The 100 Best Apple iPad Apps

How many native iPad apps are there in the iTunes App Store? 1,000? 5,000? 10,000? Not even close. Apple revealed in October, 2012 that there are more than 275,000 dedicated iPad apps. That's more than a quarter million apps that run the gamut from the social to the business-centric. That's a lot of software battling for a home on your iPad, or iPad mini. As such, you need to be discerning in your app selection—your iPad may quickly fill up, depending on its storage capacity, multimedia content, and lure of free and dirt-cheap apps.

The App Store contains some truly magnificent apps and some... that are not. So the vital question is this: How do you find the gems? The most obvious answer is to read the App Store user ratings and reviews, but that's a potential time-suck of massive proportions. Plus, user reviews can be highly biased, and a little-known app may have only a handful of reviews. The better answer would be to check out our associate picks as the staff has tested hundreds of iPad apps and weeded out the stinkers.

What You'll Find in This List
our associate 100 best iPad apps list focuses on native iPad apps that deliver unique and compelling tablet-based experiences all their own, not iPhone apps running in 2X mode. We've broken our selections into seven categories to make finding the best iPad apps even easier: Social Networking, Business, Communication, Entertainment, Creativity, News/Reference/ Information, and Reading. Unless stated, all of the apps presented here are compatible with all existing iPad models.

Please note that iPad apps are sometimes pricier than iPhone apps. Still, many of the apps listed here are free, or cost less than $10. That may be relatively pricey by iPhone standards, where the 99- cent price points rules the roost, but, compared to with desktop software it's a bargain. Install all the apps that appeal to you (assuming your iPad has the available storage!), and you'll be well on the way to an excellent tablet computer experience. We've included links to in-depth reviews when available.

What You Won't Find In This List
You won't find pre-installed apps or games in this iPad app collection. The former weren't included because default apps are easy to find—they live on your home screen. The latter weren't included because we've given the best iPad games their own dedicated, curated section that highlights the best iOS games.

You can either navigate our list via the 100 Best iPad Apps slideshow above or the table of contents at the top right. If a particular application catches your eye, click through to the full review to learn more.

Leave a comment below if you feel that our selections are dead-on or if we've overlooked a potentially worthy candidate. And don't forget to check out the links below for even more iPad apps coverage.