TL;DR
- The best newsletter platforms for most beginners are Beehiiv, Substack and Kit, because all three have generous free plans.
- Kit’s free plan covers the most subscribers, up to 10,000. Beehiiv’s covers 2,500, and Substack has no subscriber limit at all.
- If you want to charge for your newsletter, fees differ a lot: Substack takes 10%, Beehiiv and Ghost take nothing on top of card fees, and Kit charges 3.5% + 30ยข including card processing.
- Beehiiv changed its plans on October 1, 2026, so many older comparison articles now show outdated prices.
Your home screen deserves better
Open your iPhone and count the apps you haven’t touched in a month. Now count the ones you open every single day. For most of us, the second number is tiny.
This list is about that second group: apps good enough to earn a permanent spot on your home screen. We kept it to 11, two or three per category, so you can actually decide instead of scrolling through a list of 50.
One more thing. A lot of “best apps” lists copy each other, and some of their claims stopped being true updates ago. So we opened every app’s App Store listing and pricing page before writing about it. A few favourites turned out to have quietly moved features behind a paywall, and we call those out below.
All prices are in US dollars from the US App Store unless we say otherwise. Every app has a download link, so you can grab what you like as you read.
What makes an app worth your home screen
Every app here does three things well:
- Beat the built-in app. If Apple’s own Notes, Reminders or Camera does the job just as well, the app didn’t make it.
- Feel at home on iPhone. No clunky desktop apps squeezed onto a small screen.
- Be upfront about money. You should know what’s free and what isn’t before you get attached.
We also favoured apps that have stayed popular for years over this month’s viral hit. Ratings were checked on the US App Store at the time of writing and will change over time.
The best iPhone apps of 2026 at a glance
| Category | App | Best for | Price (US App Store) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Productivity | Notion | Notes, docs and databases in one place | Free; paid plans in app |
| Productivity | Things 3 | A calm, simple to-do list | $9.99 one-time |
| Productivity | Todoist | Tasks across every device | Free; Pro $6.99/mo or $59.99/yr |
| AI & research | ChatGPT | All-round AI assistant with voice and images | Free; Go $8, Plus $19.99 |
| AI & research | Perplexity | Answers with sources you can check | Free; Pro $20/mo or $200/yr |
| Photography | Halide Mark III | Manual camera control and RAW | Free trial; $69.99 one-time unlock |
| Photography | Darkroom | Editing your Photos library | Free; Darkroom+ from $9.99/mo |
| Travel | Flighty | Flight tracking and delay alerts | Free; Pro $4.99/mo or $59.99/yr |
| Travel | AllTrails | Finding hikes and walks | Free; Plus $35.99/yr |
| Health | Gentler Streak | Balanced fitness with Apple Watch | Free; Premium $8.99/mo or $39.99/yr |
| Health | MyFitnessPal | Calorie and nutrition logging | Free; Premium from $9.99/mo |
Best productivity apps for iPhone
Productivity apps live or die on one question: do you still open them after the first week? These three pass.
1. Notion: your whole brain in one app
You know the feeling. Meeting notes in one app, your reading list in another, a project plan buried in a chat somewhere. Notion’s pitch is simple: put it all in one place. Pages, to-do lists and databases sit side by side, and the iPhone app syncs with the Mac, Windows and web versions, so you can pick up on your phone exactly where you left off at your desk.
It has also got a lot smarter. AI meeting notes transcribe and summarise your calls. A Maps view turns a list of places into an interactive map, which is great for trip planning. And Notion AI can draft, brainstorm or answer questions about your own notes. Apple has given it an Editors’ Choice badge, and it sits at 4.8 stars from around 91,000 reviews.
The price check: The Free plan is enough for personal use, though uploads are capped at 5 MB and page history only goes back 7 days. Here’s a money tip: paid plans are cheaper on the web. Plus is $10 per seat a month on Notion’s site but $11.99 a month (or $119.99 a year) as an in-app purchase. On Free and Plus, Notion AI is only a trial; full AI access needs a higher plan.
The catch: Notion likes an internet connection, and some App Store reviewers say offline use is limited. If all you want is a quick to-do list, it’s overkill.
Get it if you want one home for notes, plans and projects. Skip it if you just need a checklist.
Download Notion on the App Store
2. Things 3: the to-do list that feels like a deep breath
In a world where every app wants a monthly fee, Things 3 is refreshingly old-school. You pay $9.99 once and it’s yours, with no subscription listed. Its 4.8-star rating from about 28,000 reviews tells you people are happy with that deal.
Open it and you’ll get it straight away. Today shows what you’ve committed to. Upcoming lays out the rest of your week. Projects and areas keep the long-term stuff out of your face until you need it. Sync through Things Cloud is free, and you get home-screen widgets, Siri and Shortcuts support, and an Apple Watch app.
The catch: Things is Apple-only. If you use Windows or Android anywhere in your life, jump to Todoist. And while plenty of people run the Getting Things Done method in it, Things doesn’t sell itself as a GTD app. It’s just a beautifully made task manager.
Get it if you live in Apple’s world and hate subscriptions. Skip it if you need it on Windows or Android.
Download Things 3 on the App Store
3. Todoist: the to-do list that follows you everywhere
Todoist runs on iPhone, Mac, Windows, Android and the web, which makes it the safe bet for mixed households and teams. With a 4.8-star rating from about 131,000 reviews, it’s one of the most loved task apps on the App Store.
Its party trick is Quick Add. Type “Pay rent every month on the 1st” and Todoist works out the date and the repeat on its own. The newer Ramble feature goes further: you just talk, and it turns your rambling into neat tasks. It also works with Siri and on Apple Watch.
The price check: The free plan covers 5 personal projects and a limited number of Ramble sessions. Pro is $6.99 a month or $59.99 a year in the App Store, but only $5 a month (billed yearly) if you buy on Todoist’s website.
Get it if you switch between devices or share tasks with people who don’t use Apple. Skip it if you want a one-time price; that’s Things 3.
Download Todoist on the App Store
Best AI and research apps for iPhone
You probably don’t need five AI apps. You need one good assistant and, maybe, one good researcher.
4. ChatGPT: the assistant that does a bit of everything
ChatGPT is the AI app most people already know, and its 4.8-star rating from around 12 million reviews shows how many are using it. On iPhone, it’s much more than a chat box. Advanced Voice Mode lets you talk to it like you would to a person, in real time. Point your camera at handwritten notes or a landmark and ask about it. Describe an image and it’ll create one, or edit a photo you upload. Your chats sync across all your devices.
The price check: It’s free to start. The US App Store lists ChatGPT Go at $8.00 and Plus at $19.99, plus several Pro tiers from $100 to $500. Most people will be happy on Free or Go. Upgrade to Plus only if you keep hitting limits.
Wondering how it compares to the competition? Our guide to ChatGPT alternatives in 2026 breaks down nine chatbots and who each one is for.
Get it if you want one AI app for writing, ideas, voice and images. Skip it if you mostly need answers you can fact-check; that’s Perplexity.
Download ChatGPT on the App Store
5. Perplexity: the AI that shows its homework
Ask ChatGPT a question and you get an answer. Ask Perplexity and you get an answer plus the sources it used, so you can tap through and check. That one difference makes it the better pick for research, news and anything where being right actually matters. There’s voice search too, and a Deep Research mode for bigger, multi-step questions. It holds 4.8 stars from around 525,000 reviews.
The price check: Free to use. Perplexity Pro is $20 a month or $200 a year, and there’s a Max plan at $200.
Our take: Use ChatGPT to think out loud and create. Use Perplexity when you need to know where an answer came from. Plenty of people keep both, and the free tiers make that easy.
Download Perplexity on the App Store
Best photography apps for iPhone
Your iPhone already takes great photos. These two apps are for when you want them to look like your photos.
6. Halide Mark III: for when auto mode isn’t enough
The iPhone camera makes a lot of decisions for you. Halide, from Lux Optics, hands those decisions back. You get direct control over shutter speed, ISO and white balance, plus focus peaking and a zoomed loupe so you never miss focus. It shoots RAW and Apple ProRAW. And its Process Zero mode skips Apple’s heavy computational processing for a more natural, film-like look.
The price check: Free to download, with a 7-day free trial of the annual membership or a one-time $69.99 unlock. You’ll need iOS 18 or later. It’s rated 4.4 stars from around 14,000 reviews.
Get it if you want to learn real photography on your phone. Skip it if you love what the built-in Camera already gives you.
Download Halide Mark III on the App Store
7. Darkroom: an editor that lives inside your Photos library
Most editors make you import a photo, edit a copy, then export it back, cluttering your library with duplicates. Darkroom skips all that and edits photos and videos straight from your iCloud Photos library. It covers everything from one-tap filters to detailed colour grading, and it exports video in 4K.
The price check: The free Starter tier lets you try every tool, but exporting edits made with premium tools needs Darkroom+. That’s $9.99 a month, $39.99 a year, or $99.99 once for the Forever plan.
Our pairing: Shoot with Halide, edit in Darkroom. Together they cover almost everything a hobby photographer needs on a phone.
Download Darkroom on the App Store
Best travel apps for iPhone
One app for the skies, one for the trails.
8. Flighty: the flight tracker frequent flyers swear by
Flighty is the app you’ll see on the phone of the most relaxed person at the gate. It tracks unlimited flights for free, with live status and gate information laid out in a clean timeline.
The paid Pro plan is where the magic happens. You get delay predictions, alerts that often arrive before the airline’s own notification, gate-change alerts and Live Activities right on your Lock Screen. Pro is $4.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and your first flight gets Pro features free so you can see if it’s worth it.
Get it if you fly often and hate surprises at the airport. Skip Pro if you fly once or twice a year; the free version is plenty.
Download Flighty on the App Store
9. AllTrails: your guide to the great outdoors
AllTrails is where hikers go to find their next trail, with reviews, photos and difficulty ratings from people who’ve walked it before you. With 4.9 stars from around a million reviews, it’s the highest-rated app on this list.
The price check: Finding and following trails is free. AllTrails Plus costs $35.99 a year, and a higher Peak tier costs $79.99.
Heads up: Plenty of lists say AllTrails works offline for free. It doesn’t. Downloading maps for use without signal requires the paid Plus plan. If you hike in the mountains, where coverage disappears fast, either pay for Plus or download an offline map somewhere else before you set off.
Download AllTrails on the App Store
Best health and fitness apps for iPhone
One app to keep you moving without burning out, and one to keep an eye on your plate.
10. Gentler Streak: the fitness app that tells you to rest
Most fitness apps shout one message: do more. Gentler Streak whispers a better one: do what’s right for today. It pulls together your activity, sleep and vitals from your iPhone and Apple Watch, then suggests whether today calls for a walk, a workout or a rest. The best part? Rest days count towards your streak, so taking a break never feels like failing.
Apple clearly likes the idea. Gentler Streak won a 2024 Apple Design Award for Social Impact and was named 2022 Apple Watch App of the Year. It holds 4.7 stars from about 8,800 reviews.
The price check: Free to download. Premium is $8.99 a month or $39.99 a year, with lifetime options listed between $59.99 and $179.99.
Get it if you own an Apple Watch and keep burning out on workout plans. Skip it if you want a strict training programme.
Download Gentler Streak on the App Store
11. MyFitnessPal: the calorie counter everyone has heard of
MyFitnessPal is still the default calorie counter for millions, with 4.7 stars from around 2.4 million reviews. Its superpower is its food database, which the App Store listing puts at more than 20.5 million foods. A bigger database means you’re more likely to find the exact thing you just ate.
It also tracks macros and water, logs workouts and steps, supports intermittent fasting, and now includes GLP-1 medication and symptom logging. It connects to more than 40 fitness trackers, smartwatches and health apps.
The price check: Free to download, with Premium sold in the app. The US App Store lists several Premium price points, starting at $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year.
Heads up: The barcode scanner, the feature that made many people choose MyFitnessPal, is now listed under Premium, along with meal scan, voice logging and custom macro goals. Try the free version for a week before you decide.
Download MyFitnessPal on the App Store
Which apps should you install first?
You don’t need all 11. Start with the problem that annoys you most:
- Tasks living in your head? Get Things 3 if you’re all-Apple, or Todoist if you’re not.
- Want one AI app? Start with ChatGPT, then add Perplexity when you need sources.
- Taking lots of photos? Darkroom is the easy first step; add Halide when you want manual control.
- Flying soon? Install Flighty before your next trip. The free version is enough to start.
- Getting fitter? Gentler Streak if you have an Apple Watch, MyFitnessPal if you’re tracking food.
Which app has earned a permanent spot on your home screen? Tell us in the comments.
FAQ
What are the best iPhone apps in 2026?
Our picks by category are Notion, Things 3 and Todoist for productivity; ChatGPT and Perplexity for AI and research; Halide Mark III and Darkroom for photography; Flighty and AllTrails for travel; and Gentler Streak and MyFitnessPal for health.
Are these iPhone apps free?
Ten of the 11 are free to download, but most sell a subscription inside the app. Things 3 is the only straight one-time purchase, at $9.99 on the US App Store.
Does AllTrails work offline for free?
No. You can find and follow trails for free, but downloading maps for offline use requires AllTrails Plus, which costs $35.99 a year in the US.
Is the MyFitnessPal barcode scanner free?
No. The App Store listing puts barcode scanning under MyFitnessPal Premium, along with meal scan and voice logging.
Should I use ChatGPT or Perplexity on iPhone?
Use ChatGPT for writing, brainstorming, voice conversations and images. Use Perplexity when you want an answer with sources you can open and check. Both have free tiers, so try them side by side.