suggesting style tweaks.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: Real-time spelling and style corrections.
👉🏼 Why I love it: As a coder, I’m not exactly Shakespeare, but I still need my docs and emails to look sharp. Grammarly runs quietly in the background, fixing my typos across apps. It’s a lifesaver when I’m rushing to explain a bug fix to a client.
👉🏼 Pros: Catches errors like a hawk, improves clarity, works everywhere.
👉🏼 Cons: Sometimes its suggestions miss the mark (like trying to formalize my chill Bali vibe), and leaning on it too much can make your writing feel stiff.
https://www.grammarly.com
Staying organized is clutch when you’re freelancing. These tools use AI to tame the madness.
👉🏼 What it does: Notion’s an all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and databases. It’s like a digital Swiss Army knife.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: AI-powered summaries and databases.
👉🏼 Why I love it: I keep my project timelines, code snippets, and client briefs all in one spot. The AI can summarize my messy meeting notes in seconds—huge win when I’m juggling gigs.
👉🏼 Pros: Crazy flexible, perfect for collab, AI summaries are gold.
👉🏼 Cons: Takes a minute to learn, doesn’t work offline (a bummer on spotty Bali Wi-Fi).
How to use AI in marketing with Notion: Summarize market research or campaign ideas fast—keeps your social media marketing game tight.
https://www.notion.com
👉🏼 What it does: ClickUp’s a project management beast that centralizes your tasks and workflows.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: AI task automation.
👉🏼 Why I love it: When I’m working with a team, ClickUp’s AI auto-assigns tasks or updates statuses. Less micromanaging, more coding.
👉🏼 Pros: All-in-one, easy to use, team-friendly.
👉🏼 Cons: Can feel cluttered solo, and the Android app’s wonky sometimes.
Pro tip: Automate your weekly check-ins with AI—frees up time for coding sprints.
https://clickup.com
Emails and calls can derail your day. These AI tools keep you sane.
👉🏼 What it does: Superhuman is a lightning-fast email client that turns your inbox into a productivity powerhouse—perfect for keeping up with clients and chaos.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: AI-driven email triage and smart shortcuts.
👉🏼 Why I love it: Living the freelance life in Bali means my inbox is a jungle—client pings, project updates, the works. Superhuman’s AI sorts it all, prioritizing what’s hot and letting me blast through replies with killer keyboard shortcuts. It’s like Spark Mail on steroids, and it’s made my Mac email game unstoppable.
👉🏼 Pros: Crazy fast (like, blink-and-it’s-loaded fast), AI triage is spot-on, feels tailor-made for power users, seamless macOS vibes.
👉🏼 Cons: Pricey (think $30/month), invite-only setup can be a hassle, and it’s overkill if your inbox isn’t a war zone.
How to use AI for productivity with Superhuman: Set up its AI to flag urgent client emails and use the “Snooze” feature to declutter your day—perfect for productivity tools marketing when you’re pitching yourself as the go-to dev.
https://superhuman.com/
👉🏼 What it does: Krisp wipes out background noise during calls, making you sound crisp and clear.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: Real-time noise reduction.
👉🏼 Why I love it: I have worked in the AI-Audio-Enhancement space for years so believe me when I say, this is HARD to get right - and Krisp got it VERY right.
Bali’s chill, but roosters and scooters don’t care about my Zoom calls. Krisp’s AI keeps me sounding pro, no matter what.
👉🏼 Pros: Noise cancellation is unreal, perfect for remote life.
👉🏼 Cons: Had an auto-renewal glitch once, and support was slow.
https://krisp.ai
My absolute favourites to master anything that the digital work life throws at you!
👉🏼 What it does: Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built to turbocharge your coding game—think of it as a souped-up IDE with a brain.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: Predictive code suggestions and real-time error detection.
👉🏼 Why I love it: When I’m knee-deep in a Python or JavaScript project here in Bali, Cursor’s like my pair-programming buddy. It suggests entire lines of code based on my patterns, catches dumb mistakes before I even run the thing, and saves me hours of Googling syntax. It’s how to use AI for coding done right.
👉🏼 Pros: Insanely fast suggestions, feels like it reads your mind, tight integration with macOS, great for solo devs or teams.
👉🏼 Cons: Still pretty new, so it’s got some quirks—like occasional over-eager suggestions—and it’s not free forever (subscription kicks in after the trial).
How to use AI for coding with Cursor: Let it autocomplete your loops or API calls while you sip that Bali coffee—just tweak its settings to match your style. Pair it with TypingMind for research, and you’re unstoppable.
https://www.cursor.com
👉🏼 What it does: Are you also copy-pasting prompts and other bits of text between AI Assistants constantly? If you're anything like me, the perpetual context switching is draining! Hypersonic solves that issue by tying keyboard shortcuts (think cmd+opt+e or something like that) to ready-made prompt templates. Once triggered, it copies highlighted text, sends it off to AI and pastes the response in-place as soon as it arrives.
👉🏼 Key AI Feature: Executes AI tasks using highlighted text based on keyboard-shortcuts. Think copy+paste, but with AI in the middle.
👉🏼 Why I love it: Granted, I might be a bit biased here. After all, I built this App - but on the other hand I would be dishonest if I didn't claim that this is THE tool in AI that I am most excited about! We are headed into a time where integration with AI and awareness of context becomes more and more critical for knowledge workers.
👉🏼 Pros: Ultra fast execution of AI Tasks. Currently reduced pricing available.
👉🏼 Cons: Very new & only available with the Ultimate pricing plan. Cheaper options coming soon.
Pro Tip: Subscribe today to secure the reduced pricing for the Ultimate plan.
https://www.hypersonic-ai.com
Okay, tools are cool, but how do you actually make them work for you? Here’s my take:
Pick your battles: Don’t overload yourself with every AI tool out there. Start with one - like Grammarly for writing - and build from there.
Master your prompts: For tools like TypingMind or Plus AI, good prompts for productivity are everything. Instead of “Write me a thing,” try “Draft a 50-word email explaining a delay to a client in a friendly tone.” Specific = better. User Hypersonic's public shortcuts for the best results.
Keep it real: AI’s awesome, but don’t let it drown out your style. In coding or marketing, your human touch is what sets you apart.
