I’m always looking for ways to save time, reduce friction, and make my workflow smoother. Whether it’s automating boring stuff, avoiding context switching, or just flexing with a bit of Vim, these are the tools I use every day to stay productive (and sometimes just feel productive).
I use macOS, btw.
🐳 OrbStack
OrbStack is my go-to tool for running Docker containers and Linux on macOS. It’s fast, lightweight, and feels way smoother than Docker Desktop. The setup is dead simple, and it gets out of the way so I can focus on building — not waiting for containers to start. If you’re tired of Docker Desktop hogging your resources, this is the upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
🎯 LocatorJS
LocatorJS is a Chrome extension that lets me option-click (or alt-click) on any React component in the browser, and boom — it opens directly in my IDE.
It works with React, Preact, and SolidJS. If you’re tired of digging through the DOM or guessing component names, LocatorJS makes frontend development feel like magic. It even has a Babel plugin for more advanced setups. Also, it’s open source — shoutout to the team behind this gem: GitHub
🔔 Built-in Reminder App
I’ll be honest — I forget stuff. A lot. The built-in reminder app on my phone helps me offload mental clutter. Grocery items? Meeting follow-ups? Random blog ideas at 2 AM? It all goes in here. It’s not fancy, but it keeps me sane. Productivity isn’t just about dev tools — it’s about remembering to reply to your boss too.
🧙 Vim VSCode Extension
I use Vim emulation in VSCode — partly for efficiency, but mostly because it feels cool. Yes, I know I’m flexing. Yes, I still sometimes forget I’m in insert mode. But once you get the muscle memory down, it’s hard to go back.
📦 PackageFlex
PackageFlex is a small but insanely useful Chrome extension. It adds a dropdown on npm package pages showing all the install commands — npm, yarn, pnpm, bun, etc.
As someone who switches between projects with different package managers daily, this saves me the Google search every single time.
🧮 TablePlus
TablePlus is hands-down the best GUI I’ve used for relational databases. Whether it’s PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQLite, it just works. Clean UI, snappy performance, and helpful features like multi-tab editing, safe mode, and inline editing — it’s made my DB workflows 10x more enjoyable.
💬 Discord (Yes, Seriously)
You might think Discord is just for memes and late-night debates on whether tabs or spaces are better. But I also use Discord’s webhooks to post automated messages from my scripts or apps. No frontend? No problem. Just push data to a Discord channel and move on. It’s a surprisingly effective and lightweight way to debug, log, or share updates.
🖥️ Zsh + Dotfiles
As a developer, you probably spend a good chunk of your day in the terminal — so why not make it look good and feel just right? A well-configured shell can boost your productivity and make your workflow smoother (and cooler).
I use Zsh with a few essential plugins like autosuggestions, syntax highlighting, and a custom theme. Everything is wired up through my personal dotfiles — feel free to check them out here:
👉 github.com/bhumit070/dotfiles
It’s a small thing that makes a big difference when you’re living in the terminal.
🔥 Bruno
Bruno is an open-source API client that works completely offline and integrates seamlessly with Git. Think of it as a clean, developer-first alternative to tools like Postman. I love that my API collections live alongside my code, version-controlled, and portable. No account, no sync issues — just open it and start hitting endpoints.
📸 Flameshot
Sometimes you just need to show QA that “it works on my machine” — with proof. Flameshot is my go-to for quick, clean, and annotated screenshots. It’s open source, lightweight, and makes it super easy to capture and highlight exactly what you need. Bonus: it’s great for writing documentation or bug reports too.
☁️ LocalStack
LocalStack is a lifesaver when working with AWS services locally. It emulates cloud services like Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, and more — all in a single container. I use it to test my AWS-based applications without ever leaving my laptop or racking up a cloud bill. It’s especially helpful when experimenting with Terraform or CDK setups in a controlled environment.
🗑️ trash-cli
If you’re someone like me who runs rm a bit too recklessly, trash-cli can be a real lifesaver.
Instead of permanently deleting files, trash sends them to your system’s trash can, while recording the original path, deletion date, and permissions. It works seamlessly with desktop environments like KDE, GNOME, and XFCE, but you can use it straight from the terminal or in your scripts.
It’s basically a safety net for your command line — because we’ve all deleted something we shouldn’t have.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, tools are just tools — what really matters is how well they fit into your workflow. These are the ones that make my life a little easier, a little faster, and a lot more fun. If you use any cool tools I should try, drop them in the comments — always down to discover new stuff!
Let me know in the comments what kinda tools you use in your daily life to increase your productivity.
Connect with Me
If you liked this post or want to geek out about productivity, dev tools, or anything tech, feel free to connect:
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