Unlocking Gen Z at Work: A Generational Impact Study 2024

Review: 59 of the best productivity tools for work and life

Overwhelmed by endless productivity tools? We've got you covered. Our comprehensive guide combines reviews with expert insights to reveal the top 59 productivity tools that truly deliver. From boosting efficiency to preventing burnout, find your perfect match here.

Don't worry—we've got you. We've put together a collection of 59 of the best productivity tools. They'll help you organize your personal life, manage your work, and collaborate with others.

We'll review what each tool does and its main features. From time management tools to communication and collaboration apps to note-taking and calendar management, all the productivity software you need is here.

You won't need to use all of them, but it might only take one new app to change your life.

Collaboration and performance

1. Marlee

The way we see it, there's only one tool you need to improve your skills for life and work: this one!

Marlee is a collaboration and performance AI to help you understand what motivates you. Trusted by teams from more than 90,000 organizations, our people analytics help you connect with others by understanding work and communication styles.

Once you've answered questions about what motivates you, you can ask Marlee, our AI coach, any question such as, "What motivates me?" "What job would make me happy?" or "How can I connect with @Sarah?"

The app also includes online coaching programs, which you can take at a time that suits you.

Coaching programs include:

  • Goal Catcher: set and achieve grand visions and goals
  • Attention to Detail: develop a genuine appreciation, energy, and stamina for detailed thinking
  • Increase EQ: improve your emotional intelligence; master the art of non-verbal communication

Each coaching program is divided into 5-15 minute sessions, twice a week, for eight weeks. It's a small commitment that can make a big difference.

Writing and research

2. Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace for note-taking, project management, and collaboration. It combines documents, databases, and wikis into a flexible platform.

Notion's strength lies in its customizable pages and databases. Users can create interconnected workspaces that adapt to their unique needs, from personal task tracking to company-wide knowledge management.

Main Features:

  • Customizable templates for various use cases
  • Powerful databases with multiple view options (table, kanban, calendar, etc.)
  • Real-time collaboration and commenting
  • Integration with popular tools like Slack, GitHub, and Google Drive
  • Cross-platform synchronization for seamless work across devices

3. Google Docs

Google Docs is a free word processor that's part of the Google suite of productivity tools.

Google Docs has features that differentiate it from its main desktop competitor, Microsoft Word. However, its key selling point is online, collaborative document editing across devices and platforms.

A Google account isn't needed to view or edit shared Google Docs.

Main Features:

  • Sharing documents online with colleagues is easy
  • You can view and edit Google Docs documents offline - when you reconnect, all your work is synced
  • Leave suggested changes in the comments section to make content decisions together
  • Free templates available on Google Docs to help you create better content

4. Coda

Coda is a cloud-based app that's a cross between a spreadsheet, word processor, and project management tool.

Everything you write and do fits into one flexible platform, and you can make an endless range of cool projects with it. Plus, it connects to a bunch of other apps.

Main Features:

  • A variety of building blocks and time-saving templates
  • With packs, you can integrate your doc with the apps your team uses every day
  • Customizable views for each user to see data in whichever way they prefer

5. Grammarly

Grammarly helps you write better. It's a real-time spelling and grammar checker that works as a browser extension.

During the writing process, Grammarly checks your work against its database of content and style guides and offers suggestions on how to improve the flow of your sentences.

Main Features:

  • Automatic proofreading for grammar and spelling
  • Punctuation, grammar context, and sentence structure are all checked
  • Offers alternative words to extend your vocabulary
  • Genre-specific writing style checks are also available

6. Evernote

It's no secret that Evernote is one of the best note-taking apps.

Evernote saves, organizes, and searches your thoughts, notes, voice memos, images, files, and anything else you add. It's cloud-based, and you can access it from a computer, smartphone, or tablet.

You can sort and arrange your notes with Evernote's tags, geolocation tags, notebooks, and stacks of notebooks.

Main Features:

  • Save web content with the browser extension
  • Scan documents and search text within images
  • Make better documents with templates
  • Synchronize your schedule with your notes
  • Put together to-do lists alongside richly formatted content

7. EssayPro

With EssayPro, you can streamline your academic and professional writing tasks. It connects you with an expert essay writer who provides customized content that perfectly aligns with your needs. 

This tool is crucial for those seeking to enhance their writing quality without spending excessive time and effort on drafting and editing.

Main Features:

  • Access a comprehensive network of professional essay writers
  • Tailor-made writing solutions for both academic and business needs
  • Simple, intuitive platform that’s easy to navigate

8. Essayness

Essayness is an all-in-one, free-to-use online essay writer to create, edit, and improve essays. It’s an ideal tool for students, professionals, and writers who need to improve their essay-writing process. Users can select the length of their essays (short, medium, long) as well as the type of essay that best suits the key requirements.

Whether you’re struggling to start an essay, need help improving a draft, or ensuring academic integrity, Essayness covers all aspects of the writing process.

Main Features:

  • Automatically create structured outlines based on your topic.
  • Get references for a particular topic to speed up the research process.
  • Offers topic ideas and prompts to overcome writer’s block.
  • Easy-to-use design for easy navigation.

Staying focused

9. JustRead

JustRead is an essential addition to Chrome that removes distracting elements from web pages. Thus, websites and articles can be viewed in a more intuitive, engaging, and personalized interface.

Main Features:

  • Avoid distractions and ad interruptions when reading
  • Custom themes
  • Remove unwanted elements manually
  • Annotate and highlight text

10. Stayfocusd

With StayFocusd, you can minimize the time you spend on time-wasting websites. The sites you block will not be accessible until the timer you set expires.

The app helps you resist the temptation to browse the web or social media, increasing your productivity and keeping your attention on the task.

Main Features:

  • Installs in Google Chrome as an extension
  • Block specific websites that cause you problems
  • Easy-to-use interface without distractions
  • Super useful for chronic procrastinators

11. Forest

Forest is a mobile app similar to StayFocusd that brings gamification to maintaining attention.

When it's time to focus, you plant a digital tree, and it starts to grow. It dies if you pick up your phone and start using distracting apps. The goal is to grow a forest of 'attention trees.'

Main Features:

  • Keeps you focused on what's important
  • Helps the environment by donating to real tree-planting charities while you play
  • See real progress over time about how well you're keeping focused

12. Toggl Track

Track your time and figure out what you really do all day with Toggl Track.

With Toggl's simple and friendly interface, you can track your time on different tasks. This time management app lets you track hours worked, bills owed, or other metrics for personal projects. You can use the app as an individual or as part of a team.

Main Features:

  • Track time with a single click from your desktop app, mobile app, or browser extension
  • Set reminders and triggers so you don't forget to track things
  • Use the calendar view to add or start time entries based on Outlook or Google Calendar
  • Organize your most frequent recurring tasks for easy access

13. Harvest

The Harvest time tracking app is an invoicing, expense, and team management tool for freelancers and business teams. Like Toggl Track, it's simple to use and easily integrates with other business applications.

Main Features:

  • Keep track of your working hours by setting and stopping timers during the day
  • Available on desktop and mobile devices
  • Integrate Google Calendar & Outlook to track time more easily
  • Analytics help you understand which projects are most profitable
  • Understand your team's capabilities and adjust their workload appropriately

14. Traqq

Traqq is an easy-to-use time-tracking tool perfect for teams and individuals. It helps you keep track of your work hours and improve productivity hassle-free. Traqq allows you to access detailed reports, analyze productivity levels, and track your time offline.

Main Features:

  • Automatically track time with a timer or input worked hours manually if needed.
  • Customize smart notifications to remind you to start your timer or take a break.
  • Give team members different access levels based on their roles and responsibilities.
  • View a breakdown of apps and websites you and your team use while working.

Utilities

15. Alfred

Alfred is a Mac app launcher and productivity app. It's free, but you can upgrade for extra features.

Alfred allows you to quickly launch Mac apps and perform recurring tasks with simple hotkeys and keywords. It also has tons of features that improve your desktop experience with various small enhancements.

Main Features:

  • Access files on your Mac or the web quickly. Alfred learns when and how you interact with your Mac and becomes more efficient over time
  • Clipboard History can be used to find any text, image, or document that you copied so you can paste it again
  • To create a workflow, you place hotkeys, keywords, and actions together; no coding is involved
  • Get quick access to files, contact information, and music player controls

16. LastPass

LastPass is a password manager that stores your usernames and passwords in one secure vault. It automatically saves passwords to your Vault when you create them.

Using LastPass, you can log in to a website without typing your username or password. A secure online life is essential for working efficiently each day without the threat of information breaches, and a password manager is a great way to achieve that.

Main Features:

  • Use the built-in generator to create secure passwords
  • Find out if your information has been exposed online automatically by monitoring your accounts
  • Check your accounts' health and safety with security dashboards

17. Zapier

Zapier is an online platform that automates workflows by connecting your apps and services.

With Zapier, you can connect many of your apps, share data, and work together automatically without coding knowledge.

You can create 'Zaps' (actions that run automatically) from scratch or use templates, which can save you a lot of time performing repetitive tasks.

Main Features:

  • Create workflows for almost any app
  • Automate recurring tasks
  • No coding knowledge needed
  • Creating workflows is as easy as clicking a few buttons

18. Psono

Psono is an open source password manager designed to provide robust security and privacy for individuals and organizations. It allows users to securely store and manage their passwords, notes, and documents in an encrypted vault accessible across all devices. Psono's open-source nature ensures transparency, enabling users to review the code for vulnerabilities and trust the security measures implemented. Additionally, it offers a self-hosted option, giving users full control over their data and enhancing privacy by eliminating reliance on third-party servers.

Main Features:

  • Secure sharing: Share passwords and documents securely with team members.
  • Multi-factor authentication: Adds an extra layer of security to user accounts.
  • API access: Allows integration with various applications for seamless password management.

19. Plagiarism Checker by SmallSEOTools

SmallSEOTools offers a robust plagiarism checker equipped with advanced algorithms and an extensive database. It quickly compares text against billions of sources, delivering accurate plagiarism detection. Perfect for content creators, students, and professionals, this tool ensures originality with complete confidence and peace of mind.

Main Features:

  • Super-friendly user-interface.
  • Multi-lingual support.
  • Compatibility with multiple devices. 
  • No registration or installation required to use it.

Project and task management

20. Airtable

You might never encounter a more useful database tool than Airtable. With Airtable, collaboration and information management become much easier for you and your team.

It looks like a more colorful Google Sheets spreadsheet, but it's a versatile way to collect, manage, and display all sorts of data.

You can manage projects and work tasks, do financial calculations, plan events, build publishing calendars, and more.

Compared to similar, older database management systems, it looks easy to use, with a friendly color scheme and intuitive icons. It can also be customized and connected with many other apps, making it a supremely powerful project management tool and database.

Main Features:

  • Intuitive and attractive user interface
  • Customizable views for a large range of data types
  • Useful extensions and a wide range of templates to get you started

21. Asana

Asana is a powerful collaboration tool that helps teams manage multiple projects simultaneously.

At a glance, Asana gives users an overview of all assigned tasks. Users can customize their assignments so everyone can stay accountable for their work.

With Asana, you can monitor the progress of your team in real-time in an easily-understandable interface.

Main Features:

  • Collaborate with up to 15 team members (in the free version)
  • Capture documents, notes, and next steps for all team members
  • List, board, and calendar views are available for viewing your projects
  • Easily integrate with other apps
  • Break your projects into manageable tasks, collaborate with other teams, and set deadlines for completion

22. TickTick

"Do something creative each day" with TickTick, an app that captures inspiration, organizes your life, and keeps track of your tasks. This powerful to-do and task-management app uses cloud synchronization to work across multiple devices. It's a simpler alternative to some of the more complex options.

Main Features:

  • With voice input, you can add tasks faster and easier
  • Stay on top of your to-do list by organizing it into four categories
  • Natural text input for new tasks
  • Pomodoro timer that helps you stay focused and productive

23. Todoist

Whether you're working on your tasks alone or with others, Todoist organizes them for you. It's a to-do list app that tracks your productivity and works as an easy-to-use life management system.

With Todoist, all your tasks and notes sync automatically across your devices.

Main Features:

  • Get a clear picture of everything on your plate at a glance
  • Always know what to do next, as it shows you the right tasks at the right moment
  • Make your daily tasks more manageable by delegating to others
  • Workflow and task views can be tailored to your unique needs
  • Sync Todoist with your email, calendar, and files to streamline your workflow
  • Track your productivity results

24. TeuxDeux

TeuxDeux is one of the simpler digital tools for organizing your day-to-day life. It's a minimalist app that offers the convenience of paper-based to-do lists and the capabilities of a digital app.

Main Features:

  • Once midnight strikes, all unfinished tasks begin anew
  • Straightforward and easy to use
  • The interface has a minimalist look

25. Trello

Trello is one of the most popular productivity apps, known for its colorful Kanban boards and simple approach to task management.

Under the hood, it's a powerful and customizable tool for tracking large projects' moving parts.

Using a Kanban Board, project teams in Trello can manage, organize, track, and monitor their work. Everyone knows what tasks they need to do at any given time, as you can delegate tasks to users, add completion dates, and view data in different configurations.

Main Features:

  • Streamline workflows and simplify task delegation with cards
  • User-friendly, intuitive, no steep learning curve
  • Several display options and features allow users to personalize the system to their needs.

26. TeamGantt

TeamGantt is a collaborative Gantt chart-based project management tool.

A Gantt chart allows you to view and manage all the parts of a project at once in a way that shows task dependencies and a timeline. So, if Task B can't be completed until Task A is done, you can plan for this and see who's responsible.

TeamGantt is simple, even if you've never used Gantt charts. The charts provide a lot of detailed information without being overwhelming.

Main Features:

  • Easily identify conflicts between projects and plan by combining all your projects into one Gantt chart
  • The availability tab allows you to keep track of resources, keep costs in check, and ensure everyone is working without being stressed out
  • View and share all project notifications and documents on one page
  • Find out which tasks are behind with the project health reports
  • Choose between a calendar, Kanban board, and list view
  • Baseline reports allow you to compare the original timeline projection with the real timeline of the project

27. Wrike

Wrike is a powerful team tool for managing ongoing projects and integrating new ones. It's great for cross-functional collaboration and department-specific workflows (e.g., marketing).

Features include a system that can predict when projects may fall behind schedule and alert users about possible causes, as well as a powerful digital asset library through which users can share feedback.

Main Features:

  • Integrate visibility into every step of your process
  • Real-time tracking of your project across teams
  • Automate workflows with over 400 integrations with other apps

28. Monday.com

Monday.com is a browser-based project management tool designed for teams. Its highly customizable boards allow team members to log their tasks in an intuitive visual environment.

Each team member can see all active tasks and their progress, making it easy to delegate work to others or step in quickly if someone becomes unavailable. The system is easy to use and has a modern and attractive interface.

Main Features:

  • Optimize your workflow for maximum productivity
  • Drive impact for your business by bringing together the right teams
  • Plan, organize, and manage projects of all kinds
  • Keep track of goals so you can achieve them more quickly

29. ClickUp

ClickUp is 'one app to replace them all,' combining task management, documents, communication, note-taking, planning, and more.

Using ClickUp, teams and companies of all sizes and types can create workflows in the cloud. Lots of systems are consolidated, and data is centralized into one online solution.

With ClickUp, team members can be assigned tasks, projects can be managed for clients, and documents can be collaborated on. Work can be done efficiently and easily.

Main Features:

  • Easily create and manage any project type; no coding required
  • Work on any project together using an array of collaboration tools
  • Get your team to collaborate on product ideas, document bugs, or take notes on meetings with ClickUp Docs
  • Work in real-time with others, with rich editing capabilities, and keep everyone up to date with a robust knowledge base
  • Manage resources more effectively, track progress, and set goals

Feeling unmotivated?

Find out how to unlock your motivation.

Visual creativity

30. Canva

Using Canva, you can edit photos even if you have no prior experience in photo editing. You can create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents, team collaboration whiteboards, and other visual content in just a few minutes using this free-to-use online software tool.

Main Features:

  • Collaborate using almost any device from anywhere in the world
  • Easily combine photos and text all in one place
  • Enhance your pictures with awesome photo effects
  • Record videos to explain a topic, demonstrate a process, or even showcase a product
  • Make professional-looking videos by smoothly splitting and splicing clips

31. Figma

Figma is a web-based graphics editing and user interface design app. It can be used for various graphic design tasks, including wireframing websites, designing mobile app interfaces, prototyping designs, creating social media posts, and more.

Main Features:

  • Make your designs responsive with Auto Layout
  • Integrate plugins into your work to automate and augment it
  • Cloud storage makes it possible to access files from anywhere
  • Share files online with a live link
  • Version history for convenient editing and collaborative working

32. Appy Pie Design

Appy Pie Design, an AI-driven graphic design tool, is a gateway to a world of limitless creativity. Its advanced technology allows beginners and experienced designers to bring their visual concepts to life. Furthermore, Appy Pie's AI Art Generator is a source of inspiration, transforming textual prompts into unique and creative artwork that effectively captures your message.

Main Features:

  • A specialized library of more than 320 million stock images tailored to inspire and fuel your artistic creation. 
  • Enhanced AI algorithms are optimized explicitly for art generation, creating detailed and artistic interpretations based on text prompts.
  • Extensive customization tools for artistic expression allow users to modify fonts, colors, and backgrounds to achieve their desired aesthetic.
  • Advanced export options suitable for artworks, including high-resolution formats like PNG, JPEG, and PDF, to accommodate different mediums and platforms.

33. Free Logo Creator

With FreeLogoCreator.com, you can create customized logos in minutes using AI-generated templates and designs. This AI logo maker makes logo creation simple and efficient, even for those without design experience.

Main Features:

  • Drag and Drop Studio: Completely customize your logo.
  • Comprehensive Color and Font Palette: Personalize every aspect of your design.
  • Built-In Niche-Based Templates: Choose from templates for healthcare, beauty, real estate, construction, and more.
  • 360-Degree Branding Options: Custom tools for business cards, social media visuals, and other branding needs.
  • 24/7 Availability: Design your logo anytime, anywhere.

34. Renderforest

Renderforest is an online platform for creating visuals for websites, videos, and presentations. With an easy-to-use interface and an AI logo generator tool, it simplifies design for users without prior experience.

Main features:

  • Seamless collaboration options, allowing team members to work together from any location.
  • Simple tools to merge text and visuals for effective communication.
  • Advanced video production capabilities enable users to edit and animate videos professionally.
  • A rich library of customizable templates to jumpstart any project.

35. Design.com

Design.com makes creating a professional logo easy for everyone. Whether starting a new business or updating your branding, their suite of tools will help take care of all your design needs. Their AI logo maker takes the guesswork out of design, offering personalized logo suggestions that fit your brand.

Main Features:

  • Easy Customization: Personalize your logo with fonts, colors, and layouts to match your brand identity perfectly.
  • Quick Generation: The AI logo maker generates multiple unique designs in seconds, saving you valuable time.
  • Professional Templates: Choose from various professionally designed templates to jumpstart your creative process.
  • High-Quality Downloads: You can download your logo in various formats (JPEG, PNG, SVG, EPS, PDF) for digital and print use.

36. Plus AI

Plus, it is the easiest way to create business presentations using AI directly in PowerPoint and Google Slides. While there are many new AI content creation tools, if your teams and customers use PowerPoint, it's hard to convince everyone to switch to a new platform incompatible with their existing presentations so that you can use AI.

Plus AI lets you create native PowerPoint or Google Slide presentations, so you get all of the benefits of AI without worrying about compatibility with your existing tools.

Main Features:

  • Native AI for PowerPoint and AI for Google add-ins
  • Create a presentation from a document, prompt, or outline
  • Rewrite and reformat existing presentations
  • Hundreds of professionally designed slides and templates

37. Kittl

Kittl is a powerful design platform that enables users to create high-quality graphics with ease, regardless of experience level. From social media content and presentations to posters, logos, and team collaboration tools, Kittl provides everything needed to craft stunning visuals quickly and efficiently in a user-friendly online environment.

Main Features:

  • Collaborate seamlessly across devices, no matter where you are
  • Effortlessly blend photos, text, and vector elements in a single workspace
  • Add stunning visual effects with intuitive photo and text manipulation tools
  • Create interactive designs that stand out and engage viewers
  • Produce professional-grade graphics with a vast library of customizable templates and assets

File storage and sharing

38. Google Drive

Google Drive is one of the best free cloud storage and sync services, with many productivity features. Its features include document creation, editing, syncing, and easy collaboration/sharing.

Main Features:

  • Share your files and folders with external users - they don't need an account
  • Search features that allow you to find things super-fast
  • Drag-and-drop uploading is supported
  • Scanned images can be saved directly to your Drive via your phone camera
  • Files you need to access regularly can be marked as favorites so you'll find them easier

39. Dropbox

One of the first cloud storage and syncing services, Dropbox allows users to sync desktop files to the cloud from anywhere.

Using Dropbox, you can sync, store, and collaborate on files. It works simply by placing your files in the Dropbox folder—that's it. Your files sync automatically, so they're available on any computer with an internet connection, whether it has Dropbox installed or not.

You can earn more disk space by referring friends (an additional 500MB for every new member, up to 16GB) and contributing to the user forum.

Main Features:

  • Accessible with any device
  • Automated backup and organization system
  • Synchronize your data efficiently and easily
  • Share links easily via chat, email, or text message

Marketing and social media

40. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is one of the top and most comprehensive social media management tools.

A single interface consolidates all your social feeds, making monitoring and posting easier than opening each platform separately.

Hootsuite automates post schedules, gathers key performance metrics, and pulls analytics data from your accounts. It's much better than manually doing all your social media work.

Main Features:

  • Create and schedule posts simultaneously to several social networks
  • Check your social media channels for updates and messages, and keep track of your posts
  • Get real-time recommendations on the best time to publish based on your social profiles, and see upcoming scheduled content in real-time
  • Engage users from various networks in the same stream. Get answers, boost positive reactions, and share messages in a single click
  • Create tailored reports that show the success of your social media marketing across all your social networks

41. Buffer

Like Hootsuite, Buffer lets you manage multiple accounts and schedule posts across social media platforms. Its interface is simpler, with a calendar view providing an overview of all the posts you've got coming up.

Using it for social media account integration allows you to manage multiple accounts with minimal effort and time. In just a few clicks, you can install it as a Chrome extension to share interesting things you find around the web.

Main Features:

  • Clip text or images you like and queue them up
  • Send your tweets at the best possible time
  • Keep track of your best-performing posts and recycle them
  • Make sure your key metrics are up to date

42. Hubspot

HubSpot is a comprehensive digital marketing solution offered as a cloud-based service. If you're doing any form of online marketing, HubSpot can probably help you.

The platform provides a wide range of features and customizations that can cater to the needs of businesses of all sizes. Marketing automation, social media campaign management, and customer relationship management (CRM) are some of its specialist areas.

With this all-in-one marketing and sales package, you can drive traffic, gain customers, grow your business, and turn leads into sales.

Main Features:

  • Easy email automation and workflows
  • Integrated marketing report and metric platform
  • Productivity tools for publishing your marketing content

Email management

43. Newton

Newton is a minimalist email program available on a variety of platforms. Its sparse interface makes it a pleasure to use and makes your email experience more of a joy than a chore.

Main Features:

  • Get notified when your email is read
  • The 'Recap' feature highlights conversations that you still need to respond to or follow up on
  • Streamline your inbox by focusing on your most important emails

44. RightInbox

Using automated processes, email tracking, and scheduling, RightInbox streamlines your Gmail processes so you never miss an important email again. It's a great Gmail extension for improving your email productivity.

Main Features:

  • Send emails when your recipients are most likely to read them
  • Set a time for getting reminders about important emails and conversations
  • Write down thoughts and ideas while avoiding cluttering your email communication with other team members
  • Choose the right signature for each situation by creating templates and applying them with one click
  • Prepare a follow-up email in advance
  • Send automated emails
  • Push important conversations from Gmail to your favorite CRM tools

45. Shift

Shift can streamline your email accounts, apps, and workflows. Instead of having multiple browser and app windows open for each service, it's all in one place—much faster than switching from one account to another.

Main Features:

  • Access multiple online accounts from one platform
  • Works with Google, Microsoft, Slack, and other apps
  • Make custom workspaces for different projects
  • Unified search through all your accounts

46. Spike

Too many long threads and repeated headers and signatures can make emails messy. Spike changes your email into a chat-like conversation, removing distracting things. This saves you a lot of time. It's like having an email, but as easy as texting.

Main features:

  • Organize all communications, including emails, threads, files, and profiles, neatly under each contact.
  • See who's online, track messages, and identify people with profile pictures.
  • Manage all email accounts in one unified Inbox, compatible with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and more.

Communication and collaboration

47. Signal

With Signal, you can securely send text messages, photos, videos, and voice messages and manage group chats.

In Signal, your messages are encrypted end-to-end. Only you and the message recipient can see its contents - not even Signal's developer can see what you send.

Main Features:

  • Configure and manage disappearing messages
  • The 'Note to Self' feature lets you write down notes for later review or easily share files and messages with your linked devices
  • Clear your chat list without deleting any messages by archiving

48. Discord

Discord is a software platform that offers VoIP chat and instant messaging. Gamers use it as one of their primary online communication tools, but it's now becoming more popular in business and other social contexts.

With Discord, you can chat with friends directly via voice, video, and text, and you can also connect to shared servers for community interaction in a chat-room format.

Main Features:

  • Organize yourself into a private group that only you can access
  • Get on a voice channel whenever you feel like it. You can see who's around on your server and instantly chat with them without having to call
  • Establish private channels, grant members special rights, and more
  • Share files, videos, and custom emojis

49. Slack

One of the world's most popular email alternatives, Slack, is an asynchronous team messaging app. Customizable and extensible, Slack offers a wide range of settings and sharing options.

Workspaces are divided into channels (similar to Discord), and you always have the option to message someone directly.

Main Features:

  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Connects to various collaboration tools
  • Search old messages from your archive
  • Video and audio conferencing
  • Connect dozens of bots and apps

50. Telegram

Telegram is a secure instant messaging service that has become one of the most popular choices for people who want to keep their personal information safe.

Telegram has many features, but it's best known for its ability to encrypt messages and media, which prevents third parties from eavesdropping.

Main Features:

  • Self-destruct feature on secret chats
  • Delete media (photos, videos, and other files) shared on Telegram: the app lets you manage your files the way you want
  • Fun stickers and customization options
  • Drafts are automatically saved and synced across all devices
  • Using the app's locking feature, you can hide private messages behind a passcode

51. ScrumGenius

ScrumGenius allows teams to conduct asynchronous, virtual agile meetings online using a chat platform. It brings the idea of stand-up meetings in the office to the world of remote work.

The day begins with an overview of each person's daily progress, blockers, and plans instead of real-time updates. This eliminates the need to meet or synchronize at specific times—which can cause issues for remote team members—and offers a range of analytics tools to see how the team is doing over time.

Main Features:

  • Keep your teams engaged in regular team meetings, wherever they are
  • Focus on actions rather than getting lost in back-and-forth chat
  • Integrate standups with everyday tools such as project management software, codebases, and personal calendars

52. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration and video conferencing platform that helps people communicate across different devices. Text chats, voice calls, and video calls are available. If you're part of the Microsoft Office ecosystem, you'll love this team messaging app, as the service syncs with various Microsoft 365 services, including OneDrive and PowerPoint.

Main Features:

  • Team members communicate through channels similar to message boards
  • SharePoint allows you to store documents
  • Make video calls and share screens online
  • Anyone outside the company can be invited to online meetings without an account

53. Basecamp

Basecamp is a web-based collaboration tool for project-based work in small teams. Work tasks, deadlines, files, discussions, and announcements are all stored in its central hub, which can act as a sort of central wiki for everything you're doing.

It's designed to balance work management and communication equally, helping everyone quickly and easily find the tasks they're assigned.

Main Features:

  • Optimized for remote working
  • Instant messaging platform for real-time communication
  • Analyzes all activities and team members to provide quick insights
  • To-do lists, scheduling, and automatic check-ins

54. Chanty

Chanty is a team collaboration tool focusing on video calling and task sharing.

It improves team communication and productivity while keeping a simple and intuitive user experience.

Main Features:

  • With Teambook, you can share all of your content, including tasks and conversations
  • 4k video and audio for the highest-quality calls
  • Connect other services and get notifications within the app

55. Zoom

Zoom is one of the world's most popular video-calling platforms. It's a great replacement for back-and-forth emails when you want to share ideas quickly and a nice way to build a human connection when meeting remotely.

It's got HD video and audio, collaboration tools, chat functionality, and an enterprise VoIP solution.

There's no need to download the app since you can always connect via the web, but installing the app does optimize the experience.

Main Features:

  • Third-party integrations with plenty of other services
  • Run webinars and engage with text chat during meetings
  • Automatically turns off your camera and mic when you join a meeting
  • Use custom backgrounds to maintain privacy

56. Helpjuice

Helpjuice makes knowledge management easy and convenient by allowing you to create, organize, and manage a knowledge base.

Their knowledge base software enables your team to effortlessly share knowledge, communicate, and collaborate, enhancing team collaboration while allowing your customers to self-serve.

Main Features:

  • Intuitive and user-friendly platform for easy content creation and management
  • Powerful AI-search functionality to help users find relevant information quickly
  • Ability to collaborate in real-time within documents, allowing team members to work together seamlessly.
  • Customizable branding options to align your knowledge base with your company's look and feel
  • Built-in analytics to track user engagement and identify areas for improvement

Seamless integrations with popular tools like Slack, Jira, Freshdesk, and Wizardshot, a completely free Chrome extension that simplifies documentation by capturing and sharing workflows.

Calendar and scheduling

57. Google Calendar

The Google Calendar App is an excellent resource for managing daily tasks and activities. Integrated with Gmail and other Google Apps, schedules and projects are always synced and up-to-date.

Find out when important events are happening, schedule video conference meetings, and plan events.

Main Features:

  • Create different calendars for different purposes and see them in the same place
  • Attach files and links while creating events
  • Set up reminders
  • Set goals
  • See what's on your coworker's calendar
  • Automatic time zone conversion

58. Calendly

With Calendly, you can easily schedule appointments or meetings with customers, leads, and team members.

It lets you select your schedule, share your link, or embed it on your website so people can pick a time that suits them. When the appointment is confirmed, both parties are notified.

This app eliminates the laborious process of setting up appointments by phone and email. You can avoid losing people's attention and get right to the talking by eliminating long messages and delays.

Main Features:

  • Intelligently detects timezones
  • Notification of upcoming appointments
  • Streamlined and efficient meeting processes
  • Integration of payments
  • Integrates with various calendar services

59. Morgen

Morgen is a unified calendar application that allows you to manage your calendar events and activities in one place. It's privacy-focused and doesn't sell your data to third parties.

All your calendar entries are brought together to minimize constant switching - giving you some much-needed mental rest.

Main Features:

  • Drag and drop individual tasks onto the calendar to set a time for them
  • Sharing meeting availability is simple and quick with an in-built Calendly alternative
  • Send calendar invitations for virtual meeting rooms
  • Flexible integration options (Google Calendar, Yahoo, Office 365, Zapier, etc.)
  • Color-code your events into different categories.

Ready to get productive?

Enjoy these 59 productivity tools, handpicked from real user experiences and expert insights. These diverse tools cater to various needs, from task management and note-taking to time tracking and team collaboration. Whether you streamline workflows, boost efficiency, or reduce burnout, you'll find powerful solutions for your work and personal life.

Bring out the best in everyone.

Create your Marlee account now to start chatting and find out about yourself and your team.