As a developer, the tools I use are crucial to my productivity and the quality of my work. Over the years, I’ve curated a list of essential software, services, and utilities that I rely on daily. This toolkit is constantly evolving, and I plan to update this list regularly as I discover new and better tools.
I hope this list gives you some new ideas for your own workflow.
Developer Tools
- VSCode - A powerful and popular code editor with a vast ecosystem of extensions. (List of extensions at the end of the article)
- Docker - A containerization platform for building, deploying, and managing applications.
- TablePlus - A modern, native GUI for relational databases.
- iTerm2 - A feature-rich terminal emulator for macOS that improves on the default terminal.
Browsers
- Dia - An AI-powered web browser that lets you chat with your tabs for writing, learning, planning, and shopping.
- Arc - An innovative browser with a focus on productivity and organization.
- Brave - A privacy-focused browser with a built-in ad-blocking and rewards system.
- Arc search - A mobile browser focusing on productivity.
Productivity & Utilities
- 1Password - A password manager for securely storing and sharing passwords.
- To Do - A task management app for organizing and tracking tasks.
- Raindrop.io - A bookmark manager for organizing and saving links.
- Rectangle Pro - A window management tool for macOS to organize windows efficiently.
- Choosy - An app for macOS that allows you to choose which browser to open links in.
- CopyQ - A clipboard manager for managing and organizing clipboard history.
Note-Taking
- Notion - An all-in-one workspace for notes, tasks, and collaboration.
- Apple Notes - A simple and effective note-taking app for Apple devices.
- Goodnotes - A versatile note-taking app for handwritten notes and PDFs.
Document Editing
- Google Docs - An online word processor for collaborative document editing.
- LibreOffice - A free and open-source office suite for document editing.
AI Assistants
- ChatGPT - An indispensable AI companion for brainstorming, coding, and debugging.
- Claude - A powerful AI assistant for complex reasoning, creativity, and collaborative coding.
- Gemini - Google’s creative and helpful AI partner for generating ideas and solving problems.
- DeepSeek - An open-source AI model focused on delivering expert performance in coding and reasoning.
- Mistral - A versatile and efficient AI assistant, specializing in language and code generation.
Meetings & Collaboration
- Zoom - A video conferencing tool for meetings and webinars.
- Google Meet - Secure video conferencing for team collaboration and online meetings.
Messaging & Social
- Telegram - A secure messaging app with channels and groups.
- Signal - A privacy-focused messaging app with end-to-end encryption.
Design & Creative
- Figma - A collaborative design tool for UI/UX design.
- Affinity Designer - A vector graphics editor for professional design work.
- Affinity Photo - A professional photo editing software.
- Nucleo - An icon library and management tool for designers.
News & Reading
- NetNewsWire - An RSS reader for staying updated with news and blogs.
- Syft - An AI-powered news aggregator that curates content based on your interests.
Faith & Well-Being
- Surah - A Quran app for reading and listening to the Quran.
- Tarteel - A Quran app for reading and memorizing the Quran.
- Adhkary - An app for a collection of daily Islamic supplications designed for children.
VSCode Extensions
- Prettier - Code formatter - An opinionated code formatter that supports many languages.
- Kilo Code AI Agent - An open-source AI coding assistant for planning, building, and fixing code.
- Code Spell Checker - A spell checker for code comments, strings, and plain text.
- expand-region - Allows for semantic selection expansion, similar to features in Emacs or JetBrains IDEs.
- Github Copilot - An AI-powered code completion tool that suggests code snippets and entire functions.
- Github Pull Requests - Manage GitHub pull requests directly within VSCode.
- Live Share - Enables real-time collaborative coding and sharing sessions.
- Night Owl - A dark theme for VSCode that is easy on the eyes and enhances focus.
- Path Intellisense - Autocompletes filenames for faster and more accurate pathing.
- Peacock - Subtly changes the color of your workspace, ideal for quickly identifying different projects.
- Playwright Test for VSCode - Run and debug Playwright tests directly from the editor.
- Pretty TypeScript Errors - Improves the readability of TypeScript errors in VSCode.
- Quokka.js - A rapid prototyping playground for JavaScript and TypeScript.
- Tailwind CSS IntelliSense - An extension that provides autocomplete, syntax highlighting, and linting for Tailwind CSS.
Final Thoughts
This list represents my go-to toolkit at the moment, but it’s a living document. I’m always exploring new tools to enhance my workflow and will be sure to keep this post updated with any new additions. I hope you’ve found some valuable tools to try out!