What apps are free on iPhone App Store?

The best things in life are free. Well, not always. There are plenty of great free apps out there, but some apps are worth a dollar (or even 50). You hand over a buck or two for a pack of gum, so why not for an app?

Although you can have a fully functional iPhone filled with just free apps, you might want to lay out some cash for ones with extra features, that speak to a particular interest of yours, or that are just fun. A paid app will often offer things like offline access, syncing across devices, and no ads.

At PCMag we test thousands of apps, and sometimes we come across ones that we're willing to put our own hard-earned money toward. We surveyed the staff to find out exactly what those apps are so that we can pass on our personal recommendations to you.

Making space in your day for some gratitude can improve not just your day but your whole life(Opens in a new window). 5 Minute Journal: Self-Care ensures you can take some time out to journal no matter where you are. It has daily notifications and guided prompts, and it syncs across devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch). The free version has lots of features, but if you go premium starting at $4.99 per month, you can add photos and videos, create your own prompt questions, take notes, track your mood, and add a widget to your home screen.

Got any games on your phone? Blek appeals to gamers and nongamers alike. You draw a line to connect all the color dots on the screen. It sounds simple, but it's simply addictive.

If you put anything online that you want clicks for, you probably want to ensure it fits with the prevailing internet aesthetic. But if you're not a graphic designer, you know someone who is, and that someone is Canva. The app has templates for social media, videos, Zoom backgrounds, infographics, desktop wallpaper, posters, logos, and lots more. If you get a premium subscription ($12.99 per month or $119.99 annually), you can access all of its templates, images, videos, and audio and graphic design elements, and use extra editing options such as a background remover and resizing tools.

The debate about filtering features rages on, but if you're on the side that a little touchup is fine, then you'll want Facetune. It fixes flaws in one fell swoop or several small steps. No need to acquire Photoshop skills to look magazine-ready. While there's a Facetune 2(Opens in a new window), it requires a subscription that's prompted lots of complaints in the App Store. The OG version is a one-time-only payment.

Facetune (for iPhone) Review

There's so much on your phone that can cause you anxiety. Why not counter some of that with a meditation app. Headspace is a great choice, whether you're just starting to meditate or you've been doing it for years. There are courses and single meditations for all sorts of situations. There's also a full sleep section, with wind-down meditations, "sleepcasts" (audio content that "creates the right conditions for healthy, restful sleep"), sleep music, soundscapes, and guided exercises for when you wake up in the middle of the night. Subscriptions are $12.99 per month or $69.99 for a year.

All of your online accounts that require passwords can be handled in one place with LastPass. It can autofill in all your apps and syncs across devices. Subscription plans start at $3 per month.

All of those business and self-improvement books on your bookshelf aren't going to read themselves. But if you're too busy to crack them open, you can download Mentorist and get all the important bits. PCMag SEO Manager Daniela LaFave loves that it delivers book summaries and action items from titles she wouldn't have the time to read. Plans start at $9.99.

For those looking to shed some pandemic weight or just trying to eat more mindfully, Noom is a good app to do that along with some support and education. PCMag Managing Editor for Software Sean Carroll recommends it. Pricing(Opens in a new window) depends on the plan you select.

Whether you want a VPN to keep your data safe or just to watch shows and movies you wouldn't otherwise have access to, NordVPN is a top PCMag pick. Subscriptions run $11.99 for a month, $53.99 for six months, and $83.99 for a year.

There are so many good recipes online, but gathering them all together and putting them in a little box in your kitchen seems like an impossibility. But it can be done with Paprika. The app lets you save recipes from all over and even add your own. It generates grocery lists right from the recipes, has a meal planner, and syncs across devices. When you're in a recipe, you can adjust the serving size, convert measurements, and access one-tap timers within the instructions.

Whether or not you have a Peloton product, you can download the Peloton app and get a great workout. It, of course, has cycling and treadmill workouts, but also cardio, HIIT, strength, outdoor running, walking, stretching, yoga, and meditation. A Peloton subscription is $12.99 a month.

Both Lead Analyst for Cameras Jim Fisher and Security Analyst Kim Key recommend PhotoPills for astrophotography. It lets you know exactly where and when you have to be to capture the perfect cosmic moment.

PictureThis is not a Golden Girls app, but it would help Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia take care of all their ficus plants. You can use it to identify plants of all kinds (indoors and outdoors), set care reminders, and diagnose anything that's going on with them. A premium subscription is $29.99 annually and includes features like exclusive plant care guides and advice from botanists.

Instead of having tons of tabs open, save everything you mean to read later with Pocket. It stores everything offline, which you'll be thankful for in tunnels, on airplanes, and any place without free Wi-Fi. The free version of the app offers unlimited storage, the ability to tag everything, and a text-to-speech option. It also has extensions for most browsers. So why pay for premium? It backs up your library, searches the text of everything you have Pocketed, and suggests tags whenever you save something. It's $4.99 per month or $44.99 annually.

Yes, there are free podcast players, such as the one that came with your phone. But Pocket Casts gives you so much more. You can build your own queue, cut silence out of episodes, boost voices over background sound, access advanced archive functions, and lots more. Most features are free but for 99 cents a month or $9.99 a year, you can use Pocket Casts on your desktop, add your own files to your account, sync with your Apple Watch, and get exclusive themes and icons.

Pocket Casts (for iPhone) Review

Both professional and amateur artists can sketch, paint, and illustrate with the iPhone-specific version of the popular iPad app. It's packed with incredible tools, including ones for animation, and you can export to AirDrop, iCloud Drive, Photos, iTunes, Twitter, Dropbox, Google Drive, Facebook, Weibo, and Mail.

PCMag's digital producer Emily Zoda subscribes to RoboKiller, which she says helps keep most if not all the spam calls at bay and even offers to answer known spam calls with prank recordings or less harmful ones. Zoda says she uses the “this number is not in service” one. It also filters out spam texts. A subscription is $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year.

If you're a writer, you'll want an app that can sync seamlessly between devices. Scrivener is worth $20 because of how well it syncs to PCs. (If you've ever tried to work on a manuscript in Google Docs, then you know it can be a formatting nightmare from platform to platform.) Scrivener has a great folder system; the ability to add notes to projects; and lots of formatting options for things like screenplays, theses, and novels. If you're looking for other features, check out these other great writing apps.

There's nothing literally written in the stars but do you wish there was so that you could identify them? That's what SkyView does. You can identify individual stars, constellations, planets, and more. There's an AR view so you see the information laid directly over your actual view. There are lots of other features, including the ability to add a widget to get notifications about upcoming celestial events.

Tarot is having a moment and if you're a practitioner, then you'll want Tarot!, which lets you do a reading without having to tote around a pack of cards. It features the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck, has three built-in books, and settings for all sorts of spreads.

Freedom isn't free; it requires great journalism, among other things. Buying a digital subscription to The New York Times means not having to worry that someone's swiped your paper, being able to read on the train without smacking into someone when you turn a page, and holding marmalade toast in one hand and the paper in the other on the weekends. A digital subscription that works across all devices is $16.99 a month or $129.99 a year.

There are lots of to-do apps out there, but customization is not one of their strong suits. Todoist lets you take control of your to-dos with its premium version. Create your own label system; attach PDFs, spreadsheets, and photos; get location-based reminders; add tasks through email; and track your productivity. The basic app is free but if you're juggling lots of projects, you'll want to get a pro plan for $5 per month or $48 per year.

Todoist (for iPhone) Review

What could be a great photo can be ruined by all sorts of things. TouchRetouch makes it easy to remove most of them. Random objects, power lines, mesh fences, and anything else standing in your way can be gone in a click. TouchRetouch can also fine-tune your shots and make your 360-degree snaps smoother.

"The best of the white-noise apps," says features editor Eric Griffith of the simply named but effective White Noise. It's packed with features like the ability to mix sounds, background audio support, and a gentle-wake alarm. Included sounds go from the calming sounds of nature to the strangely comforting ones of the city.