| |||||
 | avast! Free Antivirus Expect great all-around protection against viruses and trojans. |  | AntiVir Free Version Lightweight and solid. Good ratings. Worth looking into. |  | AVG Antivirus Free Edition Not as good as Avast or Avira but with considerably less bloat. The most popular free antivirus. |
 | Microsoft Security Essentials Simple, effective and lightweight protection suite. |  | Comodo Internet Security Free security suite, includes both a firewall and anti-virus protection. |
 | Spybot S&D Detects and removes spyware. Compliments anti-virus apps. Has a very good reputation. |  | Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware Easy-to-use, simple, and very effective anti-malware application. |  | IObit Malware Fighter Advanced malware & spyware removal utility. |
 | Threatfire Spyware removal tool with real-time antispyware protection. Lightweight and memory sparing. |  | Superantispyware Lightweight scanner to detect and remove spyware, adware, trojans, and other threats. |
 | PC Tools Firewall Plus 6 Powerful firewall capable of providing excellent protection. |  | Comodo Firewall (standalone) Long been considered one of the best free firewall tools available. |  | ZoneAlarm Free Firewall Provides the best overall firewall protection for advanced users. |
 | Online Armor Free All of the normal features of a firewall and more. |  | Ashampoo FireWall Free Very easy to use and navigate. For intermediate users. |
 | Auslogics Disk Defrag Simple, reliable and quite fast. A must-have free PC tool. Considered no.1 by many. |  | Defraggler Another excellent defrag tool. Portable. From the same guys behind hugely popular CCleaner. |  | IObit Smart Defrag Extremely easy to use. Works continuously in the background. |
 | Recuva Very effective in restoring deleted files. Extremely popular. |  | FreeUndelete No frills, just focused on the zen of file recovery. |  | ADRC Data Recovery Software The Renaissance Man of free data recovery. Not as popular as Recuva but still has its own fans. |
 | Revo Uninstaller Free Fast and very effective at uninstalling just about anything. Popular choice for the purpose. |  | IObit Uninstaller New kid on the block. Gaining popularity. Boasts a bunch of features not found on other uninstallers. |  | Absolute Uninstaller Less popular than the other two but probably the simplest to use one. |
 | Mozy Incredibly smart, highly secure, set-it-and-forget-it backup solution. Backups data to web. |  | FBackup Easily backup important files and documents, personal settings and plugins. |  | Todo Backup Able to backup the entire operating system, program settings, browser data, emails and other data. |
 | Clonezilla Live CD to completely clone your hard drive. |  | SyncBack Freeware Selective synchronisation, local and remote backup to an FTP server. |  | FreeFileSync Open source folder comparison and sync tool. Optimised for speed and usability. |
 | CopyTo Synchronizer Wide set of options for backing up, updating, and synchronizing files. |  | DriveImage XML Easily Backup or copy entire disks block-for-block directly to another drive without the need to reboot your computer to run the cloning process. |
 | Glary Utilities Includes over 15 useful system maintenance tools. Been recommended by MakeUseOf several times! |  | CCleaner Scores high points all around. The most popular choice at the moment. Not as many features as in others. |  | IObit Toolbox The amount of system maintenance tools included in this free app is truly staggering. |
 | Soluto Speed up Windows boot time by removing unnecessary apps from startup. Very effective. |  | IObit Advanced SystemCare Free One-click approach to help protect, repair, clean, and optimize your PC. |
 | Google Chrome The fastest, minimal design browser (from Google) now with extension support. Growing extremely fast. |  | Firefox More than 6,000 add-ons for every possible feature. The most customisable browser to date. |  | Safari A web browser from Apple. Designed to emphasize browsing. Also features extensions. |
 | Opera The “fastest and most advanced” browser available today. |
 | Thunderbird Increasingly popular email client from the same guys behind Firefox browser. One of the best email clients for Windows. |  | Postbox Express A simple, yet powerful, new email application for Windows. Check it out. |  | Google Notifier Alerts you when you have new Gmail messages. Simple and handy. |
 | Skype The most popular cross-platform VoIP application. Must-have for everyone online. |  | Pidgin Easy-to-use, cross-platform, multi-protocol chat client. Supports all major chat programs. |  | Digsby An alternative multi-protocol instant messaging app. Cross-platform. Extremely popular. |
 | Trillian Astra Popular multi-protocol instant messaging client. |
 | Paint.NET Strong candidate as a potential substitute for Photoshop for beginner/intermediate users. |  | FastStone Image Viewer One of the best image viewer, converter & editor bundles. |  | IrfanView The Swiss Army knife of image viewers/editors. Extremely popular. |
 | Google Picasa Powerful photo manager software from Google. Includes 1-click photo retouching features. Easy online photo sharing. |  | GIMP Very capable graphic editor with Photoshop-like features. Often labeled as free Photoshop alternative. |  | PhotoScape Another good free and easy-to-use photo editing application. |
 | foobar2000 Advanced audio player for Windows with highly customisable user interface. |  | Songbird A popular music player based on Mozilla’s code. Includes some really useful plugins. |  | Audacity Very popular open source software for recording and editing audio tracks and sounds. |
 | iTunes Music player and video library organiser. Hosts the iTunes Store. |  | MediaMonkey Full-featured music player and music collection organiser. |  | Winamp Well-known, lightweight, small-footprint media player. |
 | CopyTrans Manager Alternative iPod manager app. Sync and transfer music & files to iPod, iPhone, iPad. |  | TagScanner A multifunction program for organizing and managing your music collection. |
 | VLC Media Player Extremely popular cross-platform video player that can play almost any video file. Highly recommended by many. |  | Handbrake Open source, cross-platform, video converter that can convert video files between many video formats. |  | VirtualDub Open-source and portable video editor. |
 | Media Player Classic Replica of WM Player. Includes only the most basic controls but can play pretty much any video. |  | Freemake Free video converter & DVD burner that’s easy to use. |  | Format Factory Multifunctional audi and video converter. Supports MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, SWF, RMVB and lots more. |
 | KMPlayer Highly customisable, popular, multi-format video player. |
 | FileMenu Tools Customise the right-click context menu of Windows Explorer. Adds lots of useful functions and utilities. |  | FreeCommander Free file browser and Windows Explorer replacement. Two-pane browsing, secure file deletion and more. |  | TeraCopy Copy and move files at maximum speed. Pause and resume file transfers. |
 | EASEUS Partition Master All-in-one, easy to use disk partition manager. Create, resize and merge partitions. |  | Unlocker Can’t delete a folder or a file? Getting an error that it’s being used by another program? Unlocker can easily delete it. |  | TreeSize Free Shows you where your precious hard drive space has gone to. Easily view how much space is being used by each folder. |
 | DropIt Tiny tool to automate categorizing files and folders. Drag a file on top of it and it will place it for you where you need it. Portable version available. |  | Free Opener An easy way to quickly open over 80 types of file types using one tiny program. |  | SyncToy Free application that synchronizes files and folders between locations. |
 | LibreOffice Microsoft Office alternative. Open source professional productivity and office suite. |  | Dropbox Must-have for everyone. Sync folder with docs and files to web or other PCs / Macs. Share documents. |  | Notepad++ Popular open source text editor. Favoured by many, including programmers. |
 | FoxIt Reader Really light alternative to Adobe Reader. Open PDF files. |  | doPDF Easily convert documents and pictures to PDF files from any Windows program with two clicks. |  | PDF Xchange viewer Desktop and portable PDF viewer. Lightweight and fast. |
 | Nitro PDF Reader Read PDFs, create PDFs. Extract content, annotate and fill PDF forms. |  | OpenOffice Another popular free alternative to Microsoft Office. |  | PDFTK Builder Free graphical interface version of PDFTK. Merge, split, decrypt, encrypt, watermark PDF files. |
 | VIM Text Editor Highly configurable text editor. |  | PDFsam Easily split and merge PDF files. |
 | Fences Provides rectangular containers for your desktop to visually organize your icons. Very handy! |  | Rainlendar Very easy to use and lightweight calendar for your Windows desktop. |  | Evernote Save your ideas on the go and instantly take notes. Access notes from anywhere. Highly recommended! |
 | VirtuaWin Gives you multiple virtual desktops to organize your workflow. Highly customisable. |  | Launchy A powerful keystroke based program launcher that lets you open program and files really quickly. |  | Send to Toys Enhances the right-click ‘Send To’ system menu. Personalise and configure the Send To menu content. |
 | Dexpot Create virtual desktops to separate different running apps and Windows. Comparable to Spaces on Mac OS X. |  | Q-Dir Free multi-pane file manager to save you time. Portable version available. |  | ClipX Tiny, free clipboard history manager. Access up to 1024 items in your clipboard’s history. |
 | Bruce’s Unusual Typing Wizard Gain typing speed and accuracy with its unique touch-typing teaching program. |  | SendToSendTo Easily add new entries to the right-click “Send To” menu. |  | Ditto Saves each item placed on the clipboard allowing you access to any of those items at a later time. |
 | 7-zip Takes care of most of your archive extracting/compression needs. Supports ZIP, RAR and many others formats. |  | Universal Extractor With over 50 supported file formats, Universal Extractor is superb. |  | IZArc One archive utility to rule them all. Supports almost all formats. |
 | ImgBurn CD/DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray burning tool. Also, lets you easily create image files from CDs and DVDs. |  | CDBurnerXP The most popular free alternative to Nero Burning ROM. Burn CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. |  | bitRipper Back-up your DVDs as AVI files or MPEG to your hard drive. Excellent backup tool for DVDs. |
 | CDex Open-source digital audio CD extractor. Saves CD tracks as MP3′s. |  | DuBaron CD2ISO A great tool to extract ISO images from CDs or DVDs. Very simple and easy to use. |  | Virtual CloneDrive Mount a virtual drive to open and playback ISO image files (CD/DVD images). |
 | DVDShrink The easiest and one of the better free DVD ripping and backup tools. |  | Exact Audio Copy The most accurate and error-free audio CD extractor. Can extract MP3s from a CD. |  | DVD Flick Easy-to-use DVD creation software. Allows adding subtitles and making DVD menus as well. |
 | WinCDEmu Mount ISO, CUE, NRG, MDS/MDF, CCD, IMG images by simply clicking on them in Windows Explorer. |
 | uTorrent Speedy, efficient, and free. The most popular BitTorrent client. |  | Deluge An awesome but unappreciated cross-platform BitTorrent client. |  | YouTube Downloader HD Downloads YouTube videos with just a few clicks of the mouse button. |
 | PeerBlock Control/block your PC’s communication with ad or spyware servers. Secures P2P activities. |  | Free Download Manager Open source download accelerator and manager. Increase download speeds and resume broken downloads. |  | Jdownloader The most popular download manager. Quickly and efficiently download files from sites such as Rapidshare, Megaupload and many others. |
 | LastPass Secure plugin to store and synchronise login passwords across browsers. Comes auto-login and form filler. |  | TrueCrypt Free open-source, cross-platform disk and data encryption tool. Encrypt and hide sensitive files. |  | TeamViewer Request remote technical assistance. Connect to remote computer. Zero setup required. |
 | PortableApps Suite A collection of useful portable apps that can be stored on USB stick. Carry the apps with you wherever you go on a thumbdrive. |  | Sticky Password Free password and identity manager. Browser add-on for automatic login and form-filling. |  | KeePass Free, open source, lightweight and easy-to-use password manager. |
 | LiberKey Suite of over 300 free useful software apps that you can carry with you wherever you go. |  | Hiren’s BootCD All-in-one bootable CD providing an alternate boot environment to troubleshoot Windows problems. |  | Eraser Advanced security tool to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive. |
 | iPrint Print multiple pages on each sheet of paper, delete unwanted pages. Lowers printing costs. |  | Antirun Protects your PC by blocking viruses and malware from infected USB thumbsticks and flash drives. |  | Everything search engine Locates files and folders by name instantly. |
 | Game Booster 3 Speeds up your PC for faster gaming. |  | DriverPack Solution 11 Makes the job of finding and automatically installing drivers really easy. |
Disclaimer: All applications listed were thoroughly reviewed. MakeUseOf is not responsible for any damage and/or data loss
that might result from use of any of the above mentioned applications.
Hide 367 Comments
What about AIMP and Audiograbber?
thanks, will look into it
I want to recommend you Free Windows. This OS impressed me so much! It also offers a great amount of free software. http://free-windows.com
thanks for the input, will check it out
WOT Warning for this site!!!
Thanks for the heads-up Digby!
but if it is based on linux..why does it ask for $18 ?
I agree, AIMP is awesome and even has a built-in tag editor that supports album art. I use it constantly.
“AIMP and “Audiograbber”? pfft…fag
thanks
I wonder y all download links are softonic.com ?
They are the biggest software site in Europe. We have an agreement with them.
after i had downloaded free ware from softonic ,my computer always slow ,after i used rising antivirus and go back there to download a ware ,it said ,it had blocked a malware ,,name something that when u download a lot ,,is this happen to you ???
What exactly does it detect?
I’m not sure, but Softonic may come with a browser bar. However, you should be able to uncheck that option in a custom install. If you did not it may be detected as adware or malware.
In the past we used to direct users to Softonic’s review of the software. Users could then download and install the product from Softonic.com using Softonic’s installer. Somewhere along the installation process users would be asked to install a third-party software/toolbar. While this step was optional some users were confused and didn’t see the opt out option in the offer and would install the toolbar. To prevent this from happening in the future we started linking to the directly to developer’s site.
Aibek
Malwarebyte
it’s already included
I have a website created in an old version of FrontPage, that is WAY past the capacity of FP to synchronise. On moving to Win 7 X64, FTPSync doesn’t have an X64 version, so I found GoodSync. I highly, highly recommend it.
one of the best sites for softwares
fuk softonic… X( you S_hole…….
All softwares are good ……thanks for providing malware free softwares
Convert X to dvd should be under CD/DVD tools
And its the best, lag free, error free dvd creator ive ever used. My library grows……..
Hands down the best converter/burning tool available!
wowwwwwwwwww its remarkable
nice on i love this web site
How about Ommwriter, PicPick and RIOT?
thanks for the input, will check it out
How about suggesting effective software for updating drivers (no scams please) that does not cost.
that’s a very good idea. We’ll make sot include one such app on the next update.
try slimdrivers…ive been using it and its awesome. also their other products slimcomputer and slimcleaner is very nice
tried slimdrivers on my computer and it decided i needed Sierra Wireless drivers, 1 i dont have a sierra device, 2, my router is wired and considering i was clicking on update for my USB not ethernet after using slimdrivers i had to use a recovery img,
My wireless mouse usb didnt work at all after using the supplied drivers from slimdrivers only been connected for 4years and running perfectly before the usb update, my 1.5tb developed sector errors after installing the pci sata controller cards updated drivers, which now has to be rma’d. it was working perfectly before that update.
my piece of advice stay well clear of SLIMDRIVERS unless you want to start buying new hardware.
Just do a System Restore using the Restore point before the changes. No damage done.
slim drivers freeware
Truly sad!! Absolutely no mention of the “Other” OS and I’m speaking of Linux, of course! Then again “Who needs Windows, when there are no Walls?!”
Ears have walls.
I apologize for last post, as there IS mention & some stuff for Linux, my comment was a little hasty. Windows just isn’t a flexible OS that the user can truly own & customize everything on/in it to their liking
Thank you for this list!
also for Mac, http://www.makeuseof.com/pages/the-best-of
yaa
hi,its my favourite site now.because of chance to locate different types softwares in one place
thanks, will check them out
Aibek
Ubuntu should be here.
just scroll up…. there are links on Linux apps compilation and Mac too
How about alternatives to Chrome (Srware Iron & Comodo Dragon) & Firefox (Pale Moon)
awesome thanks very much for this post!
you guys are awesome..!!
thank you..!!
ok
ok
JDownloader is missing!!
thanks for the input, it will be added soon.
I wonder if I’m the only one having trouble with downloading the FREE OPENER software.
just checked, worked fine.
try from this link, http://www.freeopener.com/download.html
Aibek
I wonder if I’m the only one having trouble with downloading the FREE OPENER software.
I wonder if I’m the only one having trouble with downloading the FREE OPENER software.
I wonder if I’m the only one having trouble with downloading the FREE OPENER software.
Best site!!!
Comodo Programs Manager is a very good and free uninstaller.
I have a problem with a laptop. I need an OS CD Microsoft Windows XP. The unit model is hp Compaq nw8240. Please send me a copy the OS in email which I can later download into a CD. Thank you in advance. More power!
Froilan,
I’m afraid you’re asking this question in the wrong place. I think you best refer to this article: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/borrow-download-windows-installation-disk/
superb collection..
… and ZipGenius?
Thanks, this is a great list!
thanks so much for this
Cool softwares…
great !!! ….
this great, thanks…
very truely website
Mannn,these are very helpful freewares,,,,,,,THANK U
GOM >= VLC. Agree.
no way VLC way better than GOM
thanks for the input, will check it out
i so happy to install the virus free software
Simply put ,brilliant collection, no doubt.The real thing ,
Suitable for all , newbies to geeks
thnaxx…………….
woo!!! it cool
Thankx
thank you
What about MagicDisc or Gizmo Drive? Or PeaZip? ImgBurn?
thanks for the input, will check them out
thans sir
Check Wincdemu. Its great too.
thanks, will definitely check it out
good tool indeed, I will consider it before next update to the page.
I agree Picpick should be up there. I use it a;; the time.
What about facesoftware ?
It is very powerfull
JDownloader, TagScanner, Ditto, Everything and Launchy should have been included as well.
thanks for recommendations, wil check them out
You missed the best software to run on your windows computer. Run a linux installation. In 5 minutes you will have a computer without malware or viruses. Fee graphics, office, database and entertainment programs that is upgraded for free when new versions or bug fixes become available. And the updates actually work rather than break your computer. If you are still using windows – why?
bsplayer under video tools and for ALL TOOLS PortableApps and Liberkey. great job. thanks to all for great work
What about kill box?
Thanks for the input. Do you have link to the kill Box site?
We will keep it in mind for the next revision of this page. Thanks for the suggestion!
super
everything i need is in here.
i hope mods will create something like ninite which i can click programs i wanted then a onetime download and install.
thanks for the input. we’ll consider using ninite.
Aibek
thank you . i am iranian and in my country is not site as well as your site.you are help me an i thank you.
thanks for the input, will definitely check out both tools before next update.
Aibek, sir can you please also consider adding in audio category comet player. It is also free and with most basic audio player features but with an added fun of auto LYRICS search and displays in the panel where you can sing-a-long with the music you’re playing. http://www.cometplayer.com/
thanks for the input, will deifnitely check it out before the next update. Though the audo category is pretty competitive I must say)
it is very useful site.I like it
thanks, we already seem to have similar app on the list. Check out Unlocker.
Oh, you must add XnView to your list of must-have software! Please! It’s absolutely incredible! It supports MANY features, including a HUGE support range for reading and writing image formats, filters, organizing, lossless operations, filters, and much, much more! It’s free to use for non-commercial usage.
http://www.xnview.com/ If it’s overlooked to be added, at least I hope those reading this will take a look and those who already use it will comment and testify to this fantastic software.
great….keep up the good work…….totally awesome……thanks…….
awe……………..some
all fake
Why would you say the apps above are fake? They are not! I use many of them on a daily basis.
awesome
thanks, will defintiely check it out
thanks good apps for windows pc
are they compatible with windows 7 also
yes, most of the mentioned software work on Windows 7
best browser for windows is palemoon.. try it
never heard of it before
what makes it best?
chrome is ever best
you guys are wonderful……..more of please
We try!
Very Good Collections
Great programs… But do you have any programs to maximize battery life that you may recommend?
See, 20 Ways To Increase Laptop’s Battery Life
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/20-ways-to-increase-the-life-of-your-laptops-battery/
also check out MakeUseOf posts that are filed under: battery life
http://www.makeuseof.com/tags/battery-life/
Some related questions from MakeUseOf Answers
How can I increase my laptop’s battery life?
http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/increase-laptops-battery-life/
How can I maximize the life time of a lithium-ion battery?
http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/maximize-life-time-lithiumion-battery/
If you’re looking for specific software program that can preserve battery life I recommend you
to ask this on MakeUseOf Answers, http://www.makeuseof.com/asnwers/
Aibek
Thanks, will definitely consider it for the next update.
I like to get windows genuine but I can’t buy it.
I like to get windows genuine but I can’t buy it.
Why is “Tune Up Utilities” are not included in the list?
Because there are better free alternatives
BEST PLAYER is PotPlayer. Simply plays evrythink, great simple GUI and menus and you can inteligently setup everything
- AIMP for Audio
- GOM for Video
- Multi Commander for File (better than FreeCommander)
- WinDirStat for File (better than TreeSize Free to locate big files)
- Mipony for Download (jDownloader support more sites, but Mipony doesn’t require Java)
- VirtualBox for Other
thanks for the recommendations, will definitely check them out before the next upgrade.
Mipony and Multi Commander are completely new to me. Never heard of them before.
REZA JAN
Believe or not but my roomate’s sister makes USD80 an hour on the computer. She has been fired from work for 10 months but last month her income was $7396 just working on the computer for a few hours. Here’s the site to read more… MakeCash17.cøm
good software, and waht about battery care
would you consider this essential app to have? any recommendations?
Excellent list! I’ve certainly used a bunch of these. Can’t wait to try Liberkey!
How about JetAudio??
Sure, will check it out as well.
What’s so great about it though?
Aibek
Some useful applications that you can consider: Screamer Radio, Screenpresso Free, Everything (search alternative), DustBuster (garbage file removing utility).
Give them a chance!
naingminoo.nmo@gmail.com
thest are good and most useful to me thank you……………..
i’m looking for windows XP installer
also UMplayer is really good
thanks, I will definitely check it out.
what are your favorite features? what makes it special for you?
Nice List, thanks
Missing a section for Media Center programs though.
Mediaportal, XBMC
Thanks for the feedback Mark.
I am going to be testing some media centters in a week or two
and will try to add a couple of media center apps to the list after that.
Aibek
Very good website to download all softwares. Thanks a lot.
Shri
Oh, misspelling! That’s “Rainlendar” not “Rainlender”
thanks for heads up. corrected.
Aibek
Thank you so much for my real needs and helping
every think i need is write ear
Don’t forget SugarSync for backup solutions! hxxp://sugarsync.com
Acronis True Image Home 2012
Maybe if you like getting your software when wearing a patch and resting a parrot on your shoulder!
missed Secunia PSI, Connectify and Process Explorer.
thanks, will check them out again before next update to the page.
bekar hai
I like it very much it is very useful.
Hi im new to makeuseof and i actually have a question about the 100 free downloads for windows. Whats the difference between the windows application of this software and the downloadsthat are for free. are these free downloads better than the windows 7 stuff? cheers…
There are only a few apps here which are available on Windows by default. In almost all such cases we believe that third-party tools listed here are better
than their default Windows counterparts.
it’s a great collection !!!!!
thanks to make use of.
Think u should have added Burn aware free in the list for noobs …
Excellent piece of software ( non-buggy and straight forward )
thank, will definitely check it out before the next update
soda pdf reader is great if you want see your pdf’s in 3d.A must try and i bet you’ll like it.
thanks for the input
Threatfire Malware Program is not free.
There is a free version, just checked.
See here, http://www.threatfire.com/download/#
WOW!!!!!! I love this site… its a gift of complete stuff
spelling apps
Nice list! Thanks!
Was a bit disappointed nt to see GOM player tho.
Thanks anyway!
Did MUO editted the page? I remember there is Chrome Canary yesterday ?.?
Hi, MUO, Did you editted this page these few last days?
Because as I remembered, there is Google Canary here.
Am I in the wrong place anw ?.?
Hi Mickeel,
Are you referring to Google Chrome browser? It’s still listed under Browsers category.
This page is constantly updated and new tools being added as we discover them.
We didn’t remove any software apps recently.
Aibek
I suggest to add Virtualization or Sandboxing category for free apps like VMware Player and Sandboxie
thanks, will look into it before the next update
nice site buddy…i
thank you )
thanks, will definitely check it out
i’d like to say thanks for what you do and have done. it’s not to often you find a resource or utillity that offers free downloads and includes the software. to many times i’ve been bit by so called offers of download for free, just to be asked for billing info after a partial install. i have no problem with a fee for a service, but be upfront with it.come on man! anyway, this is is just what a student needs to help further an education. now i can make use of what little money i have for food, look out dollar menu! whats that? free wifi?!? can it get any better? thank y’all again.
you’re welcome)
thx for showing n explain them
thanks but should also keep ms office 2007 for free
Love it!
Thanks 
this is wholesome softwares, but games are not listed why? EXPLAIN
It`s a great pleasure for everyone to get all in one
Why is Dropbox categorized under “Docs”? It’s more file synchronization, so it should be under Backup.
Also, I was disappointed to not see Skydrive (25 free GB), Windows Live Mesh or Sugarsync on the list. I feel like they beat out some of those.
Dropbox is probably categorized under Docs because it’s great to manage documents across multiple computers. The storage space is a little small for serious backups.
..
Multumesc,super,i-mi sint de folos
I am desperately in need of a “file / folder comparison utility” with the ability to compare multiple directories at one time to find the “most recent version – or – more options of what one wants to compare” in a file, THEN to copy these “most recent files” into a separate directory… hopefully this makes sense.
I have so many backups of the same data from many reimages, that it is now a major task to compile all my files into ONE place. I have tried a few, all fall short of what is needed to compare multiple directories for some reason, unless I’m not using them properly.
I am not a geek but can get around pretty good. Some of them are very difficult to understand, then setup takes forever – all for one comparison. Then same MO for next “batch” to compare.
PLEASE help me find something that will work, free, paid or otherwise.
I have many miles to go to gather all my data in one place and am lost at this point.
Thank you.
Mark, I recommend you to ask a question at MakeUseOf Answers.
How about Rainmeter.net? Rocketdock.com? Inkscape?
thanks, i will go through each one of them again before the next update top the page.
All great tools. Thanks for sharing, Peter!
All great tools. Thanks for sharing, Peter!
thanks ur site is sooooo good
free finger prenter software
Thanks
Why not add MiPony to “Downloads”? It’s like jDownloader, but easier to use and uses less resources.
jDownloader is more popular and has a very good reputation among users.
I was wondering if there’s a software that allows to comment PDF files but not like those yellow bubbles that you see in Adobe now. Something easy to use, and draw on it (in case of equations)
This is an amazing page, most of these I already have, and you already got my 100% trust!
Sara,
I highly recommend Foxit Reader!
There are tons of options for comments. You can either add one like a Post-It note and when you close the note, you’ll only see a placeholder. Or you can use the typewriter feature and write directly in the PDF. Foxit also allows you to make drawings inside PDFs. And best of all: it’s free.
Hey Sara,
I personally never needed those features on my PDF reader so can’t tell for sure which one has such features.
Though I am pretty sure there should be a bunch of PDF readers supporting that feature.
Why don’t you ask about it on MakeUseOf Answers, http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/
Aibek
Media Players
Video-GOM
Music-Spider player.
thanks, will check them out
very good all software r working in windows
too bad the best of windows isnt good at all
I THINK THIS IS THE BEST SITE FOR SEARCHING SOFTWARE ,.
Super apps: Strokeit, F.lux, Breakaway Audio Enhancer, Rainmeter, cFosSpeed
For backup, I use Cobian (www.cobian.se). Free and easy to use. Best part is it doesn’t stuff all the files into a proprietary archive. It just duplicates all the files and folders. I use Cobian to back up my small network onto a big USB drive.
I second Cobian, I use it as well. I think I also suggested it for this list, but apparently it didn’t make it.
Great collection of handy software.
Nice tools :d .
Great job .
Thanks you .
Love this, thank you for sharing… I constantly get asked what to use on PCs and what apps I prefer. Most are listed right here…
many thanks for compiling this list
glad to hear that you liked the page. please spread the word.
Thanks for this site i am so much happy for find this site…………
You might want to look into Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/) for e-book management.
didn’t consider it as essential tool when making the list for the first time.
will check it out again.
Aibek
Also need Winrar..
winrar is NOT free, dude!
what about adop reder and adop flash playar
yes this site is exellent i prefer every time
KOoL……………………….RokKin* site damm Luv it !
Need more instructions like wise regarding day 2 day common pc n software issues ,threads.njoy *
Thanks a Lot…………
how can i get a free software that can be used to search for free music download.thanx
1 of the Best site
One of the best site for Software
nice work….
This is great
thanks for the input.
neat place haven’t tried anything, just wonder if these items work effectively or is this just what it says and nothing else…..
The only way to find out is to try them…
Don’t see SugarSync here … It seems rather good.
i want to remot control softwares
i have internet shop
very good site in my view ……………giriver 8439881423
process explorer should be in here, its the ultimate task manager
ITS AWESOME
greatest page
what about Zune? it is the essential iTunes alternative. It is simpler. it all so is better designed and coded than the Apple Bloatware well all hate (especially for windows)
min kyawswar
minkyawswar@gtalk.com
A library of free soft wares for anyone.
AWESOME COLLECTION
momin
I LOVE THIS SITE…………………………….
Wow i probably just downloaded 4 programs from this! thanks!
ple i want to more knowledge for computer
on this id
skyrinkuyadav@gmail.com
Hi, give Cubic Explorer a try and consider adding to you list. I found it very useful as file browser.
For antivirus I use BT net protect plus, but that might only be for british peple…
assa hay
Internetdownloadmanager knownas idm is best download manager, supports refreshing address, works great even in slower connections.
IDM is not free. It is a 30 day trial and after that it does not start!
best only best
Very interesting! Open on all levees, thank God He parted the Red Sea
mydefrag for deframentation. It’s free and lightweight. I find it especially handy for moving all the data to the front of a drive in preparation for resizing a partition. (which windows cannot do)
Thanks
you can also add
Tortoise SVN
Wireshark
Immunity Debugger
BSPlayer free
Adobe Reader
Daemon Tools Lite
WideCap
Xampp/Wamp
Ashampoo Burning Studio Free
CamStudio
WinMerge
Filezilla
FlashGet
no audio output device is installed
thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Great collection, thank you.
But I miss AIMP and AIMP tools as well. They are outstanding and free softwares.
nice
Great list of software’s for Windows, but Nimbuzz should be included in the list.
At the document and pdf section, the absolutly shoud be included pdfcreator, extremely stable, I use it a my office for years and never had a crash. Maybe not very fast, but stable
thank you for best web.good luck.
A great list, I think zeZebra should also be in here- take a look
thanks, will check it out
i know nothing about it
this websites is the best and continue adding new software.
s it all opensource software ? or
What about MpcStar player…the best media I’ve experienced so far!
thanks, will check it out
nice .. thanks a lot
forgot System Explorer (an outstanding free product which hands-down beats task manager)? Your exclusion makes me wonder about those that you DO recommend.
How about Comodo Dragon browser? Tho’ I’d long loved Chrome it uses waaaaay too much CPU resources – like 50% at least, at ALL times! ! Comodo Dragon is barely using between 9% and 27% – an overall savings of more than 50% and much more secure as I can attest after running my standalone security cleaners, etc.
On several occasions I have chosen downloads from those individuals posting their favorites-of-type omissions by your site (from this very ‘forum’) and have found them to be excellent products which your site seems to have overlooked.
could you send in some examples
what about internet download manager and tune up??
will deff. check the out before the next update to the page
good quality product u hv..
what about thiny Purrint that captures everything in just 1mb and its free…
thanks, will definitely check it out
What about JetAudio and Eset NOD32 5 Antivirus& Firewall?
this is very useful.
thank you
good site all things avlaible
good one site is really good
If I could make a suggestion, why didn’t you guys recommend Spotify? It gives you music for free and legally with I believe 20 hours of free music a week (haven’t checked in a while). Definetely worth looking into.
thanks for the input, will definitely take this into account on the next update to the page
Make Use Of ROCKS!!!
fantastic
but i want some best software
Weren’t you able to find any on this page? What is it that you are looking for?
What about Download Accelerator Plus (DAP) ?? I think it should be included in the Downloads section. DAP is a very popular software and used by millions of users !!
Great info …., thanks
awesome
ya.. these are really very good softwares..
any password breakers?
Apparently not.
nope, only the tools that have a wide appeal
To find lost password to Windows use Hiren’s BootCD.
wow, this site it complete, well organized…just…Bravo!!!
thank u 7ob <3 ^_^
amazing
THANKS
I have have one app in almost every section
An excellent resource. Lot’s of oldies and some newbies too. I would suggest perhaps that Inkscape should be added to anyone’s must have list if they are a Technical writer, like myself, or a Graphic Designer. I cannot convince my office to add my Photoshop suite/ Corel Draw solutions I own on my business laptop. From using them, I can tell you that they offer quintessential resources for professionals. And in the case of Inkscape, they are truly the first software platform to openly embrace the .SVG file, and through their leadership should be able to develop an existing, and often unsupported universal standard that would compliment the .PNG and .PDF files well.
Greate! Kukur………
Awe Some Guys Great Website
thanx chalis
tnx
You should try SPlayer and add it to the Video category. It’s a lightweight, yet stylish and elegant. Most video formats are supported (even more than vlc without having to install Kcodec) and it automatically add other videos, of the same format and in the same folder, to the playlist. The UI is so nice and easy. It can automatically download subtitles from the internet and you have the advantage of changing the appearance of the subtitles. Easy remove the black bar on the video with one click and enjoy a movie in the full size of your screen. Only thing I found to be annoying is sometimes the whole app becomes corrupt then all the text of the player is in korean or something. Hopefully this will get fixed when it’s popularity rises. Well that is all from me. Check it out – It’s a really good, yet still unpopular app.
thanks, will definitely check it out before the next update to the page
this is the best software provider
I would like to download almost everything! Thanks
For a great uninstaller, I use Comodo Programs Manager.
The Best Windows Software Site
hi guys i need one software to ride or change my IP address so i can open any brosower thanks
Jefevir,
it may take a while until this page is updated with the type of tool you are looking for. Meanwhile, the best way to receive some recommendations is asking a question at MakeUseOf Answers.
bedankt er zitten goede programma tussen
great info for me and i really like it!
of course, thanks.
You should try this browser Rock melt
http://www.rockmelt.com/
i love this post
nice thanks
superb and best software.
thanks..
I would like to recommend Maxthon internet browser, very fast browser said to be couple of times faster than Chrome:
http://www.maxthon.com/
thanks for the recommendation, we’ll check it out
this is the most best site ever
How about this tool Make blu-ray/DVD media playable with any player software.
http://www.bd-free.com/
who can tell something ,thanks in advance
I see that you recommended AVG antivirus. I would not recommend AVG for anyone. I have the paid version of AVG and got bombarded with viruses TWICE! The first time I was able to download another, free, antivirus to clean my computer. The second time it infected every program to include my Window7 and I had to take in for repair. AVG interfaced and told me they could not find viruses on my computer but their antivirus program found 24 viruses. I am now using Kasperky. It does not slow down my OS like AVG did and it catches all viruses BEFORE they get on my computer. STAY AWAY FROM AVG!
thanks for the input, we’ll take into consideration on the next update to the page.
You offer an excellent site & service – Thank you – I don’t often bookmark a shortcut to something I come across.
thanks 2 u
I would add Peazip and Cathy (disk index – cataloger), both are extremely useful and problem free.
What about an IP camera viewer with audio?
any free app you can recommend that can record your screen? something that can be used for tutorials? i am now using Freez Screen Video Capture (windows) but quality is too low. TIA
Hey Erald,
Try searching MakeUseOf for “screen recording” or “screen capture”, we wrote a bunch of articles on the subject. I am sure you will several good apps for that. You may also ask about this on MakeUseOf Answers, http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/
Aibek
Erald,
I recommend you to ask that question over at MakeUseOf Answers.
I use DVDstyler to make DVD’s from all kinds of video files…
There is a portable version too…
http://portableapps.com/apps/music_video/dvdstyler_portable
I really appreciate Make use of. I have learned so much. I have so much fun reading everything. I also appreciate that it is free. Thanks so much!
I really like Make Use Of. I would like to recommend that you include MusicBee as an alternative to the other audio player/organizers. I have used most of the apps listed, and have found MusicBee to be superior to all others in that category. It has a great combination of useful features without being bloated. In fact, it is the very first audio player/organizer that has every feature that I was looking for. Don’t take my word for it, check it out.
thanks, we’ll definitely check it out
Thanks Tim! MusicBee has been added to the list of apps to consider the next time we review this page.
Great list.But software for high end video and image editing,sequencing,CGI,VFX named Blender is missing.It has some high end features and its free
For downloading off of Rapidshare and like web sites, I like to use MiPony. No listings of eBook readers, like Kindle or Caliber or Nook.
Best antivirus i think is Avast, i have paid license in i have no problems.
you can download free license from here: http://softneo.com/avast-free-antivirus
I would suggest downloading Avast from the official website, http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
For torrent I recommend qBittorrent (“qBittorrent is based on Qt4 toolkit and libtorrent-rasterbar.”) . http://www.qbittorrent.org/
this site is just awesome than any othe.very useful,hepful,free and best,fullfills everythng
thanks for sharing so much apps,i only knew 10-20 of them.
Yes softwares are really working fine Thank you very much
What about adding ‘slawdog smart shutdown’ and ‘Speccy’ ?
thanks, we’ll check them out before the next update to the page
Softwares are excellent.
But I can not find a nice encrypt software. Why not pick the Easy Encryptor in the collections.
Great list. About virusscanners, Panda should definitely be on the list too. It’s rated amongst the best (together with avira and avast) and is probably the most lightweight of them all. Also, AVG is, in contrary to your description, one of the more bloated freeware scanners atm.
FileMenuTools is not properly working after download…
wow I like it so so much.Keep it up!
You guys and girls are doing a good (informing and educating) job, many thanks and keep it up!
HI There…
is it all will never ask serial number to register, and or to use and operate each software will never ask same serial number ???
thanks and regards…
Hi Harry,
Almost all of the the listed apps here are free and don’t require any activation code or serial number.
Your missing XNView
The tool is like FastStone but with all the features of Picasa and partially gimp. It has been around since Win2000.
http://www.xnview.com/
iobit has stopped permanently the development and maintenance of IObit Toolbox(as a standalone product). However, he will continue developing and maintaining IObit Toolbox in their flagship product, Advanced SystemCare. So, if you need to continue using IObit Toolbox, please download the latest version of Advanced SystemCare here.
Thanks.
I use Copernic Desktop Search a lot.
It’s great, especially to find stuff within Outlook (E-Mails, Tasks, Contact)
got a hp lappie…used “tune up” to maintain and defrag my laptop…but once visited the service centre and they said the third party or other softwares as such hamper the battery and may reduce the battery life in the run…so better use windows own “disk cleanup” and “disk defragmenter” just to be on the safe side…
comment if i am wrong
You have a great site and its a great post. Almost all the software’s listed are free that’s great but what’s the problem the best licensed software’s when you can get the licences of almost all the softwares in the internet for free or just with a little trick use it free.
I use Kaspersky pure, Windows 7, Office 2010 and many more all for free.
well, the thing the software you’re referring to isn’t normally FREE. And using a cracked version considered stealing in many countries.
Check out SpaceSniffer, it’s an awesome visualization tool to help you see which directories are consuming the most hard disk space.
Love this, good options
i would recommend any software from the given options…
but for maintaining a pc, or to keep them tuned using softwares like TuneUp Utilities , or
CCleaner or any other defragmenting or cleanup software… i would not recommend any..
my laptop retailer said these third party or other softwares harm the battery life and decrease and degrade them in long run…so it is best to use window’s own provided -
-disk cleanup and disk defragmenter
Thanks for the reflection, Sachin.
Proponents of third party applications argue that a lot of thought and development time went into making these better than the native Windows tools. The native Windows uninstaller, for example, has been shown to be very bad at properly uninstalling software, leaving a lot of junk in the registry or on the hard drive. Other native tools, such as defrag, disk cleanup, or partition management lack key features or make it very complicated to achieve the same result.
I’m not sure how these tools could harm the battery life. They could definitely drain the battery if you would let them run in the background continuously. However, this is a decision each user has to make.
i agree …
for like Revo uninstaller pro is one of the best software removal tools…
and i had been myself using these softwares to maintain my lappie for a while now….wonder why they said so…
but its obvious that they use more system resources and power
and them are tech experts too…we can’t simply take them wrong
I’d recommend XMPlay(http://support.xmplay.com/) as a lightweight yet highly customizable and extensible (via provided plugins) replacement for Winamp
Cheers