20 Must-Have Workplace Apps to Boost Productivity[Free & Paid]

The modern workplace is filled with applications. Take, for example:

↳Marketing Department – Associates juggle between social media schedulers, design platforms, and analytics dashboards.

↳Sales Department – Reps toggle between CRMs, video conferencing tools, and lead generation software.

↳L&D Department – Trainers switch between LMS, instructional design tools, and performance analytics platforms.

Even within a single team, you’ll be surprised [we certainly were] by the number of tools used—reports suggest departments now operate with 40-60 apps each!

So, we figured it would be worthwhile to revisit these irreplaceable components of the workplace—the apps used by employees.

What to Expect in This Blog:

* What is a Workplace app?

* Top Workplace App Trends in 2024

* Benefits of Workplace Apps

* Types of Workplace Apps

* Best Workplace Apps To Try Out in 2024

Workplace Chat Apps

1. Microsoft Teams

2. Zoom

Project Management Apps

3. Asana

4. Notion

File Sharing and Collaboration Apps

5. SharePoint

6. Dropbox

HR and Employee Management Apps

7. BambooHR

8. Workday

Marketing and Sales Apps

9. Hubspot

10. Salesforce

11. Zendesk

Productivity and Writing Apps

12. Grammarly

13. Evernote

Learning & Development Apps

14. Gyde AI Documentation

15. ProProf Knowledge Base

Financial Management Apps

16. Ramp

17. Gusto

Design Apps

18. Figma

19. Canva

Workplace Wellness Apps

20. Calm Business

* Our Top Picks (+ Additional AI Tools) To Definitely Try Out

* Why Workplace Apps Fail Without Proper Adoption—& How to Fix It

* FAQs

What is a Workplace app?

At their core, workplace apps are software applications designed to help employees to communicate and collaborate within an organization. They can include many features, from instant messaging and video conferencing to project management tools and document-sharing platforms.

These features address a critical need: to bridge the physical and digital divide, making sure the interaction is seamless regardless of location or time zone.

Top Workplace App Trends in 2024

Focus on Integration:

Imagine having one app for scheduling meetings, managing tasks, collaborating with colleagues, and filing expense reports. That's the power of integration.

In 2024, workplace apps will move away from siloed functionality and work together. This can boost productivity by reducing the need to switch between multiple apps and logins. A study by Cornerstone On Demand found that 73% of employees believe integrated technology improves their ability to do their jobs effectively.

AI and Automation:

Workplace apps are embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate repetitive tasks. This includes data entry, scheduling meetings, and generating reports.

A recent report by McKinsey & Company estimates that AI has the potential to automate up to 70% of repetitive tasks across industries. This frees up employees to focus on more strategic and creative work.

Security and Privacy:

With a more integrated workplace app ecosystem, security and privacy are paramount. In 2024, we're seeing a rise in features like multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and robust access controls.

A PwC survey revealed that 83% of global CEOs see cybersecurity threats as a top business risk. Workplace apps are addressing this concern by prioritizing secure data handling.

Mobile-first Design

The rise of hybrid and remote work models makes mobile-friendliness crucial. In 2024, workplace apps prioritize a seamless mobile experience, allowing employees to stay productive on the go.

This means intuitive interfaces, offline functionality for limited connectivity situations, and features optimized for smaller screens.

Focus on Wellbeing

Employee well-being is a growing concern, and workplace apps are stepping up. We're seeing features like mindfulness exercises, reminders to take breaks, and tools to promote healthy work-life boundaries.

A study by Stanford University indicates that happier employees are up to 13% more productive. By prioritizing well-being, workplace apps are not just creating a better work environment, they're also boosting productivity.

The Bottomline: These trends highlight the exciting future of workplace apps. As they become more integrated, intelligent, and user-friendly, they have the potential to transform how we work, making it more efficient, secure, and well-being-focused.

Benefits of Workplace Apps

1. Improved Communication

One of the primary benefits of workplace apps is their ability to enhance communication. They provide real-time channels for employees to connect, share information, and brainstorm ideas.
Instant messaging platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams enable quick discussions. At the same time, video conferencing tools like Zoom enable face-to-face interaction, replicating the in-person experience in a virtual setting.

2. Increased Collaboration:

Workplace apps also excel at promoting collaboration. Project management tools like Asana or Trello allow teams to visualize tasks, assign responsibilities, and track progress.
Document-sharing platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox help with easy collaboration on documents and files, eliminating the need for multiple versions or outdated information.
When these applications create a sense of shared ownership and accountability, it leads to faster project completion.

3. Elevated Company Culture

Workplace apps can be instrumental in building a strong company culture.
Features like company-wide announcements, employee recognition programs, and social feeds within the app help employees stay informed, engaged, and connected to the bigger picture.
It also helps in building a community and belonging, especially for geographically dispersed teams.

Types of Workplace Apps

Workplace Chat Apps: These are like walkie-talkies for work. Think Microsoft Teams or Zoom. They let you message colleagues instantly, hop on video calls, and keep everyone in the loop.
Project Management Apps: These are your task wranglers. Asana and Notion help you organize projects, assign tasks, and keep track of deadlines. No more sticky notes falling off the wall!
File Sharing and Collaboration Apps: These apps make sharing documents and collaborating easy. SharePoint and Dropbox let you store files securely in the cloud and work on them with your team, no matter where you are.
HR and Employee Management Apps: These are like the backbone of your company. BambooHR and Workday help manage payroll benefits and keep track of employee information. They take care of the behind-the-scenes stuff so you can focus on your work.
Marketing and Sales Apps: These are your promotion powerhouses. Apps like HubSpot and Zendesk help marketing and sales teams manage leads, track campaigns, and close deals.
Productivity and Writing Apps: These are your personal productivity gurus. Grammarly acts like your digital grammar fairy, catching typos and making sure your emails and reports sound polished. Evernote is your go-to digital notebook, perfect for storing ideas, taking notes, and keeping yourself organized.
Learning & Development Apps: These are your virtual training partners. Platforms like Gyde AI Documentation and ProProfs Knowledge Base provide employees with easy access to training materials, how-to guides, and other resources to help them develop their skills.
Financial Management Apps: These are your financial lifesavers as keeping track of company finances can be a headache. Financial management apps like Ramp or Gusto come to the rescue. They help manage expenses, payroll, and invoices – the accounting dream team.
Design Apps: These are your pocket-sized creative studios.Figma and Canva are like design studios in your pocket, with easy-to-use tools to create stunning visuals.
Workplace Wellness Apps: These apps are your stress-busting buddies as work can be stressful and you need to take care of yourself and your team. Apps like Calm can help you relax and de-stress with guided meditations and mindfulness exercises.

Best Workplace Apps in 2024

I. Workplace Chat Apps

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a online platform for your teams to chat, meet, share files, and work seamlessly online. It is your meeting room and project board—all rolled into one virtual platform.

Choose this when → You need your employees to switch between instant messaging, voice calls, and video conferencing.

Does it incorporate AI? → Microsoft's AI assistant, Copilot, integrates with Teams to offer functionalities like rewriting messages, summarizing calls, and providing intelligent camera switching for Teams Rooms.

Features + Benefits

Chats: Teams allow users to communicate in two-way persistent chats with one or multiple participants using text, emojis, stickers, gifs, links, and files, eventually enhancing versatility and collaboration.
Teams: Teams provide a shared workspace for communities, groups, or teams to contribute to specific topics. This facilitates collective contributions and easy team formation.
Telephone Replacement: A high-tier licensing feature allows Teams to connect to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), providing users with comprehensive telephony functionality.

Pricing

Microsoft Teams has a free version with basic features. Paid plans are bundled with Microsoft 365 subscriptions, starting at $4 per user/month and include additional features like Office apps. There's also an add-on for advanced meeting features, priced regionally.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.3 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Ankita A., an Associate in an enterprise:

“Microsoft provides the best communication tool for business with so many features. Everything is good in teams, it provides amazing collaboration with power apps, OneDrive, PowerPoint excel, and so on. Screen sharing helps you a lot while working. File sharing is smooth, and call scheduling with keynotes and agendas is useful. You can also easily use it on mobile.”

Zoom

Zoom is a popular video conferencing platform that allows people to connect remotely for meetings, webinars, and even casual chats. It gained a lot of traction during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for people to stay connected while staying home.

Choose this when → You want to conduct business meetings or webinars, collaborate on projects, or catch up with colleagues when in-person meetings aren't possible.

Does it incorporate AI? → AI Companion can automatically summarize meetings, highlight key points, and suggest action items for attendees.

Features + Benefits

High-quality video conferencing: Provides a clear and reliable connection for face-to-face communication, making virtual meetings feel more engaging and productive.
Seamless screen sharing and collaboration: You can easily share your screen, applications, or whiteboards during meetings, fostering better explanations, presentations, and real-time teamwork.
Flexible meeting options and security: Offers features like waiting rooms, breakout rooms, recording capabilities, and encryption to ensure your meetings are well-managed and secure and cater to different needs.

Pricing

Zoom offers a free plan for up to 100 participants with 40-minute meetings. Paid plans start at $14.99/month and offer unlimited meetings, increased duration and participant limits, and additional features like cloud recording and phone calls.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

We found this review by Steve S., Lead Solutions Architect on a software listing site:

“Zoom is one of the best conference meeting software available in the industry. Zoom is still new for many people, but it has adapted the features needed to make a meeting the best. One of the best features of Zoom is that it works great with low internet bandwidth. I have not seen any issue, even with low bandwidth. Zoom has great sound quality and a better video chat feature.”

II. Project Management Apps

Asana

Asana is a project management tool that offers a web-based platform that streamlines teamwork and project execution. It’s a central hub for organizing tasks, projects, and communication. Founded in 2008, Asana is a public company with over 100,000 paying organizations and millions of teams using their platform worldwide.

Choose this when → if you want your team to be able to simplify clear communication on work projects and shared ownership of tasks.

Does it incorporate AI? → AI can automatically generate custom fields to organize projects and enhance collaboration

Features + Benefits

Task Management: Break down large projects into manageable, assignable tasks with clear deadlines and owners. This improves clarity and accountability and ensures everyone knows what they need to do and by when.
Multiple Project Views: View tasks in a way that works best for you and your team, with options like a list, calendar, board, timeline, and Gantt chart – providing flexibility to see project progress in the format that suits you best.
Rules and Automation: You can automate manual tasks with rules that trigger actions based on specific criteria, like assigning a task when a subtask is completed, to save time, reduce errors, and streamline workflows.

Pricing

Asana offers a free plan for basic use. Paid plans start at $10.99 per user per month and offer more features, such as unlimited tasks and advanced search. Enterprise plans require contacting sales.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.4 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a comment on Asana’s capabilities by Ashley F., Marketing Manager:

“Asana has been integral in managing my to-do list and projects and communicating with my team on projects. Getting notified of upcoming deadlines has helped me stay on track and complete tasks on time.”

Notion

Notion is an all-in-one workspace for note-taking, project management, and even wiki building. It's essentially a digital binder that allows you to organize your information in various ways, including text, images, and databases.

Choose this when → you need a versatile workspace for building content calendars, brainstorming ideas, and drafting content in a distraction-free environment.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, Notion offers an AI feature called Notion AI. It provides functionalities like extracting key points from existing text, providing rough drafts, fixing grammar, and translating content.

Features + Benefits

Flexible Databases: Create relational databases to store and manage information, from project tasks to customer contacts. Organize information in a structured way, filter, and sort data easily, and create custom views.
Powerful Text Editor: Rich text editing with features like inline images, code blocks, and tables. Create visually appealing and informative documents, and streamline your writing workflow with familiar formatting options.
Customizable Workspaces: Drag-and-drop functionality to arrange content blocks like text, images, and videos in any way you want. Design workspaces that perfectly suit your needs to improve information flow and visual clarity.

Pricing

Notion offers a free plan for individuals and paid plans starting at $8 per user/month. Paid plans unlock features like version history, unlimited storage, and guest access. There's also an optional AI add-on for additional features.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.7 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Tarun B., Sustainability Consultant:

“When you log in, every page is empty, and there is no HUD with a zillion buttons. Instead, you have to recall features very consciously, which makes you think about the design of the workspace you want to create. This makes setting up the workflow slow initially but very intentional.”

III. File Sharing and Collaboration Apps:

SharePoint

SharePoint is a web-based platform from Microsoft that helps organizations collaborate and manage information. It is a secure central hub where teams can store, share, and work on documents together. SharePoint also allows you to create intranet sites, track projects, and streamline workflows.

Choose this when → you must create secure intranet sites or team sites to collaborate on projects, manage documents, and share company news.

Does it incorporate AI? → SharePoint integrates with Microsoft AI capabilities through Microsoft Syntex. This identifies document types (invoices, contracts, etc.) and extracts key data for easier searching and retrieval.

Features + Benefits

Centralized File Storage and Management: Store and organize all your important documents, files, and images in one secure location. It makes it easy for teams to find what they need, reduces duplication of effort, and ensures everyone is working on the latest version.
Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can work on documents simultaneously, seeing each other's edits as they happen. Improves teamwork and productivity and eliminates the need for emailing versions back and forth.
Advanced Search Capabilities: Powerful search functionality helps users quickly find the information they need across the SharePoint site. Saves time spent searching for documents and ensures everyone can access the latest information.

Pricing

SharePoint comes in two flavors:

Bundled with Microsoft 365: Starts at $12.50 per user/month (includes other Office apps like Word and Excel)
Standalone SharePoint Plan: Basic file sharing for $5.00 per user/month

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.0 stars out of 5 stars

Microsoft SharePoint is secure and has a straightforward user interface. It allows me to organize files easily and control user access to workgroup sites and report files. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft tools that my team and I use daily, like Power BI, Power Automate, and Microsoft 365 Office applications.

Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud storage service. This means it provides a space online to store your files, similar to how a hard drive stores files on your computer. But instead of being on your physical device, Dropbox stores your files on remote servers.

Choose this when → you need a user-friendly interface for uploading, downloading, and sharing files with or without internet access.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, Dropbox offers AI-powered features under the umbrella of Dropbox AI. These features are currently in beta and focus on improving file search and content understanding

Features + Benefits

Get Version Control: Access previous versions of your files with file version history. This allows you to revert to an earlier version if you accidentally make changes or need to reference older versions.
Sync files across devices: Dropbox automatically keeps your files in sync across all your devices. Any changes you make to a file on one device will be automatically reflected on all other devices.
Share files and folders easily: You can share them with others by inviting them to collaborate on your Dropbox. This allows you to work on projects together in real-time.

Pricing

Dropbox pricing depends on what you need:

The free plan offers 2GB for basic use.
Individual plans with more storage and features range from $9.99 to $16.58 monthly.
Business plans start at $15 per user per month with collaboration tools with options for unlimited storage.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.4 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Nitin S., Assistant Manager on g2:

“It's my desktop backup tool & most crucial document wallet. For every Control+S command, it backs files in a flash & I can access files on all my devices. I do not have to keep my essential documents on all my devices, or I do not have to back up my data every time.”

V. HR and Employee Management Apps:

BambooHR

BambooHR is a cloud-based human resources information system (HRIS) for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It is an all-in-one platform for streamlining various HR tasks, consolidating employee data, and simplifying processes.

Choose this when → the tool needs to be user-friendly and suitable for businesses that don't require a super complex HR system.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, they recently launched an AI-powered feature for their eNPS (Employee Net Promoter Score) surveys. This feature analyzes the feedback and provides deeper insights, helping leadership better understand employee sentiment.

Features + Benefits

Employee Data Management: This system stores all employee information in a central location. This eliminates the need to track down paper files or spreadsheets, making it easy to find the information you need quickly.
Benefits Administration: Simplifies the process of enrolling in and managing benefits. Employees can easily view their benefit options and change their elections online.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS): BambooHR's ATS makes it easy to post jobs, track applicants, and schedule interviews. It helps you find and hire the best talent.

Pricing

BambooHR offers a free trial. Their pricing depends on your company size:

Companies with 20 or fewer employees pay a flat monthly rate.
Companies with over 20 employees pay a per-employee, per-month fee on top of a base fee. The per-employee fee gets cheaper as your headcount increases.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.4 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Amber C., Office Manager:

“Before Bamboo, we were stuck in "old business" mode and had one system for our time clock, then another for requesting time off. Hiring, new employee onboarding, benefits administration/enrollment, training, and performance reviews were completely manual, prone to errors, and inaccessible to employees. ”

Workday

Workday is a cloud-based enterprise management software suite, but the part most relevant to HR is its Human Capital Management (HCM) application. This is a comprehensive HRIS that handles a wide range of HR functions.

Choose this when → you need to handle the complex needs of bigger organizations with a larger workforce. It offers a robust set of features and scales well to accommodate growth.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, Workday HCM incorporates AI. While it's not as heavily focused on AI as some newer HRIS solutions, Workday uses machine learning to recommend relevant learning materials for employees.

Features + Benefits

Talent Management: Workday provides tools for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. This includes features for performance management, succession planning, and learning management to build a strong workforce by identifying high performers and providing training opportunities.
Reporting and Analytics: Workday offers robust reporting and analytics tools that allow users to gain insights into their workforce data. This data provides valuable insights for HR leaders and managers to make informed choices about workforce planning, budgeting, and talent development.
Mobile Accessibility: Workday offers mobile apps that allow employees to access important information and complete tasks on the go. This includes viewing paystubs, requesting time off, and submitting expense reports, enhancing employee mobility and self-service.

Pricing

Workday doesn't publicly reveal its pricing information. They typically give quotes based on your company's needs after a conversation with their sales team.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.0 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s an impressive review by Gavin B., Demand Generation Specialist:

“I have used Workday across several roles in my career and have experienced roles that do not use Workday, and the difference is always immediately felt. Workday provides excellent tools to monitor and review my staff's time management and stay on top of career progression, training, and most importantly, setting goals for the year.”

VI. Marketing and Sales Apps:

HubSpot

HubSpot is an all-in-one customer relationship management (CRM) platform that focuses on inbound marketing. It offers a suite of software tools designed to help businesses attract, engage, and delight customers. HubSpot helps you streamline your marketing, sales, and customer service efforts.

Choose this when → you want to attract customers through inbound marketing strategies like content creation, SEO, and social media.

Does it incorporate AI? → Hubspot has Chatspot AI that helps qualify leads by analyzing their behavior and interactions with your marketing materials. You can create AI-powered chatbots to answer customer questions and provide support.

Features + Benefits

Contact Management: It stores all customer and prospect information, including contact details, interactions, and deal history, in a central location. This makes it easy to find and update information and keeps your team on the same page.
Sales Automation: Automates repetitive tasks like sending emails, following up with leads, and scheduling meetings. Saves you time, allows you to nurture leads more effectively, and improves your sales efficiency.
Email Integration and Tracking: Integrates with your Gmail or Outlook account so you can send and track emails directly from HubSpot. It lets you see if your emails have been opened and clicked and provides insights into your email performance.

Pricing

HubSpot offers several products, each with a free tier and paid tiers with increasing features. Here's a quick breakdown:

Marketing Hub: This service focuses on attracting leads and converting them. Paid plans start at $20/month for two users.
Sales Hub: Designed for sales teams to manage leads and close deals. Starts at $20/month for two users.
Service Hub: Helps businesses provide customer support. Starts at $20/month for two users.
HubSpot CRM Suite: Bundles all the above into one package for a discounted rate.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.4 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Mikaela B., Head of Marketing:

“I love Hubspot's ability to track where leads came from so I can report on it is super helpful! Their tool is very user-friendly, and I love the automation as well. The best part is that it integrates so well with GA, Salesforce, and WordPress.”

Salesforce

Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform that helps businesses manage interactions with customers and prospects. It offers a suite of cloud-based applications designed to improve sales, service, marketing, and commerce.

Choose this when → You need a comprehensive CRM solution to streamline your sales and customer service processes and increase sales productivity and efficiency.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, Salesforce’s AI technology is known as Einstein AI. This AI feature helps automate tasks, predict customer behavior, and provide personalized recommendations, enhancing the overall CRM experience.

Features + Benefits

Salesforce's Einstein AI: This feature enhances decision-making and automation through features like predictive analytics, natural language processing, recommendation engines, and automation. It forecasts sales, routes leads, recommends products, and automates tasks.
AppExchange: It offers customization and extensibility with thousands of third-party apps and integrations, tailoring Salesforce to specific needs and integrating with other systems.
Customer 360: This provides a unified view of customer data, enabling personalized marketing and sales campaigns and improving customer service by providing agents with relevant information.

Pricing

Salesforce offers a variety of pricing plans to suit different business needs and budgets. Pricing is typically based on the number of users and the features included in each plan.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.4 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Muhammad S., Technical Consultant at Mid-market:

“Salesforce Sales Cloud is very good at being highly customizable, which means as a team, we can create and modify workflows that allow the use of various reports or dashboards specific to our business. Finally, the platform seamlessly integrates with other tools which has allowed us to streamline our sales processes by basically making it easier for us to track and manage leads and opportunities.”

Zendesk

Zendesk is a cloud-based customer service platform that helps businesses improve communication and manage customer interactions. It's a one-stop shop for handling inquiries across various channels, such as email, phone, chat, and social media.

Choose this when → you seek to improve agent productivity and customer satisfaction and offer support across multiple channels. It is best to centralize customer service operations.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, Zendesk offers AI-powered features to enhance customer service. These include automatically classifying and routing tickets to the most appropriate agent, ensuring faster resolution.

Features + Benefits

Ticketing System: Tracks and manages all customer interactions, including emails, phone calls, chats, and social media messages, in one central location. Improves agent productivity by streamlining workflows and ensures no customer inquiries fall through the cracks.
Multi-Channel Support: Customers can reach support through their preferred channels, such as email, chat, phone, social media, or a self-service portal. Offers customers convenience and flexibility, leading to higher customer satisfaction and faster resolution times.
Self-Service Knowledge Base: A searchable collection of articles, FAQs, and other resources that customers can use to find answers to their questions on their own. Empowers customers to help themselves, reduces support agent workload, and deflects common inquiries.

Pricing

Zendesk offers two main pricing structures:

Support-only plans: These plans start at $19 per agent per month (billed annually) and are ideal for businesses that just need a ticketing system and basic support features.
Zendesk Suite plans: These more comprehensive plans include features like live chat, a knowledge base, and social media integration. Suite plans start at $55 per agent per month (billed annually).

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.3 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s a review by Felipe C., Customer Operations Lead:

“I like how Zendesk positions itself as the leader in support systems through engaging its community, purchasing key companies to aggregate value to their offerings and features (such as Ultimate for AI features, including an AI bot, and Klaus for QA)”

VII. Productivity and Writing Apps:

Grammarly

Grammarly is a writing assistant tool that helps you improve your writing. It goes beyond a simple spell checker and offers grammar, punctuation, clarity, style, and even plagiarism suggestions.

Choose this when → there are errors you might miss during proofreading, especially for typos, unclear phrasing, or awkward sentence structure.

Does it incorporate AI? → Yes, Grammarly heavily relies on artificial intelligence (AI) for its advanced features. The AI analyzes your writing style and context to provide suggestions tailored to your needs.

Features + Benefits

Advanced Grammar and Spell Checking: Catches typos, punctuation errors, and commonly confused words. This ensures your writing is polished and free of distractions for the reader.
Clarity and Conciseness Suggestions: Identifies complex sentences and offers rewrites for improved readability. This helps you communicate your ideas more effectively and ensures your message is clear.
Tone Detection and Suggestions: This analyzes the tone of your writing and suggests adjustments to match your intended audience and purpose. This allows you to make the right impression and ensures your writing is professional or friendly, depending on the context.

Pricing

Grammarly offers three tiers:

Free: This plan checks for basic grammar and spelling errors.
Premium: This plan goes beyond grammar and checks for clarity, engagement, and plagiarism. It starts at $12 per month when billed annually.
Business: This plan is designed for teams and offers style guides and centralized billing features. When billed annually, it starts at $15 per member per month.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.7 stars out of 5 stars

Below, you can read Aditi S., Production Manager’s Grammarly review:

“Grammarly is an effective tool that helps in pacing up the wiring game by providing a lot of help in communication with different parties. The approach to different parties can be written here and it not only gives you a relatable suggestion to the whole tone but also provides synonyms and checks for grammar errors in the whole body of the written subject.”

Evernote

Evernote is a digital note-taking and organization application. It lets you capture ideas, information, and to-dos in various formats, such as text, images, audio recordings, and even clipped web content. With the Evernote app, you can organize your notes in digital notebooks, tag them for easy searching, and access them from any device.

Choose this when → you want to get organized and stay on top of things. Professionals can use it for project management and to-do lists.

Does it incorporate AI? → While Evernote doesn't have advanced AI features like some competitors, it does use some basic AI for functionalities.

Features + Benefits

Powerful Search: Find what you need with advanced search options, including keywords, tags, and text within images. Evernote's search functionality makes it easy to quickly find what you're looking for, even if you can't remember exactly how you titled or categorized it.
Offline Access: You can access your notes and information even when you don't have an internet connection. This ensures you can always refer to your notes and information, regardless of internet connectivity.
Seamless Syncing: All your notes and information are automatically synced across all your devices. With syncing, you can always access your latest information, no matter which device you use.

Pricing

Evernote offers three tiers of service: Free, Personal, and Teams.

The free tier has limitations on the number of notes and uploads.
The Personal tier removes those limitations and adds some features for $129.99 per year (or $14.99 monthly).
The Teams tier is for businesses and has even higher storage limits and collaboration features, priced at $249.99 per year per user.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.4 stars out of 5 stars

See Khalil G., Technical Communications Contractor’s evaluation of the software below:

“I truly believe that Evernote owes its logo: It does help to build an elephant's memory, not only in capacity but also regarding the limitless connections you can create and enrich, following your preferred classification rules. You can add as many tags, notebooks, and sub-notebooks as possible, not to mention the internal links bridging notes to each other.”

VII. Learning & Development Apps:

Gyde AI Documentation

Gyde is a browser extension that uses AI to boost your team’s productivity by turning their online actions into screenshots or step-by-step video guides. It lets you refine them into clear documentation for any application process.

Choose this when → anyone wants to create or share clear instructions. You can also show teammates exactly how a workflow works, eliminating the need for lengthy explanations. Also, you can train employees on any software quickly.

Does it incorporate AI? → With its AI Text-Enhancer feature, you can refine your guide titles with just a click, ensuring they're clear and concise. This saves you time and effort while creating professional-looking documentation.

[Picture yourself as a team lead explaining to new content writers how to use AHREFs in their blog writing—click the link to see what a instruction guide created with Gyde AI Documentation would look like.]

A step-by-step screenshot guide for Hubspot by Gyde

Features + Benefits

Smart Editing: Quickly edit steps using a side panel editor. With a detailed view, an AI text enhancer powered by ChatGPT can suggest titles. Additionally, you can add, delete, or modify steps as needed.
Blur Sensitive Information: Easily conceal sensitive information in screenshots to prevent sharing it publicly. This feature is free, unlike other alternatives that restrict it to paid versions.
Knowledge Sharing Simplified: Instantly obtain shareable links as you create guides. You can also use a 'collection link' to merge multiple guides for complex processes, creating a single link that directs users to all the guides in one place.

Wait, there's more!

One of the benefits of Gyde is that you can easily create help articles right within its AI documentation tool. This lets you quickly put together articles on specific processes or general instructions, helping you build a quick and useful knowledge base.

You can explain important features of an application, solve common problems, or share tips for getting the most out of the software. Example, if you want to create a help article on how to use ChatGPT, you could easily create and share it with a link.

Pricing

Gyde offers different plans to fit your needs:

Free: Try Gyde out for free, great to see all its features working firsthand.
$9/month: Upgrade from free to get 500 how-to guides. A budget-friendly option for individual users.
$25/month: Empower your team with unlimited step-by-step tutorials and help articles, secure sensitive information, and collaborate with up to 5 admins.

Reviews & Ratings

Chrome Web Store Rating - 5 stars out of 5 stars

Carlos Reed gives their take on the software below:

“AI capabilities of this extension are top notch. Just need to click on the steps and it automatically creates guide with step titles and descriptions too. I dont need to do anything.”

ProProf Knowledge Base

ProProf Knowledge Base is a software application (SaaS) that allows you to create a digital library of information, like a self-service portal for customers or a central hub for internal documentation. It is a user-friendly way to build a comprehensive FAQ section, help center, or knowledge base.

Choose this when → you find yourself answering the same questions repeatedly from customers or employees; a knowledge base can deflect those inquiries and empower people to find answers independently.

Does it incorporate AI? → ProProf Knowledge Base itself doesn't directly use AI features.

Features + Benefits

Customization and Branding: Design your knowledge base using pre-made templates, customize fonts and themes, or even use your own CSS for a fully branded experience. This ensures your knowledge base matches your company's branding and provides a professional look for your end users.
Seamless Integrations: Integrate ProProfs Knowledge Base with popular tools like Google Analytics and Wufoo. This streamlines workflows and allows you to connect your knowledge base with other essential applications.
Advanced User Management: Grant different access levels to users and manage user permissions effectively. This lets you control who can view, edit, or create content within your knowledge base, ensuring information security.

Pricing

ProProf Knowledge Base offers a free plan with limited features, which is ideal for startups and micro-businesses. They also have a paid plan that starts at $99 per month, which includes all the features and is suitable for established businesses. There is no mention of pricing for plans between these two options.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.6 stars out of 5 stars

Check out Dominik D., Program Analyst/Developer’s thoughts on the software.

“Friendly and straigthforward interface for creating structured, shared user manuals. Great live support.”

VIII. Financial Management Apps:

Ramp

Ramp is a Manhattan-based financial technology company that offers a comprehensive suite of spend management solutions, including corporate credit cards, expense management software, and bill payment solutions.

Choose this when → you need to eliminate the need for manual expense reports and paper receipts, streamlining the entire expense process.

Does it incorporate AI? → Ramp recently launched Ramp Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered features that use machine learning to automate even more tasks and provide deeper financial insights.

Features + Benefits

All-in-One Corporate Card and Spend Management: Ramp combines corporate cards, expense reporting, and spend management into a single platform. This eliminates the need for multiple tools and streamlines the entire expense management process, saving time and money.
Smart Expense Reporting: Ramp simplifies expense reporting with features like automatic categorization, digital receipt capture, and the ability to submit reports with just a few clicks. This reduces the burden of manual data entry and makes expense reporting faster and easier for employees.
Automated Approval Workflows: Set up automated workflows for expense approvals based on pre-defined rules and spending limits. This ensures timely approvals and reduces the risk of human error, improving overall efficiency.

Pricing

Free plan for basic expense management,
Plus ($15/user/month) for advanced features,
Enterprise (contact for price) for high security & support.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.8 stars out of 5 stars

Here’s what Brian G., Executive Director, has to say about the Ramp:

“Ramp does a great job at the most basic/core function of providing a great platform for corporate cards. It's easy for our employees to use and provides many features that encourage employees to track expenses better. Meanwhile, the platform allows the finance team to track, monitor, and support much better than our old, traditional corporate card system.”

Gusto

Gusto is a popular payroll and HR platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It helps businesses manage payroll, benefits, taxes, onboarding, and other HR tasks.

Choose this when → you need features beyond just payroll, like benefits administration or employee self-service, Gusto offers a comprehensive suite.

Does it incorporate AI? → Gusto leverages AI in several ways, such as automating manual data entry and streamlining payroll and HR workflow. It also uses AI to generate customized reports and insights for business owners.

Features + Benefits

Payroll Management: Automate payroll processes, including setting up salaries, scheduling payments, and calculating and filing taxes. Saves time and minimizes errors by automating repetitive tasks, ensures on-time payments for employees, and simplifies tax compliance for businesses.
Benefits Administration: Manage employee benefits like health insurance, retirement plans, and commuter benefits in one place. Simplifies offering and managing benefits for employees, reduces administrative burden for HR teams, and gives employees easy access to their benefits information.
Employee Self-Service: Provides a self-service portal for employees to access paystubs, update personal information, request time off, and enroll in benefits. Empowers employees to manage their HR information and benefits independently, saves HR time by reducing administrative tasks.

Pricing

Simple ($40/month + $6/person/month): Basic payroll, benefits, and HR features for small businesses (single state only).
Plus ($60/month + $9/person/month): More comprehensive plan with multi-state payroll, time tracking, advanced HR tools
Premium (Contact for pricing): For larger companies, offers dedicated support, expert HR, and additional features.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Below, you’ll find Upma M., the Chief Operating Officer’s review of this HR platform:

“I have utilized several payroll systems in my pervious roles but have to say that Gusto is the easiest, most simple way to process payroll. Payroll processing would sometimes take hours, but Gusto has allowed us to simplify payroll processing”

IX. Design Apps:

Figma

Figma is a web-based application with additional desktop app functionality that allows for online and offline work. It excels at creating interfaces for websites, mobile apps, and other digital products. One of its key strengths is enabling real-time collaboration among designers and other project stakeholders.

Choose this when → you need a standard tool for creating mockups, prototypes, and design systems.

Does it incorporate AI? → While Figma doesn't currently have extensive built-in AI features, there are plugins that use AI to generate design elements or remove image backgrounds.

Features + Benefits

Prototyping Tools: Create interactive prototypes that simulate how your design will function in a real app or website. Allows for usability testing and gathering feedback before development begins.
Design Systems and Components: Create reusable design elements (like buttons, icons, and typography) that can be easily applied throughout your project. Ensures design consistency and saves time when creating new designs.
Vector Networks: A powerful tool for creating complex and editable vector shapes. Enables the creation of unique and scalable designs.

Pricing

Figma has a free plan for personal use.

Paid plans start at $15/month for individuals with team features.

For organizations, pricing depends on the features needed (Full access or Dev Mode only) and ranges from $25 to $75 per user per month (billed annually).

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.7 stars out of 5 stars

Chetan P., Fullstack Developer, discusses Figma’s positive aspects below.

“Figma has really good capabilities for UI design, Wireframing, creating web components, animations, and many more. One of the best things I loved about Figma is its Developer feature, which gives you exact styling for your code. Figma also has multiple plugins like builder.io, which generates exact code for the designed UI in the language we want, for example, Angular, React JS, HTML + CSS, and many more.”

Canva

Canva is a graphic design platform focused on being user-friendly. It allows you to create various visual content, from social media posts and presentations to posters and infographics.

Choose this when → you need to create professional-looking visuals without a hefty design software price tag.

Does it incorporate AI? → Canva offers a suite of AI-powered features called "Canva AI" or "Magic Studio." These features are available on the Pro and Teams plans, with some limited functionality in the free version.

Features + Benefits

Extensive Template Library: This library provides pre-designed layouts for various purposes, such as social media posts, presentations, posters, and more. It saves time and effort by offering a starting point, ensures consistent design quality, and inspires creative projects.
Collaboration Features: This feature enables multiple users to work on a design simultaneously, with features like commenting and real-time editing. It facilitates teamwork on design projects, allows for quick feedback and iteration, and improves communication and workflow.
Integrated Stock Photo Library: This provides access to a vast library of royalty-free images and videos that can be incorporated into designs. It eliminates the need to search for and purchase stock photos elsewhere, offers high-quality visuals to enhance designs, and saves time and resources.

Pricing

Canva offers a free plan with basic features and two paid tiers:

Canva Pro: $12.99/month (or $119.99/year) for individuals. Includes unlimited premium templates, storage, and more.
Canva for Teams: It starts at $30/month (or $300/year) for 3 users, with per-user pricing for larger teams. It adds features like team collaboration and brand management.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.7 stars out of 5 stars

Defney D., the Engineering Trainee’s opinion on the software is detailed below:

“I have been using Canva for a few years now. It is easy to use and fun to use too! The customer support is fantastic. The paid version is great. I use it almost every day for my design projects. Importing data such as images and videos from other software through Google Drive is easy. They have ready-to-use templates, which makes the design process easy and saves a lot of time!”

X. Workplace Wellness Apps

Calm Business

Calm Business provides a corporate wellness solution by offering access to the regular Calm app with features specifically geared toward employee well-being.

It includes meditation and mindfulness exercises such as guided meditations, breathing exercises, and mindfulness programs to help employees manage stress and improve focus.

Choose this when → your organizations aim to improve employee well-being, potentially leading to increased productivity, engagement, and retention.

Does it incorporate AI? → Calm itself likely doesn't use AI in a significant way.

Features + Benefits

Focus Boosters: Provides short, timed exercises and activities designed to improve concentration and reduce mental fatigue. Users can take short breaks throughout the workday to recharge and refocus, improving their productivity and reducing the risk of burnout.
Team-Building and Communication Tools: This tool offers guided exercises and prompts to help teams build trust, improve communication, and manage conflict effectively. Stronger teams experience less stress, collaborate more effectively, and achieve better results.
Mindfulness and Meditation Training: Provides guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to help users develop focus, reduce stress, and improve emotional regulation. Users can learn to manage stress in the moment, improve their ability to concentrate, and boost overall well-being.

Pricing

Calm Business offers a Team Plan that allows you to purchase Calm subscriptions for groups of employees at a discounted rate. The price depends on the number of licenses you purchase:

The discount increases as you buy more licenses.
They only provide estimates, and the exact pricing is available upon request.
They mention a cost of $326 for 5 licenses, which comes down to $65.2 per license.

Reviews & Ratings

g2 Rating - 4.6 stars out of 5 stars

Sanchit R. shares their experience with the Calm Business below:

“I have used this app in my workplace, and it's been more beneficial than I thought- especially during high-stress times. There is a wide variety, both in terms of the range and volume of different sources of mindfulness. My favorites include meditation, stress, anger management, and anxiety breathing exercises.”

Our Top Picks (+ Additional AI Tools) To Definitely Try Out

To wrap things up, here are our top three must-try tools for your business:

Gyde AI Documentation: If application training feels like a hassle, Gyde AI can make it an easy go. This user-friendly extension lets you create documentation in seconds with screenshots and video formats.
Hubspot Chatspot: You’ve got to check out this free AI assistant from Hubspot. It combines the power of ChatGPT with HubSpot CRM data to help boost your productivity and streamline your tasks.
Canva: Love creating beautiful designs on your own? Canva is the perfect tool for you. It’s user-friendly and great for all your design needs.

We’ve also come across some new and exciting tools you might want to explore:

Lately: Uses AI and neuroscience to turn your content into social media gold.
Huly: An open-source alternative to Linear/Jira, Slack, Notion, and more.
SecAI: Get instant cybersecurity advice through chat.

We hope you try out these fantastic tools and make the most out of your workday.

Why Workplace Apps Fail Without Proper Adoption—and How to Fix It

With a variety of workplace apps available—from Salesforce to Zendesk, Slack to Trello—it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of new technology. However, investing in these platforms without a solid adoption strategy is akin to buying a Ferrari without learning how to drive.

Many of these workplace apps are packed with features, making it overwhelming for employees to learn and use them. Without proper training and support, employees may become frustrated, leading to low adoption rates and a wasted investment.

Digital adoption platforms like Gyde offer a solution to this challenge. By providing audio-visual walkthroughs and help articles within the application itself, Gyde helps your employees navigate through complex processes in real-time.

For global organizations, Gyde's multilingual capabilities lets your employees worldwide access the necessary resources in their preferred language.

Plus, Gyde's compliance with SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO certifications safeguards the sensitive information within the processes you capture, promising data security and integrity.

Give it a go!

FAQs

1. How does the workplace app work?

A workplace app generally provides a central hub for various tools and features. Here's a simplified breakdown:

Core Features: Most workplace apps include messaging, file sharing, and task management.
Integration: They can connect with other tools your team uses, like your email, calendar, or project management software, to create a unified experience.
Customization: Many apps allow you to personalize your workspace, set preferences, and choose which tools to display.
Accessibility: You can usually access your workplace app from your computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Think of it as a digital toolbox that adapts to your workflow and helps you stay connected with your team.

2. What is a work setup app?

A work setup app is a bit more specific. It typically focuses on helping you organize your physical workspace rather than your digital one. These apps can help you:

Plan your workspace: Determine the best layout for your desk, furniture, and equipment.
Manage your equipment: Keep track of your tech gadgets and their settings.
Improve ergonomics: Suggest ways to set up your workspace to prevent discomfort or injuries.

While not as common as digital workplace apps, work setup apps can be useful for creating a comfortable and productive working environment.

3. What are the aspects of digital workplace?

Digital workplace refers to a technology-enabled environment where employees can access and collaborate on work tasks from anywhere, anytime. Key aspects include:

Unified communication tools (email, chat, video conferencing),
Content management systems (document sharing, storage),
Task management platforms (project tracking, deadlines),
Learning management systems (online courses, training),
Employee portals (company news, resources).

These tools promote efficiency, flexibility, and improved employee experience.