The 10 Best productivity apps

From sorting expenses to arranging dates, these little helpers promise to speed things up at work and juggle your social life, too...

1. Diacarta Planner

£1.49/free, iOS/Android

This lets you visualise your day. The app syncs with your calendar and produces a central clock layout from which your events extend, like planets in a solar system.

2. Evernote

Free, iOS/Android

Evernote is like a digital scrap book. You attach the app to your computer browser and phone, "clip" whatever you fancy to the apps, and read back at a later date.

3. Dragon Dictation

Free, iOS

Dragon uses a different algorithm to Siri to track what you say and, handily, gives numerous suggestions for words it doesn't quite get.

4. Doodle: Easy Scheduling

£1.99, iOS

Doodle allows you to invite your whole group of friends to say which dates they can meet and which they can't – then books it into your respective diaries.

5. OmniGraffle

£34.99, iOS

If you you like planning with the help of a diagram, check this out. It lets you whizz through flow diagrams of tasks with just the drag of your finger. Expensive, mind.

6. Google Drive

Free, iOS/Android

Access your Google documents wherever you are in the world with the new Drive App. It's stored in the cloud so you can edit your article on the train or plane.

7. Expense Magic

Free, iOS

Simply snap a picture of your receipts, train tickets and this app does the rest, including working out VAT details. Although the app is free there is a per-receipt charge.

8. Weave

Free, iOS

Not only does this free app organise your personal life but you can also create project maps to monitor work progress, plus it even tracks cashflow.

9. WorkSnug pro

Free, iOS/Android

You're on the go, get a call and have to send an email. But 3G is playing up – what do you do? Use this app to point you in the direction of the nearest WiFi, of course.

10. Wunderlist

Free, iOS/Android

Wunderlist allows you to set up lists of things you need to do: books to read, people to catch up with, date nights, and then syncs them across your devices.

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