10 Windows Software you need

1. Grammarly

Once you start using Grammarly, you will quickly find it an indispensable part of your everyday life. Grammarly is the number one Grammarly checker for PC and works seamlessly across desktop applications and sites across the web. It performs Grammar checks so well that you'll often feel like you are cheating, but over time the suggestions crystalise, and you'll soon be pre-empting the Grammarly corrections with well-formed and concise sentences.

Grammarly checks your content across correctness, clarity, engagement and delivery with an overall quality score of your writing out of 100. With Grammarly rewriting of sentences and continual suggestions of how to improve, this score is well within reach for all your copy. Furthermore, you can check your finalised composition against the Grammarly Plagiarism Checker, which validates your text against billions of documents online. This valuable addition to the comprehensive grammar checker ensures that your work is also 100% original. 

You can get Grammarly for free with basic writing suggestions and tone direction, but the premium or business subscriptions are a wholehearted investment. The premium subscription for individuals starts at just £10 per month, and with Business starting at $15 monthly, it's now easy to take grammatical delivery to the next level.

2. Wavebox

It's hard to describe how fantastic the Wavebox browser is, but it's the powerhouse Chromium browser we should all be using now. Wavebox works like a version of Google Chrome on steroids with multiple account cookie containers, quick switch toolbars, multiway split screen, private and team workspaces and a unified search. Moreover, Wavebox is blazingly fast and allows you to save resources by automatically sleeping the websites or web apps you are not using. If you like the idea of a feature-rich productive browser that works on Windows (and Linux & Mac), then it's super easy to switch, and for those stuck on Chrome,  Wavebox also uses Chrome extensions.

Wavebox has a limited Free version, but it's worth every penny to upgrade to a monthly £10.95 + vat or annual £82.80 + vat subscription. Make sure you save 35% on Wavebox yearly subscriptions with our Wavebox Coupon Code which is an offer not to miss.

3. TextExpander

Every minute counts, and when used regularly, TextExpander can save you time by automating repetitive text with a few keystrokes. For example, if you constantly repeat email signoffs, a custom abbreviation like /best could enter 'Best Regards, Name, Email, Tel etc. 

There are numerous other uses for repetitive code/HTML snippets, hyperlinks or even fully personalised emails that substitute fields like 'name' and 'service' to make writing long repetitive many times faster. TextExpander works across all Windows activities, so time-saving text expansion is constantly available in your time-saving arsenal.

You can try TextExpander free for 30 days, and then pricing ranges from $3.33 per individual user to $8.33 per user monthly for Business collaborative sharing of time-saving goodness.

4. Clickup

The beauty of Clickup is that it performs the functions of multiple disparate apps and is excellent for managing home and work. So rather than logging in to numerous apps and paying for various subscriptions, everything is housed under one roof. Clickup is your central productivity hub for home or work and covers tasks, docs, goals, whiteboards, dashboards, time tracking, automation and more. Clickup offers multiple views for managing activities and includes: -

• Lists - Use a List view to organise your tasks in any way imaginable – sort, filter, group, and customise columns.
• Boards - Build your perfect Board and easily drag-and-drop tasks between columns.
• Calendar - Calendar view is your place for planning, scheduling, and resource management.
• Gantt  - Plan time, manage resources, visualise dependencies and more with the Gantt view.
• Timeline - Plan out your work over time. See overlaps, map your schedule, and see it all divided by groups.
• Box - Monitor what people are working on, completed objectives, and who needs more tasks with Box View.
• Table - Easily manage, update, and organise your tasks with the Table view.
• Mind Map - Visualise your Workspace Hierarchy or create a free-form Mind Map for planning and organising projects and ideas.
• Workload - See your team's capacity, who is over or under and reassign tasks accordingly.
• Activity - Get an aggregated view of all activity across a location and filter for people and types to get a granular view of activity.
• Map - Map view is your place to visualise all your tasks tied to an address using a Location Custom Field.

Clickup also incorporates notes, comments and chat so you can leave messages for yourself or communicate with your family, team or clients. Moreover, you can grant access to your spaces, making Clickup ideal for sharing projects, tasks and ideas. Clickup continues to expand its impressive range of features, making it the 'One app to replace them all'.

Clickup has a Free-forever plan for personal use with a decent range of features included. Still, you get unlimited storage and more generous allocations for just $5 per member per month, which will suit many just fine. Heavier users and Clickup enthusiasts can go Business or Business plus to max out on features, and these are still very reasonably priced at $12 and $19, respectively. And for the savvy amongst you, you can take advantage of 20% off the ClickUp Unlimited Plan, ClickUp Business Plan and the Clickup Business Plus Plan with the Slick Media Clickup Promo Code.

5. RecentX

RecentX is an innovative launcher for Windows that gives you rapid access to your files, folders, programs, websites and clipboard history. This little gem sits unobtrusively on your desktop and is accessed by click or via customisable hotkeys. It provides a central point for your favourite files, which launch effortlessly. It adds a new layer for selecting files faster in the open/save window to reduce file or folder location tedium on dialog windows. The Clipboard manager will quickly become instrumental to your everyday Windows activities. As a bonus, RecentX also adds right-click tagging to files and folders in Windows explorer, which adds an extra layer of convenience when searching for important files. Indeed RecentX adds some crucial functionality to Windows that is often either hidden or non-existent, making it a must-have Windows utility. 

RecentX is a steal at just $19.95 for two computers and a must-have for all Windows users. 

6. JPEGmini Pro

Using the adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words," in these days of media, whether it be publishing social media posts or in a professional capacity as a media pro, very much holds. Of course, pictures these days tend to be digital and can deplete storage space, and while there are numerous ways to save this valuable space, JPEGmini Pro stands out as the best Image Compressor for PC to solve this problem. This accolade is due to its ability to significantly reduce JPEG/JPG and HEIC image sizes (up to 8-%) without sacrificing the perceptual quality within a simple but effective interface. Preserving the photos' full-resolution quality with drag-and-drop patented image optimisation technology means you can upload or print the images as if they were the originals. While this is extremely important to creators and developers working within parameters (like web image download speeds) and budgets, it is equally valuable for hobbyists and home users for time and space-saving. And as a bonus, users of JPEGmini Pro 3 and above will also be happy to hear that it can now compress videos of the most common H.264 (AVC) format with a compression rate of up to 50%. As with JPEGs, the quality and playability stay the same. 

The JPEGmini Pro image and video compression software is a standalone app for just $59 or as a suite for $89, and that includes the additional  Plug-ins for Lightroom, Photoshop and Capture One. 

7.  Rize

Rize is a new breed of intelligent time tracker that improves focus and helps build better work habits to maximise productivity. It differs from traditional Pomodoro and distraction-blocking timers because it focuses on fostering good working habits rather than blocking distracting websites and external noise. The App automatically categorises activity and allows you to break down browsing sessions into discreet tasks like 'Web Site Design' for Webflow or Design for Photoshop, which Rize performs across all programs. Hence, you get an entire picture of how you spend your time on your Windows Desktop. If you are drifting into scrolling emails or websites, Rize will send you a gentle reminder to get back on track. And when the focus is required, you can set a focus period, and then on completion, Rize will give you a score on how you are doing.

Additionally, Rize sends you a daily report breaking down your productivity over the day, including focus, meetings, breaks and working trends. At the end of the week, this follows with a comprehensive Weekly Productivity Assessment which delves even deeper into your working habits, your top categories and projects, if you are over or underworking and where you are potentially losing focus time. These affirmative facts and figures further help you to create good habits, which are extremely helpful in a work environment but also powerful tools for performing in the modern day, which is so full of distractions.

You can get Rize for Free as a session-only timer or $9.99 annually or $16.99 monthly, or you can also save 25% off for three months with the Slick Media Rize Promo Code. Put your money into time saved with Rize, it's well worth it.

8. 1Password

1Password is, for a good reason, "the world's most-loved password manager." Along with generating and storing strong passwords, 1Password offers the most efficient ways to log in to websites, enter credit card information and autofill forms, and one-time 2FA codes. 1Password does its magic with just one memorable password (which should be secure), biometric unlock or even Windows Hello, and after a quick authentication, it automatically enters stored credentials. With the myriad of logins, we have to remember these days and the urge to use the same or weak passwords, 1Password provides a secure and expeditious way to manage the clutter. And to enhance your security, the 1Password Watchtower keeps tabs on the overall password strength by aggregating reused passwords, weak passwords, unsecured websites (websites that use HTTP and not HTTPS) and inactive two-factor authentication. The goal is to attain an 'EXCELLENT' rating via good password and login habits under Watchtower, which continually updates on password breaches and other security problems with items you have saved in 1Password. Overall the security element of the software is robust and instils high confidence levels. 

With an excellent Windows Desktop App, 1Password also has a browser extension for quick access to web-based logins and form entries. Additionally, mobile app versions of 1Password bring the same convenience directly to your mobile device, giving you a universal and constantly updated repository across all your devices. The continuous syncing is performed securely in the cloud, and if you have a 1Password family account, you can conveniently share logins over a Shared Vault. Family features make managing children's security and that of perhaps more vulnerable members of your family much more accessible. Expanding considerably on security and collaboration is 1Password Business, whereby businesses of all sizes can secure employees at scale. And those employees also get free 1Password Families accounts as security starts at home.

1Password for individuals costs $2.99 per month, and 1Password Families is $4.99 per month and includes 5 family members. 1Password Teams Starter pack for up to 10 people is $19.95, and the Business package is $7.99 per user monthly. You can also save 50% off your first year of 1Password with the Slick Media 1Password Discount Promo, so don't miss the significant savings.

9. Notepad++

Notepad++ is like the standard Windows Notepad but many times better. The Windows Notepad has hardly changed across numerous iterations of Windows and is basic, to say the least. It edits plain text (.txt files) and other compatible formats such as batch files, INI files, and log files but other than that; it's a program with limited function and depth. Notepad++ steps in to address these limitations with tabbed editing for text content as well as source code. Notepad++ supports around 80 programming languages with syntax highlighting and even cold folding, where you can selectively hide or display blocks of text. This foundation means that Notepad++ is adept at jotting down/cutting & pasting text and performing the role of a simple source code editor. 

A particularly welcome aspect of Notepad++ is that open tabs remain present even after the application is closed. This ability avoids the annoyance of the native Windows Notepad, which requires saving multiple open windows; otherwise, the typed or pasted content is lost. Working with numerous tabs has obvious time-saving benefits, and when coupled with various text functions like auto-completion, find and replace and macros, Notepad++ is the obvious Windows Notepad replacement. 

Notepad++ is free, so there's no reason it shouldn't be part of any Windows setup.

10. Microsoft PowerToys

Microsoft PowerToys are a single install encompassing a set of utilities to extend and enhance the Windows 10 & 11 experience. These seventeen utilities for the price of one install close the gap between the much-loved productivity enhancements Mac users enjoy. By installing PowerToys, Windows opens up to increased productivity via the following utilities: - 

• Always on Top - Always on Top is a system-wide utility that allows you to pin windows above other open windows.
  

• Awake - PowerToys Awake is a utility to keep a computer awake without managing its power and sleep settings. 
  

• Color Picker - Color Picker is a system-wide colour-picking utility for Windows that enables you to pick selectable colours from anywhere on your desktop.
  

• FancyZones - FancyZones is a flexible window manager utility to arrange and snap windows into efficient layouts.
  

• File Explorer add-ons - File Explorer add-ons provide additional viewing support for SVG, PDF, G-code and STL in File Explorer.
• File Locksmith - File Locksmith is a Windows shell extension that checks files in use and by which processes.
  

• Hosts File Editor - The Hosts File Editor provides a convenient way to edit the Windows hosts file configuration.
  

• Image Resizer - Image Resizer is a shell extension for bulk image resizing from within Windows File Manager.
• Keyboard Manager - The PowerToys Keyboard Manager enables you to redefine keys and shortcut key combinations on your keyboard.
  

• Mouse utilities - Mouse utilities are a collection of features that enhance mouse and cursor functionality on Windows and include 'Find my mouse', 'Mouse highlighter' and 'Mouse pointer crosshairs'.
• PowerRename - PowerRename is a powerful bulk renaming tool for Windows File Explorer.
• Quick Accent - Quick Accent is a convenient way to type accented characters.
• PowerToys Run - PowerToys Run is an open-source and modular quick launcher for power users.
  

• Shortcut Guide - The Windows key shortcut guide displays common keyboard shortcuts that use the Windows key.
• Screen ruler - The Screen ruler utility offers a quick way to measure pixels on your screen by bounds, spacing, and horizontal & vertical spacing.
• Text Extractor - Text Extractor enables you to copy any text on your screen and includes text within images or videos.
• Video Conference Mute - Video Conference Mute allows you to quickly mute your microphone and turn off your camera with simple keystrokes.

Microsoft PowerToys is a free download from the Microsoft Store.