Are you on the hunt for the best free software tools to boost your productivity and simplify your workflow? If you play your cards right, I'll let you in on a few tools.
1. Webflow
Webflow is a comprehensive website design and development platform that empowers just about anyone with computer access to create websites.
With a wide range of templates and libraries of pre-made elements, all you need are the basics to wield this powerful weapon. And they teach the whole software for free on YouTube and Webflow University.
It combines a powerful visual editor with a range of customizable templates and design elements, making it feasible to use for both beginners and experienced designers.
One of the unique and fascinating features of Webflow is its ability to generate clean and optimized code that is compatible with a wide range of web browsers and devices.
Below shows me designing this blog for desktop. Styles that I design "cascade" down to other devices, with the ability to style differently on smaller devices with one click.
Larger projects that need to scale on different devices could take a front-end developer several weeks to complete. Most of it can now be done in Webflow in just a few clicks.
Webflow also offers advanced features such as e-commerce functionality, search engine optimization tools, and integrations with third-party services such as Zapier and Google Analytics. It has a Figma plugin as well that transfers Figma designs directly into Webflow.
There is a free plan available when you sign up that allows up to 2 websites to be made at a time. If you want to have access to custom domains and collaborative workspaces, additional cost is required.
This is fair because the two sites they hand you for free provides a canvas on which to start projects, delete them, and make as many mistakes as you need to.
Never in the history of programming has it been this easy to create a website from scratch, and have it work on all devices.
2. Photoshop
As a reminder to those still ordering their movies through Redbox, Photoshop is a powerful image editing software that provides a wide range of tools and features for creating and manipulating digital images.
It now has quick tools that can erase backgrounds, adjust brightness and contrast, remove blemishes, and add text and graphics.
The industry-leading photo software is by far the most widely used by photographers, designers, and artists for tasks such as retouching photos, creating digital art, and designing marketing materials.
It supports a wide range of file formats, including JPEG, PNG, and GIF, and allows users to work with multiple layers, filters, and effects to achieve their desired results.
Adobe Photoshop price
Photoshop goes for about $12/month, unless of course you want to make 100 phony emails to get unlimited trial versions. I think Adobe will be alright if you do.
3. Google Drive
Google Drive has been changing the game for collaboration for many years now.
This versatile cloud storage and collaboration medium offers a wide range of features. But mainly, users can securely store and access their files from any device with an internet connection.
Stop emailing shit to yourself.
The entire Google suite is a heap of free, collaborative productivity tools. Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides easily and cheaply supplement Word, Excel, and Powerpoint respectively.
These tools are completely free ($100 cheaper than Microsoft Office).
The offline access feature enables users to work on files even without an internet connection, with changes automatically syncing once online.
4. Notion
Notion is like Google docs on steroids. And also free.
It's like an infinite note-taking and organization tool. It combines features of note-taking apps, project management tools, knowledge bases, and databases into a single platform, while having the same real-time editorial features as Google Drive.
In its simplest form, Notion provides a flexible and customizable document workspace where users create and organize content.
I mainly use it to organize projects into pages. And pages within those pages, as sort of a descending outline with more and more detail.
Notion offers templates and layouts that can be customized to fit different use cases, such as creating to-do lists, meeting notes, project plans, or personal journals.
One feature that I should probably start using is its powerful database functionality. Users can create databases with custom properties and filters to manage structured data effectively. This makes it suitable for building task trackers, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, knowledge bases, and more.
5. Hemingway.app
The lesser known than Grammarly but equally as impactful Hemingway Editor, also known as hemingway.app, is a web-based writing tool designed to improve the clarity and readability of written content. It takes its name from the renowned writer Ernest Hemingway, known for his concise and straightforward writing style.
Hemingway provides suggestions to enhance readability by highlighting common issues such as lengthy or complex sentences, excessive adverbs, passive voice, and complicated vocabulary. It assigns a readability score based on the grade level required to understand the text, aiming for clear and concise communication.
That's about it for now
Thanks for reading my tools that everyone already knew about. But if you didn't, or forgot, every little bit helps!
