Guide • December 21, 2016

The Best Apps and Services of 2016

Our favorite sites, apps, and products from the past year

Truebill

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Netflix, Spotify, your half dozen poetry magazines: You’re a person with subscriptions. Make sure they’re only the ones you want, and that you’re not paying for anything fishy, by linking your bank account with Truebill.
GoodRX

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Runny nose? Ugh. Paying out the nose for prescriptions? Double ugh. GoodRX lets you compare prices for prescription drugs at nearby pharmacies, so you can get the best price. Just search for your meds, and it’ll compile coupons and discounts to show you the cheapest option.
AccessURL

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Is your brother trying to convince you to let him use your Netflix login? There’s a better way. Give your friends and family access to your accounts, like Netflix and Amazon, without giving out your password with the Chrome extension AccessURL.
GrubMarket

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Eating organic is great, when you can afford it. Start buying your produce from GrubMarket, a service that delivers organic, California-grown foods to you, for less than grocery store prices. Browse the site or use the apps (iOS + Android) for produce-ordering on the go.
Atom

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Going to the movies is the best, except for the part where you wait in line for tickets, then wait in line for popcorn, and then can’t get a seat next to Shia LeBeouf. Atom is the answer—grab this app to purchase movie tix and snacks ahead of time at theaters across the USA.
Notarize

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Sometimes in life, we have to do things that annoy us, like getting documents notarized. Woof, no thanks. Try Notarize, an iOS app and website to get any document notarized 24/7 for $25.
Hamlet

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Here’s how to furniture shop in 2017: First, look up from your morning cereal and note the lack of end tables in your living room. Second, text Hamlet, and let a concierge help find the decor items you’re looking for. Third, buy the item on their mobile-friendly site. Fourth, take another bite of cereal.
Stash

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What sounds worse to you: Taking 30 kindergarteners on a trip to a waterpark, or investing? If you said investing, try Stash. Describe your investment goals, and get a list of portfolios that suit your needs. Your first 3 months are free, and Stash charges $1/month after that, or 0.25% of your account annually once you hit $5,000. So easy.
Shoptagr

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Online shopping is like driving: Few people are actually that good at it. Up your game with Shoptagr. It’s a Chrome extension and app that lets you save items from across the web in a universal shopping cart. It even alerts you about price drops and restocks.
Brave

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Oh, how we love to surf the World Wide Web. Stay safe out there with Brave, a browser (macOS, Windows, Linux), that automatically blocks ads and trackers online and routes you over secure HTTPS connections. You’re good to go.
Airy

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Some things, like a cheesy gordita crunch, travel well. Others, like YouTube, do not. Enter Airy, a Mac and Windows app that lets you download YouTube videos for offline viewing. Just input the URL, grab the file, and go. And maybe hit up Taco Bell on the way.
Cymbal

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Sure, Spotify’s Discover Weekly is great, but wouldn’t it be nice to get recommendations from people you actually know and respect? Enter: Cymbal. Share your song of the moment, Instagram-style, and scroll through your feed to see what others are listening to. Follow artists, labels, and friends.
Fakespot

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There’s a lot of fakery online, and that’s particularly true with product reviews. Fortunately, you can avoid those on Amazon with Fakespot, a Chrome extension that analyzes reviews and shows you which ones are genuine and which aren’t. Take that, fakers.
Claimdog

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Who couldn’t use a little extra cash this holiday season? Visit Claimdog to search your name and check if you’re owed money. Yes, this is a thing. When businesses owe you money but can’t find you, your state government holds that cash. Search now!
Staff Picks

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But wait! There’s even more great stuff out there—browse our Staff Picks Guide to see the favorite apps and web services of everyone at The Webby Awards. Because if we love it, you’ll probably love it too.
LA City Guide

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Where can you get sand, surf, stars, loads of traffic, and dynamite tacos? Why, Los Angeles of course! Explore LA with these 21 apps and services for going out, getting around, and enjoying the City of Angels. Hate the beach? Check out our guides for Boston and Chicago as well.