10 Best Productivity Apps
The rise of remote working has necessitated some very crucial changes in the system. No longer are professionals tied to a certain space and time when it comes to everyday work. It is now possible and sometimes, even profitable for employees and freelancers to work remotely. The flexibility and productivity that comes with such an ecosystem are truly unparalleled.
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However, remote working and coworking are not without their challenges. It can be easy to lose track of time when you’re working in a virtual environment. In fact, a survey shows how only 20% of the working hours are actually spent on productive tasks. This is where productivity apps come into the picture. Here are 10 best productivity apps that we have shortlisted for you to stay focused and alert in a seamless way. Each one of these apps is trusted by a large user base and enriched by power-packed features.
1. Time Doctor
Time Doctor is one of the most well-known productivity apps today. The software allows users to keep track of their day-to-day activities. The app integrates with a number of platforms used in professional workflows.
Features
Complete Customization
One of the most powerful features of the Time Doctor software is that you can customize the app completely based on your specific business needs. The individual features of the software can be turned on and off at will.
Screenshot Tracking
Time Doctor has an automated screenshot taking utility built-in which means you can instruct the software to take screenshots of the user activity. This is a great way to know what the employees have been working on at any point in time.
Cross-Platform Support
The software can be installed and use a vast number of operating systems including Mac, Linux, Windows, iOS, and Android, to name a few. This means that you and your team can easily get up and running with using the software to track productivity levels.
Pricing
The app can be downloaded for $9.99 per month per user and is one of the most reasonable productivity software considering the many features it offers at the price.
2. Timely
Timely is a time tracking app that allows users to track their system usage without the need for creating manual timesheets.
Features
AI-based Categorization
Timely harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to automatically detect what you’re working on and will categorize all tasks into individual categories.
Seamless Team Management
It is easy to manage both small and large teams with Timely. The app reports all activities and time usage of the team members in one single place. You can check all information from your dashboard and decide whom to schedule work to, for example. Budget usage can also be checked this way.
Pricing
Timely has several different pricing plans for both teams and individuals. The individual plans start from $7 per month.
3. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a popular productivity tool that is used by both startups and enterprises to track time usage.
Features
Convenient Time Tracking
Hubstaff has desktop, mobile, and web-based time tracker tools that are easy to manage. With Hubstaff, the focus always remains on the work at hand rather than at the time tracking endeavor itself.
Productivity Measurement
Managers can use the Hubstaff app to actually measure the productivity levels of their team members. App usage and URL visits can be tracked. The Hubstaff app can also track mouse and keyboard usage so you can know for how long exactly a user was active on the system.
Pricing
Hubstaff offers a free plan for individuals that is limited in the features it offers. The Basic paid plan starts from $7 per month per user. The plan actually begins at $14 for 2 users.
4. Toggl
Toggl is a great time tracking tool that makes it to our list of the best productivity apps owing to its elegant UI and ease of use. Users have repeatedly praised how simple Toggl makes time and productivity tracking.
Features
Insight-based Decision-Making
One of the key aspects of the decision-making process in any organization is the ability to have some background data to base the decisions on. Toggl continuously monitors all activities and analyzes the data to present you with actionable insights.
Usage Alerts
Toggl will monitor the time usage of all members of your team and send you an email alert when the time use reaches the estimated time you’ve specified. This is a great way to keep expenses under control.
Pricing
The Starter plan starts at $7.20 per month per user and includes only the bare basic features. The Premium plan adds more features and costs about $14.40 per month per user.
5. Clockify
Clockify is one of those apps that let you track time in an elegant fashion across projects. You can categorize time by projects and see team activity too.
Features
Detailed Reports
Clockify generates comprehensive time usage reports and presents its findings in a highly visual manner which makes them easy to understand. You can also export the reports to a variety of formats with ease.
Dashboard
The app dashboard shows you the team’s performance and productivity statistics at a glance. You can also see the top activities on which the most time is spent. The app also shows you the projects which the team members are currently working on.
Pricing
Clockify is free to use and supports an unlimited number of users.
6. Tick
Tick is a productivity tracking app that lets users monitor their work statistics on the go. The app features a built-in timer and also integrates with the common project management tools.
Features
Chrome-based Tracker
Tick offers its mobile apps for Android and iOS. In addition, you can also use the Chrome plugin to track time right from your web browser.
Integrations with Project Management Tools
Tick integrates with the existing tools in your workflow: you can connect to nearly 750 apps including Asana, Zapier, Trello, and Basecamp.
Pricing
Tick provides users a 30-day free trial period to evaluate the services. The software charges users based on the number of projects they work on. For a single project, Tick does not charge its users any fee. For time tracking across up to 10 projects, the cost is $19 per month.
7. Harvest
Harvest is a simple time tracking utility that is designed with user experience in mind. The company also donates a part of its profits to charity.
Features
Seamless Invoicing
Harvest makes invoicing a breeze with its ability to automatically punch in billable hours and generate invoices. You can also create a manual invoice.
Scheduling
Harvest integrates completely with its sister app, Forecast and brings in more detailed insights. You can plan team engagements in the future and map out tasks. However, you will need to set up a new Forecast account.
Pricing
Harvest offers a free plan that supports 1 user and 2 projects. The Pro plan costs $12 per month per user and supports an unlimited number of projects and people.
8. RescueTime
RescueTime is a productivity tool that lets you see where your time is actually spent in the course of everyday work. The app works in the background and does not require you to make any manual entries.
Features
Set Goals
You can set productivity goals using the app whether they involve spending less time checking emails or using social media during work hours.
Distraction Blocking
The app will automatically block identified sites and apps when you’re working to ensure you do not end up losing focus on non-work related activities. News and social media sites can be blocked, for example.
Pricing
RescueTime provides a ‘Lite’ plan which is free to use but lacks certain features. The Premium plan comes with a free 14-day trial period and starts at $6 per month for an individual. Separate plans are available for teams who wish to use the app.
9. Focus Booster
Focus Booster is basically a Pomodoro timer app that helps you stay focused and in control of your time all day long. The idea is to work for certain time intervals with a laser focus while taking frequent breaks in between.
Features
Cross-Platform Support
Focus Booster can be installed and used on Windows, Mac, Android, iOS or even on the web. This allows users to stay focused on the go.
Customizability
One of the best things about this productivity app is that you can customize the duration of the sessions and the notification preferences too so as to keep things exactly the way you like them.
Pricing
Focus Booster offers a free Starter plan that is limited in terms of the features it provides. The Individual plan starts at $2.99 per month per user.
10. ATracker
ATracker is a time tracking utility that lets you monitor your progress as you steer through the day’s work. The app supports multiple operating systems and packs in a number of useful features for both teams and individuals.
Features
Flexible Time View
You can view the time entries and logs in either a list or calendar view. This makes it super convenient to scan through all entries in a visual way that’s easy on the eyes.
UI Customization
ATracker’s User Interface (UI) is highly customizable and you can configure the look and feel based on your preferences. There are several backgrounds and icons to choose from.
Pricing
ATracker provides a free version that has certain restrictions in place that can be lifted with a paid upgrade. The Premium version of the app costs $2.99 per month while the Pro version is priced at $4.99 that is paid one time only.
Final Words
We just saw the 10 best productivity apps that we’ve handpicked for you to reach your productivity goals sooner. You’ll find that these apps help you track time and thus enable you to stay focused throughout the working hours.
Many of them offer advanced features like pop-up alerts and the ability to set productivity goals too. Remember to look out for any specific features that you or your team might be seeking before you make the final decision and choose one.
