The 101 best iPhone apps in the world today

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In celebration of the App Store turning one this weekend, and in an attempt to try to prove to Dan that it’s not a load of novelty nonsense, I now present to you the 101 best iPhone apps in the world today.

Quite some claim, huh? I know that one of your favourites won’t be listed here, and you’ll be shocked, appalled or just mildly ticked off that I’ve dared to include X or Y by Company Z, but there you go — that’s lists for you.

Feel free to tell us what your favourite iPhone apps are. I’ve tried to include a cross-section of games, serious apps, productivity, lifestyle and other apps, but of course I’m biased. I’d be happy to have all of these on my iPhone. Some of them are free, some are rather pricey, but I believe they’re worthy of the list.

Just don’t blame me if you buy something from this list and don’t like it. Deal?

Here we go. Hop over the jump to see the list.

1

Ocarina

Play a virtual ocarina by blowing into the iPhone’s microphone and playing notes on the touchscreen.

Music Creation 59p Download

2

Wurdle

Addictive Boggle-style word game with loads of options, global high scores, word definitions.

Game £1.19 Download

3

Bejeweled 2

The classic addictive puzzle on your iPhone.

Game £1.79 Download

4

Brothers in Arms

Play as a soldier of the 101st Airborne in intense WWII battles.

Game £2.99 Download

5

Bloom

Amazing sound generator devised by Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers. Has to be played to be believed.

Music Creation £2.39 Download

6

FerrariGT: Evolution

Realistic and immersive motor racing game featuring the world famous Italian cars

Game £2.99 Download

7

Fring

Connect through multiple instant messaging clients from the same application.

Communication Free Download

8

Skype

Full-featured iPhone version of Skype, including voice calls, SMS and IM

Communication Free Download

9

Google Earth

Get the amazing Google Earth experience on your iPhone

Entertainment Free Download

10

iBlueSky

Draw, store and export mind-maps on your iPhone.

Productivity £5.99 Download

11

TweetDeck

Portable version of the immensely popular Twitter client

Communication Free Download

12

Noise.io Pro

Incredible and fully-featured synthesizer with sound editing.

Music Creation £5.49 Download

13

Platypus

The “squishy shoot ’em up”, this sideways scrolling arcade game is great fun and a challenge at higher levels.

Game £2.99 Download

14

Remote

Apple’s own wireless iTunes controller.

Entertainment Free Download

15

Soundcurtain

If you struggle trying to concentrate with irritating noises going on all around you, try Soundcurtain which uses FutureAcoustic a3 technology to mask them.

Audio £2.39 Download

16

Spore Origins

EA’s classic game of evolution on your iPhone. Grow yourself a creature then help it survive its world.

Game £1.79 Download

17

Stanza

EBook reader with support for thousands of titles from Lexcycle plus import of your own documentation.

Entertainment Free Download

18

Star Guitar

Simulate different guitars simply by tapping a few buttons.

Music Creation £1.79 Download

19

Synthpond

Amazing sound creation tool based on orbiting shapes, great visuals as well as sound. Loads of options.

Music Creation £1.19 Download

20

TouchTerm Pro SSH

Connect securely to the command line interface of any Internet-connected computer/server.

Utilities £2.99 Download

21

WordPress

Maintain your WordPress blog from this standalone application.

Internet Free Download

22

Sky News

Keep up-to-date with the latest news from one of its leading gatherers.

News Free Download

23

My Little Tank

Arcade style action on a miniature scale. Blast your tiny tanks into action.

Game £1.79 Download

24

London Tube Deluxe

Never get lost in underground London again with this really useful map app.

Lifestyle 59p Download

25

Let’s Golf!

Cutesy golfing game that’s easy to play.

Game £1.19 Download

26

Brushes

Cool finger drawing app that goes a bit beyond the standard.

Art £2.99 Download

27

Peggle

iPhone version of this classic casual game with some nice touches.

Game £2.99 Download

28

Air Mouse Pro

Control your computer from afar by using your iPhone as a wireless mouse

Utility £1.19 Download

29

Facebook

Connect to your Facebook account anytime you want.

Social Network Free Download

30

Shazam

Find out what that song you’ve just heard is and then share it or buy it.

Music Free Download

31

Tap Tap Revenge

Awesome music rhythm game, simply tap with your fingers and attain rock stardom.

Game 59p Download

32

PDF Reader Pro

Read and manage PDF files on your iPhone with ease

Utility 59p Download

33

Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy

Learn about the night sky and everything in it with this cool astronomy app.

Education £1.79 Download

34

Kids Game Pack

Keep the children happy with this collection of nine simple games from Jirbo.

Game 59p Download

35

Koi Pond

Cool simulation of Koi in a river.

Entertainment 59p Download

36

Bento

Manage databases with ease with Filemaker’s mobile app.

Utility £2.99 Download

37

RunKeeper Pro

Track your running routines with ease.

Health & Fitness £5.99 Download

38

iVideo Cocktails

Discover a whole world of cocktail mixing with this app.

Entertainment £1.19 Download

39

Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D

Awesome racing game.

Game £3.49 Download

40

Virtual Pool Online

Ultra-realistic 3D pool gaming.

Game £1.79 Download

41

Shanghai Mahjong

Enjoy this ancient strategy game on your iPhone

Game £2.99 Download

42

Photogene

Awesome image manipulation tool with features you’d normally only get on the desktop

Photography £1.79 Download

43

LinkedIn

Connect to your business pals wherever you are.

Social Network Free Download

44

Decibel

Find out just how loud your neighbours are with this handy noise meter.

Utility 59p Download

45

Sketch Pad – Unlimited Canvas

Draw, doodle, write notes on a huge canvas. Great for notes and scribbles.

Productivity 59p Download

46

Evernote

Keep track of your life with multimedia notes, voice recording, syncing and more.

Productivity Free Download

47

ShapeWriter Pro

Interesting new method of inputting text by drawing over a virtual keyboard.

Utility £2.99 Download

48

eBay Mobile

Check your eBay account wherever you are.

Internet Free Download

49

Drinks

Make a huge range of drinks with this recipe database.

Lifestyle £1.19 Download

50

Mocha VNC

Connect to your PC or Mac and control it from your iPhone.

Utility £3.49 Download

51

Radio

Listen to a huge range of Internet radio stations.

Entertainment 59p Download

52

BeatMaker

Awesome music creation studio featuring drum machines, sampling, audio effects and a lot more.

Music Creation £11.99 Download

53

Midomi

Hum or whistle that irritating tune and Midomi will find out what it is.

Entertainment £2.99 Download

54

Absolute Fitness

Track diet, exercise, weight, set goals and much more.

Health & Fitness £8.99 Download

55

Crosswords

Addicts unite with this handy portable crossword game.

Game £5.99 Download

56

Air Sharing

Share documents from your computer over Wi-Fi

Utility £2.99 Download

57

PanoLab

Create panoramic stitching photos.

Photography Free Download

58

Simplify Media

Remotely access your computer’s iTunes library from your iPhone.

Music £2.39 Download

59

Tioti TV+

Get up-to-date listings for all major UK TV stations.

Entertainment £1.79 Download

60

X2 Football 2009

Realistic arcade football simulation.

Game £3.99 Download

61

Weight Tracker

Track weight, set goals, set up for multiple users.

Health & Fitness 59p Download

62

TypePad

Maintain your TypePad blog with this free software.

Internet Free Download

63

Keeper Password & Data Vault

If you have to store your passwords somewhere in order to remember them, Keeper is the place to do it.

Utility Free Download

64

Wolfenstein 3D Classic

The classic first person shooter on your iPhone

Game £1.79 Download

65

Movies

Get up-to-date information about films showing in your area.

Entertainment Free Download

66

Urbanspoon

Find the best local places to eat out with just a shake.

Lifestyle Free Download

67

Dictionary.com

Exactly what it says – find dictionary definitions without needing a Net connection.

Utility Free Download

68

Etch-a-Sketch

Put a virtual Etch-a-Sketch on your iPhone.

Game £1.19 Download

69

Vicinity

Find out what’s around you.

Lifestyle £1.79 Download

70

Currency

Quickly find exchange rate information and convert amounts.

Utility Free Download

71

Astraware Board Games

A collection of classic board games for your iPhone including Chess, checkers, Ludo, Snakes & Ladders.

Game £1.79 Download

72

Brain Challenge

Give your brain a serious workout with these training exercises.

Game £2.99 Download

73

Guitar Rock Tour

Perfect your guitar and drumming technique to classic rock tracks.

Game £1.79 Download

74

iBrainWave

Create binaural beats, white noise and other sounds.

Health & Fitness £2.39 Download

75

Last.fm

Free streaming music tracks to your iPhone.

Music Free Download

76

Kaleido

Turn your photos into kaleidoscopes.

Art £1.79 Download

77

a2z Pro Unit Converter

Convert pretty much anything to anything else with this extensive conversion tool.

Utility Free Download

78

Super Monkey Ball

One of Sega’s first, and one of the best. Takes some getting used to but worth playing

Game £3.49 Download

79

Palettes

Great for the mobile graphic designer or artist needing to work with colour palettes.

Productivity £5.99 Download

80

WhatTheFont

Find out what any font is by taking a photo of it and then matching it to this font database.

Productivity Free Download

81

WorkTimer

For the freelancer or contractor, or anyone who wants to know how much time they spend on various projects.

Productivity 59p Download

82

PhotoBucket

View and manage PhotoBucket photos.

Art Free Download

83

iFirstAid Lite

Look up common first aid and health issues in this database.

Health & Fitness Free Download

84

Metal Gear Solid Touch

Explosive action comes to your iPhone with the hit MGS4: Guns of the Patriots

Game £4.99 Download

85

Sketches

Nice little sketching/drawing app.

Art £2.99 Download

86

GeoCaching

Take part in the GeoCaching craze with this app.

Lifestyle £5.99 Download

87

CameraBag

Add new effects to your photos and enhance the iPhone’s built-in camera abilities.

Photography £1.19 Download

88

Night Stand

Turn your iPhone into a bedside alarm clock with this cool little app.

Utility 59p Download

89

OmniFocus

Extensive task management and productivity suite.

Productivity £11.99 Download

90

KuGon

Improve critical thinking, speed and memory with these brain teasers.

Game £1.79 Download

91

Trism

Cool matching game using iPhone’s accelerometer to great effect.

Game £1.79 Download

92

Rhapsolyric

Find lyrics to songs in your iTunes library.

Music Free Download

93

GolfCard

Keep a track of your round with this handy golf app. Over 23,000 courses worldwide are in the database.

Lifestyle £4.99 Download

94

RjDj

Download “musical worlds” from different artists. Needs to be heard to be believed.

Music Free Download

95

Wiki Tap

Wikipedia on the iPhone with quick searching, saved viewing history and more.

Reference Free Download

96

Night Camera

Attempts to create better nighttime shots by only taking pictures when the iPhone is still, thus reducing motion shake.

Photography 59p Download

97

TappyTunes

Cute little music game ideal for young kids. Preloaded music is played simply by tapping the screen.

Music £1.19 Download

98

BookWorm

Nice word-building puzzle game, aimed at kids but with enough options to keep adults entertained.

Game £2.99 Download

99

iFlashReady

Software-based flash manipulates and improves images.

Photography 59p Download

100

Type Drawing

Fun drawing tool which lets you draw with letters.

Art 59p Download

101

Comic Touch

Add special effects and comic-like speech bubbles to your photos.

Art £1.79 Download


Still want more apps?

Here’s the top 10 iPhone gaming apps

Here’s the top ten iPhone music apps

And here’s ten really useful iPhone apps

Andy Merrett
For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv

96 comments

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  • I love Shazam! It’s one of my favorite iPhone app. It lets you identify songs playing on the radio, on TV, or anywhere.

  • I love Shazam! It's one of my favorite iPhone app. It lets you identify songs playing on the radio, on TV, or anywhere.

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  • An app that will store passwords, social security numbers and credit card numbers? Gee, thanks for making that identity theft thing so easy. Yeah, that’s one of the 18 best apps!

  • Hi Andy,
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    Awesome post and would of great information for those who have recently bought IPhone and looking for IPhone applications. I am lucky I found so many applications here.

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  • Hi Andy,
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  • Hi Andy,
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  • Well, i agree, nice list, thanks to provide this
    best apps collection list, i like bloom, and fring most and also others, thanks to share with us, really nice website about tech.

  • RunKeeper Pro I use and love. The only problem I had with the recent updates, is no longer allowed to go back and see what his pace was at certain points in the race. But just sent an email saying they were back in the next update. Very worth it!

  • Just to let you know about a truly unique game that has just appeared on Applestore. Called Persuasion it is all about the player’s personality. They mark the game board where they think their personality should be located and then answer lots of thought-provoking questions about character. They need the right answers to hit target. They can play a truth game or adopt an “alien” personality and lie their way to target. It’s a fun way to find out if you are good at judging character. It taps into the fascination of personality questionnaires with a competitive twist. More info from Cat Goulbourne : [email protected] or visit the website : http://www.Persuasion-game.com

  • Just to let you know about a truly unique game that has just appeared on Applestore. Called Persuasion it is all about the player’s personality. They mark the game board where they think their personality should be located and then answer lots of thought-provoking questions about character. They need the right answers to hit target. They can play a truth game or adopt an “alien” personality and lie their way to target. It’s a fun way to find out if you are good at judging character. It taps into the fascination of personality questionnaires with a competitive twist. More info from Cat Goulbourne : [email protected] or visit the website : http://www.Persuasion-game.com

  • Just to let you know about a truly unique game that has just appeared on Applestore. Called Persuasion it is all about the player’s personality. They mark the game board where they think their personality should be located and then answer lots of thought-provoking questions about character. They need the right answers to hit target. They can play a truth game or adopt an “alien” personality and lie their way to target. It’s a fun way to find out if you are good at judging character. It taps into the fascination of personality questionnaires with a competitive twist. More info from Cat Goulbourne : [email protected] or visit the website : http://www.Persuasion-game.com

  • I think the ability to respond in real-time to that e-mail, job opening or blog comment will be more important than ever before. Here are the 33 best iPhone apps for building a personal brand on-the-go. Thanks for sharing this nice topic with us.

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  • I use RunKeeper Pro and love it. The only problem I’ve had with recent updates is that it no longer allows you to go back and see what your pace was at certain points on the run. But they just sent out an email saying they were bringing it back in the next update. Very worth it!

  • hi, i installed ocarina v1.4.2 and cant run the apps…. im using iphone 3g with 4.0.1 iOS. i did soft reset 3 times, and hard reset once, still can’t… need help T_T

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  • Good list of social apps. Very handy is also the new Who’s Free app, I’ve tried a few social apps now and I really like this one cuz it’s easy to use. I got it from here http://bit.ly/htLQDW

  • Have anybody of you heard about Good Hotel Guide app? I use this web site, it’s really grate and helpful but I’ve never used IPhone apps before… I travel a lot so I guess it can be very useful for me. Do you know where I can buy this app?

  • Great list, have taken you for your word and the kids love the ocarina.
    Thanks for taking the time to write this list.

  • Faketext is a hot new app that allow you to hide your real text messages on your iPhone. Check it out at faketext.com, you can go there straight from your iPhone since it is a webapp and is free.

  • if you run/bike, the best application ever is RunKeeper, a free app that uses the iphone’s GPS to track your fitness activities on a map (and much more!!)

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  • Great additional suggestions coming out.

    @Newjorg: not sure which community you’re talking to – I’d hate to think that I’m in the exact same homogenised community as EVERY other iPhone owner.

    I quite liked SMB, and I’m not sure why EA should have to give its stuff away for free (appalling DRM issues on the PC version of Spore aside).

    I’m hearing a lot of support for ROLANDO 2 which is great – I’ve not tried it myself but probably will give it a go.

    Also, I didn’t want to flood the list with games as they’re not the only thing in the store. I suspect if I’d listed the 101 best iPhone games I still wouldn’t have got it anywhere near right.

  • #16 Spore Origins

    REALLY?

    where are great, innovative, award winning games like EDGE, ELISS and ROLANDO 2?

    Instead you list the lazy Super Monkey Ball port with awful accelerometer support, and the absolutely uninspired Spore, which EA really should give away for free.

    This list is a big disappointment and doesn’t reflect real quality nor what the iPhone community truly loves.

  • Surprised not to see Rolando, Rolando 2, Star Defense and Real Racing up there.

  • Nice list but you missed one of the great and important apps: i.TV – TV Listing based on location and service.

    • Hadn’t come across that Jeremy. I tried to limit my apps to ones that would be of most use to people in the UK, and Tioti does pretty well there, but I’ll check out your suggestion.

  • Interesting list – thanks for sharing! I don’t know how you got your ranking scheme together – I put my hot apps on page 1 of my iPhone screen and everything else in the depths for occasional use with promotion to page 1 if they beat out a contender. My first page includes some you’ve missed:
    Guitar Toolkit: tuner, chords and more – essential for budding musicians
    At Bat Lite – only lite because MLB fumbled the ball last year by not making it clear we’d be charged every season for the full video clip version.
    Kindle- without a doubt my favorite fun app on the phone
    SenseApp – tracking Google AdSense revenue for my sites
    AppSales – available for compilation only from google code allows you to track iPhone app downloads
    Summizer – track twitter searches
    Lose It! – calorie counting and weight tracking
    Things – best TODO application ever – synchs to Mac desktop app
    WalkJogRun – sure I’m biassed but my app is the only app to help you find exercise routes wherever you travel

    • Hi Adam,

      Combination of the apps I like, what I know other people like, other lists assembled over time, hot lists in various categories, and so on.

      The guitar toolkit would defo be useful.

  • Nice list Stretchy. It’s always going to be difficult picking 101 (or even 1001) from the myriad of apps in the store. About a quarter of the list I’ve created are games, and I’ve maybe over-represented some of the music creation apps as well (good though they are, and there were plenty more) as that’s what I’m into.

    • Thanks so much for this post. There is very good and helpful information in this post. Keep up the good work.
      Also go to the link below to know about new mobile application for iPhone and iPad, named ‘GlobalSourcer’.
      Best iPhone apps

  • apology – I accused you of not having last.fm in your list, yet its at 75. 🙂

    • By the way, something at #75 is no less good than at #1 – these are all “cream of the crop” and aren’t really ordered in any other way.

  • I’m surprised that you haven’t any of my Fave apps in the above list.

    Games

    1) Lux Touch – Free – This is basically High Speed RISK (board game), and its free

    2) Parallel Kingdoms – Free – Online MMORPG using real locations on a google maps backdrop.

    3) geodefence – £2.39 – in my mind this is the best tower defence game out there.

    4) Galcon – £1.79 (lite version available) – This is basically a rts game. Single player is ok but where it shines is the online battles. This was one of the first multiplayer games for the iPhone and is still one of the best

    Apps

    1) TED – Free – This is instant access to all of the TED lectures. TED is an invitation only lecture series where guest speakers talk for max 15 mins on something amazing. Sounds dull but it isnt. The topics are so wide ranging that even one of my chav friends was impressed (hes normally only impressed by stella and ‘birds’)

    2) Ifooty – Free – I know nothing about football. BUT at a press of an icon I can find out how any football game is going with live kick by kick.

    3) Accuweather – Free – Much weather app than the standard one.

    4) Last FM – Free – Last FM in your pocket. Every genre of music just a click away.

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