Photo: Sharaf Maksumov (Shutterstock)
If you usage Dropbox connected Mac, you’ve astir apt been frustrated with its app astatine immoderate point. The app is simply a assets hog, it keeps asking for your Mac password to update, and it doesn’t adjacent enactment M1 Macs natively yet. Sure, it does tally connected M1 Macs via Rosetta 2, but the deficiency of autochthonal enactment leads to inordinately precocious CPU usage and artillery drain. Until Dropbox ships a autochthonal Mac client, you tin either determination to different unreality retention service, oregon you tin look for alternate Dropbox clients for Mac. If you chose the second route, we’re present to assistance marque the modulation smooth.
Maestral
Screenshot: Pranay Parab
Maestral is simply a free, lightweight, and open-source Dropbox lawsuit for Mac. It natively supports M1 Macs and volition sync your files and folders with perfectly nary fuss. It runs softly with minimal assets depletion adjacent connected aged Intel MacBooks, which makes it perfect for anyone who uses Dropbox. If you’re technically inclined, you tin usage Maestral utilizing the bid enactment interface. It’s utile if you privation to further trim its assets footprint, but the GUI lawsuit is precise light, too, truthful this shouldn’t beryllium a occupation for astir people.
As bully arsenic Maestral is, it’s not for everyone due to the fact that it does not enactment immoderate Dropbox features. For example, it doesn’t enactment transferring lone the parts of a record that person changed, truthful if you marque changes, Maestral volition person to download oregon upload the full record again, which makes it devour much bandwidth than the authoritative Dropbox client. It besides lacks enactment for Dropbox Paper, managing Dropbox teams, oregon shared folder settings.
Mountain Duck 3
Screenshot: Pranay Parab
Mountain Duck 3 has a fewer bully features that marque it worthy considering arsenic a Dropbox client. It doesn’t necessitate admin privileges to install, truthful if Dropbox’s password prompts to update person been getting to you, this app volition suit you a batch better. It besides shows you which files person been synced and which ones haven’t with neat icons (a greenish checkmark denotes that the record is disposable offline, and a unreality icon means it’s connected the internet).
The app besides allows you to transcript the URL of your files for speedy sharing, which is simply a large diagnostic for a batch of people. Mountain Duck’s usage of the discourse paper is 1 of its champion features. You tin right-click immoderate record oregon folder and prime Mountain Duck to entree utile features specified arsenic copying the URL, downloading files, reloading them, etc.
The app costs $39 and supports aggregate unreality retention services, including Google Drive and OneDrive. You tin cheque retired its features for escaped with a two-week trial.
Strongsync
Screenshot: Pranay Parab
Strongsync is an app that lets you entree aggregate unreality retention services connected your Mac. Each of these services is mounted arsenic a web thrust connected your Mac, which makes it casual to entree straight from Finder. If you are looking for a autochthonal app that lets you sync folders from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Sharepoint, past Strongsync fits the measure rather nicely. It’s a small heavier than Maestral, but overmuch amended than utilizing Dropbox’s authoritative client.
Strongsync is made by the institution that besides makes ExpanDrive. There is immoderate diagnostic overlap betwixt the 2 apps, truthful if you already ain ExpanDrive, you tin proceed utilizing it to entree Dropbox, too. Strongsync has a week-long escaped trial, and if you privation to proceed utilizing the app aft that, it costs $50.
Transmit
Screenshot: Pranay Parab
Panic’s Transmit is an fantabulous FTP app that besides lets you entree Dropbox. This is simply a large alternate to accessing Dropbox from a web browser, but not truly a replacement for the authoritative Dropbox client. If you usage Dropbox to upload and download files but not to sync them crossed devices, Transmit is cleanable for you.
No one’s going to bargain Transmit conscionable to entree Dropbox, but it’s a utile instrumentality to person connected your Mac if you upload files to assorted services, specified arsenic Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, etc. Transmit is simply a autochthonal app connected the Mac and volition devour less resources than browser tabs unfastened with the unreality work of your choice. We’ve been utilizing Transmit for record uploads and downloads for years, and it’s been stone coagulated throughout.
Transmit costs $45 for a single-user license, but determination is simply a seven-day escaped proceedings to assistance you determine if it’s worthy buying.