Mountee
- Download
MacNTFS-0.2.0.dmg. - Drag
MacNTFS.appto Applications and launch it. - Press Enable File System Extension.
- Choose Mount Read/Write for a volume.
No reboot. No Homebrew. No macFUSE.
Installation guideComparison · Verified November 14, 2026
Mountee vs Mounty: two free approaches to NTFS on Mac.
Both are free menu bar utilities for NTFS write access. The right choice depends less on price and more on your macOS version and whether you want a macFUSE dependency.
Direct answer
Choose Mounty if you need a free option for older macOS versions, use Intel hardware, or already rely on macFUSE. Choose Mountee if you are on macOS 26 or later with Apple Silicon and want NTFS read/write without macFUSE, a kernel extension, or a security downgrade. Mounty 2.x requires macFUSE and ntfs-3g; Mountee uses Apple's FSKit and bundles ntfs-3g.
| Category | Mountee | Mounty |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, GPL-3.0 | Free; optional PayPal donation |
| Latest version | 0.2.0 · October 16, 2026 | 2.4 · December 29, 2023 |
| NTFS read/write | Yes | Yes, via ntfs-3g |
| Engine and framework | Apple FSKit + bundled ntfs-3g | macFUSE + ntfs-3g |
| macFUSE required | No | Yes (2.x) |
| Third-party kernel extension | No (FSKit, user space) | macFUSE (version-dependent) |
| Reboot to install | No | Commonly required |
| macOS support | 26 or later | 10.9–27 (1.x for older macOS; 2.x for 11+) |
| Apple Silicon | Required | Supported, per vendor docs |
| Intel Macs | Not supported | Supported by Mounty 1.x; check vendor docs for 2.x |
| App source | Published under GPL-3.0 | Not published on the official site |
| Format / repair tools | No; never formats or repairs | No; mount-focused utility |
Sources: the official Mounty site (version history and installation instructions) and the Mountee repository, both checked onNovember 14, 2026. Mounty is a third-party project; details may change. Verify current requirements before installing.
Installation
One DMG versus a three-part stack.
Mounty 2.x
Mounty's official instructions require macFUSE, ntfs-3g-mac, and the Mounty app. Homebrew is the recommended path:
brew install --cask macfuse
brew install gromgit/fuse/ntfs-3g-mac
brew install --cask mountyThe vendor notes you may need to trust macFUSE and ntfs-3g in Privacy & Security, grant disk access, and restart. For macOS 27, the vendor requires macFUSE 5.4.0 or later.
Mounty installation docsSecurity implications
Different trust surfaces, not good versus evil.
Mounty's official setup depends on macFUSE and ntfs-3g. You are trusting those components, their update process, and the system approvals they require. Recent macFUSE releases have explored an FSKit backend, but the established Mounty setup is the macFUSE + ntfs-3g path.
Mountee keeps filesystem code in Apple's FSKit framework and bundles a pinned ntfs-3g build. It publishes its source under GPL-3.0. That makes the trust surface different: no macFUSE, no separate kernel driver, and code you can inspect. It does not make Mountee risk-free.
Mountee security modelRead before installing either
- Back up important data before enabling write access.
- Do not force read/write on a dirty or hibernated NTFS volume.
- Install only from the vendor's official site or GitHub release.
- Do not disable SIP to work around an installation problem.
- Follow each vendor's current security instructions for your macOS version.
Trade-offs
Where each option fits.
Choose Mounty if…
- You are on macOS 15 or earlier.
- You need Intel Mac support.
- You already use macFUSE and accept its setup.
- You prefer a long-established free utility.
Choose Mountee if…
- You are on macOS 26+ with Apple Silicon.
- You want no macFUSE or kernel extension.
- You want an open-source FSKit implementation.
- You value explicit read-only defaults and honest limits.
Mounty is not abandoned based on this page. Its official site lists version 2.4 from December 29, 2023 and remains online. We are not making a support or security claim beyond what the vendor publishes. Check the official site for current guidance.
Official sources: mounty.app · macFUSE · ntfs-3g· Mountee source.
Your Windows drive is one install away.
Download Mountee, enable the file system extension once, and mount your NTFS volume read/write. Free, open source, and no macFUSE required.
macOS 26 or later · Apple Silicon · 4.25 MB