Uses

Stuff I use: affiliate ashilliate links are clearly marked and listed separately from the main app links.

1Password

After years of using 1Password, I recently discovered that 1Password Business accounts offer free family accounts to each member, which is a nice benefit. Not a perfect app, but I like the separation from Keychain.

Affinity Design & Publisher

I have an Adobe subscription, but Affinity have become my go-to tools.

Alfred

I started using Raycast last year – primarily as a launcher with some bonus utility. To unlock sync-ing between devices costs $10/month, but I’m so far from a power user it didn’t make sense. Alfred’s functionality serves me just as well with one-time (possibly lifetime) pricing, so this has been an easy switch.

Launcher history
Raycast → Alfred

Anytype

I’ve used Apple Notes for years, but for certain types of content – or things that you want to be filterable – it just doesn’t cut it. I think of Anytype as local-first, encrypted and fast version of Notion. So far, it’s brilliant.

Notes history
Evernote → Notion → Apple Notes → Obsidian → Apple Note → Anytype

Basecamp

I’ll move from Basecamp at some point (I’ve already migrated from HEY), but migrating is a big time sink with lots of upheaval for clients. It’s on the list, though.

Project management history
Notion → Basecamp → ...?

Buttondown

Privacy-conscious simple mailing lists.

Newsletter history
Mailchimp → ConvertKit → TinyLetter → Buttondown

Cleanshot

For screenshots and screen recording.

Screenrecording software history
Loom → Cleanshot

Eagle

A simple-but-powerful app for tracking design inspiration (so it works offline, which is neat). And a one-time payment, too.

Fantastical

After years of being a paper-only calendar person, I started using Fantastical in March 2021. It’s so brilliant I’ve gone all-in on digital calendars. Particularly love the Interesting Calendars integration.

Fastmail

Fastmail + Apple Mail: a great combination. Ashilliate link

Email provider history
Gmail → Google Workspace → ProtonMail → Fastmail → HEY → Fastmail

Email client history
Gmail → Spark → HEY → Spark → Apple Mail

Fathom

I use privacy-focused Fathom for analytics. Ashilliate link

Figma

I might be the last designer on Earth to make the switch to Figma but, after years of resistance, I’ve done it.

Design software history
Notepad → Dreamweaver → Macaw → Sketch → Figma

FreeAgent

Great accounting software for UK-based freelancers/businesses. Ashilliate link

Accounting software history
FreshBooks → FreeAgent

Kagi

I first tried Kagi in mid-2022. I enjoyed using it, but switched to DuckDuckGo sometime later. I was reminded of it in a recent Talk Show episode, so I’m trying it out again. My overall first (second?) impression is that the results seem to surface exactly what I’m after on the first try, and their filtering/ranking has really improved.

Search engine history
Yahoo → Ask Jeeves → Google → Bing → Start Page → Ecosia → Kagi → DuckDuckGo → Kagi

Ploi

I’ve used Ploi for a few years and it’s really simplified deployment/server management for me.

Prompt

A lovely little Terminal for Mac.

SavvyCal

For client meetings and Unoffice Hours.

Meetings history
Calendly → SavvyCal

Sync

End-to-end encrypted cloud file storage (like Dropbox, but E2EE). Ashilliate link

Cloud storage history
Dropbox → Sync

Synology

Not technically software, but I use Synology Photos to sync photos to my Synology NAS.

SuperDuper

Mac backups, paired with Time Machine, my Synology and Sync.

Backup history
CrashPlan → Backblaze → Time Machine → SuperDuper

Things

Brilliant task manager that I use in conjunction with Reminders.

Tower

After years of using GitHub Desktop, I recently switched to Tower. It’s a bit more complex, but the visual branch history is worth it.

Git history
Git Desktop

Visual Studio Code

I switched to VS Code a few years ago – it does the job.

Code editor history
Notepad → Sublime Text → Visual Studio Code

Whereby

Simple, browser-based end-to-end encrypyed meetings.

This site

This site is build on Statamic 3. The typefaces are David and Tiempos Text.

Last updated: 12 January 2025