Sure, there are a lot of great free apps in the iTunes App Store. Sometimes, you get apps that will remain evergreen on your iPad. Here now are the very best!
Netflix (Free with subscription)
The app itself may be free, but you’ll need a subscription to use Netflix’s video streaming capabilities. But if you’re a subscriber, Netflix is a must-have app that lets you watch all kinds of TV shows and movies on your iPad. You can stream as much content as you want over your Internet connection, and Netflix allows for multiple accounts, so you can keep your movies separate from those of other people who might use your device.
Numbers ($9.99)
You might not immediately think This will be great for spreadsheets! when you pick up an iPad, but Numbers is an app that makes the iPad extremely useful for dealing with, well, numbers. The app lets you quickly create, manage, add to and utilize spreadsheets using touch controls. It makes it easy to make them not only highly functional, but also well-designed with visual elements and images so you can share them with others.
Disney Animated ($9.99)
Get a look at how Disney’s critically-acclaimed animated movies are made with Disney Animated. The app was chosen by Apple to be its 2013 iPad App of the Year, and for good reason. It shows users how Disney animated films come together with text, visuals, clips, and even allows kids using it to try their hand animating Disney characters within the app. There’s a lot to learn here, and it’s all delivered in an elegant, easy-to-use package.
Reeder 2 ($4.99)
Reeder 2 works with your favorite RSS reader apps, like Feedly and Readability, to bring you all the articles you want to read from the Internet to one place. The app makes all the articles you import easy to read the ability to select from multiple themes, and there are a number of supported services so you can easily share what you’re reading.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore ($4.99)
Part storybook, part movie and part game, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore places kids and adults into a magical world. Based on the short film of the same name, the app goes beyond animation to engage kids in its story, inviting them to participate in interactive moments as well as to enjoy the animation in between. Kids can also read along with the story to learn a thing or two, as well.
Fantastical 2 ($9.99)
Keeping organized is just as important on your iPad as your iPhone, and that’s want makes Fantastical 2 a great app to have on either. The calendar app handles all your appointments and to-do list reminders, allowing you to quickly add things to your schedule with natural text — the app picks out the information, like when and where. You can also set location-based reminders as well as timed ones, and Fantastical can sync with iCal and Google Calendar to help you manage all your appointments.
Tweetbot ($2.99)
Well-loved Twitter client Tweetbot makes using the social network easy, especially thanks to the iPad’s larger screen. The app lets you use its clean, simple interface to access your Twitter timeline, and you can easily share status updates, videos, images and links. Tweetbot also supports multiple accounts and works with integration from apps such as Pocket and Instapaper, and includes features like customized navigation tabs and saved drafts.
iMovie ($4.99)
Apple’s movie editing app is at its best with the big screen of the iPad. The app uses touch controls to make editing together video clips a snap, and allows you to create and save movies made from the videos you shoot on your iOS devices. When you’re done, you can easily save them with iCloud or show them off on your TV or computer using AirPlay.
Instapaper ($3.99)
Another app made for leveraging your iPad as a reading device, Instapaper gained tons of popularity when it first came on the scene. It allows you to save articles and other elements from your computer’s browser so that you can read them later on your mobile device. Instapaper also removed ads and other annoyances for maximum readability.
Photon Flash Player ($4.99)
Unfortunately, your iPad can’t play Flash videos or games from the Internet natively, but Photon fixes that. The app first and foremost allows you to open Flash-enabled websites and use them as you normally would on your computer. It also doubles as a web browser, so you can surf the web normally without getting hung up on Flash sites as you might in Safari or other iOS browsers. On top of all that, Photon’s browser comes with private browsing features to protect your information.
