Top Must-Have Tools Worth Buying

In the world of development, there’s a stubborn pride in using free, open-source tools. I get it. But over the years, I’ve learned a crucial lesson: my time is infinitely more valuable than the cost of a good subscription. A great tool doesn’t just do a job; it eliminates friction, automates tedium, and frees up mental space to focus on what truly matters — solving complex problems and building amazing things.

These are not just expenses on a spreadsheet. They are investments in my own productivity and sanity. Here are the 7 tools that I gladly open my wallet for, year after year.

1. For a Pro-Grade Coding Experience: JetBrains All Products Pack

Free code editors are fantastic, but a professional Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a different beast. The deep code intelligence, powerful refactoring tools, and seamless database and version control integration offered by a JetBrains IDE (like PhpStorm, PyCharm, or WebStorm) are simply unmatched.

Why I gladly pay for it: The time saved by its intelligent code completion and near-instantaneous refactoring across an entire project pays for the subscription alone. It’s the difference between a simple text editor and a true co-pilot for your code.

2. For AI-Powered Pair Programming: GitHub Copilot

I was skeptical at first, but now I can’t imagine coding without it. GitHub Copilot is more than just autocompletion; it’s a creative partner that can generate entire functions, write tests, and explain complex code snippets right inside my editor.

Why I gladly pay for it: It obliterates boilerplate. The amount of routine, repetitive code I no longer have to write is staggering. It helps me maintain flow and focus on the interesting architectural challenges instead of the syntax.

3. For Taming Local Development Chaos: ServBay

This one hit a major pain point. Juggling different versions of PHP, Node.js, and Python for multiple client projects was a constant, unpaid nightmare of conflicts and configuration. ServBay solved it overnight. It’s a clean, powerful local server environment that lets me run anything I need, isolated and managed through a simple GUI.

Why I gladly pay for it: Sanity. The ability to switch between a dozen complex projects without a single environment issue is priceless. It has saved me countless hours of debugging and allows me to say “yes” to projects I would have otherwise avoided due to their complex stack.

4. For My Second Brain: Notion

My brain is for thinking, not for storage. Notion serves as my digital headquarters. It’s where I manage project roadmaps, store code snippets, write documentation, track meeting notes, and even plan my personal life. Its flexibility is its killer feature.

Why I gladly pay for it: The paid plan offers unlimited storage and a version history that has saved my skin more than once. It consolidates what used to be 3–4 separate apps (notes, docs, project management) into one cohesive, searchable workspace.

5. For Digital Security That Just Works: 1Password

As a developer, I manage hundreds of logins across client sites, APIs, and various services. Using weak or repeated passwords is not an option. 1Password is the Fort Knox for my digital life. It generates, stores, and fills strong passwords seamlessly.

Why I gladly pay for it: It’s a single source of truth for my most sensitive data. The peace of mind knowing that my digital credentials are secure is non-negotiable. The family plan is also a fantastic way to protect my loved ones online.

6. For Finding Bugs Before My Users Do: Sentry

You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. Sentry is an application monitoring and error-tracking tool that tells me the instant something goes wrong in my production applications. It provides detailed stack traces that help me pinpoint the exact cause of an error.

Why I gladly pay for it: It turns panicked “the site is down!” emails into proactive, “I’ve already deployed a fix” responses. It’s an essential insurance policy for the quality and reliability of the software I build.

7. For a Curated Mac Toolkit: Setapp

Instead of buying dozens of individual Mac apps, Setapp offers a “Netflix for apps” model. For one monthly fee, I get access to over 200 high-quality, curated applications for productivity, development, writing, and system maintenance.

Why I gladly pay for it: Discovery and value. I’ve found indispensable tools like CleanMyMac, Paste (a clipboard manager), and MindNode (a mind-mapping tool) through Setapp. The combined value of the apps I use regularly far exceeds the subscription cost.

7 Indispensable Tools I Gladly Pay For