Almost everybody has a smartphone that has some form of a Notebook app for writing documents. However, when you need to carry out an action that’s a little more complex, like creating a spreadsheet or presentation, your average Notebook app simply won’t cut it.
Thankfully, we live in a world where brand new technology continues to evolve. Therefore, more advanced apps for creating, editing, and sharing documents become available to us. Microsoft and Google are the leading suppliers of home office apps, but there are tonnes more out there if you know where to look.
Prior to writing this article, I’ve been analyzing some of the best apps for working with documents. I looked at a number of important factors that contribute towards a great office app, including their ease of use, functionality, and cost.
1. DocuSign
Think about how many documents you sign per day? Are you constantly being interrupted at work by your assistant who needs your signature?
With DocuSign, you can safely sign documents, fill out forms, and create a signature that can be used over and over again by yourself or even your work colleagues. The app is available on Android, iOS, iPad and Windows devices. And what’s more, it’s free!
2. Evernote
Evernote is the most popular note-taking app available to smartphone users. There are very few things that this app can’t help you with when it comes to being organized. You can create to-do lists, record audio clips, collaborate with your team, and keep records and manage projects offline.
And while you might already have these functions built-in to your smartphone, how many separate apps do you have to run?
Evernote is available for iOS and desktop browsers. It’s free to use, and there are options to upgrade to a paid package if you require more users etc.
3. FaxBurner
If you still send faxes on the go, FaxBurner for iOS lets you send, receive and organize faxes on your mobile device. Its free plan entitles you to a 24-hour fax free number and up to 25 faxes. The Professionalplan ($10.00) allows you to send and receive 500 pages each month and includes a US fax number.
Furthermore, FaxBurner makes it simple to sign and mark up faxes in the app. And if you don’t like getting caught up in lengthy contracts, FaxBurner allows you to cancel your subscription at any time. You can download FaxBurner for iOS & Android.
4. Notability
Notability is a multi-purpose app that lets you mark up PDFs, record lectures, tag files and organize notes. But unlike Evernote, you can combine handwriting, photos, and typing in one single document. So, for students that love taking notes and sketching during lectures, Notability is a great tool for you.
The documents you create will then be saved to iCloud and can be accessed pretty much anywhere. Notability is free to download and is available on iOS devices.
5. Dropbox
Essentially, Dropbox is a collaborative space designed to reduce busy work, bring your files together in one place, and sync them across multiple devices. On top of this, sending large files is made easy, even to people without a Dropbox account.
There are also features that allow you to scan receipts, documents, whiteboards, and turn them into PDFs. You can also share and comment on files with your colleagues too. Overall, Dropbox is the perfect all-in-one app for creative professionals and people who run businesses.
Dropbox is available on all devices and includes a 30-day free trial. There are paid packages for a greater amount of storage.
6. Microsoft Office
For Android users, Microsoft Office is your one-stop shop for all your office needs. The Microsoft Office mobile apps have a similar look and feel to the desktop versions. To give you an idea of what’s available, there’s Word, Excel, Outlook, Powerpoint, and OneDrive – just to name a few.
7. Google Drive
If I had to pick an app that I couldn’t live without, it would be Google Drive. With the Android and iOS app, you can access all of your files in your Google Drive, including photo’s, PDFs, videos, spreadsheets and more. You name it, it’s almost definitely there!
Another plus is that you can set permission parameters to share your files with your friends and colleagues. What’s more, your work is automatically backed up so you’ll never lose your edits while working.
Google Drive is free to download.
And now, it’s over to you
After analyzing dozens of mobile apps for working with documents, I came to the conclusion that these are the very best ones for Android and iOS devices.
