So you’ve got your shiny Mac, ready to churn out some brilliant Java code. But a great machine is only half the story. You need the right software to avoid turning your workflow into a hair-pulling marathon. This isn’t just another list of “10 best apps.” This is a curated, no-nonsense collection of tools that I actually use to get stuff done, build cool things, and keep my sanity intact.
Let’s get this show on the road.
The Development Arsenal
First things first, let’s talk about the software where you’ll spend most of your time.
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. Setting up a local dev environment can be a royal pain. Juggling Java versions? Managing databases? Installing Redis? Ugh.
This is where ServBay comes in and tidies up the mess. With a few clicks, you can install multiple versions of Java and switch between them on the fly. Need JDK 8 for a legacy project and JDK 21 for a new one? No problem—they can even run at the same time. This alone is a massive win.
But it doesn’t stop there. ServBay also bundles one-click installers for essential services like Redis, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. It streamlines so much command-line fuss that it practically pays for itself in saved therapy bills. Since ServBay gets Redis up and running for you instantly, you can skip the whole song and dance of finding and configuring a separate tool.
This is the big kahuna, the main event. If you’re writing Java, you’re probably using IntelliJ IDEA. It’s smart, it’s powerful, and its autocompletion and inspections feel like they’re reading your mind. There’s not much more to say—it’s the industry standard for a very good reason.
“Okay, why two database tools?” Hear me out.
DataGrip, from the same folks who make IDEA, is fantastic for writing complex SQL. Its code completion, formatting, and query analysis are second to none. When I need to write a query that’s more than ten lines long, I’m in DataGrip.
Navicat Premium, on the other hand, is my go-to for quickly browsing data, managing connections to a dozen different database types, and performing quick edits. One for serious writing, one for quick looking. It’s a surprisingly effective combo.
The default Mac Terminal is… fine. iTerm2 is what the default Terminal wants to be when it grows up. Split panes, searchable command history, amazing themes, and a ton of other features make you feel like a command-line wizard. Grab it, find a cool theme online, and never look back.
Your API is a black box until you poke it with a stick. Postman is the best stick for the job. It lets you build, send, and test HTTP requests in a clean interface, then save them for later. It’s an absolute must-have for anyone working with web services.
Ever found yourself digging through the /etc/hosts file, trying to remember which IP was for staging and which was for your local machine? SwitchHosts gives you a simple UI to create and manage different sets of hosts. Toggling between them is just a click away. It’s a small utility that solves a massive headache.
The Planning & Scheming Tools
Before you write code, you need a plan. These tools help you think.
Ideas are messy. XMind helps you untangle them. It’s a mind-mapping tool that’s perfect for brainstorming new features, outlining a project’s structure, or just making sense of a complex system. It’s also great for creating visuals that even your project manager can understand.
For everything from high-level system architecture diagrams to simple flowcharts, draw.io is the answer. It’s free, surprisingly powerful, and doesn’t lock you into some weird proprietary format. The desktop version works offline, which is a huge plus. You can even make your diagrams look like they were sketched on a napkin, which is great for pretending your brilliant idea was a sudden flash of inspiration.
The Note-Taking Corner
A developer’s brain is always full. You need a place to dump your thoughts.
“Wait, an IDE for notes?” Absolutely. With a few key plugins for Markdown, VS Code becomes a lightning-fast and powerful note-taking app. You’re probably already in it all day, it handles code snippets beautifully, and it’s right there when you need to jot something down. It’s my digital lab notebook for all things technical.
For life stuff, meeting notes, or writing that isn’t code, Bear is just a beautiful, pleasant place to write. It uses a simple #tag system for organization that works surprisingly well. Panda is the public beta for Bear’s next-generation editor, which adds support for tables and other goodies. It’s a sign of great things to come.
And there you have it. A solid toolkit to make your life as a Java developer on a Mac just a little bit easier and a lot more productive. Now go build something awesome.