The job of a software developer is not an easy one, especially in senior positions. The expectations are high, the deadlines are always tight, and even the slightest mistake can derail the whole project. On top of all that, developers frequently work in large, geographically dispersed teams and may use a range of programming languages and technological frameworks.

To simplify their jobs and boost their productivity, developers depend on a long list of software tools that help them complete various tasks quicker and better. Whether it’s taking notes more effectively, writing code more prolifically, catching bugs more quickly, coordinating better with the rest of the team, or testing functionality and compatibility of the final product, access to optimal tools makes a big difference.

This article lists some of the best developer productivity tools currently in the market and clearly outlines what they bring to the table and how they improve the software development process.

List of 10 Best Productivity Tools

GitHub

As the largest online platform for developers, GitHub is the place to go when you need to exchange information with colleagues, seek solutions to difficult problems, or check your code for errors. The platform just launched its AI-driven coding assistant Copilot, potentially shortening the time needed to write functional and bug-free code.

Developer-friendly features:

• Collaborative environment for knowledge exchange and software asset sharing
• Fully configured code spaces allow each developer to work with his favorite tools
• AI assistant provides meaningful, context-aware suggestions for each line of code
• Code review features allow teams to quickly discover and fix errors

Downsides:

• Browsing or searching through code is too slow
• Very steep learning curve for inexperienced developers

Pricing: free plan is available, Team plan costs $3.67 per user/month, Enterprise plan costs $19.25 per user monthly

User ratings:

• G2: 4.7 (1948 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8 (5761 reviews)

Mantis Bug Tracker

If your primary goal is to track down as many bugs in your code as possible, Mantis BT should be a part of your toolbox. This is a powerful project management tool and issue tracker designed with software developers and their needs in mind. However, it’s not too complicated to learn and allows novice programmers to advance quickly with assistance from their colleagues.

Developer-friendly features:

• Open source productivity platform and issue tracking system geared towards software projects
• Workflows and notifications can be customized to fit the needs of the project
• Precise access control with role assignments for each team member or guest
• Additional functionalities can be implemented through add-ons

Downsides:

• The interface and dashboards lack visual clarity
• Filtering system doesn’t always return coherent results

Pricing: free

User ratings:

• G2: 4.0 (78 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1 (98 reviews)

Sourcegraph

Development teams can hit a whole another level of productivity by adopting a solution that makes it easier to navigate complex, voluminous code. Sourcegraph is a smart tool that shows its true value on large projects that require timely and accurate delivery, and it has been built upon an open-source foundation so compatibility will never be an issue.

Developer-friendly features:

• Very flexible code intelligence software that speeds up complex endeavors
• Users can search for snippets of code across all of the hosted repositories
• Enables easy navigation through the entire history of source code
• This platform is well-suited to support version changes and data migration efforts

Downsides:

• Limited number of supported programming languages
• Excluding certain repositories from search could be simplified

Pricing: free (open-source)

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (3 reviews)
• Capterra: no reviews yet

Tabnine

Harnessing the power of modern AI solution for more productive code generation is a smart approach that is only becoming more and more effective. Tabnine lets you do exactly that, with an autocomplete function than suggests the next line based on previously entered code. This app can be extremely valuable to development teams that face a lot of pressure to complete the project quickly.

Developer-friendly features:

• AI-powered software for code writing and full-function autocompletion
• Capable of directly translating natural language instructions to functional code
• The app accurately analyses context and syntax to create compatible code
• It can be deployed locally or in the cloud

Downsides:

• No reliable debugging function is included
• AI-generated suggestions sometimes mix up different programming languages

Pricing: Starter plan is free, Pro plan is priced at $12 per month for 1 user

User ratings:

• G2: 4.3 (22 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3 (3 reviews)

CodeStream

This software might not be able to prevent developers from making mistakes, but it helps to discover and resolve any issues with code that might be blocking further progress. This tool allows team members and supervisors to review the work at every moment and streamline the workflow by connecting to external project management suites.

Developer-friendly features:

• Very practical tool for issue tracking and version reviews on large coding projects
• Code intelligence and code visualization features enable thorough and actionable insights
• The app enables remote asynchronous communication between team members
• Changes to the code are analyzed within the full-source context

Downsides:

• Not well-suited for reviewing projects that have multiple branches
• There are no advanced access/permission control tools

Pricing: Basic plan is free, Business plan costs $10 per user monthly, Enterprise plan costs $45 per user/month

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (2 reviews)
• Capterra: no reviews yet

Testsigma

Testing is a huge part of the software development process, and this tool automates it to a large extent, thereby saving valuable time and resources. By conducting all testing activities on the same platform, development teams can discover issues faster and react to them more vigorously. Testsigma deploys an AI algorithm to help detect errors and makes the testing process less labor intensive.

Developer-friendly features:

• Unified, full-stack code testing platform for web or mobile applications
• Test steps can be defined in natural language or demonstrated by practical actions
• Tests can be executed on a large number of network devices hosted on a virtual cloud
• AI-assisted identification of failed steps or misaligned test scripts

Downsides:

• Some of the cloud devices are not functional
• Complex tests may be difficult to fully automate

Pricing: Free plan is available, Pro plan costs $349 per month

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (21 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4 (14 reviews)

Linear

If you are looking for a modern productivity tool designed for software developers, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover Linear. This solution allows organizations to plan projects from start to finish and proactively solve any issues that might arise along the way. Its elegant, smart-looking interface is very inviting and it lets even non-technical users control their projects with amazing precision.

Developer-friendly features:

• Product roadmap and productivity platform aimed at the software industry
• Automated workflows and code filters allow for efficient development process
• Multiple tools for real time collaboration are included in the package
• Data analytics feature allows teams to rapidly identify areas for improvement

Downsides:

• There are no knowledge management tools in this software
• Editing or customizing KPIs is not very convenient

Pricing: Free plan is available, Standard plan is offered for $8 per user monthly, Pro plan costs $14 per user per month

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (18 reviews)
• Capterra: N/A

ReSharper

This tool helps Visual Studio and .NET programmers to maintain their work in perfect shape no matter how complex or demanding it may be. This tool greatly simplifies code editing and debugging, with high-end analysis of the code and automatic identification of errors. As one of the oldest coding assistant tools in the market, ReSharper can be trusted to deliver results.

Developer-friendly features:

• Specialized productivity suite for programmers working in .NET and Visual Studio
• Reliable code quality analysis based on syntax and context evaluation
• Allows instant navigation to any part of the code or file associated with it
• Code templates and automated generation of simple code help beginners

Downsides:

• Narrowly focused only on one programming environment
• This suite can be very demanding in terms of computing power

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (83 reviews)
• Capterra: N/A

SonarQube

Eliminating every error and successfully resolving all technical issues before the official launch is much easier with a tool like SonarQube. This is an enterprise-level code intelligence and quality assurance platform that can be used in combination with a wide variety of programming languages. It provides valuable insights and reduces the time needed to take the project across the finish line.

Developer-friendly features:

• Self-managed productivity solution that can be fully integrated with DevOps platforms
• Excellent workflow management and vulnerability scanning tools
• Detailed reports containing numerous quantitative metrics can be created in minutes
• Allows teams to define unified standards of clean code that apply to everyone

Downsides:

• This software doesn’t perform well as a debugging tool
• High level of technical knowledge is required for configuring the solution

Pricing: Developer package starts at $150 per year, Enterprise package stars at $20,000 per year

User ratings:

• G2: 4.5 (48 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6 (47 reviews)

Bugzilla

With this defect-tracking software, developers can discover all the bugs contained in their code and make sure they are successfully fixed. Bugzilla does a highly technical job but is very easy to control, as its key functions are developed in a smart and practical fashion. While not primarily a productivity tool, Bugzilla can still impact the final delivery schedule in a meaningful way.

Developer-friendly features:

• Debugging and code improvement tool with an advanced search function
• Lots of tasks can be customized to fit user’s preferences and completely automated
• The software can create detailed reports and deliver them to inbox at scheduled times
• Time tracking and deadlines limit the number of hours spent debugging the code

Drawbacks:

• Task-tracking features are not well developed
• Outdated user interface and slow loading times hamper usability

Pricing: free (supported by donations)

User ratings:

• G2: 3.9 (113 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1 (133 reviews)

Frequently Asked Questions about Developer Productivity Tools

Q1. Should software developers use general productivity tools or specialized solutions?

Development teams use a lot of different software tools and the decision which ones work the best on the current project is very impactful. It’s common for the team to use a mainstream project management solution while individual developers rely on more specialized apps that help with coding.

Q2. How much AI technology improves new-generation developer productivity tools?

Recent advances in Machine Learning are already being felt in the developer productivity software niche. Some of the apps described above have integrated AI functionalities and are capable of generating full lines of code based on the user’s instructions and contextual clues.

Q3. How much technical knowledge is required to use developer productivity tools?

It goes without saying that productivity tools intended for software developers require a higher level of technical proficiency than general-purpose apps. If the tool serves for coding assistance or debugging, in-depth knowledge of the relevant programming methodology and language may be required.

Final Words

Software developers are working in a very competitive field and need all the help they can get. Productivity tools of various kinds can have a demonstrably positive impact on the output quality as well as quantity, and should be seriously considered whenever a project is large or valuable enough. There are tools that support different phases of the development process, and it’s possible to use several of them in combination to great effect. Once the team learns how to leverage their best features, many issues that were previously hard to deal with might simply disappear.