The tools I actually use every day
A no-fluff rundown of my dev setup, apps, and hardware as of Q2 2026.
Mar 28, 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.