Do you have to meet the deadline? Your boss need rapport on yesterday? Or simply you cannot focus on your work? Maybe the fact that you are reading this article right now is an effect of scrolling your Facebook? Keep reading though because this time the Internet comes with plenty of free tools which significantly increase your productivity. Let’s get started!

Canva

This free graphic design tool website makes your work much more attractive. No more boring rapports, articles or presentation. With Canva you can create blog graphics, presentations, Facebook covers, flyers, posters, logos, invitations, web banner and more.

A program is dedicated to non-designers as well as professionals. A design program doesn’t have to be complicated. Pure fun! This is absolute must-have for every blogger!

Canva has an easy to use drag-and-drop interface and provides access to over a million photographs, graphics, and fonts.

Once again, this tool is 100% free but you can get 30 days free trial and then upgrade to pro version for $12.95 monthly or $9.95 yearly.

I am using an unpaid version, and I have to admit that I am satisfied. Remember that Canva is not the only one an online graphic design tool. You can also try Piktochart or PickMonkey.

Trello

It does not matter if you are working in a big company or you are a freelancer, this tool helps you to organize your tasks, projects or even meetings. All these in one place. This web-based project management application is super easy to use.

You create a board, add specific cards, then your write tasks, ideas or project to do, add comments, upload file attachments, create checklists, add labels and due dates. You can invite as many people to your board as you want. Simple drag and drop people to cards to divvy up tasks.

Moreover, users can use Trello application available on iPhone, iPad, Android phones, tablets, watches, and Kindle Fire tablets. In my experience, a web and desktop version works more seamlessly than a mobile one. But better check it first because whatever floats your boat!

As I have already mentioned, Trello is 100% free, but creators have prepared a pro version called Trello Business Class. This is “a shared space for teams to collaborate, communicate, and share information securely” for $9.99 per user/month.

Grammarly

An extremely important business mail has to be written and it has to be done quickly, and you start panicking, especially if you aren’t a native English. Now calm down and add to your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) Grammarly extension.

This free grammar checker instantly eliminates hundreds of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes while also catching contextual errors, improving your vocabulary, and suggesting style improvements.

So, how does it work? Grammarly scans your texts for common and complex grammatical mistakes and gives you an option to correct them. It leaves outdated spelling and grammar checkers in the dust. This checker works perfectly fine on Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and nearly anywhere else you write on the web. Additionally, Grammarly comes with plagiarism detector.

Those who prefer writing documents using Microsoft® Word can install Grammarly’s add-in. As a bonus, this add-in also integrates with Outlook™ to help you ensure your emails are grammatically correct before you hit send. Last but not least, thanks to Grammarly for Windows you can have this checker on your desktop. Just one click and you access all your docs. Easy and fast, right?

Users can upgrade Grammarly to Premium version as well. You can choose your paid plan: monthly $29.95, quarterly $19.98 and annual $11.66. It comes with 400+ checks and features thus it finds much more mistakes. Further, its plagiarism checker compares your content against a library of over 16 billion web pages. Frankly speaking, a paid version is much more efficient.

Typeform

Another 100% free tool which makes your work not only easier but also beautiful. Introduce Typeform, an online software that allows you to build delightful, engaging, and conversational online forms, surveys, quizzes, landing pages, and much more.

Using Typeform is like a piece of cake. You can customize your form as you wish. The basic and free plan guarantees 100 responses per month and unlimited fields and typeforms.

You can also choose version Pro for 25€/moth or Pro+ for 59€/month which give you unlimited responses and fields. To be honest, a basic plan is totally sufficient for my personal use as a blogger.

Rand Fishin from Moz Blog said: “filling out forms was never pain-free, fun, or easy until Typeform.” Do you need a better recommendation? 😉

Stay Focusd

You’ve checked your emails, updated your Facebook status, read every article in your favorite fashion blog, looked up Marlene Dietrich on Wikipedia, vanity googled yourself, cyber-stalked random people on Facebook, and lost hours on looking for a recipe that you never realize cause you don’t even have an oven. Sounds familiar?

How many time do you swear you’ll be productive? Time has come to keep your promise. StayFocusd (yeah, it’s a correct spelling ;), a productivity extension for Google Chrome, helps you to get work done.

How does it work? StayFocusd allows you to block sites, subdomains, paths, pages, even in-page content (videos, games, images, forms, etc.) for a defined amount of time or even entire day. It’s up to you.

Although there are plenty of this kind web extensions (e.x. LeechBlock on Firefox or SelfControl on macOS, Forest an app or on Firefox), I’ve chosen StayFocusd. Why? First, I use Chrome. Second, I don’t own a MacBook. 😉 Check what works best for you.

Feedly

Would you like to stay up to date with all relevant information without wasting time? While scrolling Facebook or Twitter takes hours, Feedly allows you to get all needed info with one click.

Probably you will ask how? Feedly is a news aggregator application for various web browsers and mobile devices running iOS and Android, also available as a cloud-based service.

This tool helps you to organize, read, and share the information you need to stay ahead of the next significant trend in your industry. Freedly is for free unless you want to upgrade your account to a Pro version for $5.41 or Team version for $18.

LastPass

This freemium tool combines password manager, auto form filler with random password generator and secure digital wallet app. LastPass makes my life much much simpler and significantly reduces the number of destroyed devices around me. 😉

LastPass is standard with a web interface, but also includes plugins for all web browsers and apps for many smartphones.

The service is available for free, but users can go premium as well. LastPass Premium for $2/month, helps you take even more control of your digital security. I use an unpaid version, and I have no reason to complain.

Boomerang

Okay, long story short: Boomerang for Gmail allows you to take control of your emails. You can write an email now and schedule it to be sent automatically at the preferable time.

Write the messages as you usually would, then click the Send Later button. A piece of cake, isn’t it? P.S. Of course, totally for free!

Pocket

I’m ashamed to admit it but Pocket, previously known as Read It Later, is my newest discovery! This is an application and service for managing a reading list of articles from the Internet.

It is available for macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Kobo eReaders, and web browsers. When you find something, you want to see later just put in in the Pocket.

Install an extension and start to save directly from your browser or apps like Twitter, Flipboard, Pulse, Zite, and more. It is a remarkably handy solution and once again for free. Seriously, try it! It makes your day!

Noisli

The research of a professor Ravi Mehta from the University of Illinois shows that recreating the ambient noise can improve focus and boost your productivity!

Do you remember the time when music can’t let you focus, or silence makes your crazy? If you do, Noisli can be an excellent alternative for you. It is terrific background noise and color generator for working and relaxing.

You can choose from online soothing ambient sounds like Forest, White noise, Water, Rain and Coffee Shop and more. Last but not least, with Noisli you can mix different sounds and create your perfect environment. Additionally, Noisli comes also as a browser extension.

There is no need to convince anyone to the fact that an Internet is a bottomless pit filled with plenty of free useful tools. You just need to filter it very carefully. I’ve chosen my top ten of free tools. Keep your eyes open and let me know what have you found! 😉