Ten underrated productivity tools for developers

Development work usually means juggling a dozen things at once, from fixing bugs to designing new features. We all have the standard kit: VS Code, Git, maybe Jira or Trello. This list is about the other ones, the tools that don't show up on every roundup but quietly remove friction from a working day.

1. Raycast

You might reasonably ask why you'd want another launcher when macOS already has Spotlight. Raycast is a fast keyboard-driven launcher that goes considerably further.

From one search bar you can create snippets, convert currencies, control Spotify and manage clipboard history. You can write your own extensions to automate the repetitive parts of your own workflow, such as a daily Git push or hitting a specific API endpoint in a few keystrokes. It also connects to Notion, Jira, Linear and GitHub, so you can manage tasks, open issues and search documents without opening a browser.

It saves the kind of seconds that turn into hours over a month.

2. Typora

A markdown editor doesn't sound remarkable until you use this one. If you write documentation, blog posts or long notes, Typora gives you a quiet place to do it.

There are no split panes: you write markdown and it renders as you type. Focus mode hides everything except the paragraph you're working on. Export covers PDF, Word, HTML and others.

It's the kind of tool that makes you want to write more.

3. Warp

A terminal doesn't sound underrated, but Warp is built around a different set of assumptions. It uses AI and a collaborative model to make the command line more efficient.

If you can't remember an obscure git command, it will suggest one based on your context. Each command and its output are grouped into a visual block, which makes scrolling back through a session much easier. You can also share commands and workflows with your team from inside the terminal.

4. Obsidian

Most of us have tried a dozen note apps. Obsidian's difference is that it's built for connecting notes rather than filing them.

Everything is a local markdown file, so you keep control of your own data. Links work in both directions, so you can see which notes point back at the one you're reading, and the graph view shows those connections visually.

For developers who are constantly learning, that structure holds up much better over years than a folder tree.

5. Rectangle

Simple and effective. Rectangle is a free, open-source window manager for macOS that snaps windows into layouts with keyboard shortcuts or drag gestures: halves, quarters, custom sizes, across multiple displays.

No more dragging and resizing windows by hand. Small change, noticeable difference.

6. Cron

A calendar app, yes. Cron is designed for people whose schedule is a working tool rather than a record.

The interface is clean and keyboard-first, so you can create events and jump between dates without reaching for the mouse. Time blocking is built in, which makes it practical to reserve focus time rather than hoping for it.

It helps you keep to a schedule rather than only track one.

7. Excalidraw

Sometimes you need to sketch an idea, a flow or a system's architecture without opening a serious diagramming tool. Excalidraw is a virtual whiteboard where everything looks hand-drawn.

That rough look is the point: it suits brainstorming and early ideas, where a polished diagram would imply more certainty than you have. Boards can be shared for real-time collaboration, embedded in Notion or Obsidian, or exported as SVG or PNG.

8. Session

Everyone knows the Pomodoro technique. Work twenty five minutes, break for five. Simple in theory and easy to forget in practice. Session is a minimal app that helps you actually do it.

The timer is clean and unobtrusive, it nudges you to take breaks and start new sessions, and it tracks how much focused work you're getting through.

9. fzf

This one is more technical, but fzf changes how the terminal feels. It's a general-purpose fuzzy finder for the command line: files, command history, processes, Git commits.

You can find almost anything in a few keystrokes, and it plugs into cd, grep, history and git. It's highly configurable, so it ends up shaped around your habits.

In large projects it saves a genuinely surprising amount of time.

10. Toucan

This isn't a developer tool in the usual sense. Toucan is a browser extension that quietly swaps words on the pages you already visit for words in a language you're learning.

You pick up vocabulary in context without setting aside study time. It also breaks up the day with something that isn't code, and stepping away from a problem with a different kind of task is often what lets you come back to it with fresh eyes.

The connection to development work is less strange than it sounds. Developers travel, work in international teams and read documentation written all over the world.

Wrapping up

None of these are on every list of top productivity apps, and each removes a specific bit of friction. Productivity isn't really about working harder; most of it is about removing the small obstacles between you and the work.