Since today is the last day of 2013, I figured it would be appropriate to write a blog post about some of my favorite iPhone apps that I have been using over the past year, as well as some of the apps that have been popular over during 2013, as well.

In no particular order, here is my list of my favorite iPhone apps of 2013:

Tweetbot 3 by Tapbots

$4.99 – iPhone/iPod Touch

Tweetbot 3 is the latest version of a Twitter application that enables users to view tweets from multiple timelines, as well as view and reply to tweets using various gestures throughout the app. Additionally, Tweetbot features nice graphics and aesthetics, with the option to view your timeline(s) in either a lighter “daytime” theme and a darker “nighttime” theme.

Instagram

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

Another app that has appeared on this list in previous years, Instagram is a social photo-sharing application that enables users to post photos for their followers and other users to like and comment on. Recently, in the most recent version of the app, users were given the ability to send photos to other users directly, and before that, and earlier in the year, the ability to post videos to their Instagram account.

Snapchat by Snapchat, Inc.

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

Snapchat is a popular app, that enables users to send photos and short video clips to one another, with the option to add text and drawings to them. Recently, Snapchat Stories were added to the app, which allows users to post multiple photos to their “Stories”, which are available for a period of 24 hours, unlike a regular Snapchat, which only lasts for up to 10 seconds.

YouTube by Google, Inc.

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

The official YouTube application essentially “replaced” the previous YouTube app, created by Apple, that came as one of the pre-installed apps on iOS 6. The YouTube app lets users sign in with their Google or YouTube accounts, as well as view, comment on, and like or dislike videos from the users that they are subscribed to, and also offers suggested videos, like the YouTube website does. Additionally, users can view their YouTube channels and even use the “Capture” app (or the iOS camera app) to record and upload videos to YouTube, as well.

Tinder by Tinder, Inc.

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

Tinder is a social/dating application that allows users to “meet” new people by displaying a photo of a user, and allowing them to either swipe right and “like” the user, or swipe left and “dislike” the user. If two users swipe right or “like” each other’s profiles, they will be matched and given the ability to chat with each other within the app.

Additionally, Tinder enables users to post multiple photos to their profiles, should users wish to view more about a user, as well as displays some text and what the two users have in common. Most of this information, including photos and common interests is taken from users’ Facebook profiles.

Plants vs. Zombies 2, by PopCap

Free- iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

The second version of the popular tower-defense game, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a game where the goal is to prevent hoards of zombies from attacking your house. In order to do this, users can plant a variety of plants, each with their own abilities (some shoot peas, others freeze the zombies, etc.), in order to deter and kill the zombies before they gain access to your house.

Plants vs. Zombies 2 adds some new features, including power-ups, new plant and zombie types, and more, with the ability for users to purchase coins and other features via  in-app purchases, which can be used to buy more power-ups, unlock new areas, unlock new plants, and more!

Mint by Mint.com

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

The Mint app, as well as the Mint.com website, both of which are owned by Intuit, Inc., are two great tools that enable users to view and manage their personal finances.

Mint enables users to connect their bank, credit card, and other types of accounts to their accounts on the Mint website, where they can then view their spending using a variety of useful tools, including graphs, and also enables users to create and manage budgets, as well as see where their money has been spent over time. Mint does not allow users to actually “move” or access their money, but is a useful tool to help users manage their personal finances.

NetFlix by NetFlix, Inc.

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

While I’m sure most people are familiar with NetFlix and their great streaming service, I figured I would include this app on the list of my favorite apps of 2013 because it can be quite useful for watching movies and TV shows, especially if you are traveling or not around a TV, or if you, like me, can’t really see a TV without wearing your glasses!

The NetFlix app works with NetFlix’s streaming service, which costs $7.99 a month, and enables users to watch a variety of movies, documentaries, TV shows, and more! (If you want a free trial of NetFlix, you can go to http://netflix.com/woody!)

Dropbox by Dropbox

Free – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad | Android

Dropbox is another app that is probably more well-known, but is still an app that is useful for storing files between multiple computers and devices, including iOS and Android devices. With Dropbox, if you want to make a file accessible to your variety of devices, you can do simply by placing it in your “Dropbox” folder, which will store it in the cloud and make it accessible across all of your devices via the Dropbox app or web interface.

Dropbox provides 2 GB of storage space for free accounts (with the ability to have up to 16 GB of space for free), and offers plans that allow more storage, starting at $9.99 a month. There are also business plans available, starting at $15 per user.

Calcbot by Tapbots

[Price] – iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad

Calcbot is a calculator app for iOS devices that is a great alternative to Apple’s Calculator app that comes with iOS. Calcbot features the ability to view and use past expressions and calculations or answers, as well as perform a variety of standard and scientific calculations and operations.

Do you have any experiences with these apps? Are there any apps that you like that were not included? If so, please feel free to let us know what you think in the comments!

I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, fun, and safe new year!