Take my money: These are the apps I gladly pay for every month

It seems like every other app offers a subscription these days, and I’m not a fan. I prefer apps that are free, even if I have to watch an ad or two in exchange. And I definitely miss the days when I paid a one-time fee to get rid of them instead of paying a monthly subscription.

However, there are a few exceptions. I pay for four apps on a monthly basis and have zero regrets. These apps are well worth the money, as they help me stay on top of my job, personal life, and money. Well, at least three of them. The fourth one is just for entertainment purposes, which is something we all need in life.

I’ll go through the list of the paid apps I use and explain why spending a few bucks per month on them is a smart move for me.

YNAB

I’m a finance nerd and love all things related to budgeting and investing. I try to stay on top of my personal finances — as we all should — and the app I use for this is You Need A Budget (YNAB).

What I like about YNAB is that it’s not just another money management app that lets you track your income and expenses. That’s very basic and something I can get from a much cheaper app. What makes YNAB different is that it comes with a system — a set of rules that helps me manage my money. I’ve been using it for more than a decade and can confirm that it works like a charm.

I have tried just about every money management app out there, but YNAB is the only one that really helped me get a clear view of my financial goals and stay on top of my hard-earned cash. It’s expensive, costing as much as $15.99 per month, but it practically pays for itself due to the money it helps me save and the amount of financial stress it eliminates from my life.

It’s not perfect, though. There’s a bit of a learning curve involved, so it’s not one of those apps you can figure out by playing with it for a few minutes. But once you get the hang of it, its benefits start to show.

Todoist

I’m a busy man with lots of responsibilities, both in my personal and professional life. I also tend to forget things a bit too quickly, so a task management app is something that I need to stay on top of all the things I have to handle.

There are a plethora of options out there, and I tried just about every one of them. In my experience, Todoist is the best one. It’s simple yet powerful, with a gorgeous UI that makes it a joy to use. It’s not that expensive, coming in at $4 per month.

It’s worth the money since I’d be lost without it. My job alone demands a lot from me, and if I don’t have all the tasks I need to handle written down, I’d probably forget to do half of them.

I like the fact that Todoist is very customizable, as I can create different projects, set up custom filters, and even change the color of the UI. The software understands natural language, so I can just write something like, “Clean the garage tomorrow at 5 p.m.” and Todoist will automatically set the due date based on my prompt, as well as a reminder.

Unlike YNAB, there’s no big learning curve here, which is good news for most. And while I think the monthly subscription is worth it for my needs, the free version will likely be enough for most people.

Gemini

I’m a Gemini Advanced user. Although Google’s chatbot is free — as is OpenAI’s ChatGPT — I like extra features that are behind the paywall.

I use Gemini a lot, both for my work and my personal life. It helps me research topics I’m writing about, fixes typos in my drafts, and aids in coming up with attention-grabbing titles. I also use it whenever I’m researching a topic I’m interested in outside of work, as I’ve more or less ditched Google Search for it altogether. I need precise data as fast as possible, so using Gemini’s premium models is worth it for me, and I have no problem paying the monthly fee. However, I will admit that it’s quite steep at $20 per month.

I like using Gemini’s latest Deep Research feature, which is still a work in progress and works better for some topics than others, but it comes in handy. Gemini Gems are also useful for me, especially for work, as I have one set up to help me brainstorm ideas for work.

But most importantly, I just love testing out the latest features AI chatbots have, and those are usually always only available to paid users, at least initially. Imagen 3 is a great example of this — a feature initially available to premium users and is now available to everyone.

YouTube Premium

Everyone I know generally prefers a streaming service like Netflix, and most would take Spotify over YouTube Music, but I’m the other way around.

I love YouTube for the sheer variety of content it provides. And while I can enjoy it for free and don’t mind the occasional ad — although there are too many of them, in my opinion — I still pay for the monthly subscription for a few reasons.

The ability to download videos for offline use and the option of YouTube playing in the background while I switch to another app are worth it. Access to YouTube Music is also included in the price. I love music and am constantly listening to something, especially on a lazy Sunday in bed or whenever I get in my car. All these benefits combined are worth the $13.99 per month for me.

However, I don’t always keep the subscription active. If I have a busy month ahead and I know I won’t be able to use YouTube as much as I usually do, I just switch it off for the month.

These are the apps I think are worth splurging on, but there are plenty of those I wouldn’t pay a dime for. And in most cases, it’s not because they are bad, but because the free versions offer me everything I need.

Notion is one example. I use it daily alongside Todoist for work purposes and don’t want or need any of the premium features locked behind the paywall. The free version does what I need, so I’m not parting with my money. Then there’s Feedly, the RSS reader I use to stay on top of news, and a few others, all of which provide enough value for me via their free accounts.

What about you? Which apps do you pay for and why? Let me know in the comments.