5 Brilliant Apps That Will Make Your Life Better

I love a well-designed app.

Even when I have an existing app that works, I can’t help but try the new shiny ones to see if they’re better. Let’s not even talk about how many free trials I’ve signed up for. 😳

From all of that experimentation I want to bring you the top 5 apps that truly make my life better. Give them a shot and hopefully they’ll make your life better too!

1. Things

Simple but powerful task management

Things by Cultured Code is the epitome of a well-designed productivity app. It works just as well for creating a simple shopping list as it does for planning out a multi-stage project with start and end dates, reminders and more. It’s pricier than some to-do apps, but if you’re looking for the best, this is it.

Platform: MacOS / iOS
Price: $9.99 for iPhone/Watch, $49.99 for MacOS, $19.99 for iPad

2. Bear

Minimalist note-taking and writing

Bear removes every distraction so that you can focus on writing instead of choosing your font. It includes beautiful themes so you can make it your own. It also includes powerful tagging and search functionality to help you keep your writing organized.

Platform: MacOS / iOS
Price: $14.99/yr

3. MindNode

Easy and beautiful mind-mapping software

MindNode is the slickest solution out there for mind-mapping. Built-in keyboard shortcuts help you stay in flow as you add branches and expand your ideas. While the interface is minimal, you can dive deeper for surprisingly deep customization.

This is a great app to Create a Mind Map to Visualize Your Goals for the Year.

Platform: MacOS / iOS
Price: Free 14 day trial, $19.99/yr for MindNode+

4. Tempo

Minimalist email that helps you focus

Tempo is currently in beta, but even in beta it’s the best minimalist email software I’ve ever tried (and I’ve probably tried them all). The idea behind Tempo is to help you process your email just 2x per day with a hyper-focused interface.

Platform: MacOS (beta)
Price: Free during beta, $15/mo after launch

5. Loom

Loom is the quickest way to record and send a screen recording, a video of yourself, or both at once! With a Chrome extension, Mac menu bar app and more, it’s always accessible and makes it ridiculously easy to show instead of tell when you’re pitching an idea or answering a complex question.

Platform: Windows, Mac, Chrome, iOS)
Price: Free basic version, paid plans available

What are your favorite apps? We’d love for you to drop them in the comment box below.