clearformac Popular iOS to-do app Clear is coming to the Mac complete with iCloud cross-platform syncing. Clear launched earlier this year to strong reviews of its minimalist interface. The app is designed to be extremely quick and easy to use, with lists automatically color coded in order of priority. The Mac app is expected to be released next week on November 8th. Realmac, the creator of Clear, plans to price the Mac version at $15. It will require OS X Mountain Lion.

With Clear for Mac, we wanted to spearhead a new design direction for Mac UI that focuses on simplicity. Featuring nearly all the gesturally-driven interactions from Clear for iPhone as well as a complete set of keyboard shortcuts, Clear will revolutionise the way you interact with your Mac.

Clear for iPhone will be getting a free update next week as well, adding support for iCloud backup and syncing, as well as a few other nice features. The new version of Clear requires iOS 6. It's available on the App Store for $1.99. [Direct Link]

Update: Nik Fletcher, product manager for RealMac Software, commented in the MacRumors forum about the pricing decision on Clear for Mac:

Thanks for your feedback, guys. It's interesting to hear your thoughts on the app and pricing. Pricing it is always tricky, and whilst some folks may think that pricing is something that is simply determined at the last moment, that's not the case with us. We gave the Clear pricing a **lot** of thought (and continue to do so). We think great apps are worth paying for, and we want to ensure that we can always continue to build apps that people want to use.

Thanks again, I hope you enjoy using Clear for Mac and iPhone w/iCloud when it launches next week.

Top Rated Comments

besweeet2 Avatar
166 months ago
It's practically the same as the iPhone version, which is $2, so they price the Mac version at $15? That makes *total* sense. They're practically begging people to pirate it.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
166 months ago
I just use a combo of Reminders and Wunderlist, but guys– stop complaining about $15 software. A lot of time, effort, and money goes in to developing quality software. You don't have to buy it if it doesn't suit your needs, but I would say $15 is a bargain for daily-use software like this.
Totally. Supporting devs is imperative to the ecosystem.
I just don't think that what their offering is $15 worthy. Some will. Some won't. I'm of the latter.
As stated earlier, should they evolve the app, I might revisit. The simple, clean, minimal UI is fantastic. But at $15, it needs a bit more oomph. For me. One guy.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lazyrighteye Avatar
166 months ago
While I like the clean, minimal design/aesthetic (very nice work UI team), the app is so minimal I found myself needing a bit more function. I've not used it outside of the first week of experimentation.

That said, $15 is an absolute joke for the desktop version. Sure, iCloud sync is nifty. But $15 is a bit steep for a pretty to-do list app. I guess it all comes down to the adoption rate for which Clear is targeting. At $2 (iOS)/$15 (OS X), I don't see this taking off - which may be fine with them. At $2/$4 or better, FREE/$2... I suspect you'd see some significant adoption. I could be wrong. Would not be the first nor the last.

Now if there are updates to the app down the road, I may revisit. But as it stands now... I'm good.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
komodrone Avatar
166 months ago
$15? there's no reason for $15. At least Tweetbot had a good reason for their massive price tag.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nikf Avatar
166 months ago
Disclaimer: I work at Realmac Software, makers of Clear.

Thanks for your feedback, guys. It's interesting to hear your thoughts on the app and pricing. Pricing it is always tricky, and whilst some folks may think that pricing is something that is simply determined at the last moment, that's not the case with us. We gave the Clear pricing a **lot** of thought (and continue to do so). We think great apps are worth paying for, and we want to ensure that we can always continue to build apps that people want to use.

Thanks again, I hope you enjoy using Clear for Mac and iPhone w/iCloud when it launches next week.

—Nik

Nik Fletcher
Product Manager, Realmac Software (http://www.realmacsoftware.com)
@nikf (http://twitter.com/nikf)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Saladinos Avatar
166 months ago
Disclaimer: I work at Realmac Software, makers of Clear.

Thanks for your feedback, guys. It's interesting to hear your thoughts on the app and pricing. Pricing it is always tricky, and whilst some folks may think that pricing is something that is simply determined at the last moment, that's not the case with us. We gave the Clear pricing a **lot** of thought (and continue to do so). We think great apps are worth paying for, and we want to ensure that we can always continue to build apps that people want to use.

Thanks again, I hope you enjoy using Clear for Mac and iPhone w/iCloud when it launches next week.

—Nik

Nik Fletcher
Product Manager, Realmac Software (http://www.realmacsoftware.com)
@nikf (http://twitter.com/nikf)
Not enough, by the looks of it.

I'm totally against the way these Mac apps totally rip their users off - as a developer myself, I know there is very little difference in creating an iOS or OSX app. In fact, in many respects it's easier on OSX because users don't hold the screen close to their faces to notice every little thing. The artwork on OSX is a similar or even lower resolution to that needed on iOS devices. Some things are a little more involved due to the less modern AppKit framework, but overall it doesn't justify the price.

Clear is even worse - the minimalist look means that it doesn't have lots of fancy artwork they need to pay designers to remake. It's just solid colours.

Clear on iOS was a nice concept app, but it was clearly built for the UI demo and not the function it supposedly is for (todos). It's a rudimentary todo manager at best. I know lots of people who were attracted by the video and bought it; none of them still use it.

I could go further - I don't think the hyper-gesture approach of Clear on iOS even makes sense on OSX. What am I supposed to do, drag an item with my mouse pointer to create a new one? How is that any easier or more intuitive than clicking a simple "+" button? The flaw with the (admittedly attractive) Clear UI concept is that it totally relies on direct manipulation. Once you're pointing at things indirectly by using a mouse cursor, I can tell it won't be nearly as fun.

My prefrontal cortex is telling me this app will be awkward to use, and that I'll likely still not use it even with iCloud sync (FYI, Notes does it for free). The price means I'm not even going to take a punt on it.

Honestly, what I think is that Clear on iOS has run out of steam: it was always a UI demo more than an app, and it's not exciting any more. You'd like a similar cash cow, so you've settled on the cheapest, laziest option: bring it to the Mac (and that's even useful for todo syncing, but that wasn't why you did it. Or you would have done it ages ago. Even now you could also implement it with EventKit and not force people to buy your complimentary app to sync their todos, but we both know you won't).

Luckily for you Mac apps have a higher price (due to pre-AppStore legacy), so that means you can be totally unimaginative and just port a ill-fitting experience and even charge more for it! This is exactly the kind of thinking that we need less of; it has nothing to do with development costs (I'd gladly pay more for something genuinely new and innovative).

</rant>
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...