The Best Apps, Tools and Services, Compared

  1. 1

    Apple Notes

    Fast notes on iPhone, iPad and Mac

    Free, instant syncing, simple, private, quick capture, smart tags

    Lag, heat, no undo, export limits, weak search, pencil gaps

  2. 2

    Logic Pro

    Apple's full production DAW for Mac

    Drummer, plugin bundle, editable event model, fast takes

    OS breakage, stretch distortion, steep learning, subscription

  3. 3

    Google Calendar

    Shared calendar for work and home

    Free and cross-device, good for shared and work calendars

    Time-zone errors, hidden search results, desktop-only sharing

  4. 4

    Adobe Audition

    Waveform editor for podcast and radio

    Podcast and radio editing, spectral repair, voiceover recording

    Weak multitrack, no instruments, dated interface, hard to cancel

  5. 5

    Things 3

    Simple to-do app for Apple devices

    Keyboard navigation, one-time price, scripts, reliable repeats

    No natural-language entry, no cloud API, Today list clutter

  6. 6

    Google Drive

    Cloud storage for files and photos

    Link sharing, offsite backups, AI document access, app sync

    Scanning deletes files, no lockout help, quota blocks Gmail

  7. 7

    ChatGPT

    OpenAI's chatbot for writing and images

    Clear, patient help for study, writing and planning

    Free limits, ads and buggy recent app updates

  8. 8

    Brave Search

    Private search with AI answers

    independent index, privacy, sourced AI answers, bangs, free API

    weak relevance, poor local and image search, AI errors, API caps

  9. 9

    Google Tasks

    Google's built-in to-do list

    Voice task capture via Gemini, tight Google Calendar tie-in

    Limited API, swipe-away alerts, third-party add needs OAuth

  10. 10

    Microsoft OneDrive

    Windows and Office cloud file sync

    Local copies while editing, sync on close, recoverable after login

    Files vanish, blank logs, forced offloading, broken sync, reinstalls

  11. 11

    Google Forms

    Fast forms that fill a spreadsheet

    Quick to build, branching paths, home-screen access

    Forced Google sign-in, no approval routing, charting by hand

  12. 12

    Google Gemini

    Google's chatbot with cited answers

    Cited sources, free high limits, one-shot images, synced history

    Sign-out bugs, token-heavy Flash, CLI crashes, weak data controls

  13. 13

    Google Translate

    Translation for text and photos

    Quick translations in many languages, handy camera mode

    Produces inaccurate translations and inserts unwanted text

  14. 14

    Claude Code

    Terminal agent that ships real code

    Ships live apps, large analyses, fast tools, custom hooks

    Guardrail refusals, flaky subagents, token drain, heavy cleanup

  15. 15

    Square Invoices

    Create invoices and collect payments

    Quick invoice setup, many payment options, auto reminders

    High card fees, paid tiers for extras, limited branding

  16. 16

    Canva

    Drag-and-drop design from templates

    No design training needed to make polished posts, flyers and slides

    Paid elements crowd search results and require Pro access

  17. 17

    Adobe Express

    Templates and AI for quick graphics

    AI resizing, subscription value, faster graphics, captions

    File hijack, stealth installs, video failures, weak assets

  18. 18

    Claude

    Anthropic's chatbot for writing and code

    Smarter, more grounded answers than ChatGPT

    Usage limits run out fast, even on paid Pro

  19. 19

    Fantastical

    One calendar for work, home, tasks

    Calendar sets, merged events, task sidebar, Exchange sync

    Steep subscription, shared-calendar setup trouble, task history

  20. 20

    Final Cut Pro

    Pro video editing on Mac and iPad

    Fast editing, strong multicam, one-time price, base-Mac performance

    Weak LUT conversion, per-clip LUT work, raw import issues

  21. 21

    Microsoft PowerPoint

    Slide decks, diagrams and demos

    Games and demos, diagrams and figures, automation

    Slow large files, browser errors, fragile templates, licence cuts

  22. 22

    Zoho Desk

    Omnichannel help desk with Zia AI

    Multi-channel ticketing, automation, low cost, Zoho integrations

    Steep setup, tier-gated analytics, reply and attachment bugs

  23. 23

    Zoho Invoice

    Invoicing with quotes and reminders

    Free to run, API automation, quick setup, quotes and reports

    Mobile app data loss, awkward template editing, missing Peppol

  24. 24

    Freshsales

    Sales CRM with built-in automation

    Workflow automation, lead routing, activity history, custom stages

    Weak enrichment, broken reports, add-on costs, thin help

  25. 25

    Zoho CRM

    AI sales CRM with deep customization

    Central records, workflow automation, low cost, deep customization

    Steep setup, integration tweaks, duplicate webhooks, API credit burn

  26. 26

    Zoho Books

    Accounting for small businesses

    Low cost, free plan, smooth migration, helpful phone help

    Bank feed failures, skipped duplicates, no subtotal line

  27. 27

    Dropbox

    Cross-platform sync and file sharing

    Reliable sync, native Linux client, version history, working links

    Deleted files, hard cancellation, chatbot support, upsell pop-ups

  28. 28

    Shopify

    Ecommerce platform to sell anywhere

    High-volume sales, local payments, multi-country markets

    Scam victims unhelped, unreachable support, payout holds, app fees

  29. 29

    iLovePDF

    Online PDF tools, no account needed

    No sign-up, clean interface, finishes jobs reliably

    Basic editing, glitchy apps, blurry output, upload doubts

  30. 30

    Adobe Acrobat

    Full PDF editor with rough edges

    Accurate OCR, real redaction, Bates stamping, exact search

    Crashes, slow search, AI clutter, broken reviews, disk bloat

  31. 31

    Yandex Translate

    Slavic-first translation engine

    Slavic strength, bulk documents, image capture, above Google

    Weak on non-Slavic languages, slow web pages, manual checks

  32. 32

    LinkedIn Learning

    Practical learning across fields

    broad coverage, flexible learning, free access, practical starts

    uneven depth, outdated content, high pricing, weak LMS

  33. 33

    Proton Pass

    Password manager with email aliases

    Quick imports, email aliases, reliable passkeys, free sync

    Buggy clients, failed imports, keyboard gaps, trust doubts

  34. 34

    Grok Bot

    AI teammates that finish whole tasks

    Finished multi-step work, easy setup, bot-to-bot handoffs

    Fast usage drain, crashing bot machines, weak coding

  35. 35

    Pro Tools

    The studio DAW behind the final mix

    192 kHz film sessions, AAX mix-chain plugins, tuning plugins

    Auto-renewal charges, costly subscription, launch failures

  36. 36

    OBS Studio

    Open-source recording and streaming

    Free, open-source scene-based recording and streaming with plugins

    Steep learning curve, updates that break plugins, crashes and lag

  37. 37

    Claude Cowork

    Hands-off file, deck and admin work

    Deck building, fast data pulls, scheduled tasks, admin research

    Heavy hand-holding, slow runs, local folder limits, large VM

  38. 38

    Jira

    Agile planning and issue tracking

    Scales well, highly customizable, native automation, API access

    Slow UI, field-heavy tickets, config overload, rigid estimates

  39. 39

    Figma

    Collaborative interface design tool

    Real-time collaboration and design systems in one file

    Per-seat billing gets costly; AI features feel intrusive

  40. 40

    ElevenLabs

    Lifelike AI voices and voice cloning

    Most natural voices, top-rated transcription, cheap for hobby use

    Pricey at volume, paid retries, vanishing credits, AI-only support

  41. 41

    CapCut

    Easy video editor for social clips

    Easy social-video editing with templates and auto-edits

    Paywall creep, forced AI labels and buggy captions

  42. 42

    OpenAI Codex

    AI coding agent in chat and terminal

    Hard bugs solved, full projects built, cheap entry plan, editor fit

    Fast quota drain, auto-review overhead, loops, IDE stalls

  43. 43

    GitHub Copilot

    In-editor AI coding agent

    Inline autocomplete, multi-repo agents, repository instructions

    Token costs, rate limits, uneven agent output, noisy code review

  44. 44

    Ubersuggest

    SEO audits and keyword ideas

    Far cheaper than big SEO suites, quick keyword ideas and audits

    Unreliable rank tracking, off volumes, daily caps, cluttered UI

  45. 45

    Khan Academy

    Lessons for rebuilding foundations

    Strong math explanations, broad coverage, self-paced review

    Difficulty jumps, slow videos, strict grading, limited depth

  46. 46

    Calendly

    Book meetings, notes and payments

    Meeting buffers, reliable core booking, text reminders

    Paid-only webhooks, payment breakage, spam bookings, slow fixes

  47. 47

    Perplexity

    AI answer engine with cited sources

    Clear, current answers backed by sources

    Credits and limits drain fast, even on Pro

  48. 48

    Suno

    AI songs with vocals from a prompt

    Full songs with vocals that can genuinely impress

    Muffled new models, download caps and upload blocks

  49. 49

    Square Online

    Online storefront tied to Square POS

    No-code setup, POS-linked dashboard, low cost, card payments

    Cart failures, exposed addresses, stock bugs, transaction fees

  50. 50

    Obsidian

    Private plain-text notes that last

    Local markdown files, linked notes, daily notes, fast sync

    Sync paywall, weak mobile app, plugin breakage, weak tasks

FAQ

The order of the list reflects what users say about each tool in public reviews and discussions, compared across every tool we list, and also considers how widely each tool is used. A handful of glowing comments cannot top the list, and paid placement never affects the order. The data is refreshed regularly.