Whether you use your Mac for work or just for your personal projects, you’ve likely found yourself wondering how to improve your productivity. There are only so many hours in a day, and so much mental stamina you can muster before you run out.
There are a number of tricks you can use to
improve productivity on your iPhone
but if you’re looking to do the same on
macOS,
the best thing to do is equip your Mac with productivity apps designed to help you do more in less time.
In this article, I will discusssome of the best productivity apps to help you get the most out of your Mac:
#1. Alfred
Free, with option to upgrade
Alfred is an amazingly powerful productivity app that essentially acts as the native macOS app Spotlight, but with a seemingly endless array of features. What separates Alfred from the park though, is the ability to create so-called “Workflows” which are chains of actions that can be triggered using a hotkey, a “snippet” (keyword that expands to longer text), a keyword, among others.
The Alfred app is free, and while the free version is incredibly fantastic, the Alfred Powerpack (£25 for a single license, £45 for a lifetime of free updates) adds a range of new and enhanced features to the already impressive array of features offered in the free version.
#2. Notion
Free for personal use
Notion is a very powerful app that can be used to perform a wide range of tasks. The app acts as a workspace that lets users integrate text, databases, Kanban-style boards, and many other forms of information.
Notion features an incredibly clean Interface that puts usability and function above anything.
My primary use for Notion has been note-taking during conferences. The ability to quickly drag photos into a note, create tables, and split pages into columns is essential for fast note-taking and clean final note. Moreover, being able to search the whole Notion catalog with the key command ⌘P comes in handy when you want to find specific pieces of information quickly.
What makes Notion to stand out from the park however, is ease of use and the ability to quickly navigate different pages which is extremely important for a smooth workflow.
#3. All-in-One Messenger
Free
All-in-One Messenger ties together the messaging platforms that you use the most into one single app. The app uses each messaging platform’s website to present them in a tab format. It just works.
The only real drawback that I’ve experienced while using All-in-One Messenger, is the absence of iMessage therefore you still have to use iMessage in its separate app when using your Mac.
#4. 1Password
$2.99 (billed annually)
The iCloud Keychain it’s not the most intuitive and user-friendly password manager out there. Thankfully, you can take advantage of1Password which is a super simple password manager that allows you to store all your passwords in one place, accessible with a master password. The beauty of 1Password really shows when using the 1Password Safari Extension, though.
1Password sits idly in your toolbar waiting for you to unlock it when you want a password to a given site, credit card information, or other sensitive information that you may need faster.
When you create a new login for a website, 1Password shows up and asks you if you would like to save the recently created login. If you allow it it’ll automatically save the login which saves you a huge amount of time if you sign up to so many services on a regular basis.
#5. Things 3
$50
Even though Things 3 has a high price point, after using it for a long period of time you won’t bat an eye at the price tag. With an extremely polished user interface Things 3 looks like it could be included in the inbuilt range of macOS apps. Things 3 integrates well with your iCloud calendar and allows you to easily arrange tasks in Projects and Areas.
Things 3 is easy to navigate and use. The simplicity of just being a to-do app makes it fantastic and is why you’ll most likely stick with it for years without switching.
You can simply dump any task that comes your way into the Inbox, and later on, sort them into the fitting categories. The status circle next to the project name is a nice feature that allows you to see an overview of your progress in that specific project. With a simple shortcut (⌥space for me) you can add tasks to a certain folder without launching the app.
And those are my best productivity apps for macOS. I hope you enjoyed these app recommendations. Feel free to leave a recommendation of some of your favorite Mac productivity apps in the comments!
See also:
How to Setup your iPhone for a Better, Less Stressful Life