Talking about personal productivity has never felt as tasteless as it does now. After many months of global pandemic challenges that no one asked for or could have prepared for, making a point to “do more” seems laughable. Haven’t we been through enough?
Hear me out. I still want to tell you about the best productivity apps, and for good reason.
Productivity apps aren’t about pushing yourself to do more with less or be more efficient—unless that’s what you want. What they really offer is to take something that’s a little sucky and make it better or easier.
A lot of productivity apps take some job you would have otherwise done manually, like copying and pasting info from one app to another or transcribing audio, and they do it for you automatically. Others improve your quality of life by helping you get organized so you spend less mental energy trying to remember where you wrote down important details or what you’re supposed to do next. They take that weight off you. And couldn’t we all benefit from carrying a lighter load?
This article looks at apps that you can use in both professional and personal spheres, either by yourself or collaboratively. We include a few apps from the best office suites, as well as our top picks from project management software, to-do list apps, and note-taking apps. It’s by no means a comprehensive list, but we hope it offers useful suggestions for apps that make your life a little better. Finally, this list is arranged alphabetically.