Portable apps, as opposed to traditional software, don't require installation onto a computer. Their entire data set sits nicely in one folder, and terminate completely once closed. Whether you prefer using them for a clean machine or like to carry around a flash drive with loads of programs, portable apps are pretty awesome.

We've collected the best portable apps, but there are so many more out there. Grab your spare flash drive or empty cloud storage and fill it up with this mega-list of 100 portable apps. You'll find tools to satisfy every software need, categorized by type.

Check out PortableApps.com's Platform to make the installation easy.

Accessibility (3)

  • Balabolka -- Text-to-speech program for reading on-screen text aloud.

Audio and Video (9)

  • AIMP -- Portable music player and library manager.
  • Audacity -- The best free audio editing and recording program.
  • Avidemux -- A basic video editor for light tasks.
  • CDEx -- Extracts audio from CDs.
  • cdrtfe -- All-in-one CD and DVD burner.
  • DamnVid -- Video converter and downloader, with many websites supported.
  • gPodder -- Podcast manager that lets you download your favorite shows.

Development (5)

  • Database Browser -- Lets you connect to and manage any database, anytime.
  • Frhed -- Small hex editor.
  • Notepad++ -- An awesome alternative to Notepad with highlighting, tabs, and more.
  • Pencil Project -- Prototyping tool to mock up Android, iOS, web, and more apps.
  • XAMPP -- Complete portable server with Apache, MySQL, and phpMyAdmin in one package.

Education (8)

  • Artha -- A full thesaurus, no internet connection needed.
  • Celestia -- Lets you virtually travel into space to check out planets and stars.
  • GoldenDict -- Dictionary and encyclopedia tool that lets you research words from multiple sources.
  • Gramps -- Genealogy software that assists with researching and mapping your family tree.
  • Marble -- Offers a virtual globe for learning about Earth.
  • Mnemosyne -- Flash card software for memorizing anything.
  • Solfege -- Helps musicians practice chords, scales, and more.
  • TIPP10 -- Teaches you to touch type.

Games (14)

  • Freeciv -- Strategy game in which you build your empire in the stone age and advance it to the space age.
  • LBreakout2 -- The classic game of Breakout. Use your paddle to bounce a ball into a wall of blocks.
  • Lucas Chess -- A chess game that teaches you to play through increasingly difficult opponents and training exercises.
  • Mines-Perfect-- The classic game of Minesweeper with extra board shapes added.
  • Monster RPG 2 -- A nostalgic role-playing game in the style of Super Nintendo classics.
  • PokerTH -- Grab your sunglasses and play Texas hold 'em poker against computer players or others online.
  • Scorched 3D -- Control your artillery and battle your enemies in 3D.
  • Sudoku -- The popular numbers puzzle game with several difficulties and automatic game saves.
  • The Legend of Edgar -- A retro-styled 2D platformer.

Graphics (9)

Instant Messaging (5)

Office / Productivity (10)

  • RedNotebook -- A journal featuring live search, backup options, and calendar navigation.
  • SpeedCrunch -- Powerful calculator for any number-crunching needs.
  • Stickies -- Lets you add as many sticky notes as you want to your desktop.
  • ZoomIt -- Allows you to zoom in and annotate your screen with a hotkey. Useful for presentations.

Security (7)

Utilities / Miscellaneous (25)

  • World Clock -- Makes working with multiple time zones a snap.

Web Browsers (5)

  • Google Chrome -- The world's most popular and speedy browser.
  • Lynx -- A text-only browser useful for seeing how your website looks to screen readers or just messing around.
  • Maxthon Cloud -- Another speedy, neat browser with an alternative feature set.

Portable Apps for All!

No matter your reason for using portable apps, you're bound to find something useful here! Load up some of your favorite tools for an always-ready USB stick, or try using a few of these on your computer if their functions sound useful to you. And don't forget, you could even load up a portable version of Windows onto a USB stick.

Don't forget that using the PortableApps.com Platform makes managing these tools on your flash drive much easier.

Even in a list of 100, chances are we missed your favorite portable apps. Please share the ones that you can't live without in the comments!

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