Capture any color. Craft better palettes.

ColorDetective for macOS

ColorDetective is a macOS color picker and palette manager for designers and developers. Sample any pixel with a magnifier, organize palettes inside workspaces, keep recent colors at hand, and upgrade to Pro for unlimited palettes and workspaces.

Explore Features How it works →

Pixel-precise picking, organized palettes, zero friction.

ColorDetective lets you grab any on-screen color with a magnifier, instantly add it to a palette, and group palettes inside workspaces. Keep recent picks, rename palettes, drag column widths, and stay in flow. Free tier includes one workspace and two palettes; Pro unlocks unlimited palettes and workspaces.

Instant color picker
Magnify any pixel, grab its hex, and drop it straight into a palette.
Palettes you can name
Rename palettes, keep slots tidy, and stay organized for each project.
Workspaces for clients
Group palettes into workspaces per client or product line.
Recent colors
Auto-capture every pick so you can re-use it without hunting.
Copy & export ready
Copy hex values instantly; keep palettes consistent across teams.
Perfect for: product designers, frontend developers, brand teams, and anyone who needs fast, consistent palettes on macOS.
System requirements
  • macOS 14.0 or later
  • Screen Recording permission (to sample pixels across all apps)
  • Optimized for multi-display setups
Permissions & Privacy

ColorDetective only requests Screen Recording to read on-screen pixels for the magnifier. No files or network access are required for core features. You remain in control and can revoke permissions anytime in macOS Settings.

How it works

Open ColorDetective, pick a pixel, drop it into a palette, and keep everything organized in workspaces.

1. Launch

Start ColorDetective from the menu bar.

2. Pick

Use the magnifier to sample any pixel on screen; the hex value appears instantly.

3. Organize

Drop colors into palettes, rename them, and group palettes by workspace.

4. Share

Copy hex values and reuse them across your design or codebase.

Contact

For support or questions, email [email protected].

Meet the creators: ColorDetective

We build Mac tools that stay out of your way. ColorDetective was born from daily design and frontend work where pixel-perfect palettes matter.
If you design, code, or ship UI, ColorDetective keeps your colors organized so you can move faster.