25 September 2023

16 Productivity Apps to Transform Your Workday at Mobo Co

The modern workspace is a dynamic environment, with professionals juggling multiple tasks, meetings, and projects simultaneously. In such a setting, productivity isn’t just an advantage; it’s a lifeline. For the ambitious entrepreneur, the diligent start-up team, or the dedicated corporate professional, having the right tools at their fingertips can be a game-changer. Amidst the vast ocean of apps and tools available, finding the gems that truly elevate your workday can be a challenge. That’s where we come in. We’ve sifted through the noise to bring you a list of the top productivity apps and tools tailored to supercharge your efficiency. Let’s embark on this journey to optimised productivity together!

In this blog:

16 Productivity Apps to Transform Your Workday at Mobo Co

  1. Todoist: Your Personal Task Assistant
  2. If This Then That (IFTTT): Streamlining App Interactions
  3. Toggl: Mastering Time Management
  4. Due: Keeping Deadlines in Check
  5. Calendly: Streamlining Meeting Schedules
  6. Taskful: Visualising Your Productivity
  7. Habitica: Gamifying Your Goals
  8. Rescue Time: Reclaiming Your Focus
  9. Engross: Amplifying Focus and Efficiency
  10. Hypercontext: Elevating Meeting Efficiency
  11. Chanty: A Hub for Team Collaboration
  12. Things: Segmenting Your Day for Optimal Productivity
  13. TimeCamp: Precision Time-Tracking for Enhanced Productivity
  14. Forest: Cultivating Focus and Greenery Simultaneously
  15. Strides: Nurturing Good Habits and Curbing the Bad Ones
  16. Bear: Streamlined Note-Taking for the Modern Age

Supercharge your Workday with the Right Tools and the Perfect Coworking Space

1. Todoist: Your Personal Task Assistant

In the realm of task management, Todoist stands out as a remarkably intuitive tool tailored for both individuals and teams. At its core, Todoist offers a seamless experience, allowing users to swiftly note down tasks in a conversational manner, akin to sending a quick text message. Its intelligent design interprets your input, setting tasks based on the language you employ. For instance, jotting down “Send in the final draft of paper tomorrow by 4 p.m. #journalism” prompts Todoist to schedule a reminder for 4 p.m. the following day under your “Journalism” project. Beyond personal tasks, Todoist shines in collaborative settings, enabling users to delegate tasks efficiently within a team.

Cost: Available in a free version, with Pro and Business tiers priced at $4/mo and $6/user/month respectively.

What we like: The true prowess of Todoist lies in its extensive integration capabilities. It effortlessly syncs with over 60 renowned apps, encompassing giants like Amazon Alexa, Dropbox, and Slack. This integration breadth bridges the gap between personal and professional task lists, making Todoist an invaluable asset for those keen on unifying their task ecosystems.

2. If This Then That (IFTTT): Streamlining App Interactions

In an era where our devices are brimming with apps, managing and making them interact seamlessly can be a daunting task. Enter IFTTT, a tool designed to alleviate this very challenge for both individuals and businesses. IFTTT stands as a bridge between your apps, enabling them to communicate and function in harmony. It achieves this by letting users define specific triggers that, when activated, lead to predetermined actions. Imagine having a smart home setup where the ambient temperature adjusts based on weather app forecasts. Or, for businesses, consider the convenience of automating content scheduling and cross-posting across platforms without manual intervention.

Cost: IFTTT offers a free tier, with Pro and Pro+ versions available at $2.50/mo and $5/mo respectively.

What we like: Despite its robust capabilities, IFTTT remains impressively user-friendly. It boasts compatibility with over 700 services, primed for automation, and this list is ever-growing. Regular additions ensure users always have the latest integrations at their fingertips, making IFTTT a dynamic tool in the world of app automation.

3. Toggl: Mastering Time Management

In the professional realm, time is often equated with money, making its effective management crucial. Toggl emerges as a beacon for those seeking to meticulously track time, be it freelancers juggling multiple projects or businesses aiming to optimise team productivity. With Toggl, users can effortlessly set reminders, delineate project timelines, and consolidate client billing, all under one digital roof.

One of Toggl’s standout features is its intuitive design. Users can dive in immediately, without the steep learning curve often associated with similar tools. Its comprehensive reports shed light on the actual time a project consumes, offering insights that often differ from initial estimations.

Cost: While Toggl offers a free version, its enhanced features are available in the Starter and Premium tiers, priced at $9/user/month and $18/user/month respectively. For businesses with specific needs, there’s also an Enterprise option with custom pricing.

What we like: Toggl’s brilliance lies in its adaptability. It’s equally beneficial for freelancers, where precision in billing hours is paramount, and for larger teams where efficient time allocation can drive success. By simplifying invoicing and time billing, Toggl ensures professionals can focus on what truly matters, leaving time-related worries behind.

4. Due: Keeping Deadlines in Check

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, especially for freelancers and individuals managing multiple tasks, it’s easy to lose track of impending deadlines. Due, as its name aptly suggests, serves as a vigilant companion, ensuring you never miss a beat. Exclusively designed for Apple OS users, Due is available in both mobile and desktop versions, catering to on-the-go individuals and those who prefer a more stationary work setup.

Beyond its primary function as a streamlined to-do list, Due offers a plethora of features. Users can set multiple timers simultaneously, an invaluable asset for activities like cooking or when aiming to allocate specific durations to tasks. Furthermore, for those invested in the Apple ecosystem, Due facilitates the syncing of reminders via Dropbox or iCloud, ensuring consistency across devices.

Cost: The mobile app is priced at $7.99, while the desktop version comes in at $14.99.

What we like: One of Due’s standout features is its relentless commitment to task completion. Unlike many apps that send a one-off reminder, Due persists, sending reminders until the task is marked as complete. This feature acts as a gentle nudge, ensuring users remain accountable and on top of their to-do lists.

5. Calendly: Streamlining Meeting Schedules

In the corporate world, coordinating meetings can often feel like a game of Tetris, trying to fit varying schedules into a cohesive time slot. Calendly emerges as a solution to this age-old conundrum, specifically designed for teams and businesses. By eliminating the tedious back-and-forth email exchanges to find a suitable meeting time, Calendly introduces a more efficient and user-friendly approach to scheduling.

Upon signing up, Calendly prompts users to sync their existing calendars with the platform. Users can then specify their availability and define preferred time slots, be it a quick 15-minute catch-up or a more extended hour-long discussion. When it’s time to arrange a meeting, all that’s needed is to share your unique Calendly link. Recipients can then view available slots and select a time that aligns with their schedule, ensuring a hassle-free booking process.

Cost: Calendly offers a free tier, with additional features available in the Essentials, Professional, and Teams packages priced at $8/seat/month, $12/seat/month, and $16/seat/month respectively. For larger organisations with specific requirements, there’s an Enterprise option with custom pricing.

What we like: Beyond its core scheduling capabilities, Calendly’s integration with CRM platforms stands out. The CRM version seamlessly integrates with popular platforms like HubSpot and Salesforce, further simplifying the booking process for teams and ensuring a unified scheduling experience.

6. Taskful: Visualising Your Productivity

For many, the satisfaction of ticking off tasks from a to-do list is unparalleled. Taskful takes this gratification a notch higher with its innovative progress bar feature. As you navigate through your day, ticking off tasks, the progress bar advances, offering a tangible representation of your accomplishments. But Taskful isn’t just about work; it also integrates health metrics, tracking your steps to ensure you’re aligned with both professional and personal goals.

One of Taskful’s standout features is its inbox, which not only syncs across devices but also sends timely email reminders, ensuring you’re always on top of your tasks. And for those who appreciate a splash of vibrancy in their apps, Taskful’s colorful aesthetic is sure to be a hit.

Cost: While Taskful offers a plethora of features, it comes at an affordable price of $3/month.

What we like: Beyond its functional prowess, Taskful adds a touch of motivation to your day. The app sends uplifting messages to your device at intervals, serving as gentle reminders of your potential and keeping the momentum going.

7. Habitica: Gamifying Your Goals

The journey of self-improvement, while rewarding, can sometimes feel monotonous. Habitica introduces a refreshing twist to this process by gamifying your daily tasks and habits. Imagine transforming your life into an engaging video game, where every task, habit, or goal manifests as a monster awaiting defeat.

In the world of Habitica, your to-do list isn’t just a mundane checklist; it’s a series of challenges. As you tackle each task, you progress in the game, slaying monsters and reaping rewards. However, falter in your commitments, and you’ll witness your progress regress. This dynamic of rewards and consequences, combined with the thrill of competition (especially if you’re competing with friends), ensures users remain motivated and invested in their personal growth journey.

Cost: Habitica offers a free version, with premium tiers available at $4.99/month, $14.99 every 3 months, $29.99 every 6 months, and an annual subscription of $47.99.

What we like: The genius of Habitica lies in its ability to make self-improvement fun. By gamifying the process, it not only makes goal-setting engaging but also enhances the likelihood of users persisting in their endeavors, making positive change more sustainable.

8. Rescue Time: Reclaiming Your Focus

In an age of digital distractions, maintaining unwavering focus can be a formidable challenge. Rescue Time emerges as a beacon for those seeking to optimise their productivity, catering to both individuals and remote teams. This tool delves deep into your work habits, analysing your typical work style and meeting schedules. Using this data, it crafts a tailored focus work goal, ensuring you allocate adequate time to your priorities.

Once you initiate a focus session, Rescue Time leaps into action, blocking potential distractions like specific websites that could derail your progress. But its capabilities don’t end there. The tool’s robust reporting feature offers insights into your productivity trends, highlighting areas of improvement and showcasing your progress over time.

Cost: Rescue Time provides a free tier, with advanced features available in the Premium versions at $6.50/month, $9/month, or an annual subscription of $72.

What we like: Rescue Time’s true strength lies in its analytical prowess. By pinpointing the apps and websites that frequently sidetrack you, it empowers users to make informed decisions, ensuring they channel their energy and time towards truly impactful tasks.

9. Engross: Amplifying Focus and Efficiency

In the quest for peak productivity, distractions often emerge as the primary adversaries. Engross, tailored for individuals and freelancers, is designed to combat these interruptions, ensuring you remain steadfast in your tasks. Compatible with both Android and iOS, Engross boasts a suite of features, from timers and calendars to reminders, all geared towards enhancing your time management.

A standout feature is the pomodoro timer, which promotes the practice of dedicated work intervals followed by short breaks, fostering sustained concentration. Additionally, the app blocker ensures that potential distractions, in the form of other apps running in the background, are kept at bay.

Cost: Engross offers its suite of productivity tools entirely for free.

What we like: Beyond its core functionalities, Engross shines with its analytical capabilities. The app’s statistics and analysis features provide users with a comprehensive overview of their productivity patterns. The added option to label tasks further refines these insights, allowing users to pinpoint areas of improvement and celebrate their efficiency milestones.

10. Hypercontext: Elevating Meeting Efficiency

Meetings, while essential, can sometimes devolve into unproductive sessions if not structured correctly. Hypercontext emerges as a solution to this challenge, specifically tailored for managers, teams, and businesses. This tool is designed to transform meetings into productive workspaces, ensuring each session is anchored by a clear agenda, comprehensive notes, actionable next steps, and goals aligned with overarching OKRs (Objectives and Key Results).

With Hypercontext, your calendar events metamorphose into dynamic meeting workspaces. Whether orchestrating one-on-ones or coordinating team discussions, all pertinent notes and decisions are consolidated within a single, accessible agenda. Users can craft their agenda from the ground up or leverage ready-to-use templates for added convenience. This collaborative space empowers team members to contribute to the agenda, ensuring all voices are heard. Additional features, such as the detail view, enhance the depth of each agenda item, allowing for file attachments and comments.

Post-meeting, Hypercontext streamlines the wrap-up process. Items covered can be ticked off, and comprehensive meeting notes can be dispatched to all participants.

Cost: Hypercontext offers a free tier, with advanced features available in the Pro and Business versions priced at $5.60/person/month and $8.80/person/month respectively.

What we like: For those uncertain about structuring their meetings, Hypercontext’s library is a treasure trove. Boasting over 500 conversation starters, it ensures meetings remain focused and valuable. This expansive list can be tailored to specific roles, meeting types, or topics, ensuring relevance and fostering meaningful discussions.

11. Chanty: A Hub for Team Collaboration

In the dynamic landscape of team collaboration, having a unified platform that caters to diverse needs is invaluable. Chanty emerges as such a platform, designed to supercharge productivity for teams and businesses. But to label Chanty merely as a communication tool would be an understatement. It’s a comprehensive workspace that integrates a myriad of features to streamline team interactions and task management.

At its core, Chanty facilitates seamless communication through audio and video calls, further enhanced with screen sharing capabilities. Beyond this, it boasts a built-in task manager equipped with a Kanban board. This feature allows users to craft messages, delegate tasks, set priorities, and define deadlines, ensuring projects remain on track. Chanty’s Teambook is another standout feature, offering a centralised space to organise tasks, conversations, pinned messages, and shared content. And for those reliant on third-party apps, Chanty ensures smooth integrations, making the transition to the platform hassle-free.

Cost: Chanty provides a free tier, with an advanced feature set available at $3/person/month.

What we like: Among its plethora of features, Chanty’s commitment to transparency stands out. The platform offers unlimited searchable messaging history, a feature that remains accessible even in their Free plan. This ensures teams can always revisit past discussions, fostering clarity and ensuring everyone remains on the same page.

12. Things: Segmenting Your Day for Optimal Productivity

For those who thrive on structured time management, Things offers a refreshing approach to task organisation. Tailored for individuals and professionals, this app introduces a unique feature that segments your daily tasks into distinct timeframes: Today, This Evening, and Tomorrow. Such categorisation ensures that users can allocate their energy and focus optimally, addressing tasks based on their urgency and relevance.

But Things doesn’t stop at daily task management. It ensures that your to-do lists remain synchronised across all your devices, be it your laptop, iPad, or other gadgets. This cross-device compatibility ensures that you can access and update your tasks from anywhere, anytime. Beyond the daily grind, Things also facilitates goal setting. Whether you’re eyeing short-term objectives or charting out a long-term vision, the app allows you to define your goals and track your progress, marking off milestones as you achieve them.

Cost: Things offers its suite of productivity-enhancing features at a one-time cost of $9.99.

What we like: The true essence of Things lies in its ability to bring structure to the often chaotic realm of task management. By segmenting tasks based on timeframes, it ensures users can prioritise effectively, making the most of their day while also planning for the future.

13. TimeCamp: Precision Time-Tracking for Enhanced Productivity

In the realm of team management and professional endeavors, understanding how time is spent can be the key to unlocking optimal productivity. TimeCamp steps in as a robust solution, offering automated time-tracking that operates seamlessly in the background. This automation liberates users from the often tedious task of manual timesheet entries, ensuring accuracy and saving valuable hours.

The data TimeCamp aggregates are multifaceted, catering to a spectrum of needs. Whether it’s generating detailed time reports, managing attendance, handling payroll, or invoicing based on project durations, TimeCamp has it covered. Its versatility extends to its time-tracking options.

The timesheet view offers both manual entry and timer initiation, while the desktop app delves deeper, providing insights into daily activities. For teams or professionals working from diverse locations, TimeCamp’s mobile app ensures consistent time-tracking on the go.

Cost: TimeCamp is available in a free version, with enhanced features in the Basic and Pro tiers priced at $6.99/user/month and $9.99/user/month respectively. For organisations with bespoke needs, there’s the Enterprise option with custom pricing.

What we like: TimeCamp’s integration capabilities are truly commendable. While it natively integrates with over 30 renowned tools like Jira, Trello, and Asana, its browser plugin amplifies this compatibility, extending it to over 70+ apps. This ensures a seamless experience, allowing teams to integrate TimeCamp into their existing workflow without disruptions.

14. Forest: Cultivating Focus and Greenery Simultaneously

In a world brimming with digital distractions, Forest offers a refreshing and eco-conscious approach to productivity. Tailored for individuals with a penchant for environmentalism, this app, available on iOS devices, intertwines the act of focusing with the growth of virtual trees. The concept is simple yet compelling: as you maintain focus and stay within the app, your virtual tree flourishes. However, succumb to distractions and exit the app, and you’ll witness your tree wither away.

Forest’s appeal extends to collaborative settings as well. For group projects, the app introduces a communal tree-growing feature where the tree thrives only if every member remains on task. As users consistently engage with Forest, they accumulate virtual gold coins. These aren’t mere digital tokens; they carry real-world impact. By choosing to spend a gold coin, users trigger a collaboration between Forest and its partner, Trees for the Future, resulting in the planting of an actual tree.

Cost: Forest is available for a one-time fee of $3.99.

What we like: Forest’s impact extends beyond the digital realm. With over 273,000 real trees planted courtesy of its users, the app not only fosters individual productivity but also contributes tangibly to global reforestation efforts. It’s an ideal choice for those seeking visual motivation and a sense of purpose in their quest for focus.

15. Strides: Nurturing Good Habits and Curbing the Bad Ones

Habits, both good and bad, play a pivotal role in shaping our daily lives. For those seeking to cultivate positive habits or curb detrimental ones, Strides emerges as a comprehensive solution. This app amalgamates your desired routines, positive habits, and personal aspirations into a unified platform, streamlining your journey towards self-improvement.

One of Strides’ standout features is its SMART tracker. Adhering to the principles of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals, this tracker ensures you remain accountable. Through timely reminders and visually appealing charts, it keeps you motivated and laser-focused on your objectives. For individuals who resonate with visual cues, Strides’ green and red pace line systems offer an intuitive snapshot of your progress, highlighting achievements and areas of improvement.

Cost: Strides offers its suite of habit-tracking tools entirely for free.

What we like: Beyond its core functionalities, Strides’ commitment to detailed reminders sets it apart. It ensures that users receive timely nudges, reinforcing their daily routines and fostering consistency. For those seeking a structured approach to habit management without the price tag, Strides is a compelling choice.

16. Bear: Streamlined Note-Taking for the Modern Age

In the digital age, where information flows rapidly, having a reliable note-taking app is indispensable. Enter Bear, a versatile app tailored for both students and professionals. Whether you’re jotting down a quick checklist or drafting an extensive essay, Bear provides a seamless writing experience.

One of Bear’s standout features is its ability to interlink notes. This ensures that related ideas and information remain interconnected, fostering a holistic understanding. The app’s emphasis on plain text writing simplifies the process of exporting notes, be it converting them into PDFs or uploading to a Content Management System.

Cost: While Bear offers a robust free version, those seeking advanced features can opt for the Pro version, available at $1.49/month or $14.99/year.

What we like: Bear’s design philosophy leans towards minimalism, resulting in a clean, distraction-free interface. This aesthetic choice ensures users can focus solely on their content. Additionally, the app’s unique hashtag-based organisation system ensures notes remain categorised and easily accessible, eliminating the hassle of sifting through cluttered folders.

Supercharge your Workday with the Right Tools and the Perfect Coworking Space

Supercharge your Workday with the Right Tools and the Perfect Coworking Space

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, leveraging the right productivity apps and tools can make all the difference. From managing tasks and tracking time to fostering habits and simplifying note-taking, the apps we’ve explored offer a diverse range of solutions tailored to various needs. Whether you’re an individual, a freelancer, a student, or a professional, there’s something in this list to help you optimise your workday.

At Mobo Co, we understand the importance of creating an environment that fosters productivity and innovation. Our coworking spaces in South Brisbane are designed to provide start-ups, entrepreneurs, and businesses of all sizes with the ideal setting to thrive. And while our physical spaces are equipped with state-of-the-art amenities, we also recognise the significance of digital tools in enhancing work efficiency. We hope this curated list of apps empowers you to make the most of your time, whether you’re working from one of our office suites, attending a meeting in our rooms, or leveraging our virtual office services.

Remember, productivity isn’t just about working harder; it’s about working smarter. And with the right tools at your disposal, every workday can be supercharged towards success.

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