List of my default apps in 2025
When I started blogging (sometime in the 2000s), a popular tradition alongside the blogroll - a curated list of recommended blogs - was the “blog baton.” Bloggers would write about a specific topic and then pass it on to others, encouraging them to share their own perspectives.
These year-end and New Year lists of standard apps used by bloggers feel like a modern take on that tradition, as they pop up across the web. While I wasn’t directly invited to join the conversation this time, I decided to jump in after seeing Oliver’s take on the topic, which caught my interest.
- 📨 Mail Service: self-hosted Mailcow
- 📮 Mail Client: Thunderbird (macOS), Apple Mail (iOS), SOGo (Web)
- 📝 Notizen: Obsidian
- ✅ To-Do: Obsidian
- 🌅 Fotoarchiv: iCloud Photos / Immich (self-hosted)
- 📆 Kalender: Apple Calendar
- 📁 Cloud-Speicher: Nextcloud
- 📖 RSS-Dienst: FreshRSS (self-hosted)
- 🙍🏻♂️ Kontakte: Apple Contacts
- 🌐 Browser: Safari / Brave
- 💬 Chat: preferred Signal & Messages (also Threema & WhatsApp 😔)
- 🛒 Einkaufslisten: Apple Reminders & Obsidian
- 🔎 Suche: Whoogle (self-hosted)
- 📚 Lesen: Kindle Paperwhite & Apple Books
- 📰 Nachrichten: Reeder Classic
- 🎵 Musik: Apple Music
- 🎤 Podcasts: Apple Podcasts
- 🌤️ Wetter: Apple Weather
- 🔐 Passwortverwaltung: Bitwarden (self-hosted)
- 🧮 Code-Editor: CotEditor
Inspired by Oliver, I’ve decided to make this list an annual tradition and plan to publish it regularly at the turn of the year. To ensure I don’t forget, I’ve already set a calendar reminder - because let’s be honest, without it, there’s almost no chance this would happen again. 🤪
The idea for this type of article originally came from Robb Knights, who continues to lead the ‘App Defaults’ project. He curates and collects RSS feeds from people across the web, sharing which default apps and services they rely on.
If you enjoyed this article, why not join in? The concept practically begs for participation. 😉
