Are you wondering how to replace popular Windows programs on your MacBook? We check which applications have versions for macOS, what alternatives Apple offers and where you need to change your habits.
I bought a MacBook and what’s next – equivalents of popular Windows applications
The issues covered by this text could be called a problem, but… about 10-20 years ago. There were times when there was a huge gap between Windows and macOS and some elements could not be replaced (or major compromises were necessary). Today it looks completely different. It is difficult to find such tools that do not have at least good equivalents. However, you still need to know what and where to look for.
Switching to a MacBook in 2026 is no longer as exotic as it once was. It’s simply a change in the working environment: some of the tools stay with you, some you replace with Apple applications, and in some places you simply learn a new way of working.
Many Windows applications have versions for Mac
If you used Microsoft 365, Google Drive, Outlook, Chrome or other popular services on Windows, you often do not have to look for replacements. Microsoft officially offers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive for the Mac, and also has the entire Microsoft 365 suite for macOS. Google supports Google Drive on macOS, and the service can be integrated with Finder. Outlook also has a separate, official version for Mac today.
This means that in many everyday applications you can simply continue working almost as before. If you’re firmly attached to the Microsoft ecosystem, you just run the same apps, just in the macOS version.
Office on MacBook: you can stay with Microsoft 365 or enter the world of Apple
This is probably the most important category for most users. If your professional life revolves around Word, Excel and PowerPoint, you don’t have to give them up. Microsoft 365 for Mac includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive.
On the other hand, Apple has its own set of office applications: Pages, Numbers and Keynote. This means that when you buy a MacBook, you have two reasonable scenarios to choose from. You either stay with Microsoft 365 or gradually switch to Apple applications if you care more about integration with the ecosystem than about full compatibility with your old habits. Importantly, you don’t have to pay for Pages, Number and Keynote, because they are available for free immediately after launching macOS.
Windows File Explorer? On Mac, the Finder takes over
You don’t need to install anything here, but it’s worth mentioning for the sake of clarity. The equivalent of File Explorer is on the Mac Findera basic tool for working with files, folders, drives and locations in the system. It’s one of those things that you just have to get used to rather than looking for an external replacement.
For PDFs, Preview is often enough
This is one of the biggest surprises for many new Mac users. On Windows, a PDF reader and a simple image viewing program are often installed separately. On the MacBook, it takes over a large part of these tasks Preview. It’s enough to work with PDFs and images, it has built-in tools for creating (a bit like in Paint), editing, marking, annotating and exporting. In Preview you can conveniently view PDFs and images, change thumbnails, zoom in, out and print files.
In practice, this means that many people after switching to a MacBook do not need to install Adobe Reader or other preferred tool for viewing documents at all, although the mentioned tool is also available in the Mac version. If you just need to open a PDF, sign a form, add a few annotations, or quickly look through photos, Preview will do just fine.
Chrome, Edge, Firefox? You can still use them on Mac
If you don’t want to learn Safari, you don’t have to. Microsoft has Edge and Outlook for Mac, Google supports its services on macOS, and popular browsers work normally on this platform.
This is good news for people who have built their own habits around a specific browser over the years. You can install Chrome, Firefox and Opera on a MacBook, so if you don’t trust Safari, there’s no revolution waiting for you.
Notepad and Notepad++: this is where the first differences begin
For simple text files, the equivalent of Notepad is on the Mac TextEdit. It is an application for creating and editing plain text, rich text, HTML and other documents, as well as opening files created in other programs, including Microsoft Word and OpenOffice. I also recommend it for the simplest notes Notebook.
However, many Windows users like it Notepad++ and here the matter is different. This tool does not have a native version for macOS. The closest sensible alternative for people working with plain text, code, Markdown or notes may be CotEditor or Typora.
Paint, Paint.NET and simple graphics: you have to approach it differently on Mac
We will cover the basic tasks related to image editing in the above-mentioned section Preview. So if someone is looking for an equivalent of Paint only for quick, simple corrections, it may turn out that this system tool will be completely sufficient.
It’s worse if someone is particularly attached to tools like: Paint.NET. In practice, it is a Windows program and there is no separate version for Mac. The situation is similar with IrfanView.
ZIPs and archives without additional program
Many people switching from Windows automatically install 7-Zip or WinRAR (the latter is available on Mac, but… in Terminal, where we manage everything using text commands). Meanwhile, on Mac, you can compress and unpack ZIP files without additional applications – directly from the Finder. Just click on the file or folder and select Compress, or double-click on the ZIP file to unzip it. However, if you need something more advanced, it is worth installing it yourself The Unarchiver.
Mail and Calendar: Outlook or Apple tools
In the case of mail and calendar, the situation is quite comfortable. You can stay by Outlook for Macwhich Microsoft is officially developing and promoting as a redesigned app available to macOS users. You can also use Apple’s system solution (Mail application) or simply stick to the web versions.
Not everything has to have a one-to-one equivalent on the Mac. Sometimes the best decision after purchasing a MacBook is not to look for a copy of Windows solutions, but to check whether the Apple system offers a simpler or simply better integrated way of working. This is when the transfer starts to make the most sense.
