The tools I actually use every day
A no-fluff rundown of my dev setup, apps, and hardware as of Q2 2026.
No affiliate links. No sponsored mentions. Just what's actually open on my machine most days.
Editor: Cursor. I switched from VS Code about six months ago and haven't looked back. The AI-native workflow is genuinely faster once you stop trying to use it like a dumb autocomplete and start treating it like a pairing partner.
Terminal: Ghostty. Fast, native, sensible defaults. I spent years configuring iTerm2 and Warp and at some point I just wanted something that worked without ceremony.
Notes: Obsidian for anything that needs to persist. Apple Notes for quick capture. I've tried to consolidate these into one app four times and I've stopped fighting it.
Design: Figma for anything collaborative or component-based. Pixelmator Pro for quick image work. Procreate on iPad for anything that needs to feel like drawing.
Hardware: M3 MacBook Pro 16" at the desk, M2 iPad Pro when I'm moving around. The combination is the most productive I've ever been on hardware.
One underrated tool: Raycast. If you're still using Spotlight I genuinely feel bad for you.