Top 10 Must-Have Apps for Modern Living: A Comprehensive Guide
Do you ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? Between work, family, and personal obligations, it can be tough to keep up. But what if you had some help from the latest and greatest apps?
In today’s fast-paced world, mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives. From managing our finances to tracking our fitness, there is an app for almost everything. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the top 10 must-have apps for modern living. These apps will cover a range of categories, including house design, lifestyle, and interior design.
Top 10 Must-Have Apps for Modern Living
Here is an overview of the top 10 apps that no modern household should be without:
Name | Best For | Platforms | Pricing/Trial |
---|---|---|---|
Cedreo | Housing professionals who want an easy-to-use residential design program | Android, iOS, Windows | Free with limited functions and in-app purchases, Pro: $49.99 + in-app purchases for materials, plants, decorations, etc. |
Aloe Bud | Inspiring self-care through hydration, breaks, breathing, and more | iOS, Android | Free |
Midjourney | Best overall interior design app with realistic renderings | N/A | Paid service |
Get the Flight Out | Finding the cheapest flights | iOS, Android | Free |
Vivid Money | Managing finances and investments | iOS, Android | Free |
SmartDraw | Creating floor plans, landscapes, electrical diagrams | Windows, Mac | Free trial, Pro: $9.95/month |
Decorilla | Best personalized AI interior designer | N/A | Paid service |
Forest | Improving productivity and focus | iOS, Android | Free |
Planner 5D | Designing floor plans, interiors, landscaping | iOS, Android, Windows | Free with limited functions and in-app purchases, Premium: $4.99/month |
Bing Image Creator | Top free AI room design tool | N/A | Free |
Now let’s explore each of these incredible apps in more detail.
1. Cedreo: Best for Housing Professionals
Overview
Cedreo is a house design app that takes the hassle out of creating your dream home or remodeling project. Available on Android, iOS, and Windows, Cedreo offers an augmented reality app for iOS and an entire toolset that is relatively easy-to-use even if you’re not a design professional.
Key Features
- 2D and 3D floor plans
- Customizable interiors
- Landscaping tools
- Augmented reality view
- Photo realistic renderings
- Easy sharing options
Use Cases
Cedreo is perfect for:
- Architects and designers
- Contractors and builders
- Real estate professionals
- Homeowners and DIYers
With Cedreo, housing professionals can create detailed plans to share with clients and team members. The app allows you to bring your designs to life with realistic 3D renderings.
Pricing
Cedreo offers both free and paid options:
- Free version: Limited features
- Pro version: $49.99 one-time fee
- In-app purchases for additional materials, plants, decorations, etc.
So whether you’re on a budget or need premium features, Cedreo has options for you. The Pro version unlocks the full suite of tools, making it an indispensable app for housing professionals.
2. Aloe Bud: Best for Self-Care
Overview
Aloe Bud is a self-care app that inspires you to take care of yourself in various ways and methods, including hydration, taking breaks, breathing, moving, and reaching out to friends. Available on iOS and Android, Aloe Bud is an interesting take on self-care apps that is non-intrusive and non-shaming.
Key Features
Aloe Bud helps you practice self-care with:
- Hydration tracking: Set daily water intake goals and record how much water you drink. Get reminders to refill your water bottle.
- Meditation sessions: Choose from 3, 5 or 10 minute meditation sessions focused on gratitude, self-love and more. Calming backgrounds and tranquil music help you relax.
- Movement breaks: Brief stretch and exercise videos inspire you to take movement breaks.
- Breathing exercises: Practice box breathing, alternate nostril breathing and more breathing techniques.
- Coping strategies: Learn over 50 coping strategies to better manage stress and anxiety. Journal to process emotions.
- Support network: Easily ask friends to send encouraging messages, or schedule video calls for extra support.
Use Cases
Aloe Bud is a great self-care app for:
- Busy professionals
- College students
- New parents
- Anyone feeling burned out or overwhelmed
With its positive, non-judgmental approach to self-care, Aloe Bud makes it easy to engage in activities that enhance both physical and mental health.
Pricing
Aloe Bud is free to download and use on both iOS and Android. The app contains no ads or in-app purchases, making it accessible for all budgets.
3. Midjourney: Best Overall Interior Design App
Overview
Midjourney is an AI-powered interior design app that offers realistic renderings and adaptations. If users are not happy with the initial generation, they can regenerate an image according to their prompt. Midjourney operates as a paid service.
Key Features
With Midjourney, users can:
- Generate photorealistic 3D renderings and animations
- Customize designs by editing the text prompt
- Download images in high resolution
- Integrate with apps like Discord
Midjourney leverages advanced AI to understand natural language prompts and produce stunning visualizations. Interior designers can instantly create realistic concept art, adjusting designs on the fly based on client feedback.
Midjourney is a gamechanger for interior designers, but also useful for:
- Architects
- 3D artists
- Graphic designers
- Marketers
- Bloggers
Anyone needing high quality 3D renderings and room designs can benefit from Midjourney’s AI capabilities.
Pricing
As an invite-only beta product, Midjourney requires an access code from an existing user. Pricing plans include:
- Basic: Free, limited functionality
- Pro: $10 per month
- Business: $36 per month
Users then pay per image generated based on resolution and animation needs. Overall though, Midjourney offers incredible value compared to hiring a designer.
4. Get the Flight Out: Best for Finding Cheap Flights
Overview
Get the Flight Out is a travel app that helps you find the cheapest flights available. Whether you need to fly home for a family emergency or you’re just plain spontaneous, Get the Flight Out has got you covered. Available on iOS and Android.
Key Features
Get the Flight Out helps travelers find cheap airfare through:
- Price monitoring across major airlines
- Alerts when fares drop significantly
- Search filters for number of stops, travel times, connections
- Flexible date grids showing cheapest days
- Comparison of multiple dates and destinations
By compiling prices into one easy search and tracking historical fare data, Get the Flight Out makes spontaneously jet-setting on a budget totally doable.
Use Cases
Get the Flight Out is great for:
- Last minute and emergency travel
- Budget-conscious travelers
- Those with flexible schedules
- Compile flight data to maximize rewards points
Wherever and whenever you want to travel, Get the Flight Out can help uncover affordably-priced flights. No more scanning dozens of sites to find the best fares!
Pricing
Get the Flight Out is free to download and use, making it our top pick for cheap flight search apps. The app generates revenue when users book through partner links, allowing everyone access to the same pricing availability.
5. Vivid Money: Best for Managing Finances
Overview
Vivid Money is a personal finance app that helps you manage your money and investments. Vivid Money offers a range of features, including a debit card, investment options, and cashback rewards. Available on iOS and Android.
Key Features
Vivid Money makes money management simpler through:
- Spending overviews showing monthly costs
- Virtual envelopes to divide funds
- Debit card with cashback rewards
- Auto-saving and investing tools
- Crowdfund investing and crypto options
- Bill splitting and shared household expenses
By connecting all your financial accounts into one intuitive app, Vivid Money gives you control over your fiscal health.
Use Cases
Vivid Money helps:
- Young professionals learn money skills
- Couples manage shared finances
- Families budget allowances
- Anyone seeking investment opportunities
Wherever you are in your financial journey, Vivid Money has features to help you master your money.
Pricing
A Vivid Money membership costs $12.49 per month but offers premium money management at an affordable price. Users can also access free resources like articles, videos and tools to boost financial knowledge.
6. SmartDraw: Best for Designing Floor Plans
Overview
SmartDraw is a house design app that offers a range of features, including floor plans, landscape designs, and electrical diagrams. SmartDraw is available on Windows and Mac. Pricing/Trial: Free trial, Pro- $9.95/month.
Key Features
SmartDraw enables users to create detailed housing designs through:
- Hundreds of floor plan templates
- Customizable design components
- Electrical and lighting tools
- Landscape and garden design
- Photos, videos, documents can be added
- Real-time collaboration
Whether planning remodeling projects or building a dream home, SmartDraw has all the elements for professional housing blueprints.
Use Cases
SmartDraw is useful for:
- Contractors and builders
- Architects and engineers
- Interior designers
- Landscapers
- Electricians
- DIYers
Any professional or hobbyist involved in housing design can utilize SmartDraw to bring concepts to life.
Pricing
SmartDraw offers both free and paid versions:
- 7-day Free Trial of full editing tools
- Monthly subscription: $9.95
- Annual subscription: $99.40
- Lifetime license: $297
For long term access, the lifetime license provides the best overall value. But subscriptions work for those with fluctuating design needs.
7. Decorilla: Best Personalized Interior Design
Overview
Decorilla is an AI-powered interior design app that offers personalized design services. Users can choose from a range of design packages and work with a professional designer to create their dream home. Decorilla operates as a paid service.
Key Features
Decorilla provides customized home design with:
- Style and layout assessments
- Personalized decor recommendations
- Interactive floor plans
- Photo-realistic 3D renderings
- Access to home products
By combining AI technology with human designers, Decorilla offers affordable bespoke designs based on clients’ unique needs and tastes.
Use Cases
Decorilla is perfect for:
- New homeowners
- Renters desiring a stylish refresh
- Those moving into a blank slate space
- People struggling with interior design decisions
With one-on-one guidance from Decorilla designers, creating your dream interior is fun and approachable.
Pricing
Decorilla packages range from $159-$499 based on room requirements:
- Mini package: 1 room design
- Classic package: 2 room designs
- Deluxe package: 4 room design
- For additional room add-ons, prices start at $89 per room
Compared to hiring an independent designer, Decorilla delivers immense value and convenience.
8. Forest: Best for Improving Focus and Productivity
Overview
Forest is a productivity app that helps you stay focused and avoid distractions. Forest uses gamification to encourage users to stay focused and avoid using their phone. Available on iOS and Android.
Key Features
Forest boosts productivity through:
- Planting seeds that grow into trees when focused
- Losing trees when apps are accessed or phone used
- Monetary rewards as incentives
- Pomodoro timers for work sprints
- Soothing rain and nature sounds
This beautifully designed app motivates better focus with rewards and light gamification.
Use Cases
Forest supports improved productivity for:
- Remote workers
- Students
- Writers
- Anyone seeking less screen distractions
The app is widely used by younger demographics but useful for all ages needing more attentive time.
Pricing
The standard Forest app is free to download, or premium features are available by subscription:
- Forest Plant-It: Free version
- Forest Plus: $2.99 per month
- Forest Pro: $5.99 per month
By utilizing rewards and peaceful nature imagery, Forest leverages positive reinforcement to help users spend less time aimlessly scrolling and more time intentionally focusing. For those needing help avoiding digital distractions, Forest is an affordable and effective option.
9. Planner 5D: Best for Designing Floor Plans
Overview
Planner 5D is a house design app that offers a range of features, including 2D and 3D floor plans, interior design, and landscaping. Planner 5D is available on iOS, Android, and Windows. Pricing/Trial: Free with limited functions and in-app purchases, Premium- $4.99/month.
Key Features
With Planner 5D, users can build detailed housing plans with:
- 2D and 3D editing modes
- Pre-designed room templates
- Custom furnishings and decor
- Smart tools to draw floorplans
- Photo realistic visualization
Planner 5D makes is surprisingly easy to construct multi-story homes, gardens, and wildly unique spaces.
Use Cases
Planner 5D assists:
- Architects and engineers
- Interior designers
- Landscape architects
- Contractors and developers
- Arts and multimedia projects
Any type of housing construction from single rooms to full mansions can be planned with Planner 5D.
Pricing
Planner 5D offers both free and paid plans:
- Limited free version
- Premium monthly: $4.99/month
- Premium yearly: $19.99/year
- Additional in-app customization purchases
For professional use or complex designs, the Premium features provide greater customization for a very reasonable price.
10. Bing Image Creator: Best Free AI Room Design Tool
Overview
Bing Image Creator is an AI-powered interior design app that allows users to create their own room designs using Bing image search. Bing Image Creator is entirely free to use.
Key Features
With Bing Image Creator, users can:
- Generate original room interiors by describing designs
- Leverage Bing’s image database for realistic details
- Download high resolution renderings
- Quickly create multiple design options
- Use for commercial or personal projects
This intuitive tool allows anyone to manifest beautiful interiors straight from their imagination!
Use Cases
Bing Image Creator assists:
- Interior designers and decorators
- Set designers for theater and film
- Writers visualizing fictional scenes
- Bloggers and social media influencers
- Students learning design techniques
Any creative industry can utilize this free AI tool for marketing materials, mood boards, client presentations and more.
Pricing
As part of Bing’s image functionality, the AI rendering feature is 100% free to use. Users are only limited by the number of prompts allowed per month. For professional designers especially, this free tool enables creating countless room concepts at no cost.
Conclusion
Modern problems require modern solutions. By embracing mobile technology, these 10 must-have apps tackle the myriad struggles of contemporary life. From designing your dream home to budgeting your next vacation, these apps have got you covered.
So next time you’re overwhelmed by the chaos of daily responsibilities, let your smartphone swoop in for the rescue. With tools for focusing, planning, creating, and relaxing always at your fingertips, you can design a lifestyle perfect for the 21st century. Power on, plug in, and seamlessly streamline your days with the top 10 essential apps for modern living.