Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.
I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.
Make sure to check out uses.tech for a list of everyone's /uses pages!
Hardware
Machines
Software
Software is the most important part of a developer's life. Here is a list of all the software I use on a daily basis.
Development
- VS Code: My go to code editor. I have custom settings and a theme for VS Code which I use everywhere.
- PhpStorm: For larger Laravel and PHP projects, nothing beats PhpStorm's refactoring and code navigation.
- Zed: My go to editor for everything else. It’s lightweight, fast and simple.
- Xcode & Android Studio: For building and running mobile apps on simulators and emulators.
- Docker: I use Docker for local development. I have a docker-compose.yml file which I use for most of my projects.
- Yaak: A fast, offline-first API client that replaced Postman for testing and debugging API endpoints.
- DearSQL & DB Browser for SQLite: For poking around databases without leaving the desktop.
- Mac Terminal: I use Mac Terminal for all my terminal tasks with Oh My Zsh and the Fira Code font.
- Termius: I use Termius for all my SSH tasks. It's fast and simple.
- Homebrew, nvm, pnpm, Yarn and GitHub CLI: The command line essentials I install on every machine.
AI
- Claude Code: My main AI coding companion in the terminal and the Claude desktop app. It plans, writes and reviews code with me.
- Cursor: I use Cursor for AI assisted coding inside the editor.
- Codex: OpenAI's coding agent, handy for a second opinion on tricky problems.
- ChatGPT & Claude: For research, writing and everyday questions.
- Ollama: For running open source models locally when I want to experiment offline.
Browsing
- Chrome: My primary browser on my laptop, mostly for development and DevTools.
- Arc & Helium: For everyday browsing with a cleaner, distraction free setup.
- Safari: My primary browser on my phone.
Design
- Figma: I use Figma for all my design tasks.
- Canva: I use Canva for all my quick design tasks. It’s fast and simple.
Communication
- WhatsApp: My primary app for personal chats and group chats.
- Slack: For community and official communication.
- Spark & Outlook: For personal and work email.
- Telegram: I use Telegram for all my random chats and group chats.
Entertainment
- YouTube: I use YouTube for all my video and music needs with a premium subscription.
- Games: I play games on my phone. I don't have a specific game that I play regularly.
Social
- Twitter: I'm active on Twitter and use it to share my thoughts and to connect with people.
- LinkedIn: I use LinkedIn for all my professional needs, to connect with people and to find jobs.
Productivity
- Raycast: My launcher for everything, from opening apps to clipboard history and window management.
- 1Password: My password manager for all my passwords and sensitive information. It’s secure, easy to use, and integrates well with my browsers.
- Notion & Obsidian: Notion for shared docs and planning, Obsidian for my personal notes and writing.
- Antinote: A scratchpad for quick throwaway notes.
- Reeder: To keep up with blogs and news through RSS.
- Stats: Keeps an eye on CPU, memory and network from the menu bar.
- AdGuard: Blocks ads and trackers across the whole system.
- MoneyManager: I use this mobile app to manage my financial activities. It helps me make a budget and see an overview of my expenses.
All of my installed softwares
