The 31 best Windows 10 apps of 2017: News, productivity, games and more

Make no mistake, Windows 10 is the best OS Microsoft has made in a long time and it’s a lot better than the clustercuss that was Windows 8.1. While the Windows app store is still a little barren, even 18 months after release, there are a few gems if you know where to look.

From productivity to entertainment, here are a selection of the best Windows 10 apps that definitely deserve a place on your device.

This article will be updated over the coming weeks and months. If you have any apps that you think deserve a place in our chart, get in touch using the comments section below or via Twitter @alphr

Best Windows 10 apps: Work and communications

Trello (Free)

Organisational app Trello offers tons of additional features, such as collaboration with other users and integration with online tools, as well as several viewing modes and tags to make organising multiple pieces of work manageable. It’s cross-platform, too, so your colleagues will be able to access it anywhere, regardless of the device they’re using.

Todoist Preview (Free)

Todoist has been keeping the Alphr team organised for a while now, and so it’s great to see it finally launching a native Windows 10 app.

Gone are the days of having to use it via a web browser, now Todoist can push notifications to your desktop for reminders – allowing you to say when you’ve cleared tasks. And, thanks to a new three-pane view, currently only available on Windows 10, group discussions are now possible in one view alongside your upcoming tasks and folders.

Todoist is a godsend for those of us who need a little bit of help staying organised.

Drawboard PDF (£7.69)

A great app for when you need to mark up PDFs, Drawboard PDF has a slick interface and a variety of useful tools. Perfect if you work in engineering or design, the app works well with a stylus and lets you add handwritten annotations to PDF documents. It also saves on having to carry around heaps of paper.

Code Writer (Free)

This free code and text editor supports over 20 different coding languages, including HTML, JavaScript, C++ and Python. The layout of the app has been optimised for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, with a similar coloured cell layout to the operating system. It looks pretty, but also works well, has an easy-to-use tabbed document interface and a number of tutorials. For anyone new to programming, this is a great tool to have on your PC.

Skype (Free)

It’s no surprise that some of the best-designed apps to hit the Windows Store have come from within Microsoft. The Skype app was built from the ground up to be ideal for use on a tablet such as the Surface, able to run silently in the background at all times, ready to burst into action when a call or instant message comes in. It’s also one of the few apps we’ve seen that remains genuinely useful when snapped side-by-side with other apps.

Best Windows 10 apps: Entertainment

Netflix (Free; required subscription from £5.99/mnth)

Netflix keeps getting better and better. If Breaking Bad, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black aren’t enough to sway you, the heaps of films available at a single tap will. The app itself is free, but you’ll need a Netflix account to log in.

Still need to update? You can buy Windows 10 Home from Amazon for £84.99

Plex (Free; requires Plex Pass)

Plex offers a slick way to stream your personal media from any device to your Windows 8 or 10 machine. It’s a cross-platform app that enables you to stream any media from one connected device to another. So, in theory, if you have a video stored on your NAS drive at home, but are away on business somewhere, you can stream the content to your Windows 8 or 10 machine via the internet and Plex.

TuneIn Radio (Free)

TuneIn Radio has all the features you’d expect: hundreds of radio stations divided up by region, and many more categorised into dozens of genres. Similar to the website, sports and news stations are given their own sections, and it’s also possible to filter the thousands of stations by language. TuneIn supports podcasts as well, with shows organised into similar genres. If you’re a radio fan, this app is a must.

Best Windows 10 apps: Multimedia

VLC Media Player (Free)

VLC Media Player has long been a staple download for Windows devices and this version for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 is definitely worth having installed. The open source player can manage most audio and video files, including FLAC, MKV, MOV, TS and OGG, and there’s also a media library complete with snazzy orange and black UI.

FL Studio Groove (£6.99)

Ever envied your iPad-owning friends’ GarageBand compositions? Well, now you can create music on your Windows tablet with FL Studio Groove. It’s a miniature sequencer with a wealth of built-in synth and percussion sounds: program your melodies in the piano roll, or play live using the two-tier touch keyboard and drum pad interfaces.

In addition to recording and composition features, there’s also a selection of production tools, including a library of high-quality effects and automation options. Best of all is the price: while professional audio-production software can cost hundreds of pounds, FL Studio Groove turns your laptop or tablet into a portable production studio for just £6.99.

Adobe Photoshop Express (Free)

A simple-to-use app for on-the-go photo editing, Adobe Photoshop Express is a must-have for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 PCs. Tweak your pictures with everything from cropping to colour management, or just touch up your photos with automatic fixes and a range of filters.

Phototastic Collage (Free)

If you loved cutting up photos and making your own collages as a kid this app will appeal. Phototastic Collage offers a simple way to create eye-catching collages from your photos, without any of the risk of accidentally destroying your snaps with a pair of scissors, or getting glue everywhere.

There are plenty of layouts, frames and filters to keep you or your children busy for some time, as well as options to stick up your pictures into wallpapers for your phone or laptop (or Facebook cover photo). You can also add stickers and text, which makes it a useful tool for putting together family photo albums or nostalgia mosaics.

Fresh Paint (Free)

This app emulates the joy of slapping paint on canvas like no other. Paint in one colour and then brush over that same area with another and watch as the colours bleed authentically together. When you’re ready, you can switch on the dryer and stop the colours merging. The option to paint over your digital photos is another feather in this terrific app’s cap.

Music Maker Jam (Free)

A terrific little music-timewaster, Music Maker Jam allows you to blend together your own Dubstep, Jazz or House music, simply by playing with a range sliders and effects. You get to choose which instruments and vocals appear on your tracks and how much emphasis to afford to each, and once you have the balance right you can start experimenting with key changes and writing your own loops. The resulting soundtracks are awesome, especially when played back through proper speakers.

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Best Windows 10 apps: Games

Lara Croft GO (£3.89)

Running and gunning around forgotten tombs may not seem like the most immediate choice for a tactical, turn-based puzzle-adventure, but Lara Croft GO is an absolute delight. Aesthetically, the game goes in the complete opposite direction to the recent Tomb Raider reboot, favouring a beautifully stylised, cell-shaded design over realism. In terms of gameplay, the puzzles are taxing enough to prove a challenge, but won’t leave you completely stumped on your morning commute.

Sonic Dash (Free)

The blue hedgehog’s glory days may be long behind him, but Sonic Dash is an enjoyable diversion nevertheless. This Temple Run-style game sees you running, jumping and dodging past obstacles while collecting rows of floating rings. Playing for an hour or so might be a stretch, but for short bursts this is a great game to have installed. (Free)

Halo: Spartan Strike (£4.59)

Halo is, and always will be, Microsoft’s crowning glory in its Xbox library. Following on from the success of the fantastic top-down tablet shooter Halo: Spartan Assault, Spartan Strike brings brand new visuals and propels you into the boots of your very own Spartan recruit.

You’ll do battle against Promethean and Covenant foes, fighting your way through dense alien jungles and Earth-colonised cities, and it all works wonderfully no matter if you’re playing on a tablet or using an Xbox controller. The only downside is its penchant for pushing in-app purchases on you even after you’ve paid for the app. Thankfully these aren’t necessary to actually play the game.

Ilomilo+ (£3.89)

A Microsoft Studios game that has migrated from Windows Phone 7, Windows 8.1, Xbox Live, and now Windows 10, Ilomilo+ is a delightful little timewaster that Windows tablets could desperately do with more of. The idea is to reunite Ilo and Milo by navigating the 3D level of which they’re trapped on opposite sides. You alternate between controlling both characters, using one to open trapdoors or create paths for the other, until they’re back together. It’s clever, beautifully presented, but perhaps a little too prim for some tastes. A two-player mode adds longevity.

Pinball FX2 (Free)

Touchscreen tablets are perfect for pinball games, allowing you to merely tap on either side of the screen to operate the flippers. Pinball FX 2 isn’t the most impressive pinball app we’ve seen but it has some great features, not least the ability to see how your scores compare to other friends on Xbox Live, and the online tournaments. While the base game is free, buying new tables – such as the Portal one above – does cost money, but they really do keep Pinball FX 2 feeling fresh even years after its launch.

Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition (£7.69)

We’re sure you already know all about Minecraft and it’s incredible takeover of the world, but if you haven’t picked it up already it’s definitely worth wading in on the Windows 10 version. Currently still in Beta, and knowing Mojang it’ll stay that way for a while yet, Windows 10 Edition is optimised for any Windows 10 device and will eventually support Oculus Rift and Microsoft HoloLens. It also has cross-platform multiplayer and benefits from Microsoft’s GameDVR functionality.

Best Windows 10 apps: News and information

Flipboard (Free)

Apple may be after Flipboard’s blood with its News app, but this is still one of the best ways to curate and organise your reading. Browse articles, photos and videos with a few easy swipes, then build your own magazines with articles taken from different publications and share with friends via Facebook and Twitter.

News Republic (Free)

Apps that aggregate news are ten a penny these days. Some are good, some are average and some are terrible. This is a good’un. Why? Because it recognises that content is king. It brings in news from the major publishers and learns what sort of news you like, as well as which services are your favourites.

ESPN FC (Free)

With no sign of a Sky Sports app on Windows 8 devices, it’s up to rival ESPN to bring us our football news and scores, and this quickly improving app does a fantastic job. You can select favourite teams for quick updates, view the latest results and tables from pretty much every major league of interest around the world, as well as European competitions, and it also has some nice feature articles from the ESPN writers.

Wikipedia (Free)

The Wikipedia app provides a convenient way to browse the people’s encyclopedia, particularly on tablet devices. The app’s homescreen highlights featured images and articles of the day, allowing you to dip into completely random topics.

Redditting (Free)

Navigating the morass of news, memes and endless discussion threads that comprises Reddit is no mean feat, but the Redditting client does a brilliant job of boiling it down. Essentially, it turns Reddit into an RSS reader, allowing you to browse your favourite subreddits and filter out sources or contributors you’d rather not hear from. Once you’ve filled out the simple in-app registration, you can also vote posts up or down, add comments or submit links of your own. A setting that allows you to filter adult content could also make Reddit palatable at your place of work.

Best Windows 10 apps: Miscellaneous

Uber (Free)

The ubiquitous taxi app is now available on Windows 10 PCs thanks to Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform. That means you can now request drivers to pick you up from the location pinpointed on your desktop, and if you’re feeling particularly hands-free you can use Cortana to do the work for you. Another nice touch is being able to see a countdown to your ride’s estimated arrival time if you pin the app to your Start menu. 

Duolingo (Free)

One of the best free language learning tools out there, Duolingo is a must-have if you’re looking to take your first steps in a new tongue. Perfect for swatting up on the essentials before a holiday, or testing the waters before embarking on a larger course, the app comes with fun, easy-to-use lessons for Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Danish and Gaelic.

Whether you’re learning the very basics or a few set phrases, the app has a variety of courses for each language. You’ll lose hearts for answering incorrectly, which turns the whole process into a rather addictive game, and adds an important element of fun into the learning process.

Skyscanner (Free)

Flying is almost as unenjoyable as actually paying for the tickets, so anything that improves the latter process is welcome. Skyscanner already enjoys a reputation for finding some of the keenest prices around, and the app makes navigating them easy and quick. It’s intuitive considering the wealth of information it manages, and we especially love the Explore feature, which allows you to circle the globe finding prices to virtually anywhere from your home airport.

Great British Chefs (Free)

The Great British Chefs app looks as appetising as the dishes it will help you to cook. A compendium of recipes from culinary luminaries such as Marcus Wareing, Nathan Outlaw and Tom Aikens, the app provides a wide selection of dishes for cooks of all abilities. Once you’ve selected your chosen dishes, the combined ingredients can be added to your shopping list, which is handily broken down by shopping aisle and can be exported to email or Evernote.

Cocktail Flow (Free)

Cocktail apps aren’t rare on iOS and Android, but this Windows app is a fine example of the genre. Select cocktail recipes by name, type and even colour, or – we like this bit – select all the spirits, mixers and liqueurs you have in your kitchen and the My Bar section will scan its database for cocktails it can create from them.

Star Chart (Free)

Star Chart takes a familiar app idea – using your tablet’s camera to explore the night sky – and executes it with tremendous panache. Use it as an augmented-reality star finder, or simply as an educational tool if you’re indoors – and it has a neat Night mode to make it easier to see what’s going on in the dark.

Khan Academy (Free)

If you haven’t heard of Khan Academy, it’s a global not-for-profit organisation that aims to educate the world for free. The iPad app gives access to its library of more than 3,200 teaching videos, covering all the branches of maths, the sciences (including its foray into computing), history and even finance and economics. It also has a section for talks, similar to the TED app. The quality of the teaching varies by topic and teacher, but it’s a free resource that’s designed specifically to engage and explain rather than simply talk at students.