Focus Enhancers, Anti-Distractors, Productivity Boosters - Good Tools #4

40+ zero-cost tools to stay focused, avoid distractions and be more productive.

Mar 11, 2023

Hello, and welcome to issue n.4 of Good Tools.

In this issue you will find tools, apps and browser extensions that are uniquely useful to indie entrepreneurs, bootstrapped startups, authors and small publishers alike.

For this specific edition, I have gone after “Focus Enhancers”, tools and apps that help you stay focused, avoid distractions and be more productive, such as:

Sounds Generators
Habit Trackers
Minimalistic Writing Editors
Timers
Ad Blockers
Website Blockers
Inbox Cleaners
Article Cleaners
Video Cleaners
Browser Tabs Organizers

The filtering criteria I use for the tools I select are:

100% free (or have very generous free plan)
Not popular, not well-known
Useful for communication, marketing, collaboration, monetization
Tested and verified by me (Robin Good)

If you find tools that are truly useful for you inside this issue, please consider supporting this work with a paid subscription.

That’s the best way to reward and encourage my work and to make sure I keep on doing it.

Robin Good

Focus Enhancer Tools

1) Focus and Concentrate To Nature & Ambient Sounds

Noisli
100% free - Chrome extension
Nature sounds mixer
more info
Chill ‘n Sounds
100% free - Web app
Nature sounds
Virtocean
100% free - Web app
Ocean sounds
Rainyscope
100% free - Web app
Rain sounds
Listen to the Clouds
100% free - Web app
Control towers and airplanes sounds and audio exchanges
A Soft Murmur
Free version - Web app
23 mixable nature and ambient sounds
Defonic
Free version - Web app
15 mixable nature and ambient sounds
Hipster Sound Ambience
Free version - Web app
Cool and customizable cafè sound atmospheres
Rainbow Hunt
Free version - Web app
Rain sounds simulator
Spaces
Free version - Web app
immersive HQ and binaural sounds

2) Monitor and Track New Habits You Want To Adopt

Habtrack by Robin Good
100% free - Web app - visual habit tracker
Habit
100% free - Web app
auto-reminder for new habits to adopt
Everyday
Free for up to 3 habits to track - Web app

3) Write With Zero Distractions

ZenPen
100% free - the best
Notedown
100% free - most features
Nute
100% free - most minimal
Kvak
100% free - with password protection

4) Eliminate Clutter From Your Articles. Instantly

Postlight Reader
100% free - Chrome extension
Customizable typeface and font size - print - send to Kindle
More info - 1M+ users
Just Read
100% free - Chrome extension
Customizable to suit your reader needs
Video demo
Reader Mode
Free version - Chrome extension
Customizable + Text-to-speech - Print and Save
More info - Video demo

5) Clear Ads and Clutter From Your Videos. Instantly

NicerTube
100% free - Web app
No registration required
SafeShare
Free version - up to 20 cleaned videos /mo
Web app - eliminate ads from YT and Vimeo clips
Total Ad Block
100% free - Chrome extension
Eliminate ads and pop-ups from YT, FB, news sites and more
More info
Viewpure
100% free - Web app
Removes all distracting comments and side-bar related videos

6) Eliminate Ads and Pop-Ups From Your Computer Screen

AdBlock
100% free - Chrome extension
Block ads and pop-ups on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and on most websites.
60M+ users
Stands
100% free - multi-browser extension
uBlock Origin
100% free - Block anything you want - not just ads - More info
AdBlock Plus
Free version - multi-browser extension

7) Block Specific Websites

Blocksite
100% free - Chrome extension - Customizable.
1M+ users - More info
WasteNoTime
100% free - Chrome extension - More info
StayFocusd
100% free - Chrome extension - Fully customizable.
Website Blocker
100% free - Chrome extension - Block permanently or by schedule
Video tutorial

8) Track Time - Take Pauses

Ambient Noise
100% free - Chrome extension
Integrates ambient sounds and timer - More info
Marinara
100% free - Chrome extension - More info
FocusBooster
Free version - PC/Mac software - up to 20 Pomodoro sessions / mo
Tomato Clock
100% free - Chrome extension - More info

9) Clean Your Inbox - Eliminate Useless Subs

Unroll.me
100% free - Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, iCloud, AOL
video intro
Cleanfox
100% free - Web, iOS, Android
video intro
Jitbit
100% free - Web app
cleans up your mail list from invalid emails

10) Manage All of Your Open Browser Tabs

OneTab
100% free - Cross-browser extension
video demo 1 - video demo 2
Tablerone
100% free - Chrome extension
video demo
Tabcloud
100% free - Chrome extension + Android app
Save and restore window sessions over time and across multiple computers
video demo

Toby
100% free for personal use - Chrome extension
Organize and save your browser tabs into collections
video demo

Poll

Personal Note

Thank you for being a reader looking for alternative free tools.

I enjoy helping indie entrepreneurs looking for side-roads.

My name is Robin Good and I have been searching, testing and sharing great rare-to-find tools for indie entrepreneurs since March 2000.

I do this because I enjoy finding useful but hard-to-find resources and I feel it is my mission not to keep these just for me but to share them with anyone who may need them.

I am part of a growing number of people who help others find what they need by organizing the info and resources that are already available online, but are impossible to find via Google search.

If you feel that what I do is useful for you and for others please do support this newsletter with a paid subscription so that I, and others, can continue to fulfill our mission of sharing the best of what we find with you.

from sunny Holbox island,

Robin Good