10 good iPad apps for productivity

The iPad is a capable solution for getting work done, but that requires good apps. There are so many apps in the app store it makes finding the right ones a hit and miss process.

We’ve done the work for you and found 10 solid apps that can turn the iPad into a productive work system. In this collection there are apps for tracking work time for professionals, organizers for notes, an office suite for working with documents, and apps for keeping track of scheduling.

The apps are presented in no particular order of preference.

There’s also a hot new game in the collection thrown in as a bonus, as you know what they say about all work and no play.

Self-employed professionals usually generate income by billing clients for time worked. This requires keeping track of time worked on a project, and generating invoices for the work.

OfficeTime is a full-featured solution for time management. It has a timer for tracking periods spent working on a project, and automatically allocates said time to the proper client. It generates invoices based on tracked time.

From the developer:

• Increase your billables
• Know if you’re on budget
• Improve your productivity by knowing where your time goes
• Easy, intuitive, flexible.
• Pay once. Get for both iPad and iPhone
• Work offline. No need for WiFi or cell connection.
• No monthly fees.
• Export to Numbers, Excel and tab delimited.
• Get cross team reports on your Mac or PC (sold separately)
• Work with cross platform offices (sold separately): PC, Mac , iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
• Run multiple timers
• Rapidly switch tasks
• Time in the background

Buy OfficeTime for $7.99

Working with PDF documents is something many professionals do regularly, and this app is a good way to do it. It has many features that make viewing and editing PDFs productive, including full markup capability.

There is a file manager built into Goodreader that works with both local files and those stored in major cloud storage services.

From the developer:

• the best PDF reading engine
• PDF Annotations - text boxes, popup comments ("sticky notes"), text highlights and markups, freehand drawings, lines, arrows, rectangles, ovals, etc.
• access to various types of servers to store your data - Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive,Box, WebDAV, SMB, AFP, FTP, SFTP
• Auto Sync with remote servers
• PDF Page Management - add, rearrange, delete, rotate, extract and email individual pages, split and merge files
• PDF Page Slider now shows page previews
• icon view for file browser, with larger previews
• collapsible tool area on the main screen
• true Auto Sync - background and scheduled execution

Buy Goodreader for $4.99

This app from Microsoft is a good way to create and work with notes. It works with OneNote on other platforms to keep all notes in sync and looking the same. OneNote can work with enterprise systems for a true work note system.

From Microsoft:

• Sync your notebooks across computers and devices.
• Your notes look the same on all your devices including formatting and ink notes from pen enabled devices.
• Bold, italicize, underline, highlight, increase indent, decrease indent - format notes the way you want.
• Search your notes and files for anything you’ve captured by just typing a keyword or phrase.
• Sync your work notes stored in OneDrive for Business and SharePoint with your iPad.

Get OneNote for free

This note app has been around for a long time and has evolved into a full-featured note-taking solution. In addition to taking notes by entering text, Evernote can capture information by capturing images with the camera.

Many other apps can save information directly to Evernote.

From the developer:

• Take notes: write in a clean, distraction-free workspace.
• Get organized: create notebooks and add tags to wrangle projects.
• Access anywhere: keep your work in sync across devices.
• Find anything fast: text in notes, photos, and PDFs is searchable.
• Share ideas and resources: create a workspace for collaboration with shared notebooks.
• Keep up with to-do’s: make to-do lists and check items off as you go.
• Harness creativity: capture ideas while they’re fresh, wherever you are.
• Prepare for meetings: draft agendas and to-do’s for next time.
• Manage expenses: organize receipts, bills, and invoices to keep expense reports in check.
• Plan business travel: save reservations and tickets for simple trip planning.
• Make connections: turn business cards into rich digital contacts.

Get Evernote for free

Even those who don’t edit photos for a living might need to make personal photos look as good as possible. Pixelmator is an editor that packs a lot of features into an app that is very easy to use. It has very good operation by touch, making it a natural fit for the iPad.

• Get started with dozens of beautifully designed templates
• Enrich photos with an effect, a frame, or create gorgeous collages
• Add a word, phrase, or caption
• Make the text look beautiful with advanced typography features
• Easily add, create, combine, and edit shapes
• Effortlessly apply shadows, fills, and strokes
• Pixelmator is a complete layer-based editor
• Quickly and easily select any part of an image
• Edit and apply special effects to portions of your pictures
• Select and remove unwanted elements
• Cut and place objects from one image to another

Buy Pixelmator for $9.99

Keeping on top of to-do lists can be critical for the busy professional. Those using Google Tasks to do so will find this app to be a good way to stay on top of things that need to get done.

It syncs with Google Tasks, and has fully customizable views to see at a glance where today’s focus needs to be.

From the developer:

• Sync your tasks with Google Tasks.
• Sync tasks between your iPhone & iPad devices.
• View your tasks and calendar events in one place.
• Keep your tasks organized with subtasks.
• Location based reminders such as when you leave your office.
• Set repeating tasks such as “Pay bills” every month.
• Universal app, designed both for iPhone and iPad.

Get gTasks for free

Keeping tabs on a busy schedule requires a good calendar app, and this one qualifies. It offers several views to see appointments at a glance and also has a view for keeping on top of tasks that need to get done.

Tasks can be synced with Google Tasks and iOS reminders to stay up-to-date with other devices.

From the developer:

• Natural Language Input
• Task Manager
• Interface focused on events
• Day, Week, Month and List views of your events
• Works online and offline

Buy Calendars 5 for $6.99

This calendar app has a dynamic interface that is optimized for use in portrait and landscape orientation. It features an adjustable two-window display that shows the calendar and the user’s agenda at the same time. Dragging either pane up or down expands the calendar or agenda as needs dictate. The two panes are linked, so moving around in one brings the other to the same point in time.

Entering new events is done through natural language, eg “Lunch with Pete on Tuesday at 1pm”.

Fantastical 2 has a useful widget for the iOS notification center.

From the developer:

• Multiple views let you view your events and reminders just the way you want
• DayTicker, week view, or full-screen week view present your events and reminders with clarity
• Customize your Fantastical Dashboard with a simple gesture
• See your events and dated reminders together in the main list
• Add reminders directly from the Reminders list or new event screen - just flip the switch to toggle between events and reminders
• Set dates, times, and geofences (when I arrive/when I leave)
• Create reminders by starting your sentence with "reminder", "todo", "task", or "remind me to"
• Expanded, expressive repeating events such as third Thursday of every month, every weekend, last weekday of the month, and more
• Create alerts with phrases such as "remind me tomorrow at 3PM", "alert 1 hour before", or "alarm 3PM"
• Informational event details, including a map to show your event’s locations and flexible repeating options
• Background app updating allows events, reminders, and alerts to be pushed to Fantastical 2 even if you don't launch the app very often
• An extended keyboard when creating new events or reminders, providing instant access to numbers and symbols for dates and times
• Birthday options - tap on a birthday to see contact information or send a quick greeting
• TextExpander support

Buy Fantastical 2 for $9.99

Microsoft Office rules the workplace, and the version for the iPad is outstanding. Word, Excel, and Powerpoint are very full-featured apps, and have been optimized for touch operation on the iPad.

While there are three separate apps, they are included together in this collection. Users can download and install any or all of them as needed. All three apps in Office for iPad are free, with extra features available to those with an Office 365 subscription. Many will find the features in the free versions to be sufficient.

From Microsoft:

Word for iPad

• Images, tables, charts, SmartArt, footnotes, equations are all there, nicely formatted.
• Word documents look great, just as they do on your Mac or PC.
• On your phone, choose between the real document layout or an easy-to-read layout.
• View email attachments and access Word documents from OneDrive, Dropbox, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint.
• Pick up from where you left off because Word knows what you were working on last, no matter what device you were using.
• Print Word documents to an AirPrint printer, with or without markup.
• When you edit a document, your content and formatting are maintained across all your devices – PC, Mac, tablet and phone.
• Express your ideas exactly the way you want, with rich formatting including fonts, pictures, tables, charts, textboxes, shapes, footnotes, page layout and more.
• Track changes, add comments and work simultaneously with others on the same document.
• Word automatically saves your document, so you can rest assured that you don’t lose all your work while you’re on the go.
• Simply share your work with others by emailing a hyperlink, the file or a PDF.

Get Word for iPad for free

Excel for iPad

• Formulas, tables, charts, comments, PivotTables, sparklines, conditional formatting are all there, so you see the whole picture.
• Excel spreadsheets look great, just as they do on your PC or Mac.
• View email attachments and access all your Excel spreadsheets from OneDrive, Dropbox, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint.
• Pick up from where you left off because Excel for iPad knows what spreadsheet you were working on last, no matter what device you were using.
• Print an entire Excel workbook, a worksheet or a selected range to an AirPrint printer.
• When you edit a spreadsheet, your content and formatting are maintained across all your devices – PC, Mac, tablet and phone.
• Turn numbers into insights, with support for formulas, charts, tables, sorting, filtering, and more.
• A special formula keyboard lets you add numbers and formulas rapidly – much easier than with the standard touch keyboard.
• Excel automatically saves your spreadsheet, so you can rest assured that you don’t lose all your work while you’re on the go.
• Simply share your work with others by emailing the spreadsheet, a hyperlink or a PDF.

Get Excel for iPad free

Powerpoint for iPad

• Images, tables, charts, SmartArt, transitions, animations are all there, nicely formatted.
• PowerPoint presentations look great, just as they do on your Mac or PC.
• When presenting, see your speaker notes and use the built-in laser pointer, pens or highlighters to get your point across.
• View email attachments and access all your PowerPoint presentations from OneDrive, Dropbox, OneDrive for Business, or SharePoint.
• Pick up from where you left off because PowerPoint knows what presentations you were working on last, no matter what device you were using.
• Print PowerPoint presentations to an AirPrint printer.
• When you edit a presentation, your content and formatting are maintained across all your devices – PC, Mac, tablet and phone.
• Express your ideas exactly the way you want, with full support for rich formatting including fonts, pictures, tables, textboxes, shapes, transitions, animations, speaker notes and more.
• Work simultaneously with others on the same presentation.
• PowerPoint automatically saves your presentation, so you can rest assured that you don’t lose all your work while you’re on the go.
• Simply share your work with others by emailing the spreadsheet, a hyperlink, or a PDF.

Get Powerpoint for iPad free

When you think work email you think Outlook  Outlook for the iPad is a rebranded Acompli, a great email app as reviewed by ZDNet. Microsoft bought the company behind Acompli and shortly after released the app as Outlook for iOS.

It handles multiple email accounts including Exchange, and has the ability to learn over time which messages are important. Those messages are moved into a “focused” inbox to keep them from getting buried in the flood of email many folks receive.

In addition to good email functionality, Outlook has an integrated calendar, and a useful view that collects onto one screen contacts with whom you've had recent email interaction. This makes it easy to create email for those the user does most frequently.

From Microsoft:

• Outlook automatically triages your inbox for you, surfacing your most important email. Less relevant email is placed in your “Other” inbox.
• Swipe to quickly delete, archive, or schedule messages.
• Schedule emails and they will return to your inbox at a later time.
• Switching between your email and calendar apps is a thing of the past. Outlook includes your calendar and notifies you with appointment reminders.
• Find available meeting times and share them in email or schedule a meeting.
• View and attach any file from your email, OneDrive, Dropbox, and other accounts with just a few taps.
• Send large files even if you haven’t downloaded them to your phone.
• Filter your inbox to only show messages that are unread, flagged, or have attachments, with a single tap.
• Quickly find the right messages, people and files by typing just a few letters.
• Outlook shows people you communicate with most often, and lets you conveniently drill down to see all related emails, meetings and files.

Get Outlook free

You can’t work all of the time and a good game is a great way to kill time. This racing app has great graphics and an easy control system that even the least coordinated of us can master.

Red Bull Racers is free, with feature upgrades available either through in-app purchase or with winnings received from racing in the game. In-game winnings are plentiful, so free goes a long way with Red Bull Racers.

Get Red Bull Racers free