Are you looking for the best productivity tools for developers? You are on the right page. As a developer, you need to stay sharp, focused, and alert at all times. However, given the nature and complexity of your work, it’s normal for your mind to wander off to a happy place. That’s exactly what you would want to avoid.
So what sets the more productive developers apart from the less productive ones? Well, the difference lies in which tools you use for productivity in software development. The worst case is that you don’t use any tools to track and measure your productivity. Overall, programmers, developers, and coders need to use some sort of application(s) to stay efficient and productive.
Whether you are an individual coder or work in an organization, productivity tools for developers are a must-have for you. In today’s post, I will give you the best one. Plus, we will also discuss the types of tools available for developers to stay on their toes.
Types of Productivity Tools for Developers
As I promised before, here are the different types of developer tools for productivity, each with a unique application in the software development process. From tracking work to simplifying unnecessary coding complexities, these tools and software solutions help a lot.
- The first ones are code editors, IDEs, and assistants. These are the foundation for developing anything as they provide an integrated platform for coding, debugging, testing, and editing.
- Next, comes the development environments, which ensure that your developers are writing codes and not managing infrastructures.
- Other than coding, developers also need to organize tasks, track progress, and ensure smooth team communications for which there are project management and collaboration tools.
- For crafting compelling visual designs and improving the UI/UX of their applications, developers use design and prototyping tools.
- To quickly identify and fix bugs and other code issues, you need to use debugging tools.
- Developers can ship code faster by reusing common components using abstractions and frameworks.
- Deployment tools ensure stability and performance.
Best 10 Productivity Tools for Developers
Next, you and I will take a look at the top 10 productivity tools for developers that made the cut to my expert-made shortlist. Here, I have given you an overview, the pros, cons, supporting operating systems, and initial pricing of each tool to help you make a wise choice in choosing the best option as per your requirements.
- DeskTrack
- Clockify
- Pumble
- Plaky
- musicForProgramming
- ClickUp
- Focusmate
- Figma
- IntelliJ IDEA
- Visual Studio Code
1. DeskTrack
DeskTrack ensures that your employees work when they are supposed to. This integrated time tracking, employee monitoring, productivity tracking, and project management platform is the best for tracking the work of your in-office, remote, and on-site teams. Although there are other tools of similar types as well. What sets it apart is that it gives you real-time updates of the workflow in your organization.
Pros:
- Real-time time tracking
- Accurate visual productivity reporting of work-time utilization and employee work performance.
- Features only take a few clicks to function. For instance, the one-click start/pause/stop task timer.
- Seamless integrations with the other tools and apps you use.
- Customizable screenshot monitoring frequency (minimum 5 min and can be increased as per your requirements)
Cons:
- No blurring in screenshots even if the data is sensitive or confidential.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $5.99/user/month | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
2. Clockify
Clockify helps you improve developer productivity by tracking the time you and your programming teams spend on various tasks. It is one of the most efficient time tracking software, which lets you effortlessly log work hours and track project progress regardless of the size of your team.
Pros:
- Ensures accurate timekeeping by reminding users to log work hours (if they forget).
- Integrates with over 80 web apps.
Cons:
- Additional advanced features are only available in paid plans.
- Lacks the feature to import and access user information.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $3.99/user/month | Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
3. Pumble
Pumble is one of the best productivity tools for developers, which claims to make your and your developer teams’ work and life much easier. What I like about this software is that it lets you communicate with your team members and search for crucial information using various methods.
Pros:
- Provides you with the guest role access to collaborate with people outside your organization with limited access to channels.
- The draft feature allows you to edit messages before sending them.
Cons:
- Extra features are only available in the paid plans.
- Doesn’t integrate with Jira.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $2.49/user/month | Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
Read Also: How To Improve Employee Productivity in 2025?
4. Plaky
Plaky is one of the best apps for developers who want an easy way to track their assignments and also view what others are working on at any time. However, what makes it stand apart is that it doesn’t have any lags and provides you with robust features.
Pros:
- Allows you to track all the items and/or whole board changes.
- Provides a Gantt Chart view for easily planning, tracking, and adjusting project timelines.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a calendar view.
- Additional options are available in paid plans only.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $3.99/user/month | Android, iOS, Web |
5. musicForProgramming
The next productivity tools for developers on my list is musicForProgramming. It is designed to improve focus and provide better output. However, not directly. What it does is provide you with a collection of primarily instrumental mixes made with programmers in mind. Furthermore, what I truly find interesting about this software is that the interface also looks like a programming language, so as a developer, I was able to visually link it to my work while testing out its features.
Pros:
- It’s free of cost.
- An ad-free experience for continuous uninterrupted music to increase concentration.
Cons:
- Lacks the option to play tracks separately.
- The interface can be difficult to navigate till you get used to it.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| Free | Web |
6. ClickUp
ClickUp is another one of the top developer tools for productivity on my list. This one is a pure employee monitoring and productivity tracking software. What I like about it is that it has been designed to work for everyone including solo programmers and large businesses.
Pros:
- Integrates with other well-known productivity tools.
- Provides you with a KPI tracking template, which you can use to define KPIs.
Cons:
- Time-consuming setup.
- Lacks phone support.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $7/user/month | Android, iOS, Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
7. Focusmate
Here’s a standout productivity tool for developers on my list. So if you are a freelance developer, procrastinating or worried about overthinking instead of coding, then Focusmate is for you. Simply put, it is a coworking virtual community where you get assigned with a work buddy, whose job is to ensure that you both stay focused on your tasks. That is both of you help each other stay focused and efficient.
Pros:
- Work buddies are worldwide, making it easy to find someone to work with at any time.
- Provides screen sharing, optional background blurring, and adding background effects.
Cons:
- Sends too many emails.
- Doesn’t provide you with accountability groups.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $6.99/month | Android, iOS, Web |
8. Figma
Another app for productivity in software development is Figma. This software primarily focuses on helping software engineering teams collaborate on design and development decisions, ensuring that they build stunning products together, working simultaneously. What I like about this tool is that it simplifies and makes easy the process of:
- Wireframe creation.
- Building mockups.
- Developing interactive prototypes for user testing.
Pros:
- Easily extract code snippets from Figma design files.
- Modern and intuitive user interface.
Cons:
- Limited online capabilities.
- Laggy at times.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $5.99/user/month | Android, iOS, Web, Windows, macOS |
Read Also: Time Management Tips for Project Managers in 2025
9. IntelliJ IDEA
Another one of the well-known productivity tools for developers on my list is IntelliJ IDEA. This Kotlin and Java-integrated IDE provides you with a multitude of functionalities, which assist you in programming across various frameworks and languages.
Pros:
- Provides you with amazing syntax highlighting options.
- Integrates with popular container orchestration tools.
Cons:
- Expensive.
- It takes beginners time to understand how to use the advanced features.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| $169/1st year for individuals and $599/1st year for businesses | Windows, macOS, Linux |
10. Visual Studio Code
Another one of the best apps for developers in the IDE (integrated development environment) category is Visual Studio Code. Also known as VS Code, it is a cross-platform code editor and one of the most well-known developer workflow tools. Overall, it helps your programmers with many tasks including:
- Debugging
- Version control
Pros:
- Lightweight code editor.
- You can build your extension for VS Code
Cons:
- Steep learning curve.
- Requires more configurations.
| Initial Pricing | Availability |
| Free | macOS, Windows, Linux |
Use DeskTrack to Skyrocket Your Team’s Productivity
Take the productivity of your teams to the next level with the all-seeing eye of DeskTrack. This time, project, employee activity, and productivity monitoring software provides you with the most accurate real-time insights into the work-time utilization, efficiency, and productivity of your employees. With its multitude of features including customizable screenshot monitoring, maintaining the work and workflow integrity just got simpler than ever.
Conclusion
I now hope you are clear about the top 10 best productivity tools for developers. To conclude, I would like to say that developers, programmers, and coders worldwide regardless of whether they work solo (freelance) or in an organization need some sort of assistance to stay sharp, focused and productive. For the same, there are various tools, apps, and software solutions available for developers to simplify, coding, productivity tracking, project management, and collaboration. However, what if you need more than just a tool for keeping your developers efficient and productive? I recommend DeskTrack, which is the only all you ever need all-things employee productivity, time, project, and activity monitoring software solution.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q.1 What are the KPIs in Measuring Developer Productivity?
Ans. Here are the various KPIs that you use to measure developer productivity.
- Outcomes over outputs
- Team outputs vs. individuals
- Cycle time
- Code quality
- Development frequency
Productivity tools for developers can easily track the progress of these KPIs.
Q.2 What are Productivity Tools for Developers?
Ans. Developer tools for productivity are a collection of tools, apps, and software solutions, which help developers streamline coding, decrease issues, and improve teamwork. Such tools help developers save time and focus on solving complex problems. Furthermore, as per the type, these tools can also help developers stay productive with efficient project and time management.
Q.3 How Many Types of Productivity Tools for Developers Are There?
Ans. Here are the various categories of productivity tools for developers that I know of.
- Code editors, IDEs, and assistants.
- Development environments.
- Project management and collaboration tools.
- Design and prototyping tools.
- Debugging tools.
- Abstractions frameworks.
- Deployment tools.
Q.4 Which are the Must-Have Features in Productivity Tools for Developers?
Ans. These are the must-have features for productivity tools for developers as per my experience and expertise.
- Organization functionality
- Task management features
- Collaboration tools
Q.5 What are the Benefits of Using Productivity Tools for Developers?
Ans. As per my experience and expertise, developer tools for productivity provide you with many advantages including:
- Increased productivity
- Decrease in issues including bugs and code errors
- Increased programmer focus and efficiency
- Reduced expenses
- Efficient time management
Q.6 Which are the Best Productivity Tools for Developers?
Ans. Here are the Best 10 development tools for productivity.
- DeskTrack
- Clockify
- Pumble
- Plaky
- musicForProgramming
- ClickUp
- Focusmate
- Figma
- IntelliJ IDEA
- Visual Studio Code
