My Favorite New Apps of 2023 (Premium)

I went into this article knowing full well that 2023 was a year of change and that I would have lots of new apps to write about. And then I actually looked, and even I was surprised by the amount of change I’ve made. There is no doubt that I have started using more apps---and related things like games, services, and even browser add-ins---this year than in any previous year.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that constantly testing new things is a part of this job I take both seriously and literally. That I am always testing not just the apps and services I use, but also the workflows that make me efficient. And that change is hard, even for me: I celebrate it every time I do make a change, but I also recognize that testing something new and sticking with what I was already using is great too. It’s important to know that what I’m using, and how I’m using it, is the best choice for my needs.

Last year, I wrote up five apps (well, hour apps and one game) in a recap of my favorite new apps of 2022. But this year’s write-up is notable not just because of the sheer volume of picks, but because I reversed course on two of last year’s picks in 2023. That level of churn is likewise unheard of, but looking back at them now, my decisions were both sound and necessary. God, a year.

Anyway. There’s no time like the present. So let’s dive right in.
Windows
Windows Package Manager. Because I review so many laptops and switch between computers so frequently, I automate the process of setting them up as much as possible. And in April, I documented how I used Winstall to create a bulk app install script for the Windows Package Manager (winget). It's worked wonders ever since.

Clipchamp. When Adobe Premiere Elements failed me on multiple PCs this past July, I examined a few alternatives and was blown away by how good Clipchamp, an in-box web app included with Windows 11, worked. And I've been using it ever since: Every video I create, including those for our Eternal Spring channel, is made with Clipchamp now.

Google Drive. When Microsoft escalated the enshittification of OneDrive in Windows 11 version 23H2, I experimented with Google Drive and found it to be vastly superior. And so I switched to Google Drive entirely for all my day-to-day document storage and subscribed to the 2 TB Google One tier.

ImageGlass 9. In 2022, I switched to the free web version of ImageGlass for image viewing, and in 2023, I switched to the paid version in the Microsoft Store: It's just $9.99, and it works exactly the way I want.
Web browsers (Windows and mobile)
Bitwarden. In February, I dropped the autofill and password managers built into my browsers and smartphones and switched to Bitwarden, creating "one version of the truth" for my passwords, credit cards, and other personal information. And once I was sure it worked exactly as I wanted, I paid for Bitwarden Premium, which is just $10 per year, which let me add my wife as an emerge...