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Black Friday is almost upon us, and it’s not just physical goods that are discounted. You can get great deals on some of the best iPhone apps, too. Many developers have discounted their iPhone apps for the holiday season, and you can find over 200 listed over at Indie App Sales (just use the filter to zero in on iOS apps). Here, I’ve curated a list of my favorite iPhone app deals right now, which includes many apps that I use every day.
Things 3: An app to help you finish your tasks
I keep trying interesting new apps and changing my default apps for various tasks all the time, but Things 3 is an exception to that. This app lets you set up to-do lists, add them to projects, and manage your projects. I use it for everything from collecting story ideas for Lifehacker to completing big, long-term projects such as home renovation. It’s an incredibly polished app that just keeps getting better. I bought Things 3 when it first released in 2017, and the developers have supported it with updates and new features for over seven years now, which is excellent to see. Right now, it’s 30% off on all platforms.
Note that Things is sold separately for the iPad, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro, so if you want it on all platforms, you’ll have to make multiple purchases.
Sale duration: November 25-December 2
Discounted price: $6.99 (was $9.99)
Get it here: Things 3 (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro)
PastePal: A useful clipboard manager
PastePal is a convenient clipboard manager for iPhone and Mac, and with a clever workaround, it can also be always-on. PastePal does a great job storing everything you copy, and even better, it automatically ignores sensitive things such as passwords. You can use it to sync your clipboard across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The app is free to download and try, but it limits the number of items you can copy. To remove this limit, there’s a one-time purchase, which is 50% off, and you only have to pay once to use it on all your Apple devices.
Sale duration: November 25-December 8
Discounted price: $7.99 (was $14.99)
Get it here: PastePal (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro)
Darkroom: A powerful photo and video editor
If you’re looking for a powerful photo and video editor for your iPhone, you should consider Darkroom. The app won an Apple Design Award in 2020 and it’s a great tool for amateurs and professional photographers alike. It supports RAW and ProRAW files, as well as 4K videos. Since the app is a free download, you can check it out on your iPhone or Mac first to see if it works for you. If you like what you see, the Darkroom+ premium subscription is currently 50% off for the first year. This includes features such as color grading, AI-powered masks, watermarking, etc.
Sale duration: November 17-December 2
Discounted price: $16.49 per year (for the first year, the usual price is $32.99)
Get it here: Darkroom (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
Glass: A paid community for photographers
When Instagram started out, it was a photo-sharing app. Over the years, its focus has shifted to content that drives more engagement, such as Reels and Stories, and as a result, photos have taken a backseat. Glass is trying to fill the void by creating a paid community for photographers to share and discuss their work. It has no ads or invasive tracking.
Sale duration: November 26-December 3
Discounted price: $19.99 per year (for the first year, the usual price is $39.99)
Get it here: Glass (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Web, Android, Windows)
Seasons: Track TV shows and streaming subscriptions
Seasons is an interesting app that lets you track both your TV shows and streaming services. Once you set it up, the app will remember how much you’re paying for each streaming service and which shows you’re watching or want to watch in the future. Then, it’ll suggest a strategy to watch these shows for as cheap as possible and remind you when you should cancel streaming services in order to save money. If you’re okay with following the app’s plans, you could watch multiple shows and save lots of money by cancelling unused services. It may not work so well if you prefer not to plan out your TV viewing much.
Sale duration: November 22-December 2
Discounted price: $4.49 (was $9.99)
Get it here: Seasons (iPhone, iPad)
Sofa: Plan what to do with your free time
It may sound counterintuitive, but planning what to do in your free time can be liberating. You’ll save yourself from decision fatigue, and Sofa is a great tool to plan your downtime. The app lets you add various categories of activities such as video games, podcasts, movies, TV, visiting places, etc. Sofa’s running a Black Friday sale, and its annual subscription is 50% off for the first year.
Sale duration: November 25-December 2
Discounted price: $14.99 per year (for the first year, the usual price $29.99)
Get it here: Sofa (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro)
Bound: A great app to play your audiobooks
For those of us who own DRM-free copies of audiobooks, Bound is a great iPhone app. It lets you quickly copy these audiobooks to the app and plays them flawlessly. I have some audiobooks on my Mac and PC, and Bound’s browser-based uploader has made it easy to transfer books to the app. It’s as simple as opening a URL and dropping the files into that tab. Some DRM-free audiobooks include one or two files, while others break down into 50+ files (one for each chapter in the book). Bound handles all quite well. For Black Friday, the app is 60% off.
Sale duration: November 27-December 4
Discounted price: $1.99 (was $4.99)
Get it here: Bound (iPhone)