Quarantine sucks. These services make it easier to get stuff done and stay sane

Skype -- owned by Microsoft -- is available for iOS, Android, Windows and Mac, and offers video and audio calling, as well as a messaging feature. It has an easy-to-use interface, and supports up to 50 people on the same audio call (the number of video callers depends on what device you're using, according to the company). Skype also lets you record, save and share your video calls, and has live captions and subtitles. 

Read more: 10 free Zoom alternative apps for video chats

Zoom is a video conferencing app that works for Android, iOS, PC and Mac. It offers a basic free plan that hosts up to 100 participants, as well as options for small and medium business teams and large enterprises. Up to 1,000 users can participate in a single Zoom video call, and 49 videos can appear on the screen at once. Zoom is also temporarily lifting the 40-minute time limit on free Basic accounts for schools affected by the coronavirus, giving students and K-12 schools free access. 

While the video chat service's rapid growth during the pandemic has led to the reveal of a number of privacy and security issues, there are some ways to protect your account and your chats from Zoombombing and other privacy flaws. 

Read more: How to use Zoom like a pro: 13 hidden features to try at your next meeting

Using a virtual private network gives you online privacy and anonymity, and helps you establish secure and encrypted connections -- especially important when working from home. If your company does not provide a VPN, CNET's Rae Hodge rates ExpressVPN as one of the fastest on the market: In her speed tests, using ExpressVPN resulted in less than 2% overall loss of internet speed -- while most other VPNs can reduce speeds by half or more. ExpressVPN also has a strong privacy policy, and does not collect logs of personally identifying user data. It's also easy to use, with a user-friendly interface. 

Read more: The best VPN services for 2020

LastPass is a great password manager with a free version that lets you store passwords, user login info and credentials and sync all of it wherever you want -- across desktop, mobile and browsers. If you upgrade to Premium for $36 a year, you can share multiple passwords, logins, memberships and other items with trusted emergency contacts, and access multifactor authentication through YubiKey and a fingerprint scanner, and 1GB of encrypted storage. 

Read more: The best password managers for 2020 and how to use them

Google Drive allows you to store, share and access your files from any device, and offers 15GB of free storage. It also integrates well with Gmail and the rest of the G Suite tools -- if you already use any of those, it's also easy to set up. You can use Google Drive across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. 

Read more: OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive and Box: Which cloud storage service is right for you?

Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management service with a number of features, including task management, automation, time tracking, charts and reporting, and social project tracking. Plus, Zoho is currently offering it free now until July. 

Read more: Zoho offers free work-from-home software for coronavirus-careful businesses

Recently ranked the most popular food delivery app, DoorDash has 310,000 restaurants located in 4,000 cities worldwide, 80% of which are in the US, according to the company. The app's interface is a bit busy, but helpful: A menu of icons at the top of the screen lets you search by type of food or by rating level, price level, delivery in under 30 minutes or vegetarian options. If you're a frequent user, you can sign up for DoorDash's subscription service, DashPass: For $10 a month, you get free delivery and lower service fees from thousands of restaurants nationwide. 

Read more: Best food delivery service: DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats and more compared 

Instacart shines on the grocery delivery front thanks to its wide availability: You can find the service in 40 states plus DC, and delivery is typically available from a number of different grocery stores in an area, including pharmacies, pet stores and even liquor stores. Unlike another widely available grocery delivery service, Amazon Fresh, you don't need to be a member to use it -- though there are delivery fees unless you become one. 

Read more: How to safely order food delivery, takeout and groceries during coronavirus quarantine

With Home Chef, you can choose from more than 38 meal kits in any given week, including grill pack and one-pan dinner options. Meal kit examples include chipotle chimichurri mini pork meatloaves with roasted sweet potato, and garlic peppercorn salmon scampi with garlic cream gemelli and broccolini. One way Home Chef stands out from the pack, Chowhound's Pamela Vachon noted, is that it lets you customize the protein in your meal choices: For example, with some recipes, you can order double the protein without doubling the overall portion, or choose antibiotic-free protein instead of the standard option. Home Chef also offers oven-ready meals, which come with everything you need to cook including the cooking tray -- no dishes necessary. 

Read more: The best meal kit delivery services of 2020: Home Chef, Blue Apron, HelloFresh and more

Drizly is an online alcohol delivery service that partners with more than 2,200 retailers across North America to send beer, wine, liquor and snacks to your door. It's available in 26 states and DC. 

When you add something to your cart, you'll have the option to choose which store in your area will fulfill the order, as well as delivery ETAs, minimums and fees. You can often get your order delivered in under an hour (though the site currently warns to expect delays given the increased demand), or schedule a delivery for the future. Add a tip for your driver, and you're good to go. The site is also encouraging users to select contactless deliveries. 

Read more: Alcohol, beer and wine delivery: How to get alcoholic beverages delivered to your door

CNET rates YouTube TV as the best overall live TV streaming service. With its easy-to-use interface, unlimited cloud DVR storage, and great channel selection that includes numerous cable stations and coverage of all four local networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) in most markets nationwide, YouTube TV is a great option for cord-cutters. (Disclosure: CNET is owned by ViacomCBS.)

Read more: Best live TV streaming services for cord-cutters in 2020

Netflix remains the premier TV and video streaming platform in an increasingly large bunch that includes Hulu, Disney Plus and Apple TV. It has a huge selection of movies and TV shows old and new, tons of high-quality original programs, and an easy-to-navigate interface. If you don't already subscribe, you can try it out free for 30 days. 

Read more: Peacock vs. HBO Max vs. Disney Plus vs. Apple TV Plus vs. Netflix: How streaming stacks up

While it was a close race between Spotify and Apple Music, CNET reviewers ultimately crowned Spotify the king of the music streaming apps thanks to its fun, easy-to-use interface, extensive catalog and great device compatibility. Its free tier is also the best no-cost streaming service option. 

Read more: Best music streaming: Spotify, Apple Music and more, compared