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You can organize your day well without paying for productivity apps. But sometimes, the free version of your favorite tools might limit how much you get done. While not all productivity apps are worth paying for, some justify their price.
1Google Workspace
I’ve usedGoogle Workspace appslike Gmail and Google Drive for over six years at the time of writing. I think they’re much easier to use than many Microsoft apps even without paying for a premium subscription, but even so, I’ve opted to purchase Google Workspace for multiple reasons.
One of the biggest reasons to upgrade your Google Workspace membership is that you get between 30GB and 5TB of storage depending on your subscription. Comparatively, the free version gives you 15GB. While good enough in many circumstances, you might need something more substantial if you have multiple projects or interests.
Since I’m a freelancer, I also like having a custom email domain. Google Workspace lets me do precisely this, and I also get better security controls. Pricing is pretty affordable, starting at $6 per user, per month for Business Starter.
While Gemini isn’t automatically included in a paid subscription, you can get a Gemini for Google Workspace subscription add-on. You can then use multipleGemini extensions to be more productive in Google Workspace.
I’ve already said before thatThings 3 is the best digital to-do app I’ve ever used, and I stand firmly by that statement. The app lets you categorize your to-do list in an easily digestible format, meaning that you can keep track of work, studies, chores, and more.
When using Things 3, you can also create different areas that let you keep track of longer-term projects. For example, I’ve created a section where I list the bigger articles I need to write each month. You can do this for college and work deadlines, too.
Also great about Things 3 is how easy it is to organize your entire week in advance. you’re able to copy and paste tasks into different days within the Upcoming tab and then customize them accordingly. It’s also easy to add subtasks within broader ones.
Another handy Things 3 feature is a logbook where you may go through all of your completed tasks. You’ll find this feature helpful if you’re trying totackle everyday overwhelmand organize your day better. Rather than showing tasks as overdue, anything you don’t complete will automatically transfer to the next day.
Download:Things 3 formacOS|iOS/watchOS|visionOS(Pricing varies)
As of November 2024, Things 3 is available only on Apple devices. I use it on my Mac, and if you can only pick one, I suggest doing the same. Below is a pricing breakdown for each device (all of these are one-time purchases):
iPhone/Apple Watch
you may use severalNotion features to keep your task list in check, and even with a free plan, it’s one of the best productivity apps. However, a handful of users will benefit from subscribing to a paid version.
If you work with other people, Notion Plus is worth upgrading to. You can invite a maximum of 100 guests and upload an unlimited number of files. Moreover, you can synchronize your databases with external apps.
Notion’s paid plan also allows you tocreate custom websites, though I’ve tried this before and it wasn’t my favorite feature. One feature that is worth using, however, is the ability to create your own automations. Besides unlimited forms, which you get in the free plan, you can also access extra customization features.
If you need more features, you can upgrade to Business or Enterprise—but I don’t think ordinary people will require either of these.
Notion’s pricing for its paid subscriptions is below; note that Notion AI is available as an add-on for all ($10/mo and $96/yr).
Notion Plus
Notion Business
Notion Enterprise
$12/user/mo
Custom pricing
$120/user/yr
$180/user/yr
Calendly is the best tool for helping othersbook meetings with you, and its paid version offers unlimited event types. Moreover, you’re able to connect up to six calendars—allowing you to see a complete overview of your projects and booked calls. Comparatively, the free version only lets you connect one.
If you provide some kind of online service, Calendly’s paid plan is also ideal for handling payments. You can integrate PayPal and Stripe. The premium version of Calendly also has automated reminders and round-the-clock support.
Calendly Standard will be good enough for most people, but you might also want to consider upgrading to Teams or Enterprise if you need features like round-robin event creation.
Here’s a rundown of Calendly’s pricing:
Calendly Standard
Calendly Teams
Calendly Enterprise
$20/user/mo
$192/user/yr
$15,000/yr
5Structured
Structured is another daily planning app that I’m a big fan of. It’s very easy to use and beautifully laid out, making it easy to keep track of my daily tasks. The free version lets you organize your tasks with minimal fuss, but the paid version has a couple of nice features you might want to utilize.
After upgrading to Structured Pro, you’re able to import tasks from your calendar app. Moreover, you can import from the Apple Reminders app and set up recurring tasks. The latter is particularly useful because it’s sometimes exhausting to manually fill in the same items each day or week.
You’ll also get access to Structured AI. This tool can summarize your tasks within a particular project area, and you can also upload pictures if you want to scan something into the app. Moreover, you can ask the tool to generate recurring tasks—as I’ve done in the window below.
Download:Structured formacOS|iOS|Android(Free, in-app purchases available)
Structured Pro is available for weekly and monthly subscriptions, in addition to a lifetime purchase.
6Cold Turkey
Cold Turkey is one ofthe best website blockers for removing distractions, and it’s my all-time favorite desktop app of its kind. I started using it in 2020 and then deleted it because I thought it wasn’t necessary. Let’s just say that it’s now a core part of my productivity system and helps me focus like no other desktop app can.
When you upgrade to the paid version of Cold Turkey, you can set up scheduled blocks. This is a fantastic tool if you have a consistent daily routine. For example, I have a set of websites that are useful outside of work hours (e.g. Google Analytics) but can be distracting when I’m trying to write.
Besides blocking just websites, the premium version of Cold Turkey can also block apps. It’s also possible to take breaks from your blocks if needed.
Cold Turkey Pro is available for a $39 one-time purchase. you’re able to download the app from the Cold Turkey website and add extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and numerous other browsers.
Knowing which productivity apps are worth paying for will make it much easier to pick the right ones. From website blockers to to-do list apps, choosing a couple of premium tools that meet your goals could help you significantly increase your output.
