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With 2018 on the verge of finishing, we have decided to do our usual rehearsals for the best of the year. In order to start, we will highlight the best Windows applications that we should’ve tried during the last 12 months. If you did not check them out in 2018, maybe 2019 is a good time to start.
We have tried to choose only new apps, which reached Windows this year or that received a major and major update during 2018 that will significantly improve them. There was plenty to choose from, even though the Microsoft store seems to be shrinking, good apps for Windows are not lacking.
This list does not include apps such as VLC 3.0, although it was an important update, it is hardly a novelty for our readers, like the latest major version of LibreOffice that had an excellent year. However, they deserve honorable mentions at least.
iA Writer
iA Writer came to Windows during the first quarter of the year bringing with it one of the best minimalist text editors that for a long time only users of macOS, iOS and Android could enjoy.
After several years of consideration, multiple requests from users and even a Kickstarter campaign, finally the editor with Markdown support, synchronization in the cloud, a very careful and simple interface and a luxury typography, came to Windows. The app has a trial period of 14 days, its license costs $ 19.99.
Notion
Notion is one of the most interesting and complete productivity tools we found this year. It is basically an all-in-one work area for managing notes, tasks, calendars, databases and more.
The app is cross-platform and synchronized on all devices. It is excellent to organize your life, your work and your equipment. It has support for multiple file types that you can import and also for external service accounts, such as Trello, Asana, Google Docs, Dropbox, etc. You can use it for free with a limit of 1000 items, or you can pay a subscription of 4 dollars per month.
Zenkit
Zenkit was another of our favorites of the year in the area of productivity. It is probably one of the best alternatives to Trello that we have tried and that use the basic Kanban method. It has applications for all platforms, not only for Windows, and of course it offers synchronization.
Although it has a somewhat high learning curve, this is due to its large number of options and features. Zenkit boards can be used to organize everything, and if you do not know where to start you have complete templates by hand. You can use it for free even in teams of up to 5 members. You can import files, connect with third-party apps and use it simply to manage tasks or even to create mind maps.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve 15 was released mid-year and although it is not a new application, this latest version brought hundreds of improvements and additional tools making it one of the most complete professional video editors that exist and that also has a free version.
While it has a paid version with multiple 3D tools, 4K support, exclusive filters and more, with the free version you can do countless things.
Station
Station entered our list of the best of 2017, at that time it was already the application to master all web apps with support for more than 300 web applications. Let’s move on to 2018 and that list already exceeds 600, its interface has become even more refined and remains completely free.
Station is an excellent way to manage in one place all the services that we access from the web, with integrated notifications, search functions, support for multiple accounts and more.
Wundermail
Wundermail is a special Gmail client for Windows 10 , which unlike many apps that do the same is not limited to simply packing the web version of Gmail and disguising it as a desktop app.
Wundermail is perhaps the closest we are going to have of having a decent Gmail client for Windows. Its interface makes good use of Microsoft’s Fluent Design and supports up to 5 Gmail accounts. It also integrates seamlessly with the Windows 10 notification area.
3D Boom
Boom 3D is another ultra known among the users of macOS that finally arrived this year to Windows 10 for the first time. Its function is to amplify the sound of the system without distortions .
This app basically promises to improve not only how you hear the sound of your computer through headphones but also its integrated speakers, its function of “magical surround sound in 3D” is quite interesting and you really notice the change when you use it. The app has a trial period of 30 days, so you have enough time to decide if it is worth paying the 12.90 euros that your license costs.
Awesome Tube
A late-year discovery for me, Awesome Tube in Windows 10 has become my favorite client to watch YouTube from your computer , especially if you’re going to use a touch screen in Windows tablet mode.
The app is simple but brings to the PC part of the comfort of the YouTube interface on other devices, in addition to showing you your subscriptions at the top with the number of videos still to be seen as if they were stories.
Caption
Although I discovered Caption in 2017, it was not until December 30, so at that time it could not enter the list of best apps, and since it has become a must on my computer throughout 2018, it does well in being highlighted at the end of this list.
Caption is simple but lethal, an extremely simple app that is responsible for downloading the subtitles of any video that you add to it in a few seconds. It supports multiple languages, and also does not require that the videos have the correct name. It does not always work 100%, especially if you want subtitles that are not in English, but when it works it makes such a sometimes tedious process so easy, that it has won my heart.
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