How can apps help make your work life easier? That’s the question we’re answering today. Whether you work in an office, at home, in a workshop, or in the field, it can be hard just to keep your head above water.

Thankfully, there is a wide range of productivity apps and software available that can help streamline your tasks and save you valuable time.

We’ve found 5 great apps and software that will help you boost your productivity at work, and maybe free up a bit of time in your busy schedule.

For ease, we’ve provided pros and cons for each productivity app, and have even highlighted some free options (as who doesn’t love getting something for nothing!).

Todoist

Todoist is a powerful task management app designed to help you stay organized and focused on your work. With its intuitive interface and robust features, Todoist enables you to efficiently manage your to-do lists and projects, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Pros:

• Easily create and organize tasks and sub-tasks

• Set due dates and reminders to stay on track

• Collaborate with team members and delegate tasks

• Seamless integration with popular platforms like Google Calendar and Slack

• Available on various devices and platforms for easy access

Cons:

• Some advanced features require a premium subscription

• Free plan has limitations on collaboration options

Pricing: Todoist offers a free plan with basic features. The premium plan is available at £4 per month (billed annually) and unlocks advanced functionalities such as larger file limits, reminders, and automatic backups. They also offer a business plan for teams at £6 per user per month.

Toggl Track

Time tracking is essential for understanding how you spend your work hours and identifying areas for improvement. Toggl Track is a versatile time-tracking app that allows you to monitor your time spent on different tasks, projects, or clients.

Pros:

• Effortlessly track time with a simple user interface

• Generate detailed reports and visualizations for analysis

• Integration with popular project management tools

• Idle detection ensures accurate time capture

• Manual time entry and editing capabilities

Cons:

• Free plan has limited reporting features

• Some advanced features are only available in paid plans

Pricing: Toggl offers a free plan with basic time tracking features. Premium plans start at $9 per user per month (no other currencies available, as far as we could see) and include additional features such as project templates, team management, and advanced reporting.

Evernote

Evernote is a versatile note-taking app that helps you organize your work-related information, ideas, and reminders in one place. With its powerful features and seamless synchronization, Evernote allows you to declutter your mind and access important information whenever you need it.

Pros:

• Capture and store notes in various formats (text, audio, images)

• Sync your notes across devices for easy access

• Web clipping feature for saving online articles and references

• Tagging and search functions for quick retrieval

• Integration with other apps and services

Cons:

• Some advanced features require a premium subscription

• Free plan has limitations on file storage and offline access

Pricing: Evernote offers a free plan with basic features and limited monthly uploads. The premium plan costs £6.67 per month and unlocks advanced features such as unlimited uploads, offline access, and collaboration options. They also offer a business plan for teams starting at £14.99 per user per month (min. 2 users).

Slack

Slack is a popular team collaboration and communication app that revolutionizes the way you work with your colleagues. It enables real-time messaging, file sharing, and integrations with other tools, making it a central hub for team productivity.

Pros:

• Instant messaging and channels for effective team communication

• File sharing and collaboration on documents and projects

• Integrates with a wide range of apps and services

• Powerful search function for finding past conversations and files

• Available on desktop and mobile devices

Cons:

• Can be overwhelming with excessive notifications

• Advanced features and extended storage require higher-tier plans

Pricing: Slack offers a free plan with limited features. Paid plans start at £5.75 per user per month (billed annually) and provide additional features like unlimited message history, advanced administration controls, and priority support.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365 or just Microsoft Office) is a comprehensive suite of productivity apps that includes familiar tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. With its cloud-based functionality, Microsoft 365 allows you to collaborate, create, and communicate seamlessly, enhancing your work efficiency.

Pros

• Access to familiar and powerful productivity applications

• Real-time collaboration on documents with colleagues

• Cloud storage for easy access to files from anywhere

• Email management and scheduling with Outlook

• Regular updates and new features from Microsoft

Cons

• Subscription-based pricing may be costly for some

• Advanced features may require additional subscriptions

Pricing: Microsoft Office 365 offers various plans tailored to different user needs. Prices start at £4.90 per user per month for the basic plan and increase based on the features and applications included.

Conclusion

By harnessing the power of productivity apps and software, you can optimize your work efficiency, save time, and achieve more in your professional endeavours.

The apps mentioned above, including Todoist, Toggl Track, Evernote, Slack, and Microsoft Office 365, offer a range of features to help you enhance productivity and streamline your work processes.

Remember to explore these apps, take advantage of free trials or plans, and choose the ones that align with your specific work requirements. Here's to a more productive and successful work year ahead!