I am very choosy when it comes to the tools that I use for writing, blogging, and for other tasks on a regular basis. I won’t use the ones that show annoying ads and has a terrible user experience.
Even if a tool is working just fine, I have a bad habit to keep looking for better alternatives. I try everything and then settle for the one.
Okay, enough bragging! Let’s get to my tools stack:
Tools I use
1. Zoho Annotator – (Free)
An excellent Chrome extension that lets you take full or partial screenshots of the web pages. It has some amazing annotation features.
2. Notion – (Free)
I use Notion to manage my all personal and collaborative projects. Yes, the initial setup may seem difficult to some people but it’s very easy to use after that.
Notion is free to use but I use the Personal Pro version for some extra features.
3. Zoho Vault – (Free)
Zoho Vault is the best password manager I’ve ever used. It’s free and 100% secure to use.
Right now, I’m using the tool as a Chrome extension, Firefox extension, and Android app.
4. Digital Ocean – (Paid)
All the websites that I’ve created using WordPress are hosted on Digital Ocean — it’s crazy fast and affordable.
In fact, I have been able to receive a full 100 score on Google Lighthouse for one of my WordPress websites.
5. ConvertKit – (Paid)
I use ConvertKit to send emails and to capture leads for all my websites. It’s affordable and the email’s reputation is great too.
I settled down with ConvertKit after trying MailChimp and MailerLite. I find it easier and better to create automation.
6. Gumroad – (Free)
Gumroad is a great platform to host your digital products. I use it to host all the paid and free mini-products that I create.
And, the best thing is it’s not just a product hosting website. Gumroad lets you specifically target your customers and send them emails.
7. Figma – (Free)
Earlier I used Gravit for all my graphics needs. But now I have moved to Figma and you can pretty much design any kind of graphic for social media and websites.
I design featured images and other kinds of graphics (much like the one on this page) using Figma.
8. Obsidian – (Free)
Earlier I used Notion for writing but realized later that Notion is not for writers.
I use Obsidian for outlining, writing, and editing processes. You can know more about my writing process here.
Earlier, I was using Obsidian with Syncthing but now I have got the Obsidian Sync for better performance.
9. Grammarly – (Free)
Grammarly never lets you commit a single grammatical or spelling mistake. It points out the wrong words and sentences as soon as typed. And, the best thing, it works everywhere — Google Docs, Social Media, WordPress, Notion, MS Word, everywhere.
I have been using Grammarly for more than 4 years now and it has been amazing ever since.
10. Google Workspace – (Paid)
I use Google Workspace to have all my files synced to the cloud. This way there are lesser chances of losing my files and I can sync the same files across different devices. Also, I can easily share and collaborate with my team on several files.
Earlier, I used Dropbox, but recently, I’ve moved to Google Workspace for emails, cloud storage, and other services that it has.
11. Visual Studio Code – (Free)
Visual Studio Code is my go-to tool for editing code. I absolutely love it and open it almost daily.
I use it to create simple custom sites by using static site generators and also some small tools and calculators.
12. Google Keep – (Free)
I use Google Keep to capture quick notes. It’s easily accessible through your phone and can also be accessed through the website.
I do not use color coding or tags to organize my notes though. And, the main reason is, I do not take permanent notes in Google Keep; I’d just note down raw ideas and stuff that I haven’t given much thought to yet.
Later, when I go through the notes, I’d clear from there, after noting them down in Obsidian or Notion.
13. Microsoft To Do (Free)
I use Microsoft To Do app on my phone as well as on my laptop to note down all the possible work that I have to do. Mostly, I note down all the writing topic ideas that I ever get. It’s very easy and convenient to use it.
Got a new topic idea? Just open up the app and note it down and once you finish writing, just check the to-do list.
14. Loom (Free)
Loom is the most recent addition to my toolset! Out of nowhere, I got the idea that I would embed small videos inside blog posts to illustrate complex concepts in a better and more efficient way.
And, that’s when I installed Loom and started using it — now, I must say that it’s an amazing tool and I’m looking to use more of it.
That’s it.
Note that, I keep updating this page every once in a while. The last update was done on Aug 13, 2023.
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