Build Mac App
A Mac app template with licensing, notarization, Sparkle auto-updates, Creem or Polar payments and a Next.js site that sells it.
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Description
A Mac app template with licensing, notarization, Sparkle auto-updates, Creem or Polar payments and a Next.js site that sells it. Built for AI agents.
About Build Mac App
What is Build Mac App?
Build Mac App is a source-code template for selling macOS apps. It combines a Mac application with licensing, release tooling, updates, payments, email and a Next.js sales website.
What Build Mac App does
The template supplies per-Mac license activation, key recovery, refund handling and a signed Sparkle update flow. Build scripts cover universal binaries, signing and notarization, locally or through GitHub Actions. Creem or Polar handles checkout, and Resend supports receipts and access emails. The sales site includes pricing, legal pages, a changelog and an MDX blog.
Who Build Mac App is for
People building and selling a Mac app can use the template with an AI coding agent or direct development.
How Build Mac App works
The buyer accepts a private GitHub invitation, clones the repository and runs the app and website locally. A rename script changes product identity, and a doctor script checks setup. Features are implemented and verified before release credentials and payment accounts are connected. Release scripts build, sign and notarize a DMG, with publication left to the developer.
Key features
- License activation is checked per Mac.
- A 14-day offline grace window is described.
- Lost-key recovery uses email.
- Refund webhooks revoke license keys.
- Universal builds support Apple silicon and Intel.
- Sparkle updates use a signed appcast.
- Creem and Polar share a payment contract.
- The site includes changelog and blog tooling.
Facts from buildmac.app, checked 13 October 2026
- The template integrates Resend, React Email, GitHub Actions and Sparkle.
Written from Build Mac App's own website (Homepage, Docs). The maker can claim this listing to edit it.
Categories
Frequently asked questions
What development tools are required?
The docs list a Mac with Xcode, Swift 6 and XcodeGen, plus Node 22 with Corepack for the site.
Is Apple membership needed just to build?
No. The docs say building and running need neither Apple Developer membership nor a payment account; release and sales require those separately.
What does the developer still build?
The template supplies distribution and sales plumbing while the developer implements what the app actually does.
Does the release script publish automatically?
The site says the release command stops before irreversible publication, which remains for the developer to run.
Can payments deliver repository access?
The template supports selling license keys, GitHub repository access or both.