These types of blogs are always interesting to me because it’s important to understand what other people find to be the most helpful and comfortable tools to work with on a daily basis.

In our field especially, as we spend most of the day at our laptops and our work is purely digital, understanding the useful combinations of apps is as important as it gets. And, I’ve come to appreciate the importance of showing gratitude for truly functional and well-designed apps.

That’s why I wanted to share some of my absolute favorite tools that are an integral part of my daily routines, with small sneak peeks into how I use them most often and which features are my favorites, along with links to try them out yourselves too.

Arc

This is my personal favorite — not only something I use while working but for my personal tasks as well. Discovering Arc really changed how I interact with the internet, and I’m very grateful for its existence.

There are many features that make it stand out from the rest of the browsers for me:

• Vertical tabs to maintain a clear view of your work

• Favorites to pin your most frequently used pages right there

• Spaces to keep your browser clean and uncluttered

• Extensive customization options and a stunning, aesthetic UI

• Personalized approach from the team and regular updates

In most cases, browsers for us are just a means to an end — to reach our favorite web pages. But in this case, I believe it’s an end in itself and satisfying to use even on its own.

If you have not tried it yet, that’s the first thing you should do. Check it out from this link and I might even get gifted with a cool new Arc icon.

IntelliJ IDEA

As a Java developer, no tool tops my list like IntelliJ IDEA. This IDE is incredibly powerful and versatile, offering every feature you could need for writing code.

While the Ultimate version is packed with advanced features, the Community version is also highly capable and more than sufficient for most users. Here are some reasons why IntelliJ IDEA is irreplaceable for me:

• Intelligent code completion to help finish the sentences you’ve started

• Seamless integration with Git and build tools

• Helpful resources to learn IDE features and become a pro user

Frequent updates, a responsive development team that addresses issues quickly, and the cleanest, most functional interface I’ve ever seen in any IDE are just a few reasons why IntelliJ IDEA stands out.

The points I’ve covered are just the tiny glimpses of what this IDE can do. It definitely deserves its own blog post — or even a whole blog series!

** If you’re interested in exploring its features and capabilities further, let me know. I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

Warp

Not much time has passed since I discovered Warp — modern and powerful terminal solution, which I now use almost daily when working from the command line.

• UI customization options to help you feel comfortable

• Natural language detection to make describing what you need much easier

• Turning commands into workflows so you never have to repeat the same task twice

• Memorizing previous commands so you never forget what you need

Currently, it’s only available for Linux and Mac users, but don’t you worry, you can join the Windows waitlist.

Check it out using this referral link if you’d like me to get a new cool theme.

Postman

This API platform has become an industry standard for building and testing APIs. Its intuitive UI is easy to use for amateurs and non-technical users alike, but it also includes many advanced features that are highly valued by enterprise companies.

Some of my personal daily go-tos are:

• Response history to go back in time and find that elusive response

• Request format conversion to seamlessly switch between formats

• Scripts to automate repetitive tasks or transform your data

• Collections to organize and manage your requests efficiently

• Comments to add notes and keep track of important details

This is just a humble list of beginner-friendly features. Check out sharing collections, synchronizing workspaces, and much more for yourself.

DevToys

Which developer does not need a help in doing quick and specific tiny tasks? none. DevToys is there to help you with anything you can think of.

Even though you can find most features online on separate pages by Googling them, having them all in one place, running locally on your machine, is very comfortable.

• JWT decoder/encoder

• Hash generator

• UUID generator

• Lorem ipsum generator

• Text diff

I mean, you can see the long list of features above. It’s like a Swiss Army knife for developers and definitely worth exploring.

Notion

Notion is also one of my recent discoveries. I’ve used many similar tools in the past, but none offer as much customization. It’s simple yet very powerful, and I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of what it can do. However, here are some of my favorite features:

• Clear separation of pages to keep your space organized

• Endless formatting options to better express yourself

• AI support, of course

Whether it’s a simple aesthetic to-do list, notes, or high-level research, I believe this versatile app can be used in any way.

I wish I were a super-user, but I guess the joy is in the journey ahead.

Maccy

I believe a good clipboard manager is essential for all users. I constantly need to copy and paste snippets around the IDE or chats and frequently refer to my clipboard history. This is where Maccy shines:

• Preserving not only text but screenshots too, because you never know

• Various customization options to make it fit your needs

As the name suggests, Maccy is for Mac users. However, I can also recommend alternatives for other systems that I have used and loved: Diodon (for Linux) and Ditto (for Windows).

Flameshot

This open-source screenshot software is my absolute favorite. I’ve tried many similar tools, but none have been as comfortable to use.

I even remember that on my Linux machine, the shortcut to launch the tool stopped working after an update. I spent many hours trying to fix it (and fixed, finally) — that’s how essential it is! Here’s why:

• In-app screenshot editing because you gotta highlight your ideas

• Highly customizable to help you express

If you haven’t used it before, now is the perfect time to give it a try!

Slack

When it comes to communication, Slack is my go-to app for staying connected with not only my team members, but friends and family too. Once you start using Slack, it’s tough to consider moving to another app. Here are some of my favorite features:

• Channels to organize conversations and keep discussions focused

• Messaging to communicate instantly and keep everyone in the loop

• Multiple emoji reactions to add some fun (very important!)

• Seamless integration with apps to keep everything connected

• Huddles for spontaneous voice (and not only) conversations

• Predefined or custom themes to personalize your workspace and match your style

Slack is simple and comfortable, giving off cozy, warm vibes, and in my opinion, it even helps foster a friendly and inclusive atmosphere within the team. So, if your company hasn’t adopted it yet, give it a pitch!

Spotify

Spotify has been an essential part of my daily life for quite a while now. As a premium user, I don’t regret spending a few bucks on its high-quality music, especially when the app offers a lot of features.

• Daily mixes to give you a perfect blend of your favorite tracks

• Powerful search by genre to quickly find the perfect tracks for any mood

Shared jams, recommended stations, favorite artists, popular radios and much more— there’s a lot to discover and enjoy depending on your mood.

There are other tools that didn’t make it into my top-10 list but that I really enjoy using, like NotchNook, Giphy Capture, Sublime Text, Rectangle, Hidden Bar, Scroll Reverser, Karabiner-Elements, and many more.

I’m excited to discover new and intriguing apps, so let me know your essential tools or if you relate to any of my favorites.

And, of course, Stay tuned for future blogs ✨