5 Free Utility Tools to stay Productive at Work

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In this post, I want to share with you five free utility tools to stay productive at work. These tools can help you organize your desktop and manage your workflow, thereby increasing your efficiency

I know that several free software apps are out there but the ones mentioned hereunder are available directly from their developers and they provide updates or support for these apps. So let’s dive in.

Screenshot of a desktop full of icons segregated in containers showcasing usage of utility tools
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Desktop Organization

Is your desktop cluttered? How would you feel if you could arrange all your scattered icons segment-wise in separate placeholders? You may say this isn’t difficult– I can put all my icons into separate folders and name them to identify the segments.
Well! in that case, you would have to double-click to open every folder and close them manually every time you access a file or a sub-folder.

Screenshot of desktop  showing segregated containers
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Fences

I am sure many of you have heard about Fences, from Stardock. 

This utility tool allows you to segregate your desktop icons in sectioned areas for easy access whenever you want while leaving your desktop clean and beautiful. Double-click and you will have a clean desktop. 

Fences’ is a fantastic stable app. However, if you want it, you have to buy it. You can check it here

Screenshot of an uncluttered and clean desktop
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However, you can say goodbye to cluttered desktops with these free alternatives to Fences

iTop Easy Desktop

A free product from one of the pioneers in antivirus software, Bit-defender. I have used this version of iTop Easy Desktop and found that though it is not as responsive as Fences, it gets the job done.

Screenshot of a laptop where desktop icons are in open containers
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Nimi Places

This application comes with many features built-in like note-taking, generating thumbnails, labels, themes, etc. If you prefer many functionalities in one app you can opt in for Nimi Places.

Screenshot showing the homepage of nimi places
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Folder Management

There is an app from Stardock, it is called Groupy. This application groups all open folders into a tab format, just like a browser. You will experience accessing open folders like shifting between tabs in a browser. 

This utility tool helps to navigate through many open folders without any hassle, fluidly. Naturally, just like Fences, Groupy also comes against a one-time fee.

Though not rich in features and functionality, there are a few free alternatives to Groupy that can help you manage multiple open folders effortlessly.

Clover

Screenshot of the download page for clover
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    Clover works as an extension of Windows Explorer with a multi-tab functionality. With this application, you can also add folder bookmarks.

Tidy Tabs

With the free version of Tidy Tabs, you can customize tab appearance, auto-hide tabs, and receive automatic updates.

Gif image showing arrangement of folders in tiny tabs
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Tablacus Explorer

A lightweight open-source app on this list is Tablacus Explorer which comes with Add-On support in various categories.

Screenshot of the download page of tablacus exploreraorer
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Multi-App Management

BetterDesktop Tool

Now that you have an uncluttered desktop, you can install the virtual desktop software called the BetterDesktop Tool.

This utility tool is free for personal use. It will allow you to run separate applications on more than one virtual desktop, which it will create on your PC. This functionality allows you to separate your workspace while keeping many applications open, all at the same time. If you have an old PC with low specs, this app will definitely come as a relief.

Four virtual desktops arranged in a window screen of better desktop tool
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You can have a Word and spreadsheet document open on one desktop and the YouTube application playing a melody open on the other desktop. A clean and uncrowded desktop will help you gain more focus at work. You can get this utility here.

Task and Note Management

Zoho Notebook

Another app in this list is a feature-rich, cross-platform app called “Zoho Notebook.” There are many other standalone note-taking apps but the free version of Zoho Notebook is quite feature-rich and sets itself apart from the rest. Apart from daily notes, to-do lists, schedules, calendars, and website bookmarks it works seamlessly on multiple devices (PC, Tab and Mobile). 

Screenshot of many notes aligned in a notebook in zoho
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You can have this utility tool simultaneously on your mobile device and desktop and access it from anywhere. Don’t forget to add the Chrome extension to your desktop. This extension contains the web clipper, which allows you to extract text from any website for future reference.

Workspace Organization

Notion

The last free utility application in this list is the robust “Notion.” 

This all-in-one AI integrated workspace tool can help you customize your own workspace in the form of building blocks. You can plan, execute and monitor your projects, collaborate with your team and track progress, and also integrate other apps. 

Gif showing access to notion from the left side panel
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You can also build a blog, take notes, and set schedules. This robust platform has a plethora of features, you can use according to your needs. There is a small learning curve associated with using Notion to your advantage. 

I haven’t crossed this hurdle yet so I’ll stop here. However you can use Notion for free

Bonus Tip: Quick Website Access

Whenever we visit the internet, we tend to type in the full URL or at least the name part of a website and press (Ctrl + Enter) to fill in the rest. The following process comes in handy if you visit some common websites frequently.

You can create icons as shortcuts for your favorite websites. By clicking the three dots on the top right-hand corner of your browser, go to “More tools” in the drop-down list. Here, click the “Create shortcut…” in the sub-list. 

Gif showing the process of creating a webpage and app shortcut on the desktop
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Voilà, an icon of that website, is now on your desktop. The next time you want to visit this website, just double-click the icon, and it will lead you to your desired webpage.

Conclusion

All of these free tools are lightweight and consume very few resources on your PC. I am hopeful these tools will help you to become more efficient at work and increase your productivity .

There are many similar tools, but after using some, I have found the above free utility tools to be more user-friendly and versatile. If you know about similar free tools, share them with our readers in the comments. It will definitely benefit somebody out here.

Affiliate Disclosure This blog post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through such a link I may receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. The commission helps support my blog and allows me to continue providing free content. Rest assured that only those products or services that I believe in and think will help my readers are recommended here. For more details you may read the Terms & Conditions.
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Koushik Chakroborty
Koushik Chakroborty

I love to skim the internet for solutions and information on productivity, AI, cybersecurity and blogging that can add some value to my life and in turn help me make informed decisions. Through my posts I like to share the same with you.

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