My Top 20 Go-To Apps of 2023
From Finance to Flight Details
Hi there, Merry Christmas. 🎄
I wanted to share some of the apps that helped me through my days in 2023. They might also help you out in 2024; none are paid promotions.
I wanted to mention - SettApp. It's like a Netflix-style subscription service for apps, and it's been my go-to for discovering some of the best apps out there. It's only $9.99 monthly, which is a pretty sweet deal.
I also wanted to say thank you for subscribing this year. I appreciate it!
Greenlight 💸
This is a new one for me, but two of my kids are old enough to start learning how to earn and spend a dollar, and Greenlight seems to be a good fit. Some friends recommended it, so we will see. I like how it can all be controlled via an app and dashboard. [more]
Oportun 💸
This used to be called Digit, a micro-saving service that withdraws tiny amounts of money from its connected account and puts it into a separate savings account. It has evolved over the years, adding individual goals you can save separately. I love this because if you set it to a comfortable level, you forget about it, and when something pops up, you need to pay for it. Oh, that's right; we planned for this. [more]
Poe 🤖
Poe is an AI-powered platform that lets you ask questions and get instant answers from different bots. It supports various AI models and aims to build a platform that benefits everyone as AI technology becomes more widely available. I often use this to take a to-do list and plan out additional steps and time needed. [more]
Substack ✍🏻
Shocker! Substack has been one of the more popular email newsletters over the past year, and for good reason. New features like audio and video have been rolling out quickly. Even better, writers on Substack maintain full ownership of their content and subscriber lists. It caters to diverse content, from journalism to niche topics, offering an independent alternative to traditional media. It feels like social media, huh? [more]
Capcut 🎥
CapCut is one of the best and easiest to use if you post content on any short-form video platform. [more]
Flighty ✈️
If you fly more than a few times yearly, you'll have fun with this app. Flighty efficiently tracks and presents all your flight details in a streamlined way. Known for its quick alerts on delays and cancellations, Flighty also offers insights into various aspects of air travel, such as the age of your aircraft, estimated taxi times, and destination weather. [more]
DayOne 📘
If you are into non-paper journaling, this is the best app on the planet. [more]
DarkNoise 🎧️
Commuting on any mass transit will make you want to shut the world off and not have to listen to the conversation next to you; this app improves that. You can mix sounds, create your own, and find your peace. [more]
Paste 🖇️
Did you know you needed a clipboard manager? Well, you do, and this is one of the best. [more]
CleanShotX 💻️
Watch out, Loom, CSX is coming for your lunch. CleanShotX is a screenshot app on steroids and has recently waded into the async video world, and they're doing a fantastic job. [more]
QuitAll ⛔️
I didn't think I needed to download an entirely new app just to shut everything down simultaneously, but we live in weird times, and this app is highly satisfying. At the end of your day, when you hit one button and it all shuts down, you'll see what I mean. [more]
GrammarlyAI 🤖
What started as a simple spelling and grammar checker has turned into an AI powerhouse. Once installed, you'll get a small window to prompt against anything you write. [more]
Sleeve 🎧️
File this one in the passive category. If you're in a deep work zone, and a song comes on, and you need to figure out who it is, glance down to a corner of your screen and find out. All this displays your Spotify info discretely and simply so you can keep going without changing window views. [more]
Boom3D 🎧️
If you have a setup at home that uses external monitor speakers or headphones of above-average quality, give this a try. This is an equalizer you never knew you needed. [more]
Drafts 📘
Drafts is where text starts for me. I'm drafting this post in Drafts right now. Once you put text into Drafts, what you do next is almost limitless. Send a text, draft an email, create a calendar event, append or prepend documents in your favorite cloud service provider. It's where text starts. [more]
OmniFocus ✅
The To Do platform that's been running my life for the past ten years. This is not for everyone, but those who latch onto it will not let go. OmniFocus is an advanced task management app specifically for Apple users. It's ideal for those who need a robust system (especially if you're into Getting Things Done), but it might be a bit much for casual users or non-Apple fans. [more]
Spark 📩
Spark is an email platform that constantly adds features and tools with the hope of making email suck less. Its recent addition of AI capabilities is particularly impressive as other platforms struggle to catch up. I use Spark for all my "non-work" emails and see no reason to deviate. [more]
Fantastical 📆
If you need a huge calendar system and your native app isn't cutting it, Fantastical is fantastic. The app is known for its natural language input, allowing accessible event and reminder creation with everyday language. It offers diverse calendar views and integrates seamlessly with major calendar services like Google Calendar and iCloud. [more]
Craft 📘
Craft is an exceptional note-taking and document-creation app that I enthusiastically endorse. This is open and taking in information if I’m in a meeting or on the phone. It features a brilliantly sleek design on iOS, macOS, and the web. It offers advanced functionalities like rich text editing, intricately nested pages, and handy backlinks to weave ideas together seamlessly. It excels with its real-time collaboration capabilities and cross-app integration, ensuring smooth operation across all devices. For anyone looking to organize complex notes and documents with ease and style, Craft is an outstanding choice that I wholeheartedly recommend. [more]