In Summary
- Productivity apps help you get more out of your device by helping you focus on the work at hand instead of wasting your time on distractions.
- ChromeOS supports both web-based apps and Android apps, which makes it a very versatile operating system.
- In this article, we will introduce you to 12 productivity-oriented apps for ChromeOS that will help you focus on your work.
ChromeOS is a versatile, feature-rich operating system that supports both web-based and Android applications. Since Chromebooks come preloaded with ChromeOS, which is mostly used by students and some professionals, productivity apps are useful during their study or work sessions.
Before we start with the best productivity apps for Chromebooks, let us take a look at how we selected these apps from hundreds and thousands of options available on the web.
Table of Contents
Productivity Apps for Chromebook
Productivity apps are software programs designed to help users do their work or personal tasks more efficiently and effectively. These apps can include tools for task management, scheduling, note taking, document editing, email management, and more.
Productivity apps aim to improve workflow and time management so users can focus on their work and achieve their goals more easily. They can be used by individuals, teams, and businesses to increase productivity and streamline operations.
Overall, productivity apps can be powerful tools for increasing efficiency, improving time management, and achieving goals.
How We Picked the Best Productivity Apps for Chromebook
When compiling this list of productivity apps for ChromeOS, we considered factors such as the app’s functionality, ease of use, and compatibility with ChromeOS and made sure that all of the apps are free to use.
- Compatibility with Chrome OS: Make sure that the productivity app you choose is compatible with Chrome OS and that it may be a native app. This will ensure that the app runs smoothly on your Chromebook and that you do not have any compatibility issues.
- Functionality: think about what features you need in a productivity app. Do you need a word processor, spreadsheet, or presentation software? Do you need to be able to collaborate with others in real-time? Make sure the app you choose has the features you need.
- User interface: look for a productivity app with a user-friendly interface. The app should be easy to navigate and use and not require a long learning curve.
- Cloud-based storage: a good productivity app for Chromebook should have cloud-based storage that allows you to store your files in the cloud and access them from anywhere.
- Integration with other apps: Look for apps that integrate well with other apps you use frequently. For example, if you use Google Drive, look for a productivity app that integrates seamlessly with it.
- Price: Some productivity apps are free, while others require a subscription. Consider your budget and choose an app that fits your budget.
- Reviews: Read reviews from other users to get an idea of the app’s performance, reliability, and ease of use. This will give you a good idea of whether the app is worth trying or not.
After going through a list of several apps, we have selected the 12 productivity apps for ChromeOS. You can read all the details about each app in the next section.
Best Productivity Apps for Chromebook
Here is our list of 12 best productivity apps for ChromeOS:
- SimpleNote
- Snapdrop
- 5217
- Soundrown
- Clockify
- AdBlock
- Noisli
- BlockSite
- Vimium
- DocuSign
- vCita Invoicing, Billing, and Online Payments
- Highly Highlighter
SimpleNote
Simplenote is a note-taking app that lets you create and organize notes on all your devices. It’s a free app available for Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
Simplenote offers a simple and clutter-free interface that makes it easy to write, edit, and organize your notes. You can also tag and search your notes to quickly find what you need.
One of the best features of Simplenote is its sync function. It automatically syncs your notes with all your devices, so you can access your notes from anywhere. Besides, Simplenote offers a version history that lets you view and restore previous versions of your notes.
Overall, Simplenote is a great app for anyone looking for a simple and reliable note-taking app that works on all devices.
Snapdrop
Snapdrop is a web-based file-sharing service that allows you to share files between devices via a web browser easily. It’s a free and open-source app that works on Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
To use Snapdrop, all you need to do is open snapdrop.net in a web browser on both the sending and receiving devices. Once both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, they’ll automatically recognize each other and appear as icons on the Snapdrop page. You can then drag and drop files between the devices.
One of Snapdrop’s best features is that it’s completely web-based, which means you don’t need to install any apps or extensions on your device. Snapdrop also supports a wide range of file types, including documents, images, videos, and music.
Overall, Snapdrop is a simple and effective file-sharing app that is perfect for Chromebook users who want to share files between devices quickly. It’s free, secure, and easy to use, making it a good alternative to other file-sharing apps that may require downloads or installations.
52/17
52/17 is a productivity app designed to help you manage your time more effectively. It’s available on Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
The app is based on the simple concept of the Pomodoro technique (52/17 rule), where you work for a set amount of time (usually 25 minutes) and then take a short break (usually 5 minutes). The cycle is repeated several times, with longer breaks scheduled after a certain number of cycles.
52/17 goes a step further by suggesting working 52 minutes and taking a 17-minute break. This allows for longer periods of concentrated work with breaks long enough to recharge your energy and avoid burnout.
The app also tracks your progress and provides statistics on your productivity, such as the number of hours worked and the number of breaks taken. This can be helpful in identifying patterns and areas where you may need to make adjustments to improve your productivity.
Overall, 52/17 is a simple and effective productivity app that is perfect for anyone who wants to manage their time more effectively and avoid burnout. It’s easy to use and customize to your needs, and the Pomodoro technique is proven to be an effective way to increase productivity and focus.
Soundrown
Soundrown is a web-based ambient sound generator that provides a variety of sounds to help you focus, relax, or sleep. Soundrown is available on Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
The app offers a variety of high-quality sounds, including white noise, rain, thunder, waves, and more. You can select a single sound or mix multiple sounds to create a personalized environment.
One of the best features of Soundrown is its simplicity. The app offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy to find the sounds you want and adjust the volume to your preferences. Besides, you can save your favorite sound combinations to access them later quickly.
Soundrown is also free and requires no registration or downloads, making it a good choice for those who are looking for a simple and hassle-free ambient sound generator.
Overall, Soundrown is a great app for anyone who needs help focusing, relaxing, or sleeping. It’s easy to use, customizable, and offers high-quality sounds that can improve your productivity and well-being.
Clockify
Clockify is a time-tracking app that allows you to track and analyze how much time you spend. It’s available on Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
The app offers a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to track your time across different projects and tasks easily. You can create unlimited projects and tasks and assign them to different clients or teams. You can also add notes and tags to your time entries to provide additional context.
Clockify also provides detailed reports that allow you to analyze your time usage and identify areas where you can improve your productivity. The reports include charts and graphs that show your time usage by project, task, client, or team.
One of Clockify’s best features is its versatility. It can be used for both personal and professional projects and is suitable for freelancers, small businesses, and large corporations.
Overall, Clockify is a great app for anyone who wants to track their time and improve their productivity. It’s easy to use, flexible, and offers detailed reports that can help you make informed decisions about how you spend your time.
AdBlock
AdBlock is a popular Chrome extension that blocks ads on websites. It’s available on Chromebooks as well as on other devices and platforms.
The app blocks all types of ads, including banner ads, pop-ups, and video ads. It also blocks ads on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.
AdBlock is easy to install and use and offers a customizable interface that lets you whitelist specific websites or adjust your ad blocking settings.
One of the benefits of using an ad blocker like AdBlock is that it can significantly improve your browsing experience by reducing the number of ads on websites. This can result in faster loading times, fewer distractions, and a cleaner user interface.
Overall, AdBlock is a great app for anyone who wants to block ads on their Chromebook or other devices. It’s easy to use, customizable, and can greatly improve your browsing experience.
Noisli
Noisli is a web-based app that provides a variety of background sounds and noises to help you focus, relax, and sleep. It’s available on Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
The app offers a range of high-quality sounds, including white noise, nature sounds, and ambient sounds. You can mix and match different sounds to create a personal background environment that suits your needs.
One of the best features of Noisli is its simplicity. The app offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy for you to find the sounds you want and adjust the volume and intensity of each sound. You can also save your favorite sound combinations to access them later quickly.
Noisli is also available as a Chrome extension that lets you access the app directly from your browser. The extension includes additional features like a timer and a productivity booster that helps you focus for a certain period of time.
Overall, Noisli is a great app for anyone who needs help focusing, relaxing, or sleeping. It’s easy to use, customizable, and offers high-quality sounds that can improve your productivity and well-being.
BlockSite
BlockSite is a Chrome extension that lets you block distracting websites and improve your productivity. It’s available on Chromebooks as well as on other devices and platforms.
The app allows you to create a list of websites you want to block and prevents you from accessing them at certain times of the day. You can also set a password to protect your settings and prevent you from disabling the app.
BlockSite also offers a number of other features to help you stay productive, including a work mode that blocks distracting notifications and a motivational quotes feature that delivers inspirational messages to keep you motivated.
One of the best features of BlockSite is its simplicity. The app offers a clean and intuitive interface that allows you to set up and customize your block list easily. Besides, it offers detailed statistics and reports to let you track your usage and identify areas where you can improve your productivity.
Overall, BlockSite is a great application for anyone who wants to block distracting websites and improve their productivity. It’s easy to use, customizable, and offers a number of features that will help you stay focused and motivated.
Vimium
Vimium is a Chrome extension that adds keyboard shortcuts to your browsing experience so you can navigate and control your Chromebook without a mouse or trackpad.
The app provides a set of keyboard shortcuts that let you perform common tasks, such as scrolling, opening links, and navigating between tabs. It also offers advanced features, such as the ability to search within a web page, edit text, and even run your own JavaScript commands.
Vimium is highly customizable and lets you configure your own keyboard shortcuts and settings. You can also disable the application for certain websites or create your own blacklist of websites.
One of the best features of Vimium is its efficiency. By using keyboard shortcuts instead of a mouse or trackpad, you can save time and reduce the strain on your hands and wrists. This can lead to increased productivity and improved ergonomics.
Overall, Vimium is a great app for anyone who wants to improve their browsing experience and reduce their dependence on a mouse or trackpad. It’s highly customizable and efficient and offers a number of advanced features to help you navigate and control your Chromebook effortlessly.
DocuSign
DocuSign is an electronic signature platform that allows you to sign, send, and manage digital documents from anywhere, including your Chromebook.
The app offers a number of features to help you manage your documents, including the ability to create and send documents for signature, track the progress of signatures, and securely store and access your documents in the cloud.
DocuSign is easy to use and offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy to create and manage documents. It also integrates with a range of other apps and services, such as Google Drive and Salesforce, to provide a seamless workflow.
One of DocuSign’s best features is its security. The app uses industry-standard encryption and authentication methods to ensure the privacy and security of your documents. It also provides audit trails and tamper-proof features to ensure the integrity of your documents.
Overall, DocuSign is a great application for anyone who needs to sign, send or manage digital documents. It’s easy to use, secure, and offers a number of features that will help you streamline your workflow and improve your productivity.
vCita
vCita is a web-based app that gives you a suite of tools to manage your business, including scheduling, client management, and payment processing. It’s available on Chromebooks as well as other devices and platforms.
The app offers an intuitive user interface that makes it easy to manage your business. It allows you to schedule appointments, send reminders and follow-ups, and accept payments from customers. It also offers a number of other features, such as customer management and team collaboration tools.
vCita is highly customizable, allowing you to create individual workflows and automate repetitive tasks. It also integrates with a number of other apps and services, such as Google Calendar and Zapier, to provide a seamless workflow.
One of vCita’s best features is its customer engagement tools. The app offers a number of tools to help you connect with your customers, including online chat, email campaigns, and social media integration. This can help you improve your customer service and increase customer retention.
Overall, vCita is a great app for anyone who needs to manage appointments, customers, and payments. It’s user-friendly and customizable and offers a number of features that can help you streamline your workflow and improve customer retention.
Related Read: 8 Best Free Invoicing Apps
Highly Highlighter
Highly Highlighter is a Chrome extension that lets you highlight and share web content. It’s a great tool for researchers, students, and anyone who wants to save and share information from the Internet.
The app offers an intuitive interface that makes it easy to highlight and annotate web content. Plus, you can save your highlights and annotations to the cloud so you can access them from any device.
Highly Highlighter is highly customizable, and you can choose from a number of colors and styles to create your markups and annotations. You can also share your markups and annotations via email or social media.
One of the best features of Highly Highlighter is its collaboration tools. The app allows you to invite others to collaborate on your highlighting and annotations, which can be useful for group projects or team collaboration.
Overall, Highly Highlighter is a great app for anyone who wants to save and share web content. It’s easy to use, customizable, and offers a number of features to help you collaborate and communicate effectively.
12 Free Productivity Apps for ChromeOS
All the applications presented above have various features that help users focus on the work at hand and keep them away from distractions. All of the above applications are free, but some of them may include a few additional features if you opt for a premium subscription, which is usually not required for any of them.
Our favorites from the list are 52/17 for its ability to effortlessly divide your time between work and leisure and Soundrown, which blocks out all the noise around you and helps you focus by playing various ambient sounds.
Comment below with your favorite productivity apps from the list, and leave suggestions if you have any.
FAQs about Best Free Productivity Apps for Chromebook
Can these productivity apps and extensions be used on other platforms?
Most of these productivity apps and extensions are platform-independent and can be used on other platforms, such as Windows, Mac, and Linux. Some are even available as web apps and browser extensions.
Are these productivity apps and extensions secure to use?
Yes, all of the productivity apps and extensions listed are secure to use. However, it's always recommended to check the permissions and reviews before installing any app or extension.
Can I use these productivity apps and extensions offline?
It depends on the app or extension. Some of these productivity apps and extensions require an internet connection, while others can be used offline. It's always recommended to check the app's features and requirements before installing it.
Can I use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook?
Yes, you can use Microsoft Office on a Chromebook, but you must have a Microsoft 365 subscription and use the online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It's worth noting that the online versions of Microsoft Office may have some limitations compared to the desktop versions, but they should still provide most of the features you need to get your work done.
Can I use Android apps on my Chromebook for productivity?
Yes, you can use Android apps on your Chromebook for productivity. Chromebooks are designed to run Android apps, and the Google Play Store on your Chromebook has a wide range of productivity apps that you can download and use.
It's important to note that not all Android apps are optimized for use on Chromebooks, and some may not work as well as they'd on an Android device. However, many popular productivity apps like Microsoft Office apps, Evernote, and Adobe Creative Cloud apps have been optimized for use on Chromebooks and should work well.
What are some good time management apps for Chromebook?
Some good time management apps for Chromebook are Trello, Todoist, RescueTime, Forest, and Pomodone. These apps can help you stay organized, prioritize tasks, and manage your time more effectively.
Are there any free project management apps for Chromebook?
Yes, there are several free project management apps for Chromebook, including Trello, Asana, Kanbanchi, and MeisterTask. These apps can help you manage projects, collaborate with team members, and keep track of tasks and deadlines.