You may manage your day nicely with out paying for productiveness apps. However generally, the free model of your favourite instruments may restrict how a lot you get executed. Whereas not all productiveness apps are price paying for, some justify their worth.



I’ve used Google Workspace apps like Gmail and Google Drive for over six years on the time of writing. I feel they’re a lot simpler to make use of than many Microsoft apps even with out paying for a premium subscription, besides, I’ve opted to buy Google Workspace for a number of causes.

One of many greatest causes to improve your Google Workspace membership is that you simply get between 30GB and 5TB of storage relying in your subscription. Comparatively, the free model offers you 15GB. Whereas ok in lots of circumstances, you may want one thing extra substantial if in case you have a number of initiatives or pursuits.

Premium Google Drive Subscription

Since I’m a freelancer, I additionally like having a customized e mail area. Google Workspace lets me do exactly this, and I additionally get higher safety controls. Pricing is fairly inexpensive, beginning at $6 per consumer, per 30 days for Enterprise Starter.


Whereas Gemini isn’t robotically included in a paid subscription, you may get a Gemini for Google Workspace subscription add-on. You may then use a number of Gemini extensions to be more productive in Google Workspace.

I’ve already mentioned earlier than that Things 3 is the best digital to-do app I’ve ever used, and I stand firmly by that assertion. The app permits you to categorize your to-do listing in an simply digestible format, that means that you may maintain observe of labor, research, chores, and extra.

The Things 3 Mac App Interface

When utilizing Issues 3, you may also create totally different areas that allow you to maintain observe of longer-term initiatives. For instance, I’ve created a piece the place I listing the larger articles I want to jot down every month. You are able to do this for faculty and work deadlines, too.


Additionally nice about Issues 3 is how straightforward it’s to prepare your whole week upfront. You may copy and paste duties into totally different days inside the Upcoming tab after which customise them accordingly. It’s additionally straightforward so as to add subtasks inside broader ones.

Create a new project or area in the Things 3 app

One other helpful Issues 3 characteristic is a logbook the place you possibly can undergo your whole accomplished duties. You’ll discover this characteristic useful in the event you’re attempting to tackle everyday overwhelm and manage your day higher. Reasonably than exhibiting duties as overdue, something you don’t full will robotically switch to the subsequent day.

Obtain: Issues 3 for macOS | iOS/watchOS | visionOS (Pricing varies)

As of November 2024, Issues 3 is offered solely on Apple units. I apply it to my Mac, and in the event you can solely choose one, I counsel doing the identical. Under is a pricing breakdown for every gadget (all of those are one-time purchases):


macOS

iPhone/Apple Watch

iPadOS

visionOS

$49.99

$9.95

$19.99

$29.99

You should utilize a number of Notion features to keep your task list in check, and even with a free plan, it’s probably the greatest productiveness apps. Nevertheless, a handful of customers will profit from subscribing to a paid model.

Should you work with different folks, Notion Plus is price upgrading to. You may invite a most of 100 company and add an infinite variety of information. Furthermore, you possibly can synchronize your databases with exterior apps.

Notion's journal template

Notion’s paid plan additionally permits you to create custom websites, although I’ve tried this earlier than and it wasn’t my favourite characteristic. One characteristic that’s price utilizing, nevertheless, is the power to create your individual automations. Apart from limitless types, which you get within the free plan, you may also entry additional customization options.


A published domain for a Notion website

Should you want extra options, you possibly can improve to Enterprise or Enterprise—however I don’t suppose abnormal folks would require both of those.

Notion’s pricing for its paid subscriptions is beneath; notice that Notion AI is offered as an add-on for all ($10/mo and $96/yr).

Pricing

Notion Plus

Notion Enterprise

Notion Enterprise

Month-to-month

$12/consumer/mo

$12/consumer/mo

Customized pricing

Annual

$120/consumer/yr

$180/consumer/yr

Customized pricing

Calendly is the most effective software for serving to others book meetings with you, and its paid model presents limitless occasion varieties. Furthermore, you possibly can join as much as six calendars—permitting you to see an entire overview of your initiatives and booked calls. Comparatively, the free model solely permits you to join one.


Should you present some form of on-line service, Calendly’s paid plan can also be ideally suited for dealing with funds. You may combine PayPal and Stripe. The premium model of Calendly additionally has automated reminders and round the clock help.

Calendly Customary can be ok for most individuals, however you may additionally wish to contemplate upgrading to Groups or Enterprise in the event you want options like round-robin occasion creation.

Right here’s a rundown of Calendly’s pricing:

Pricing

Calendly Customary

Calendly Groups

Calendly Enterprise

Month-to-month

$12/consumer/mo

$20/consumer/mo

N/A

Annual

$120/consumer/yr

$192/consumer/yr

$15,000/yr

Structured is one other day by day planning app that I’m an enormous fan of. It’s very straightforward to make use of and superbly laid out, making it straightforward to maintain observe of my day by day duties. The free model permits you to manage your duties with minimal fuss, however the paid model has a few good options you may wish to make the most of.


A Daily Timeline in Structured

After upgrading to Structured Professional, you possibly can import duties out of your calendar app. Furthermore, you possibly can import from the Apple Reminders app and arrange recurring duties. The latter is especially helpful as a result of it’s generally exhausting to manually fill in the identical gadgets every day or week.

You’ll additionally get entry to Structured AI. This software can summarize your duties inside a selected mission space, and you may also add photos if you wish to scan one thing into the app. Furthermore, you possibly can ask the software to generate recurring duties—as I’ve executed within the window beneath.

Use Structured AI to Create a Task With AI


Obtain: Structured for macOS | iOS | Android (Free, in-app purchases out there)

Structured Professional is offered for weekly and month-to-month subscriptions, along with a lifetime buy.

Month-to-month

Annual

Lifetime

$4.99/mo

$14.99/yr

$49.99

Chilly Turkey is one in every of the best website blockers for removing distractions, and it’s my all-time favourite desktop app of its sort. I began utilizing it in 2020 after which deleted it as a result of I believed it wasn’t mandatory. Let’s simply say that it’s now a core a part of my productiveness system and helps me focus like no different desktop app can.

While you improve to the paid model of Chilly Turkey, you possibly can arrange scheduled blocks. This can be a unbelievable software if in case you have a constant day by day routine. For instance, I’ve a set of internet sites which might be helpful outdoors of labor hours (e.g. Google Analytics) however may be distracting after I’m attempting to jot down.


Cold Turkey Website and App Blocker

Apart from blocking simply web sites, the premium model of Chilly Turkey also can block apps. It’s additionally doable to take breaks out of your blocks if wanted.

Chilly Turkey Professional is offered for a $39 one-time buy. You may obtain the app from the Chilly Turkey web site and add extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and quite a few different browsers.

Realizing which productiveness apps are price paying for will make it a lot simpler to select the suitable ones. From web site blockers to to-do listing apps, selecting a few premium instruments that meet your targets might aid you considerably improve your output.


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