Six apps that justify their home-screen slot. Four are free, two are paid. All tested in extended daily use across multiple workflows.

Free (4)

1. Google Tasks / Apple Reminders. Built in. Good enough. Many people spend years searching for the "right" task app when the default covers 90% of need.
2. Obsidian. Plain-text markdown notes on disk. Your notes outlive the app — a feature no cloud-only alternative offers.
3. Google Calendar. Cross-platform, shared calendars, fast sync. The default workhorse.
4. Cal.com. Open-source Calendly alternative; the free tier covers personal scheduling.

Paid ($ well-spent) (2)

5. 1Password ($3/month). Password management that genuinely saves minutes per day through browser and mobile autofill.
6. Readwise Reader ($10/month). Read-later + highlights + daily surfacing of old notes. Turns reading into retention rather than consumption.

Six apps. Most people's productivity doesn't need more; many people's productivity needs less. Uninstall before installing — the goal is fewer active surfaces, not more tools.