📚 Tool Library

Every tool, honestly reviewed.

96 productivity tools across 10 categories. Filter by category, sort by what real visitors love most, or find the perfect fit for your workflow.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only feature tools we actually rate.

Showing all 96 tools
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

ChatGPT

★★★★½ 4.5

The default general-purpose AI assistant for writing, coding, and research

Best for
General-purpose AI assistance across writing, coding, and research
Free; Plus $20/mo, Pro $200/mo Read review →
🎨 Design
FREEPAID

Figma

★★★★½ 4.7

The real-time collaborative design tool that redefined how teams design together

Best for
Design teams needing real-time collaborative UI/UX work
Free (Starter); Professional $16/editor/mo, Organization $55/editor/mo Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
PAID

NordVPN

★★★★½ 4.4

Fast, well-audited VPN with the biggest brand recognition in the category

Best for
General consumers wanting a fast, reliable, no-configuration VPN
From $3.49/mo (27-month plan); $14.99/mo month-to-month Read review →
🎨 Design
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Canva

★★★★½ 4.4

Template-driven design that makes anyone look like a competent designer

Best for
Non-designers needing fast, professional-looking graphics
Free; Pro $18/mo (or $144/yr), Teams $25/user/mo Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Notion

★★★★½ 4.5

One workspace for notes, docs, wikis, and projects.

Best for
Solo operators and small teams replacing 3–5 separate tools
Free; paid from $10/user/mo Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Zapier

★★★★½ 4.3

The biggest app integration library in automation, at a price to match

Best for
Non-technical teams needing the widest possible app integration coverage
Free (100 tasks/mo); Professional from $19.99/mo, Team from $69/mo Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

Claude

★★★★½ 4.6

Careful, long-context AI reasoning favored by writers and developers

Best for
Writers, researchers, and developers working with long documents or codebases
Free; Pro $17-20/mo, Max from $100/mo Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Asana

★★★★½ 4.3

Clean, structured project tracking for cross-functional teams

Best for
Cross-functional teams coordinating marketing and ops work
Personal free for 2 users; Starter $13.49/user/mo monthly; Advanced $30.49/user/mo monthly Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Jira

★★★★☆ 4.1

The deeply configurable engineering tracker enterprises standardize on

Best for
Large engineering orgs needing granular workflow control
Free for up to 10 users; Standard and Premium priced per user/month (calculator-based) Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Calendly

★★★★½ 4.6

A reliable booking layer for availability, routing, and follow-up

Best for
Consultants, sales teams, recruiters, and service businesses that schedule repeatedly
Free; Standard $10/seat/mo billed annually ($12 monthly); Teams $16/seat/mo annually Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
PAID

ExpressVPN

★★★★½ 4.4

Premium-priced, no-fuss VPN with a long track record of trustworthiness

Best for
Less technical users who want a simple, reliable, no-configuration VPN
Basic $3.49/mo for the first 28 months (2-year + 4-month term); renews at $99.95/year; 30-day money-back guarantee Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Monday.com

★★★★☆ 4.2

Visual, colorful work management that non-technical teams actually enjoy using

Best for
Agencies and ops teams managing many parallel client workflows
Free for up to 2 seats; Basic $9/seat/mo, Standard $12/seat/mo (billed annually) Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
FREEPAID

Grammarly

★★★★½ 4.3

Real-time grammar, spelling, and tone checks everywhere you write.

Best for
Anyone whose job depends on email, docs, or messages reading well
Free; Premium from $12/mo Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

Google Gemini

★★★★☆ 4.2

Google’s AI assistant, deeply embedded across Gmail, Docs, and Android

Best for
Google Workspace users wanting AI built directly into Gmail and Docs
Free; Google AI Pro (Gemini Advanced) roughly $19.99/mo Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

ClickUp

★★★★☆ 4.2

The all-in-one workspace that does almost everything, sometimes at the cost of simplicity

Best for
Teams wanting one tool to replace several point solutions
Free; Unlimited $7/user/mo, Business $12/user/mo (billed yearly) Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAIDTRIAL

GitHub Copilot

★★★★½ 4.3

AI code completion and chat built directly into your existing editor

Best for
Development teams wanting AI assistance without switching editors
Free (limited); Pro $10/mo, Business $19/user/mo Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Trello

★★★★☆ 4.2

The simplest Kanban board that still gets real work organized

Best for
Individuals and small teams who want simple visual boards
Free for up to 10 boards; Standard $5/user/mo, Premium $10/user/mo (billed annually) Read review →
✅ Task Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Todoist

★★★★½ 4.6

Fast, cross-platform task management with natural language input.

Best for
Individuals who want a no-nonsense task manager that just works
Free; Pro from $4/mo Read review →
🎨 Design
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Miro

★★★★½ 4.4

The infinite whiteboard for remote workshops, retros, and brainstorming

Best for
Remote and hybrid teams running workshops and brainstorming sessions
Free (3 boards); Starter from roughly $8/user/mo, Business from roughly $16/user/mo Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
PAIDTRIAL

1Password

★★★★½ 4.6

Polished, feature-rich password management for individuals and teams

Best for
Teams and families wanting a polished, well-supported password manager
Individual $2.99/mo, Family $4.99/mo, Business from $7.99/user/mo (billed annually) Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

Perplexity

★★★★½ 4.5

AI-powered search and research with cited, verifiable sources

Best for
Research and fact-checking that needs current, cited information
Free; Pro $20/mo (or $200/yr) Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREE

Apple Notes

★★★★☆ 4.1

The free, built-in note app that’s better than most people give it credit for

Best for
Apple users who want zero-setup, reliable everyday notes
Free with any Apple ID (iCloud storage limits apply) Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAID

Microsoft OneNote

★★★★☆ 4.0

The free-form digital notebook bundled into every Microsoft 365 plan

Best for
Microsoft 365 users and anyone who prefers a free-form canvas
Free standalone app; full features bundled with Microsoft 365 from $6.99/mo Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Raycast

★★★★½ 4.6

A fast command center that turns desktop actions into keyboard shortcuts

Best for
Keyboard-driven professionals who want a customizable desktop command center
Free; Pro $10/mo monthly or $8/mo annual; Advanced AI +$8/mo Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
PAID

Surfshark

★★★★½ 4.3

Budget-friendly VPN with unlimited device connections on every plan

Best for
Households and multi-device users wanting unlimited connections
From $2.49/mo (2-year plan); $16.45/mo month-to-month Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
PAID

Midjourney

★★★★½ 4.4

AI image generation with a distinctive artistic, cinematic aesthetic

Best for
Creatives wanting distinctive, artistic AI-generated imagery
Basic $10/mo, Standard $30/mo, Pro $60/mo Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Make

★★★★½ 4.4

Visual, node-based automation for complex conditional workflows

Best for
Technical users building complex, branching automation workflows
Free (1,000 ops/mo); Core from roughly $9/mo, Pro from roughly $16/mo Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Linear

★★★★½ 4.6

Blazing-fast issue tracking built specifically for software teams

Best for
Software and product teams who live in issue trackers daily
Free; Basic $10/user/mo, Business $16/user/mo Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAID

Obsidian

★★★★½ 4.7

Markdown-based knowledge management you actually own.

Best for
Researchers, writers, and knowledge workers building a long-term second brain
Free for personal use; Sync from $4/mo Read review →
✅ Task Management
PAID

Things 3

★★★★½ 4.6

Beautifully designed, one-time-purchase task management for Apple users

Best for
Apple-only individuals who want a beautiful, one-time-purchase planner
$9.99 iPhone, $19.99 iPad, $49.99 Mac (one-time purchases, no subscription) Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Cursor

★★★★½ 4.6

An AI-native code editor built around multi-file, agentic coding assistance

Best for
Developers who want AI deeply integrated into their daily coding workflow
Free (Hobby, limited); Individual $20/mo, Teams $40/user/mo Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Toggl Track

★★★★½ 4.4

Frictionless time tracking for freelancers and teams.

Best for
Freelancers tracking billable hours and teams running time studies
Free for up to 5 users; paid from $10/user/mo Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

Taskade

★★★★½ 4.3

An AI workspace where projects, agents, automations, and apps meet

Best for
Small teams that want an all-in-one workspace with AI-built tools
Free; Pro $10/mo for 10 users Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

Granola

★★★★½ 4.5

A human-guided AI meeting notepad that keeps the conversation searchable

Best for
Meeting-heavy professionals who want better notes without a visible bot joining calls
Free; Business $14/user/mo; Enterprise $35/user/mo Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Evernote

★★★½☆ 3.7

The veteran note app rebuilding itself around search and document scanning

Best for
Users needing powerful document and PDF search across large archives
Free (50 notes, 1 notebook); paid plans from roughly $8.99/mo billed annually Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAID

AppFlowy

★★★★½ 4.4

An open-source workspace for notes, projects, and private team knowledge

Best for
Privacy-conscious teams, technical users, and Notion users who want self-hosting
Free forever; Pro $10/user/mo billed annually (or $12.50 monthly); AI MAX $8/user/mo Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Wispr Flow

★★★★½ 4.3

Voice dictation that turns natural speech into polished text anywhere

Best for
Writers, developers, and busy professionals who think faster by speaking than typing
Free; Pro $15/user/mo or $12/user/mo billed annually; Growth from $23/user/mo Read review →
✅ Task Management
FREEPAID

TickTick

★★★★½ 4.4

Affordable cross-platform tasks with a built-in calendar and habit tracker

Best for
Budget-conscious users who want tasks, calendar, and habits in one app
Free; Premium $49.99/year Read review →
🎨 Design
PAIDTRIAL

Screen Studio

★★★★½ 4.5

Professional-looking screen demos without a heavy video editor

Best for
Mac-based founders, educators, and product teams making demos or tutorials
Free to preview without export; Pro $29/mo or $108/yr; one-time license $229 Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
FREEPAID

Proton VPN

★★★★½ 4.5

Privacy-focused VPN with a genuinely unlimited, ad-free free tier

Best for
Privacy-conscious users wanting a genuinely free, ad-free VPN tier
Free (unlimited data, limited servers); VPN Plus from $2.99/mo (2-yr plan) Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAID

Plane

★★★★½ 4.4

Open-source project management for teams that want control

Best for
Software and product teams seeking modern PM with cloud or self-hosted deployment
Free up to 12 users; Pro $6/user/mo billed annually Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Bitwarden

★★★★½ 4.6

Open-source password management with an unusually generous free tier

Best for
Budget-conscious users and open-source advocates wanting full-featured free password management
Free (unlimited passwords/devices); Premium $10/yr, Families $40/yr Read review →
🎨 Design
FREEPAID

Framer

★★★★½ 4.4

Design and publish real, fast websites without a separate dev handoff

Best for
Designers and marketers publishing fast marketing sites without developers
Free; Mini $5/mo, Basic $15/mo, Pro $30/mo (billed annually) Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Wrike

★★★★☆ 4.0

Enterprise project management with strong proofing and approval workflows

Best for
Marketing and creative teams needing proofing and approvals
Free; Team $10/user/mo, Business $25/user/mo Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAID

n8n

★★★★½ 4.7

Open-source workflow automation — visual canvas, code when you need it.

Best for
Power users running 10+ automations who outgrew Zapier’s pricing
Free self-hosted; Cloud from $20/mo Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
PAIDTRIAL

Akiflow

★★★★½ 4.4

A calendar-first command center for tasks, meetings, and time blocks

Best for
Founders and calendar-heavy knowledge workers who need one execution plan
$19/user/mo billed annually; $34/user/mo monthly; 7-day trial Read review →
🎨 Design
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Clueso

★★★★½ 4.5

Polished product videos and documentation from rough screen recordings

Best for
Product education, customer success, enablement, and SaaS marketing teams
Free; Solo $40/mo billed yearly; Business $120/mo billed yearly Read review →
⚡ Automation
PAIDTRIAL

Lindy

★★★★☆ 4.1

An AI teammate that runs supervised work across inbox, meetings, and Slack

Best for
Operators who want supervised AI agents to handle recurring cross-tool work
Plus $29.99/user/mo; Pro $99.99/user/mo; Max $199.99/user/mo Read review →
🤖 AI Tools
FREEPAID

ElevenLabs

★★★★½ 4.6

The most realistic AI voice generation and cloning tool available

Best for
Content creators and teams producing regular voiceover or narration
Free (10k credits/mo); Starter $6/mo, Creator $22/mo, Pro $99/mo Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Harvest

★★★★½ 4.4

Time tracking built to flow straight into client invoices and payments

Best for
Freelancers and agencies billing clients by the hour
Free (1 project, 2 seats); Pro roughly $13.75/seat/mo billed annually Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Tana

★★★★½ 4.4

An AI-native outliner that connects notes, tasks, meetings, and knowledge

Best for
Researchers and power users who want a connected knowledge graph with tasks and meeting notes
Free; Plus $8/mo; Pro $14/mo Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
FREE

Signal

★★★★½ 4.7

The gold-standard encrypted messenger, free and genuinely private

Best for
Confidential professional or personal conversations requiring real privacy
Free, nonprofit-funded, no ads or premium tier Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAID

Clockify

★★★★½ 4.4

Genuinely free time tracking with unlimited users and projects

Best for
Freelancers and small teams wanting free, unlimited time tracking
Free for up to 5 users; Basic €3.99/seat/mo annually (€4.99 monthly); Standard €5.49/seat/mo annually (€6.99 monthly) Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Bear

★★★★½ 4.4

Beautiful, fast markdown notes exclusively for the Apple ecosystem

Best for
Apple users who want fast, beautiful markdown notes
Free (single device); Pro $2.99/mo or $29.99/yr Read review →
✅ Task Management
FREEPAID

Habitica

★★★★☆ 4.1

A habit and task tracker that turns daily work into an RPG

Best for
People who want gamification and social accountability to build habits
Free; optional subscription from $4.99/mo Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

RescueTime

★★★★☆ 4.1

Automatic, passive time tracking that shows where your day actually goes

Best for
Individuals wanting automatic awareness of where their time goes
Free (Lite); Solo $7/mo billed annually ($84/yr); Solo+ $12/mo; Team $10/user/mo; Team+ $16/user/mo Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
FREEPAIDTRIAL

ProWritingAid

★★★★½ 4.3

Deep style and structure reports for writers who want more than grammar fixes

Best for
Novelists, bloggers, and long-form writers wanting structural feedback
Free (limited); Premium from roughly $10/mo billed annually Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Retool

★★★★½ 4.4

Low-code platform for building internal tools and dashboards fast

Best for
Engineering and ops teams building internal tools quickly
Free; Team $10/month per Builder, $5/month per Internal user; Business $50/month per Builder, $15/month per Internal user Read review →
🗂️ Project Management
PAIDTRIAL

Basecamp

★★★★☆ 4.0

Flat-fee, calm project management without the feature bloat

Best for
Small agencies and teams who want flat pricing and less complexity
Basecamp Plus $15/mo; Pro Unlimited $349/year flat fee for unlimited users Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAID

Guideflow

★★★★½ 4.3

Interactive demos and sandboxes that let buyers try before they buy

Best for
SaaS product marketing, sales, onboarding, and customer education teams
Free; Solo $35/user/mo billed yearly (or $40 monthly); Growth $499/mo billed yearly Read review →
✅ Task Management
FREE

Microsoft To Do

★★★½☆ 3.7

Free, simple task lists tightly integrated with Outlook and Microsoft 365

Best for
Microsoft 365 users who want simple, integrated task lists
Free with any Microsoft account Read review →
✅ Task Management
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Any.do

★★★★☆ 4.1

Simple task management that scales from solo lists to family and team plans

Best for
Individuals and families wanting simple shared task management
Free; Premium $4.99/mo billed annually, Family $8.33/mo for 4 members Read review →
📝 Note-taking
PAIDTRIAL

Heptabase

★★★★½ 4.3

A visual knowledge base for research and connected thinking

Best for
Researchers, students, and visual thinkers working through complex topics
Pro $8.99/mo; 7-day trial Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
FREEPAID

Hemingway Editor

★★★★☆ 4.1

A blunt clarity checker that flags complexity, not just grammar mistakes

Best for
Writers doing a clarity and readability pass after drafting
Free web editor; Desktop app $19.99 one-time Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAIDTRIAL

IFTTT

★★★½☆ 3.7

Simple if-this-then-that automation, now leaning more consumer and smart-home

Best for
Personal and smart-home automation rather than business workflows
Free (limited applets); Pro from roughly $2.50/mo billed annually Read review →
✅ Task Management
PAIDTRIAL

Motion

★★★★☆ 4.0

AI-powered auto-scheduling that fits your tasks into your actual calendar

Best for
People with unpredictable, meeting-heavy schedules
From roughly $19/mo billed annually (individual plan), no permanent free tier Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
PAIDTRIAL

Superhuman

★★★★½ 4.3

The fastest, most polished email client, priced like a premium SaaS tool

Best for
Heavy email users like executives and salespeople who live in their inbox
Starter $25/mo (billed annually) or $30/mo monthly; Business $33-40/mo Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
FREEPAID

LanguageTool

★★★★☆ 4.0

Multilingual grammar checking with genuinely strong non-English support

Best for
Multilingual writers and teams needing non-English grammar support
Free (limited); Premium from roughly $4.99/mo billed annually Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAID

Pipedream

★★★★½ 4.3

Developer-first automation that mixes no-code steps with real code

Best for
Developers who want to mix code with no-code automation
Free; Basic $29/mo, Advanced $49/mo (billed annually) Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Craft

★★★★☆ 4.2

The most visually polished block-based note and document editor

Best for
Users who want beautifully formatted docs and notes on Apple devices
Free; Plus $6.40/mo; Family $12/mo; Team $50/mo Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
FREE

Notion Calendar

★★★★½ 4.4

A fast, free calendar app that overlays multiple accounts beautifully

Best for
People managing multiple Google or Outlook calendars who want a faster interface
Free for individuals Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREE

Logseq

★★★★☆ 4.1

Free, open-source, local-first outliner for networked note-taking

Best for
Technical users who want a free, local-first networked note tool
Free (open-source); optional Logseq Sync add-on for paid cloud sync Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Reclaim.ai

★★★★½ 4.4

AI scheduling that automatically defends your focus time and habits

Best for
Individuals and small teams wanting AI-protected focus time
Free (Lite, single user); Starter $10/seat/mo, Business $15/seat/mo (billed annually) Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
FREEPAID

Wordtune

★★★★☆ 4.0

AI-powered sentence rewrites in multiple tones, not just error flags

Best for
Non-native speakers and professionals wanting fast tone-adjusted rewrites
Free (limited rewrites); Advanced from $4.89/mo billed annually Read review →
⚡ Automation
PAIDTRIAL

Workato

★★★★½ 4.3

Enterprise-grade integration and automation for complex IT environments

Best for
Enterprises needing governed, auditable automation across complex systems
Custom quote-based pricing, no public self-serve tier Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Fantastical

★★★★½ 4.5

Beautifully designed natural-language calendar app for Apple devices

Best for
Apple-only professionals wanting a faster, smarter calendar
Free (basic); Premium roughly $4.99/mo or $39.99/yr Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Hubstaff

★★★★☆ 4.2

Time tracking with screenshots and activity monitoring for remote teams

Best for
Agencies managing remote or offshore contractor teams
Starter $4.99/seat/mo billed annually ($7 monthly); Team $10/seat/mo; Project Viewer role free Read review →
✅ Task Management
PAIDTRIAL

OmniFocus

★★★★½ 4.3

The deepest GTD-style task manager for Apple power users

Best for
Serious GTD practitioners who want deep customization
Standard license $74.99 one-time; Pro $149.99 one-time; or subscription $9.99/mo Read review →
📝 Note-taking
PAID

Roam Research

★★★★☆ 3.8

The original networked-thought outliner that inspired a generation of clones

Best for
Researchers and writers who want the original bidirectional-linking outliner
Pro $15/mo monthly or $13.75/mo billed annually; Believer $500/5 years; 31-day trial Read review →
🎨 Design
FREEPAID

Whimsical

★★★★½ 4.3

Fast, clean flowcharts and wireframes for early-stage product thinking

Best for
Product teams sketching flows and wireframes before formal design
Free (limited boards); paid plans from roughly $10/editor/mo Read review →
✅ Task Management
PAIDTRIAL

Sunsama

★★★★½ 4.3

A guided daily planning ritual that unifies tasks from all your other tools

Best for
Professionals juggling multiple tools who want one daily planning ritual
Pro $17/user/mo billed annually ($204/year); $22/user/mo monthly (no permanent free tier, 14-day trial) Read review →
🔒 VPN & Privacy
PAID

Mullvad VPN

★★★★½ 4.5

Radically anonymous VPN with no email required and flat, no-discount pricing

Best for
Privacy purists who want anonymous signup and no marketing upsells
Flat 5 EUR/mo (~$5.50) regardless of term Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
PAIDTRIAL

Timely

★★★★½ 4.3

AI-assembled timesheets from automatically captured background activity

Best for
Agencies and consultancies needing accurate, low-effort timesheets
From roughly $11/user/mo billed annually, 14-day free trial Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
PAIDTRIAL

Ulysses

★★★★½ 4.4

Distraction-free, library-organized markdown writing for Mac and iOS

Best for
Long-form writers on Apple platforms managing multiple ongoing projects
$5.99/mo or $39.99/yr (subscription only) Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
FREEPAID

Spark Mail

★★★★☆ 4.2

Smart, free-tier-friendly email with built-in team collaboration

Best for
Small teams wanting collaborative shared inboxes without high cost
Free (unlimited accounts); Plus $8.25/mo, Pro $16.58/mo (billed annually) Read review →
🎨 Design
FREE

Excalidraw

★★★★½ 4.4

Free, open-source hand-drawn-style diagramming that developers love

Best for
Developers and technical teams sketching quick diagrams and architecture
Free (open-source); Excalidraw+ hosted plan from roughly $7/user/mo Read review →
⚡ Automation
FREEPAID

Bardeen

★★★★☆ 4.0

Browser-based automation for scraping, form-filling, and web data tasks

Best for
Sales, recruiting, and ops roles doing manual browser-based data work
Free (100 credits/mo); paid plans from roughly $10/mo Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
PAIDTRIAL

Fastmail

★★★★½ 4.3

Ad-free, privacy-respecting email hosting with custom domains

Best for
Professionals wanting private, ad-free email with a custom domain
Individual $6/mo, Duo $10/mo, Family $14/mo (billed monthly) Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Everhour

★★★★½ 4.3

Time tracking that embeds directly into Asana, Trello, and Jira

Best for
Teams wanting time tracking embedded directly into their existing PM tool
Free (up to 5 seats); Team $8.50/seat/mo (minimum 5 seats, billed annually) Read review →
📝 Note-taking
FREEPAID

Capacities

★★★★☆ 4.0

Object-based note-taking that treats your notes as structured, typed data

Best for
People who want structured, typed notes rather than flat documents
Free tier available; Pro roughly $10/mo billed annually Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
PAIDTRIAL

iA Writer

★★★★½ 4.3

A minimalist, typography-obsessed markdown editor for focused writing

Best for
Writers who want a clean, distraction-free markdown editor
macOS $49.99, iOS/iPadOS $19.99, Windows $29.99 (one-time per platform) Read review →
📧 Email & Calendar
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Missive

★★★★½ 4.4

Shared team inboxes with internal chat built right into email threads

Best for
Small support or sales teams sharing common inboxes
Free (limited); Starter roughly $18/mo for 2 seats, scaling per seat Read review →
✍️ Writing & Grammar
PAIDTRIAL

Sudowrite

★★★★☆ 4.2

AI writing assistance purpose-built for fiction and creative writers

Best for
Fiction writers and novelists using AI as a brainstorming partner
From $10/mo (Hobby & Hacker tier), Professional $25/mo Read review →
🎨 Design
FREE

Penpot

★★★★☆ 4.0

The open-source, self-hostable Figma alternative built on open standards

Best for
Security-conscious or budget-limited teams wanting an open-source Figma alternative
Free (open-source, self-hosted or cloud); paid cloud tiers available Read review →
✅ Task Management
PAIDTRIAL

Amazing Marvin

★★★★☆ 4.2

The deeply customizable task manager for productivity system tinkerers

Best for
Productivity system tinkerers who want maximum configurability
From $8-12/mo (tiered by feature add-ons), free 30-day trial Read review →
⏱️ Time Tracking
FREEPAIDTRIAL

Timeular

★★★★☆ 4.0

Physical cube plus software for tactile, habit-forming time tracking

Best for
People who need a physical, tactile trigger to remember tracking
Free (limited); paid plans from roughly $7.50/user/mo; physical Tracker cube sold separately Read review →