6 Killer Productivity Apps for Programmers
Tags: programming, productivity, opensource, watercooler
Published: 2022-03-20 02:49:28

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With the rise of **"instant-dopamine-hit"** applications, the current attention span of humans has decimated so much that **even a goldfish can beat us**!

But all hope isn't lost disciples, there are some apps that when used, can **blow up your productivity to new and unthinkable heights**. Some use the same feedback loop as those **"instant-dopamine-hit"** applications, but constructively; others make your life way easier. Let's take a look at **6 such incredible apps**.

## 1. Habitica

![habitica](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/tfgts4hyit25hxsd3edr.png)

**Habitica** is a free habit-building and productivity app that **treats your real life like a game**, a process known as **gamification**. With in-game rewards and punishments to motivate you and a strong social network to inspire you, **Habitica** can help you achieve your goals to become **healthy**, **hard-working**, and **happy**.

**Habitica** is simply **gamification** on steroids, a really effective tool to help you **stay motivated** & **productive** and **even get rid of bad habits**.

**Fun Fact:** It is an **Open Source Project**, so you can dive into the source code here: https://github.com/HabitRPG/habitica

## 2. Forest

![forest](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/py4uh0yyehr3j16dhyu9.PNG)

**Forest** is an app that helps you stay focused on the essential things in life. The app has a lot of pluses. First, it's a **well-designed app** that helps **make the abstract idea of focusing away from your phone into a fun game**, just like **Habitica**.

It has some great features, but it **keeps things simple** where it counts, and even the free version with ads is pretty good at not distracting you.

As a bonus for every tree you grow, the **Forest** team partners with a **real-tree-planting organization**, **Trees for the Future**, to plant real trees on Earth. When our users spend virtual coins they earn in **Forest** on planting real trees, the **Forest** team donates to our partner and creates planting orders.

Not only do you stay focused, but leave a positive impact on the environment too! It is **killing two birds with one stone**!

![thumbs-up](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bdgu2kr9lpaukb8yt1b6.gif)

## 3. Cold Turkey

As the **Cold Turkey** team puts it, the app is **"The Toughest Website Blocker on the Internet"**.

It will **block you out of all the apps and games** you don't want to be distracted by, **leaving you so bored, that being productive will appear to be lucrative**.

**Your future self will thank you for the tough love!**

![cold-turkey](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1fanq3o9q9lptycrjkh8.png)

## 4. VS Code

Of course, a programmer is a sitting duck without the power of a good **IDE**.

**Visual Studio Code**, the source-code editor made by **Microsoft** needs no introduction.

Even though it is a tad hard to properly master, once you get used to the features it has to offer like **multi-cursor**, **snippets**, **debuggers**, and many more, **your productivity will blast past the limits lightning-fast**.

It's a must-have tool for developers of all skill levels!

![vscode](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6xzdeqh5p4pattju60fu.png)

## 5. GitHub Copilot

**GitHub Copilot** is an artificial intelligence tool developed by **GitHub** and **OpenAI** to assist users by autocompleting code.

Initially, it was met with a lot of controversies, but now having it is a no-brainer.

On explaining what you want in the comments, **GitHub Copilot** will generate the code for you, and potentially save you hundreds of hours of **Google searches** & **visiting Stack Overflow**!

![github-copilot](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7ecyz3t2cns6oulmykza.jpg)

## 6. Notion

**Notion** is one of the most popular and flexible tools. It's an all-in-one productivity solution and it's simply one of the best tools I've ever used. It can be a **writing repository**, **task management software**, a **workout calendar**, a **database**, and so much more.

**Notion** calls itself **"the missing half of Slack"**. Regardless of whether you are working alone or in a team, you can use **Notion** to **organize your thoughts** and **efficiently plan out projects**.

![notion](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/2yogiqfyxd9s8mwomjya.png)

That's all folks!

**Happy Developing!**

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# Thanks for reading

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**FAQ**

These are a few commonly asked questions I get. So, I hope this **FAQ** section solves your issues.

1. **I am a beginner, how should I learn Front-End Web Dev?**
   Look into the following articles:

    1. [Front End Development Roadmap](https://dev.to/ruppysuppy/front-end-developer-roadmap-zero-to-hero-4pkf)
    2. [Front End Project Ideas](https://dev.to/ruppysuppy/5-projects-to-master-front-end-development-57p)