8 Killer Productivity Tools to Work Smarter not Harder 🔥🧙‍♂️
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8 Killer Productivity Tools to Work Smarter not Harder 🔥🧙‍♂️

Publish Date: Jan 13
112 24

In today's fast-moving world of digitization, developers often have to juggle heavy workloads to get productivity going and ensure they meet the demands of clients.

Moreover, intense work on tight deadlines and the handling of many simultaneous things has become a main challenge in our everyday lives as coders.

In this article, I decided to curate 8 of my favorite recently discovered productivity tools that might come in handy to improve your tech stack and ultimatelly work smarter, not harder.

Hopefully, by integrating these tools in your stack, you will be able to automate repetitive tasks, optimize project planning, and retain control of your progress, reducing your workload.

I've included the direct links, description, main features, and the preview image for each tool so you can get the initial impression on the go! Let’s dive in!


1. ProofHub - Project Management Simplified

ProofHub offers a complete project management and team collaboration tool for effective project planning, teamwork and tracking in one place.

Users can manage tasks and communications within a single platform, reducing the need to switch between multiple tools and improving focus and efficiency.

Some of the most useful features include:

📂 Project views - View your project in a way that suits your workflow using four different views. Use Board view to visualize tasks' progress through customizable stages and plan your timelines with Gantt charts.

🗓️ Calendar - Never miss an important date with a shared team calendar - integrated with your events, tasks, and milestones, with automated reminders to help you plan your time.

✅ Tasks and milestones - Create tasks, assign them to team members, set due dates, and organize your work by deadlines and labels. Manage priorities and keep your team focused on the essentials with in-task comments, file sharing, and approvals.

🤝 Collaboration tools - Communicate seamlessly with in-built chat, keep topic-specific conversations organized using discussions, and share feedback on creative assets with the built-in proofing tool for faster reviews and approvals.

⏳ Time tracking - Use timesheets to track hours spent on tasks. Track actual time against estimated time and generate reports for better time management.

📈 Project reports - Track progress with real-time insights into task completion rates, resource utilization, workloads, and deadlines. Customize reports to focus on what matters most and make informed decisions to keep projects on track.

ProofHub

Seeking a user-friendly solution for project planning and team collaboration? Try ProofHub today and experience seamless project management yourself!

🌍 Website link: https://www.proofhub.com/

Thanks to the ProofHub team for sponsoring this article.


2. Supernotes - Collaborative Note-Taking

Supernotes

Supernotes is a light, fast, and collaborative note-taking app for creating and sharing notes. Its card-based system allows for swift organization and information retrieval.

It is helpful for developers in documenting code snippets, ideas for projects, and meeting notes; it allows them to work with team members in real time.

Key Features & Why to Use It:

  • Organize information in digestible, linkable cards with card-based notes.

  • Share and edit notes with team members in real-time collaboration.

  • Format notes efficiently with markdown support.

🌍 Website link: https://supernotes.app/


3. Missive - Team Inbox and Chat App

Missive

Missive is a single app to manage emails, chat, and task management for your team, helping in collaboration on conversations and managing the shared inbox.

Users can significantly reduce their time spent switching between email and chat apps, so they can interact faster and make decisions more conveniently.

Key Features & Why to Use It:

  • Inbox client to handle team emails collaboratively.

  • Integrated chat to communicate internally without using outside tools.

  • Create and track tasks directly from conversations.

🌍 Website link: https://missiveapp.com/


4. Lucidspark - Virtual Whiteboard Collaboration

Lucidspark

Lucidspark is a virtual whiteboard where teams can brainstorm, collaborate, and organize ideas in real time. It puts a focus on providing an environment for creativity and innovation.

You can use Lucidspark to design system architectures and run remote brainstorming sessions to improve team alignment in project planning.

Key Features & Why to Use It:

  • You can collaborate with team members in real time on a single canvas.

  • Take down ideas with sticky notes and use templates for more structured planning.

  • Integrate with Lucidchart to move from brainstorming into detailed diagrams.

🌍 Website link: https://lucidspark.com/


5. Automa - Browser Task Automation

Automa

Automa is a browser extension that automates any repetitive activity by connecting the configurable blocks for form filling, data scraping, website interactions, and so on.

By automating routine browser tasks, developers can focus on more creative coding work. Besides, it reduces errors and saves time when collecting data or testing something.

Key Features & Why to Use It:

  • Automate browser interactions by creating custom workflows.

  • Extract data from websites and export it in various formats.

  • Set triggers to run workflows at a certain time or upon events.

🌍 Website link: https://www.automa.site/


6. FlowMapp - Visual Website Planning

FlowMapp

FlowMapp is a visual tool for planning sitemaps, user flows, and wireframes; it helps users manage content more effectively in website development.

FlowMapp visualizes the structure of websites and UX to allow for better planning and communication with designers and stakeholders for more efficient workflow.

Key Features & Why to Use It:

  • Visually create and organize hierarchies for your website.

  • Map out user journeys to enhance UX design.

  • Develop high-fidelity prototypes using a library of templates.

🌍 Website link: https://www.flowmapp.com/


7. TextBlaze – Text Expansion and Automation

TextBlaze

TextBlaze is a powerful text expansion tool that provides users with the possibility to create custom shortcuts for frequent texts and automate regular typing habits.

Developers can boost productivity in their work with text from automating emails and saving time in Slack/Discord responses to streamlining documentation processes.

Key features & why to use it:

  • Manage a library of text snippets for code, email, or documentation.

  • Create variables and turn dynamic content into snippets for personalized automation.

  • Experience consistency in productivity with multi-app, cross-device compatibility in TextBlaze.

🌍 Website link: https://blaze.today/


8. Conjure – Habit and Behavior Tracking

Conjure

Conjure is an all-in-one platform to improve the habits, time, achievements, and behaviors of users for personal and professional growth.

With Conjure, users can create productive routines, track time spent on tasks, and develop measurable goals to optimize their workflow for maximum efficiency.

Key features & why to use it:

  • Form habits by building and maintaining them with automation and customization options.

  • Track your progress on both web and mobile for motivating consistency.

  • Manage objectives by setting goals and achieving them through habit tracking.

🌍 Website link: https://conjure.so/


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Comments 24 total

  • Makechi™
    Makechi™Jan 13, 2025

    Great tools except that Conjure is shutting down on January 31st.
    Read more here

    • Ilya Aizenberg
      Ilya AizenbergJan 14, 2025

      If you like Conjure, you might enjoy Streak Calendar as an open-source alternative. It offers habit tracking, task timing, and progress visualization, and it's free and actively developed.

      • Makechi™
        Makechi™Jan 14, 2025

        Thanks for the alternative. Let me check it out.

        • Ilya Aizenberg
          Ilya AizenbergJan 14, 2025

          Thank you for checking it out! Streak Calendar is a new project, just released a few days ago. I'm new to open-source and Dev.to, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated to help me improve.

  • Kudzai Murimi
    Kudzai MurimiJan 13, 2025

    Great Tools, thanks for sharing the list!

  • Onyeacholem Ifeanyi Joshua
    Onyeacholem Ifeanyi Joshua Jan 14, 2025

    These are awesome tools 🔥

  • Ndeye Fatou Diop
    Ndeye Fatou DiopJan 14, 2025

    Great list Mazda 🙏
    I didn’t know any of these.

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  • Wayne Rockett
    Wayne RockettJan 14, 2025

    I believe Automa shut down a few months ago. Their extension is flagged by Google as due to be turned off for not following best practices.

  • Ignacia Heyer
    Ignacia HeyerJan 14, 2025

    Good information.

    Thank you

  • Andrew Baisden
    Andrew BaisdenJan 14, 2025

    Cool list, I can see a few that I have tried before.

  • Masud Al Imran
    Masud Al ImranJan 14, 2025

    Some very nice suggestions.

  • David Au Yeung
    David Au YeungJan 15, 2025

    This is cool!

  • anna lapushner
    anna lapushnerJan 15, 2025

    Really great and cool. Proofhub is going to be particularly of good use!

  • Bernd Wechner
    Bernd WechnerJan 16, 2025

    While I do appreciate an article like this I confess it is useless and near meaningless to me without some ballpark description of costs. Absence of that turns it into a research project I can do without the article really and like it or not everyone looking for tools has a budget in mind.

  • Juan Bafora
    Juan BaforaJan 16, 2025

    Thanks for sharing these tools i will look to check these tools

  • Dynamic Mockups
    Dynamic MockupsJan 17, 2025

    Good information.

  • mohamed karim
    mohamed karimJan 17, 2025

    Thank you for sharing your great work.

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  • Valentin Iljaž
    Valentin IljažJan 23, 2025

    What a great list! I really like FlowMapp - definitely gonna use it in the future. I've been working on productivity app of my own - check it out - Webacus.dev It's collection of useful tools for web development.

  • JOHN ODOEMENEM
    JOHN ODOEMENEMFeb 2, 2025

    You can take out Conjur, as they are shut down

  • flo merian
    flo merianFeb 5, 2025

    Raycast is a no brainer imho.

  • Greg Titus
    Greg TitusFeb 18, 2025

    Boosting productivity doesn’t mean working longer hours—it’s about working smarter. The article "8 Killer Productivity Tools to Work Smarter, Not Harder" explores essential tools that streamline tasks and improve efficiency. From task management apps to automation software, these tools help professionals stay focused and organized. Whether you're looking to manage emails, schedule meetings, or even buy a mailing list for targeted outreach, having the right tools can make all the difference. The key is finding what fits your workflow and simplifies your daily tasks. After all, true productivity is about achieving more with less stress, not just doing more.

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