Links to Free Software
Need legitimate, free, clean, easy to use software for your home or small business?
Looking for a specific program? We’ve collaborated with Google on a custom Windows Freeware Search Engine! Enter your search term in the field below:
You can also browse through the following hand-picked linked sites:
Each of these links will take you to a website that in turn will have information about many different free and open-source software programs, as well as links from which to download them. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about a particular piece of software, or if you need a program to do a specific task but aren’t sure what to get.
NOTE: Some free software licenses stipulate home or personal use only - read the license agreements and let your conscience be your guide…
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Over the last three years, the writers at MakeUseOf have profiled thousands of software apps. They have compiled a continuously updated list of the top 15 absolute must-have tools for everyday tasks.
Johnny Karp over at the Freeware Mission has posted a compilation of 94 freeware programs that he calls the Freeware Mission MegaPack for 2009. Clicking on each listed program’s name takes you to a full review of that specific program.
The Help Desk Geek features 99 of the best Windows freeware programs you may not know of.
Gizmo’s Freeware features what they call Probably the Best Free Security List in the World. This outstanding list has been compiled by one of their senior security editors, Antti Koponen. The products are listed with the best products first, as judged by Antti. If there are too many options listed, or if you aren’t sure what you need, try Gizmo’s Security Advice Wizard.
Gizmo’s also features The Editors’ Choice List: Our Selection of the Best PC Freeware, a broad selection of must-have free programs, exquisitely rare freeware treasures, reliably effective freeware, and editor favorites. This list is absolutely top-shelf!
QOT (the Quick Online Tips technology blog) recently posted 50 Free Windows Software Alternatives.
Freeware Home is an indexed collection of FREE programs commonly found on the Internet around the globe that match the following definitions:
» freeware - Free software, often written by enthusiasts and distributed by users’ groups, or via electronic mail, local bulletin boards, Usenet, or other electronic media.
» open source - Term appeared in March 1998 following the Mozilla release to describe software distributed in source under licenses guaranteeing anybody rights to freely use, modify, and redistribute, the code.
» shareware is NOT free. There is one form of shareware that is free for non-commercial use. It meets our definition of Freeware for individuals and is included in our collection.
Lifehacker recently posted their picks of:
“…the best free downloads for new computer owners, re-installers, would-be geeks, or anyone who wants to save time installing the best stuff out there… the 2009 Lifehacker Pack for Windows computers.”
PC Pitstop’s TechTalk blog lists their Top Free Software measured by popularity.
Freebyte.com is your guide to free software and the internet.
Blogger Bill Mullins lists his choices for The 35 Best Free Applications - Tried, Tested and Reliable!
Can’t afford a new PC? These free tools for Windows (courtesy of Computerworld) will help breathe new life into your old machine.
Maximum PC recently featured an article entitled The 32 Totally Essential (and Free) Apps for Every New PC.
Microsoft has over 150 FREE Windows XP, Windows Vista & Office Programs available for download. Finding them all was extremely difficult . . . until now, thanks to Microsoft MVP Blake Handler’s The Road To Know Where blog.
Techradar.com recently posted 10 lightweight apps to make older PCs fly and 18 essential free productivity boosting apps.
Mark O’Neill of the makeuseof.com blog picked his favorite freeware programs and named the resulting collection ”The Mark Pack”. His choices are listed in two posts - Part 1 and Part 2.
The Windows Starter Kit from download.com offers what they say are the best Windows apps for your new PC. Also check out their Security Starter Kit, featuring essential and free security programs to protect your computer and your sanity. Their Best Windows software for a hard-hit economy has some good choices as well.
Here’s a list of Useful Freeware posted to the alt.comp.freeware newsgroup. ACF regular Max Wachtel has posted Max’s Freeware List for Windows. Here’s a separate ACF newsgroup post listing Max’s Favorite Freeware as well…
TechnoTraits has compiled a list of 29 Freeware Windows Tools You Shouldn’t Miss.
TheDutchJewel features a great list of freeware which is updated daily.
“What’s the best tool for the job?” Lifehacker’s Adam Pash presents their “best of the best”… In addition, they’ve also listed their Most Popular Windows Downloads of 2008.
Bleeping Computer is a community devoted to providing free original content, consisting of computer help and tutorials, in such a way that the beginning computer user can understand. There is a long list of Freeware Replacements For Common Commercial Apps posted in their forums.
FreewareGeeks.com is about freeware and the ideals for which free software stands. They download, install and TEST every program before listing it. All freeware is 100% spyware and virus free.
The Area404.nl website has a long list of freeware applications called Windows freeware that doesn’t suck! Definitely worth a look…
The Windows Guides blog has a huge list of freeware programs that completes all your needs without spending a penny. Here are all of their freeware links - this is a great site!
The Portable Freeware Collection - This site is dedicated to the collection and cataloging of Windows freeware that can be extracted to any directory and run independently without prior installation. These can be carried around on a memory stick / USB flash drive, or copied / migrated from PC to PC via simple copying of files. Hence the term portable freeware. See also John Haller’s PortableApps.com, PortableAppZ, Pendriveapps.com, and App-Stick.
Mark Wagner recently blogged about Lesser Known Windows Freeware and came up with a great list in the process.
A Windows XP Freeware Guide - This superbly written and researched page is part of Andrew K.’s Optimize Guides series. This guide will show you the better freeware applications for Windows XP. Why are you paying hundreds of dollars for software that you can get for free?
100 Open Source Downloads is an excellent series of pages on the IT Management website. Their list reflects the growing vitality of the open source ecosystem.
Here’s a list of 50 Free Windows Apps from the Everything Hurts blog.
Rob Dunn’s Confessions of a freeware junkie blog has a great home computer freeware list that is regularly updated. We agree with Rob’s picks, which is why they’re linked here!
The A Modest Construct blog maintains a comprehensively categorized ever-growing list of open-source and free software for the Windows platform.
PC World magazine offers their Spring 2009 list of 101 Great Free Sites and Downloads You’ve Probably Never Heard Of.
PC Magazine posted their picks for The Best Free Software of 2009. Sometimes, you do get what you don’t pay for.
Computer Shopper Magazine featured their picks for The Best Free Software in early 2009. From desktop publishing to securing your PC, they show you how to do it all using freeware.
101 Shareware and Freeware Programs Every Nerd Needs. How can a person limit juicy downloads to 101 freeware and shareware choices? Tough calls, but the tools below are ones that every nerd needs, or at least should ponder. Many freeware choices are open source, and the shareware all offer trial offers.
winAddons.com is a news, reviews and freeware site. They list their Top 300 Freeware programs, along with descriptions.
AXCEL216/MDGx has a page of freeware links. Not to mention all of the other good stuff on the site!
FreewarePlanet offers information on programs and authors, with links to author sites and downloads. Other software sites are linked so you can read their reviews of listed programs. Lost/abandoned freeware programs are linked as well.
100 Downloads - This site has the best of the best - if you’re running Windows, just about anything else you could ever want or need in the way of software can be found here!
BearWare listings are some of the best freeware and open source programs available.
The eConsultant - Extremely useful free utilities that do specific jobs really well and save time and money. Check out their Open Source section as well.
AumHa Freeware Portal - When Microsoft MVP Jim Eshelman and his associates recommend it, it is truly world-class!
The Pricelessware list is a compilation of software collected through a yearly vote by the participants of the “alt.comp.freeware” newsgroup. It is a list of what people have voted as “the best of the best in freeware”.
TinyApps - Are you a minimalist? Are you using an older computer that’s limited on hard drive space? Do you like small and efficient, without a lot of bells and whistles? If so, TinyApps is a guide to very small software for your PC. Virtually all of the programs listed here are free of charge and for use under Windows.
The Freeware Wiki is a place for you to look for great freeware that’s been tried and reviewed by people just like you. The only bad software you will find here is always part of a warning to stay away from it. If you like, you can post your own reviews here. Be sure to check out Clif’s Newsletter as well!
30 Essential Pieces Of Free (and Open) Software for Windows: Thirty pieces of software that are the cream of the crop of open source software for Windows. Not only is every piece of it free, almost all of them directly replace expensive software packages.
Open Source Windows is a simple list of the best free and open source software for Windows showcasing the best, most important, and easiest to use. The Ubuntu LoopList is similar.
The TTCS OSSWIN CD is a compilation of Free/Open Source software for Windows 98SE/Me/2000 and XP operating systems. This compilation offers a web based interface for you to easily browse the over one hundred programs on the CD. Each program’s webpage contains a short description, a screenshot, its key features, useful program related links and a link to download/install the program. This is the best (and most up-to-date) compilation of this type that we’ve seen yet! A similar, but not as up-to-date compilation is The OpenDisc collection.
This page provides instructions on how to burn .iso files to a CD using any of the popular CD burning programs. An invaluable resource!
