To get your first 100 Mac app users, start with people who already have the problem your app solves. Help the first few complete a real task, then test a Mac app directory and one relevant community. Track successful use and repeat the channels that bring people who benefit.
Bottom line
Help the first 10 people reach a useful result. Test your message and two promotion channels to reach 30. Then repeat the approach that brings people who benefit. Use the outreach templates and free worksheet below to plan your next experiment.
It applies to free and paid Mac apps, including apps distributed outside the Mac App Store. The stages are a suggested working method, not a promise of 100 users within a particular time.
We run MacNative, its newsletter, and the Awesome Native macOS Apps repository mentioned below. We'll explain where each fits, including the difference between free submissions and paid promotion.
On this page
First, define what counts as a Mac app user
For this plan, count an activated user as someone who installs your app and completes its main useful task. Count each person once where you can do so reliably; exclude your own tests. If you can only measure installations, label the number as installations.
Choose an action that represents value:
| App type | First useful result | Evidence of continued value |
|---|---|---|
| Clipboard manager | Retrieves and pastes an earlier clipboard item | Uses history again during another task |
| Image utility | Exports the files they needed | Uses it for a later image batch |
| Window manager | Saves and restores a usable layout | Restores it at the next workspace change |
| Meeting notes app | Produces notes they can use | Uses the app for another meeting |
A download, newsletter signup, GitHub star, and purchase each tell you something different. Keep them separate from activation. For a paid app, track paying customers alongside users from the beginning.
You don't need to add invasive analytics. An optional check-in, volunteered feedback, or appropriately disclosed aggregate measurement can help. Record unknowns honestly.
Write down: “A user counts toward our first 100 when they ______.”
Prepare the path from download to useful result
Before inviting people, test the exact build and download link they will receive. Ask someone unfamiliar with the app to attempt its main task without coaching. Watch where they hesitate before offering help.
Make these answers easy to find:
- Purpose: who the app helps and what they can accomplish.
- Proof: real screenshots or a short recording of one complete task.
- Price: what is free, what is paid, and any trial limits.
- Compatibility: supported macOS versions and processors.
- Permissions: what access is needed, when, and why.
- Support: who made it and how to get help.
For direct downloads, check signing, notarization, and first launch on another Mac. Apple's Developer ID guidance explains how signing and notarization work with Gatekeeper. A blocked installation is an issue to fix before buying traffic.
For Mac App Store distribution, give the store page the same attention as your website. Apple's product-page guide covers screenshots, previews, and descriptions.
Use our Mac app launch checklist for a fuller release rehearsal.
0–10 users: find the problem before writing the pitch
Your first exercise is to find five real discussions about the task your app helps with. Search using the problem's words, not your product name.
For example, we'll use BatchFrame, a fictional Mac image utility for preparing client exports. Its developer might look for:
- “resize product photos Mac”
- “export images multiple sizes”
- “batch image resize client delivery”
These are research examples, not validated keywords. Search relevant forums, professional groups, and public conversations. Record the situation, current workaround, and what people find frustrating.
You're looking for a reachable group with a recurring task. For BatchFrame, “freelance designers preparing client image packs” gives you a clearer starting point than “people who want to be more productive.”
Start with a small, relevant invitation
Invite people you know who fit the problem, or respond where a relevant recommendation is welcome. A public complaint isn't permission to send an unsolicited sales message. Follow the community's rules and the person's stated preferences.
Adapt this message to something you actually know:
Hi [name] — you mentioned [specific task or difficulty]. I built [app], a Mac tool that [concrete result]. It currently supports [relevant scope] and costs [honest pricing/trial details]. If you're still looking for a solution, would you like to try it? I can help with setup if useful.
Ask about their existing workflow before suggesting yours. Someone who has already solved the problem may not need another app.
Watch for the first useful result
With willing users, ask them to complete their own task using non-sensitive sample data where possible. Notice:
- Do they understand what to do first?
- Can they get through installation and permissions?
- Does the output solve the problem they brought?
- What would make them choose their old method instead?
If they get stuck, help them finish, then record the obstacle. Repeated coaching is a clue that onboarding needs work.
After a natural opportunity to use the app again, ask:
Did you get another chance to use [app] for [task]? If so, how did it go? If you went back to your previous method, what made that easier?
Before expanding: aim to understand who succeeds, what result matters, and what repeatedly blocks first use. If nobody reaches a useful result, investigate that before seeking a larger audience.
10–30 users: test two ways to promote your Mac app
Take the wording and objections from those conversations and improve your page. Then test one discovery channel and one place where you can have a conversation.
| Channel | Use it when | Prepare | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacNative directory | Your shipping app meets our native-app guidelines | Icon, screenshots, clear description, pricing, working link | Listing clicks, downloads, and activation where measurable |
| A relevant community | Members discuss the task and rules allow your contribution | A focused demo, maker disclosure, price, useful explanation | Relevant questions and successful trials |
| A newsletter or creator | Their coverage regularly matches your use case | A personal pitch and an easy-to-evaluate demo | Referred visits and downstream outcomes |
| A GitHub app list | Your app meets that repository's contribution criteria | Factual entry in its required format | Referral visits; stars are a separate measure |
Submit a clear listing to MacNative
MacNative is our directory for discovering Mac software. A free listing includes screenshots, a website link, and basic listing analytics. Submissions are reviewed; check our native-app guidelines before preparing yours. See the current plans for listing features.
Write for someone comparing tools:
BatchFrame resizes client images on Mac with reusable export presets.
Then show the input, the action, and the finished output. Explain meaningful limits, including supported formats, pricing, and compatibility. Use the category that best matches the task.
Submission checklist: working download, square icon, real screenshots, one-sentence benefit, accurate pricing, and any context needed to explain what is native.
Submit your Mac app for free review. Record when it goes live so you can compare subsequent visits and trials. Review timing is separate from your own launch date.
Use our newsletter and GitHub list for their specific roles
The MacNative newsletter sends hand-picked Mac discoveries twice a month. Subscribe free to see how apps are introduced and find tools worth trying. As a developer, study whether a reader can understand your app's benefit just as quickly.
For promotional distribution, our Pro plan lists newsletter promotion, social sharing, and highlighted placement. Check the current terms before a paid test; a free listing or newsletter subscription doesn't promise coverage.
We also curate Awesome Native macOS Apps on GitHub. Browse its categories to understand comparable tools. For inclusion, read the contribution requirements: they are stricter than directory eligibility and restrict self-promotion unless exceptional. The README separately identifies paid Pro Spotlight placements.
Share one complete workflow in a community
Choose a community connected to the problem. Read its live rules before posting, including permitted threads, disclosures, and promotion frequency. For r/macapps, start with the current rules.
When allowed, try this structure:
I built [app] after running into [real situation]. This demo shows [task] from start to finish. It works on [requirements], costs [price/trial], and currently doesn't support [important limitation]. I'm the developer. I'd appreciate feedback from people who [specific workflow], especially on [decision you're trying to improve].
Use your own story and actual capabilities. Stay available for replies. When several readers ask the same question, add the answer to your page.
Before expanding: identify which source brought people who completed the task. More comments alone aren't enough to choose a winning channel.
30–100 users: repeat the approach that brings useful trials
Review what you know before adding more platforms. If a small design community brings people who use BatchFrame for real client work, try another suitable design community or a creator who teaches that workflow.
Choose your next experiment based on the strongest observed result:
- Personal invitations work: look for more people with the same situation and refine the invitation.
- A directory brings useful trials: improve the listing and compare another relevant directory.
- A demo starts valuable conversations: make another demo answering the most common follow-up question.
- People describe a search problem: publish a tutorial that helps solve it, with your app as one relevant option.
For more destinations, use our Mac app directories comparison and Awesome Mac Launch Platforms repository. Treat them as research shortlists; verify current eligibility and costs.
Give a creator a specific reason to cover the app
Pitch people whose recent work matches your audience. Reference an actual article, video, or newsletter issue:
Hi [name], your [specific piece] covered [workflow]. I make [app], which helps [audience] do [task] on Mac. Here's a short demo: [link]. It differs from [relevant approach] by [verifiable difference]. If it fits something you're covering, I can provide review access. Current pricing is [details].
Offer access without expecting favorable coverage. A creator's audience size doesn't tell you whether their viewers need your app.
Make recommendations easy for satisfied users
After someone describes a useful result, ask whether they know anyone with the same problem. Give them a short description and a clean link they can forward themselves.
For example: “BatchFrame prepares repeatable client image exports on Mac. Here's the demo and trial.”
Use their feedback publicly only with permission. Record actual outcomes before presenting anything as a success story.
Track the path from visitor to returning user
Keep a weekly record with these fields:
Channel · dates · hours spent · money spent · visits · downloads · activated users · repeat use · purchases · attribution limits
Use campaign links where allowed, for example:
https://your-app.example/?utm_source=macnative&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=first_100
This example identifies website referrals; it doesn't automatically identify app usage. Some platforms strip parameters, and an offline app may give you no reliable way to connect a visit to activation. An optional “How did you find us?” question can add context. Leave unknown outcomes as unknown.
How much traffic do you need for 100 users?
It depends on how often a relevant visitor becomes an activated user. These hypothetical scenarios show the arithmetic:
| Assumed visit-to-activation rate | Relevant visits for 100 activations |
|---|---|
| 2% | 5,000 |
| 5% | 2,000 |
| 10% | 1,000 |
These are illustrations, not industry benchmarks or expected channel results. Use your own consistent cohorts once you have data. Helping visitors succeed can matter as much as finding additional traffic.
What to do when promotion isn't working
| What you observe | What to investigate next |
|---|---|
| Few relevant people visit | Audience fit, visibility, and whether the pitch names a recognizable problem |
| Visits without downloads | Demo, price, compatibility, trust, and the download link |
| Downloads without useful results | Installation, permissions, first-use instructions, and output quality |
| A useful result but no later use | How often the need occurs and whether the app beats the existing method |
| Useful trials without purchases | Value, trial design, buying friction, and pricing objections |
Judge repeat use at the next sensible opportunity. A monthly reporting utility shouldn't be evaluated as though it were a daily clipboard manager.
For a paid campaign, divide spend by reliably attributed activated users and customers. If attribution is missing, say so. Account for refunds, ongoing costs, and support effort before deciding that promotion pays for itself. Small samples are clues to investigate, not stable conversion benchmarks.
A four-week plan you can start with
This is a work schedule, not a deadline for reaching 100 users. Move at a pace that leaves time for support and fixes. The counts below are suggested exercises.
| Week | Focus | Work to complete | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Understand and test | Find five problem discussions, write one promise, and observe three willing people trying the main task | Their words, completed tasks, and blockers |
| 2 | Invite and list | Make a few relevant personal invitations and submit to MacNative if eligible | Replies, review status, and installation issues |
| 3 | Run a second channel test | Share one permitted community demo or pitch a few well-matched creators | Questions, referred visits, and useful trials |
| 4 | Review and repeat | Fix the biggest obstacle and repeat the strongest channel with a clearer message | Results by source, time spent, and your next experiment |
Copy the First 100 Mac App Users worksheet into your notes. It includes audience prompts, channel records, user feedback, and a weekly review. You can start with anonymous notes and aggregate counts; a new analytics system isn't a prerequisite.
Questions about finding your first Mac app users
Where can I promote a Mac app for free?
Start with relevant personal outreach, communities that permit your contribution, and free directory submissions. MacNative accepts free submissions subject to review and native-app eligibility. GitHub lists have their own criteria. Pick a small number of destinations you can support with useful replies.
Can I find users without being on the Mac App Store?
Yes. Direct-download apps can use a website, directories, communities, creator coverage, and referrals. Make compatibility, installation, pricing, and support easy to understand. Check signing and notarization for your distribution setup.
Should I pay for promotion before I have 100 users?
You can consider a small, capped experiment once real users can complete the main task and you understand who benefits. Define the placement, spend limit, tracking method, and review date. If onboarding is still blocking people, fix that first.
How long does it take to get your first 100 users?
There is no dependable timeline for an unknown app. Audience access, task frequency, price, installation friction, and the value of the result all affect progress. Review weekly evidence rather than treating a four-week schedule as a promise.
Do I need to make my Mac app free?
No. Give people enough evidence to evaluate it: a clear demo, honest pricing, useful documentation, and an appropriate trial if you offer one. Separate free testers, activated users, and paying customers so you know what you're learning.
Your next action: define the task that counts as activation and find one person who needs it. Help them succeed, record the obstacle, and improve the experience. When your native Mac app is ready for discovery, submit it to MacNative. You can also join our free Mac app newsletter and explore Awesome Native macOS Apps for more examples.
