Zooming into a new year with plans of becoming the best version of yourself? We’re breaking down some of the best productivity apps you can take into 2025 to help with your journey. The thrill of making big life changes is enough to keep you motivated for the first week or two, but after the initial burst of enthusiasm, it’s much harder to stick to your goals and maintain the same degree of productivity.
There’s no shame in using aids to help you stick to your goals, whether it’s a tracker gadget like the Apple Watch or an app that helps you work on your concentration. We’re listing some of our favorite apps we plan to use for meeting our productivity goals in 2025, so make sure you have your phone ready to get downloading immediately.
Image: The Forest App is one of the best focus apps you can find right now.
Our Recommendations for the Best Productivity Apps to Keep Close in 2025
New Year resolutions vary from person to person, and the scale and intensity of our goals always differ to some degree. Still, there are many common factors that unite us all—a desire for better focus, time management, emotional stability, regular activity, more self-expression, etc. It is entirely possible to attain all of these things without relying on an app, but when there are amazing support tools out there to give you a leg up closer to your goal, there is no reason to hesitate.
There are many apps and tools available for your PCs, but we find smartphone-based productivity apps to be more helpful considering they stay close at hand at all times. Whether you’re on the hunt for the best focus-oriented apps or the best apps to stay organized, we’ve got you covered.
Forest App—Stay Focused Whenever You Need
One of the best focus-based apps ever designed, the Forest app is a great tool to have when you need to improve your concentration or at least briefly narrow down your attention to a task without distractions from your smartphone.
The app allows you to set a timer that prevents you from using your phone as it runs. The special part of the deal is that while you focus, a tree of your choice grows on the app to reward you for your concentration. The more regularly you use the app, the more lush your virtual forest becomes. Pomocat is another cute Pomodoro timer that you can use if the features of the Forest app aren’t suited to you.
Day One—Journaling is Not Just a Hobby, It’s a Way to Clear Your Mind
The top apps for productivity don’t all have to be about setting goals and managing time. Sometimes, you may struggle to focus because there’s a lot going on in your mind that keeps you preoccupied. Journaling is a great way to gain some clarity, sort out your thoughts and emotions, and segregate them into categories that are within and outside of your control.
The Day One app is truly one of the best ways to record your experiences on a digital platform where you don’t have to worry about someone reading your private experience. The app is always available on your smartphone so you never have to carry around a separate book or wait till you can jot down a quick point or two.
If mental clarity is a priority for 2025, then this is one of the best apps to stay organized. If you want some other options, you can give DailyBean or Daliyo Journal a shot.
Seven—7 Minute Workouts
Habits are rarely built overnight—they take consistency and practice in order to become a part of your daily routine. If you’re planning on becoming more active in 2025, then a fitness app is a good first step before a gym membership. Even slightly increasing how active you are throughout the day can make you feel much better and make a difference to your overall health. This is where the Seven app comes in.
This workout app encourages users to exercise at least 7 minutes every day, providing workouts that don’t require any equipment and can be done anywhere. Whether you have a goal to lose weight or run a marathon, the short workouts can provide a nice warm-up to your eventual workout routine.
A brief workout won’t just help you work towards your fitness goals, it can also clear your head to better focus on your studies or your work. There are, of course, a number of fitness apps on the market, so you can give Body by Blogilates (another personal favorite), Nike Training Club, or 8fit a shot instead.
Atom—The Meditation App
Before you get started with a task or your day, it’s always helpful to take a minute to draw your focus in and calm yourself down to concentrate. Meditating is a very useful life skill to master, but it isn’t easy for everyone to get the hang of it immediately. If you find it really difficult to meditate by yourself, the Atom app is a good companion to have by your side. The app is perfect for beginners and follows the same style as the Forest app, planting trees virtually while you meditate. If you have trouble sleeping, want to exercise, or just want to work on self-improvement, then Atom has separate apps available for that as well.
Headspace and Insight Timer are similar apps that can be considered for improving your ability to concentrate and meditate.
Any.do—Task Management App
Any list of the top apps for productivity would be incomplete without a task manager app that can ensure you stay on top of your responsibilities. The Any.do app is available across platforms and provides a very clean and simplified way to be organized. You can add in your tasks whenever you need, including additional details like a phone number for someone you need to call or a calendar event for a meeting you need to attend.
All of your work is neatly organized and visible at a glance, giving you a good idea of what your day has in store for you. You can also share lists with friends and family, making it easy to collaborate on tasks. This is one of the best apps available to stay organized, so if that’s something you need to meet your 2025 goals, it’s time to pick up your phone and download the app.
If you prefer a more gamified version of a task manager, then the Habitica app is a great alternative to consider.
Kinnu—The Superpower Learning App
If your goal for 2025 involves learning more about the world and all it has to offer instead of wasting time scrolling through Instagram and the toxic landscape of Twitter/X, consider downloading an app where you can gain some knowledge.
The Kinnu app breaks down different topics from mental health to history and geography and provides bite-sized pieces of information that are easy to remember. Not only will the wealth of knowledge improve your understanding of the world but, you’ll also be able to use your smartphone for something useful, without the guilt of being on social media all the time.
The app’s interface is pleasant to look at and its gamified approach to learning will ensure you don’t get bored or overwhelmed by the information on offer. If you have a more niche interest and want to learn more specifically about one topic like art history, then DailyArt – Daily Dose of Art is a good choice for you. If you want some kid-friendly alternatives, check out our other list to learn more.
And there you have it—these are our picks for some of the top apps for chasing productivity in 2025, but if you have any others we should consider, let us know!
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