Best productivity apps
Kahu team·Updated 2 Oct 2026·7 min read
Most small businesses need four things: one suite for email, calendar and documents, one place for notes, one task list and an easy way for customers to book time. Google Workspace, Notion, Asana, Trello and Calendly are well-known options, and Notion, Asana, Trello and Calendly all have free plans. Pick the fewest tools that cover your week.
Start with the job, not the app
Productivity apps promise to organise everything, and it is easy to end up with six of them and nothing organised. Write down where time leaks in a normal week: hunting for files, forgetting follow-ups, back-and-forth about meeting times. Choose tools that fix those, and nothing else.
Five well-known options
- Google Workspace: Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Drive, Docs and Sheets on your own domain. Google’s pricing page lists Gemini AI in many of its business plans, and there is a 14-day trial.
- Notion: docs, wikis and projects in one place. The free plan is aimed at individuals, with a trial of Notion AI; full AI features sit in the Business plan.
- Asana: tasks and projects with list, board and calendar views. The free Personal plan includes unlimited tasks and projects for up to two users.
- Trello: boards of cards for tracking work in stages. The free plan covers up to 10 collaborators per workspace and includes some automation.
- Calendly: a booking page so customers pick a time that suits your calendar. The free plan includes one event type and one calendar connection.
Good for, watch out for
| App | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | Professional email and shared documents | AI features depend on the plan |
| Notion | Procedures, notes and a team wiki | Can become a maze without a simple structure |
| Asana | Task lists and simple projects | Free plan is for very small teams |
| Trello | Seeing jobs move through stages | Boards go stale if nobody updates them |
| Calendly | Ending email back-and-forth about times | Free plan connects one calendar only |
Where Kahu fits
Two Thursday gaps at 11:00 and 14:30. Drafted messages to 6 waitlisted customers.
Updated the hours on your site and Google profile to Sat–Sun 8–2.
One post about the new hours, using your Sunday counter photo.How to avoid app overload
- 1One home for each kind of thingFiles in one place, tasks in one place, customers in one place. Never two.
- 2Use what you already pay forYour email suite may already include notes, tasks and forms.
- 3Try one new app at a timeUse it for two weeks before adding anything else.
- 4Check it connectsA tool that cannot talk to your calendar or email creates copying work.
- 5Remove what you stop usingCancel unused subscriptions every quarter.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free productivity app?
It depends on the job. Asana, Trello, Notion and Calendly all have free plans; try the one that matches your biggest time leak.
Do I need a separate task app?
Not always. If your email suite or CRM already tracks tasks, one fewer app is usually better.
Are AI features worth paying for?
If they draft or summarise something you do every day, often yes. Try them before upgrading, and check what each plan includes.