Ranking updated
Best color picker apps for Mac in 2026
For a lightweight menu bar eyedropper that keeps a history and copies each color in the format you need, with no account, tracking or network, Custom Color Master. For the built-in macOS color picker with global shortcuts and palettes, System Color Picker. For palettes that sync between Mac and iPhone, ColorSlurp. For 20 ready code formats and custom ones, Colorsip. Full breakdown below.
How we picked: we read each app’s own Mac App Store description for how it picks colors, which formats it copies, whether it keeps a history or palettes, and what it asks of your data. We do not quote prices; check them in the store for your country.
A private menu bar eyedropper
Custom Color Master, from a developer in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, lives in the menu bar: you click the eyedropper, pick a pixel anywhere on the screen, and the color lands in your history. Each color in the history has its own format dropdown, so you can copy one as HEX and another as OKLCH or SwiftUI with a single click, and you can paste a color value to convert it too. Formats include HEX, RGB, RGBA, HSL, HSBA, HWB, OKLCH, CMYK, SwiftUI and UIColor. All data stays on your Mac, with no account, no tracking and no network connection needed.
The macOS picker, with shortcuts
System Color Picker opens the built-in macOS color picker from anywhere with a global keyboard shortcut, runs as a normal app or in the menu bar, keeps palettes and recent colors, and copies, pastes and converts Hex, HSL, RGB, Unit RGB, OKLCH, LCH and CMYK, each with its own shortcut. It also imports Simple Color Palette and Adobe Swatch Exchange palettes. Its listing notes that on macOS 26 a system bug can make the sampler pick the wrong color, which the app cannot fix.
Palettes and code formats
ColorSlurp is built for designers and developers: a magnifier, color editing tools, swatches and harmonies, palettes you name and sync with iCloud between Mac and iPhone, and export to CSS, Sass, Swift, HTML, JSON and more. Some features, such as palette export and unlimited palettes, come with ColorSlurp PRO. Colorsip picks from the screen with a magnifier, keeps picking while you hold Command, and converts to 20 code formats from CSS to Swift, Java, Android and C#; the Pro version lets you add your own formats and shortcuts. For App Store design work, see App Store screenshot makers.
| App | Best for | Formats | Palettes and history |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom Color MasterCensuusApp Store | a private menu bar eyedropper | HEX, RGB, RGBA, HSL, HSBA, HWB, OKLCH, CMYK, SwiftUI, UIColor and more | history with its own format per color |
| System Color PickerApp Store | the macOS color panel with shortcuts | Hex, HSL, RGB, Unit RGB, OKLCH, LCH, CMYK | palettes and recent colors |
| ColorSlurpApp Store | palettes across Mac and iPhone | many formats, export to CSS, Sass, Swift, JSON and more | palettes synced with iCloud |
| ColorsipApp Store | code formats for many languages | 20 code formats, custom formats in Pro | history collections |
Frequently asked questions
Which Mac color picker copies OKLCH?
Custom Color Master and System Color Picker both copy OKLCH, alongside HEX, RGB, HSL and CMYK.
Is there a color picker for Mac with no account or tracking?
Custom Color Master says all data stays on your device, with no accounts, no tracking and no network connection required.
Which color picker syncs palettes between Mac and iPhone?
ColorSlurp syncs your palettes between devices with iCloud, so a palette made on the phone shows up on the Mac.
Which color picker copies SwiftUI or UIColor code?
Custom Color Master copies SwiftUI and UIColor, and Colorsip converts to SwiftUI, UIColor, NSColor and other code formats.