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:

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.