If you’re used to working under pressure, a good productivity tool will help you. Such tools are applications and web services that simplify workflows, automate routine tasks, and optimize workload. They improve the results of your work, reduce stress, and help you establish communication.
In this article, we’re going to talk about free productivity tools that you can use without putting too much strain on your budget. They are suitable for freelancers, office workers, and remote specialists.
Online Productivity Tool for Task Management
These are basic tools for increasing productivity. They allow you to control your current workload, set deadlines for certain tasks, and track progress. The best services in this category are the following:
- Monday.com. A top platform trusted by such giant corporations as Coca-Cola, Canva, and Universal Music Group. It is suitable for managing projects and company resources, creating a freelancer portfolio, setting strategic goals, and distributing responsibilities. It has an intuitive interface, a built-in messenger to improve communications, and vivid visualization. The free version of this productivity tool includes two user accounts, 3 projects, and 200 report templates.
- ClickUp. The service gives you access to a dashboard that can be presented in the form of a Gantt chart, kanban board, or calendar. It allows you to prioritize tasks with one click, quickly sorting them by the due date. The free version of this productivity tool is suitable for personal use, with only one account. With a premium subscription, you can access an AI-powered assistant and connect other applications to the platform.
- DragApp is one of the best tools for remote work. It is an add-on to Google Workflow that allows you to view projects directly in your Gmail inbox. It allows you to take notes, share files with other participants in the process, and quickly generate emails based on templates. With the help of Zapier, you can connect other applications to it, such as CRM, ERP, corporate messengers, etc.
Document and File Management
To improve your productivity, you need to keep all your files and data under control. This implies quick access to documents and the ability to share them for information exchange. The following apps help you create and manage a centralized knowledge base:
- OpenDocMan. It is a free productivity tool for document sharing. It allows you to sort files, create workgroups, and set restrictions on opening certain materials. The platform is available as a web version and an application for installation on mobile and desktop devices. It has a built-in project management board and an email client for quick distribution of documents.
- PDF Flex. It is a service for converting documents of various formats to PDF and vice versa. It currently has 12 file conversion options, with more being added regularly. You can convert Excel to PDF free of charge or convert an electronic document to an image for quick publishing on a website. This productivity tool doesn’t require any sign-up and is ad-free. It has a very simple interface that won’t distract you from your current tasks.
- OpenKM. A professional-level platform that allows you to sort and search documents by metadata. You can write your scripts in it, automating routine processes such as selecting product instructions. The application can manage files in local or cloud storage, making it an ideal choice for remote work.
Education and Learning Tools
Productivity is closely linked to knowledge and skills. By increasing their level, you reduce time spent on work, improve results, and ultimately earn more income. In the education category, we can recommend the following services:
- EdApp: It is a platform that offers more than 1,000 specialized courses in various fields, from workplace safety to the use of AI in product management. This free productivity tool makes learning very interesting and effective thanks to the mechanics of gamification — by completing tasks, you will receive rewards and training. It has short quizzes to review the material and time-limited exams. The authority of this service is confirmed by the fact that it is an official partner of the United Nations.
- Skillshare. It is an online community of professionals ready to share their knowledge and skills. Most courses are paid, but you can find many free programs of any level — from beginner to expert. One of the advantages of the platform is the possibility to download courses for offline viewing while traveling or on vacation.
- edX. It is a service created by the top educational institutions of the USA and the EU — MIT, Harvard, and Cambridge Universities. This platform offers a free audit track with free open courses without certificates or graded assignments. Still, it’s a unique opportunity to learn from the world’s greatest minds.
Messengers
Communication is the key to success. By keeping in close touch with your team, you will achieve a synergistic effect — together, you can do more than each of you alone. In this category, the recommended tools for increasing productivity are:
- Slack. It is the No. 1 corporate messenger in IT, Internet marketing, and many other industries. It has built-in scheduling tools and an open API. You can connect many other applications to it to instantly download files from repositories, share code snippets, and provide links to ongoing tasks.
- Webex. It is a productivity tool from Cisco Corporation. It features text communication with automatic translation into 100 languages and video communication with conference recording. The free version allows you to organize online meetings for up to 100 attendees lasting up to 40 minutes.
- Front. It is a specialized messenger that will help you to establish a system of communication with customers. With its help, you will manage many communication channels in one application, quickly receive information about previous contacts, and download information from other platforms.
Bottom Line
Productivity tools for work may seem like an optional addition to your workflow. But in fact, they can evenly distribute the workload, reduce stress, and allocate more time for creative tasks. Even something as simple as the possibility to convert PDF to Excel online free of charge can save you a few minutes a day, which will turn into hours a month and dozens of hours of working time a year.
