As 2016 is coming to an end I look back on the most useful apps of 2016 for me. I like experimenting, trying new things and just playing around with new apps. Here is my list, hope you can take something out of it.
What do I do
I want to give you a bit of context about this list, with a few info about what I do for a living. I own a small Human Resources company, deliver both training and recruitment services. I also like blogging and YouTube-ing (don’t know if that is a word). I maintain several blogs and YouTube channels.
Ok, done with the intro, let’s start.
Email: Gmail / MailPlane
I like Gmail very much, from my point of view it’s the best email client out there. If only there was a standalone email client that could take Gmail out of the browser and put it into a separate window …
Well, there is, and if you are using a Mac, MailPlane is a great option. The only downside is that it’s a paid app, but let’s face it the one time cost that you pay is not a fortune, not even for me in Romania.
I tried also Polymail, Newton, Postbox and Apple Mail, but, what can I say, Gmail is still the best.
Notes: Evernote
As I am writing this article, I have 9992 notes in Evernote, just under 10000. A great app, I also have an online course about it.
Most of my notes out there are from my CV Database. I keep all the CVs I receive and my notes about them out there. If you are interested in these kind of things, you can see how I structured it here: applicant tracking system in Evernote.
To do list: Todoist
I cannot function without a task manager, and the obvious choice for me was Todoist. It has just the right mix of great user experience and the right features (like recurring tasks).
I’m using it since 2009, so far I marked 7464 tasks as done.
Email marketing: MailerLite
For a long time I’ve used MailChimp and the experience was great. Especially when I had less than 2000 subscribers and the cost was 0. 🙂
But slowly my email list started to grow, past 7000 subscribers, I realized that MailChimp was way too expensive for my Romanian income.
When I moved to MailerLite it was first for cost reduction. But as I discovered the service I realized that it’s in no way inferior and actually has features not found in MailChimp.
Photo editing: Pixelmator
I am not a designer or a photographer, but I need from time to time to create an image for an article, or to adapt a Facebook cover.
Paying a monthly fee for that to use Photoshop would make no sense. This is why I chose Pixelmator. Does what I need it to do and because the user experience is similar with Photoshop, getting accustomed was easy.
The only minus is that it’s mac only.
Screen capture: QuickTime, ActivePresenter
Most of the videos I upload on YouTube are tutorials where I share my screen and people can hear my voice. Sucks to hear your own voice.
The nice thing on using a mac is that screen capture is built right into the operating system / QuickTime. When I am recording my screen on Windows I am using ActivePresenter.
Event management: EventBrite
I organized both online events (webinars) and offline events (with up to 3000 participants). I could not imagine how to do this without Eventbrite. It offers everything you need for a ticketed event, even QR codes on tickets and the ability to scan them with their mobile app.
Payment processing: Gumroad
I sell educational products and files on a different site. For this I am using Gumroad, a platform that does both the payment processing and product delivery (and much more).
The most useful thing for me is the fact that I have to send only one invoice to Gumroad and not one for every 5$ sales that I have on my site.
Video editing: iMovie
If you know a thing or two about video editing you will probably make fun of me for using iMovie to edit my clips. I kinda agree, however for the dead simple editing I do, there is no point to think about things like Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro.
Before buying a Mac I was using Movie Maker, iMovie is a big step forward. 🙂
The only thing I don’t like about iMovie is the slow export speed.
Mobile: CamScanner
At the start of 2016 I quit my job and started my own business. Bought a printer with a build in scanner only to realize that I rarely use it.
The reason is CamScanner, it’s much easier to snap a picture with my phone of a document than to use the scanner.
Mobile: Drivvo
If you have an old car like me, you probably know that you have to visit the mechanic pretty often. After one of these visits I wondered how much I was spending on my car on a yearly, monthly, by km basis.
I had no ideea, but after using Drivvo for a while, in my case the cost of the car is around 10$ / day and 0.17$ / Km. Great app, highly recommend.
Mobile: Pocket Casts
Last but not least here is the podcast app that I use, Pocket Casts. I liked the design and user experience so much that I paid for it, even if there are lots of podcast apps you can get for free.
Your turn
Ok, I’m done with my list. I’m really curious about what are the apps you are using, tell me in the comments bellow.