Freeform

When I began drafting this article, Freeform hadn't launched yet. This app has replaced Notability for me due to its similar features and the fact that it’s free, unlike Notability, which requires a $15 annual subscription for full access. Freeform, Apple's latest addition to the App Store, provides a platform for creating a digital whiteboard tailored to your creative needs. You can use it to kickstart your next project, design a digital planner, or set up a collaborative workspace to share media and sketches with your team. Personally, I've found it beneficial for creating mind maps, as I tend to visualize ideas better than verbalize them. Additionally, I've started using Freeform for note-taking—not through typing, but by hand with the Apple Pencil on my iPad Pro. While Apple's Notes app supports Apple Pencil, it doesn't allow for the same fluid interaction as Freeform, where I can freely jot down ideas and make notes dynamically.

Fantastical

Fantastical offers a more engaging experience than Apple’s built-in Calendar app. It merges the features of the Reminders app and the Calendar, allowing seamless management of both reminders and scheduled events. For instance, if you input “Meeting with Amanda at 4:00 PM @Starbucks,” the app converts that into an event complete with time and location. I often set reminders like “[Task] tomorrow at 8:00 AM,” as I find I'm most productive at that hour. The app’s various calendar views, especially the widget view, allow for quick glances at my schedule without needing to dive into the app. I subscribe to Fantastical's annual plan, which costs $39.99, and I've yet to find a better all-in-one calendar application on the App Store.

Grammarly

If I had to recommend one transformative tool for the workplace, it would undoubtedly be Grammarly. I'm currently using it to compose this article! Grammarly serves as a writing assistant that helps you craft everything from scripts to emails and articles. It offers AI-driven grammar suggestions to ensure correct language use and enriches your vocabulary, making your writing more engaging. I find it particularly useful for my business emails, correcting basic grammatical mistakes and suggesting improved sentence structures to avoid overly complex sentences. Overall, this is an indispensable tool that has made me a more thoughtful and concise writer. I've been using Grammarly since my college days, and I can’t imagine switching to another writing assistant.

Grammarly is the priciest app on my list, with a premium subscription costing $144 annually.

Copilot

Recently added to my productivity toolkit, Copilot is a financial management app that lets you track expenses across your bank, credit card, and investment accounts. It categorizes each expense, and you can create custom tags for more detailed tracking. Once you've set up these categories, you can establish budgets, helping you monitor your finances and recognize spending habits. While I’m generally good with money, visualizing my accounts' status has been incredibly helpful. Additionally, when I'm tempted to splurge, I can hold myself accountable or indulge if I’ve saved for a particular item. Keeping tabs on budgeting and expenses fosters a sense of confidence that positively impacts my overall productivity. Copilot costs $69 a year, which is roughly equivalent to one Starbucks coffee per month, and it’s worth it for better financial awareness.

Grocery

Let's face it, grocery shopping isn't exactly exciting. However, it can consume a lot of time and energy, which is why I started using the Grocery app this year. This app allows me to create detailed shopping lists for each store, removing any uncertainty about where to find items. If I discover something new while shopping, I can scan its barcode to add it for future reference. The planning process begins with thinking about recipes, so I avoid last-minute decisions that might lead to unhealthy takeout. The Grocery app helps me store recipes along with their ingredients, and if I decide to cook a particular dish that week, it automatically organizes the required items and their respective stores into my lists. Additionally, the app's history feature lets me review past purchases, saving me trips back to the store.

While grocery shopping might not be glamorous, utilizing the Grocery app saves a lot of time, allowing me to focus on more important tasks. With planned meals and less stress about shopping, my productivity has significantly improved.

Portal

Do you find it hard to concentrate during work hours? I often resort to music, television, or silence, leading me to distraction. Portal offers an innovative solution by immersing you in various environments with calming sounds. With Portal, I set one-hour focus sessions throughout my day, and I've noticed a significant improvement in my concentration and energy levels afterward. In contrast, background music or TV often exacerbates my procrastination tendencies. Portal is the only app I've encountered that effectively helps me maintain focus during my daily tasks. Furthermore, I’m impressed that the free version provides so much value in enhancing my productivity.

I hope these app recommendations assist you in achieving your productivity goals in 2023! Most of these tools have been beneficial to me since 2022, so it’s never too late to start using them to your advantage. If you're concerned about the costs associated with modern subscription models, keep in mind that utilizing three of the paid apps from this list will only amount to about $20 monthly—equivalent to four trips to Starbucks—for a more efficient and well-rounded workflow.