Free Browsers, Email and Messaging Apps
Two programs cover most of what people need from internet software: a browser and an email client. This category holds the two Mozilla applications that do those jobs, Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Thunderbird. Both are open source, both are free of charge with no paid tier for the features described here, and both run on Windows, macOS and Linux.
The honest summary before the detail: Firefox is a fast, standards-compliant browser whose default configuration still includes telemetry and a commercial search deal, and Thunderbird is a dependable desktop mail client whose weakest area is Microsoft Exchange. Neither is a hardened privacy tool as shipped, and both can be configured to get close to one.
Details and official download links are on the Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Thunderbird program pages, so no third-party download portal is involved.
38 free apps in Browsers and internet
Popular choices. Room for discovery.
How we order apps
Popularity reflects interest in this catalogue, not a review or a safety rating. We count installer transfer starts and visits to official download websites or web apps equally. We cannot confirm downloads completed on another website.
The last 30 days inform the order, with recent activity carrying more weight. Repeat actions count once per app and UTC day, using a protected network fingerprint where available, or an anonymous browser identifier. Shared networks may be undercounted. Known bots, privacy opt-outs and unusually broad activity are excluded.
Discovery gives some earlier positions to new and less-seen apps. Popularity keeps the strict interest order; A–Z lets you browse by name. Lists update hourly, show the same order to everyone, and retain an editorial fallback when data is unavailable. No paid placement is included.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla's free, open-source web browser, with tracking protection switched on, extensions and Sync across devices.
GPXSee
GPXSee opens GPS logs and activity files on a map with elevation, speed and heart-rate graphs, and exports the result as a printable PDF or image.
MicroSIP
MicroSIP is a tiny open-source SIP softphone for Windows that turns any SIP account into a desktop phone with multiple lines, call transfer, hold, recording and a portable edition.
LibreWolf
Independent Firefox fork with telemetry stripped, tracking protection hardened and cookies wiped on exit, built from source by the community.
ZLogin Antidetect Browser
A Windows browser-profile manager with separate sessions, configurable fingerprint settings and per-profile proxies. The free plan includes two profiles.
RSS Guard
Qt feed reader for RSS, Atom and JSON feeds with filters, labels, built-in ad blocking and optional Tiny Tiny RSS or FreshRSS sync.
TightVNC
TightVNC is a free GPL-2 remote control package whose tight encoding keeps a Windows or Unix desktop responsive over slow connections, with file transfer.
NoFilterGPT
A browser-based AI chat service with a limited free plan, multilingual conversations and image tools. Paid plans add features and higher usage limits.
Slack
Slack for Windows combines channel-based messaging, huddles, file sharing and hundreds of app integrations in a single free workspace client for teams and small businesses.
CoinBoss
A public web dashboard for comparing crypto liquidations, open interest, funding rates and related exchange data, with filters and market tables.
Zulip Desktop
Zulip Desktop is the Apache-licensed Windows client for topic-based team chat, keeping long conversations organised into threads you can catch up on selectively.
gPodder
Open source podcast client that subscribes to RSS and YouTube feeds, downloads episodes, syncs playback state and renames files.
Google Chrome
Google's free web browser, with sync to your Google account, a large extension store and automatic updates.
Element Desktop
Element Desktop is the flagship Matrix client for Windows: encrypted rooms, federated servers, voice and video calls, and the freedom to point it at your own homeserver.
Tideris (Eye of the Tide)
An English and Chinese web toolkit for a free basic BaZi birth chart and daily cultural guidance, with separate paid AI-assisted readings.
Nextcloud Talk Desktop
Nextcloud Talk Desktop is the AGPL-licensed Windows client for chat and video calls on your own Nextcloud server, keeping conversations, files and meeting links in one place.
mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG is a free GPL-2 connection manager that keeps RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet and HTTP sessions from many machines in one tabbed Windows window.
Thunderbird
A desktop email client that brings mail, calendars, contacts, feeds, and tasks into one workspace.
Rocket.Chat Desktop
Rocket.Chat Desktop is the MIT-licensed Windows client for self-hosted Rocket.Chat workspaces, adding channels, threads, file sharing and multi-server tabs in one app.
Signal Desktop
Signal Desktop brings the end-to-end encrypted Signal messenger to Windows with linked-device sync, disappearing messages, voice and video calls, and a non-profit, ad-free model.
Discord
A free voice, video and text chat app built around communities called servers, with screen sharing and an optional paid Nitro plan.
Tabby
Open source terminal for Windows with SSH, telnet, serial and local shells, split panes, saved profiles and a plugin ecosystem.
Bitvise SSH Client
Windows SSH and SFTP client with terminal, port forwarding, X11 and remote desktop tunnelling, plus an FTP-to-SFTP bridge.
CleanTempMail
Free temporary email in your browser. No signup; receive-only public inboxes for non-sensitive email-flow testing.
Fluent Reader
Desktop RSS and Atom reader with a Fluent Design interface, local storage, OPML import and optional FreshRSS or Fever sync.
JOSM
JOSM is the desktop editor for OpenStreetMap on Windows, with offline editing, imagery backgrounds, tagging presets, validation and changeset upload.
Jitsi Meet Desktop
Jitsi Meet Desktop is the Apache-licensed Windows app for Jitsi video meetings: no account needed, unlimited participants and optional end-to-end encryption.
LocalSend
Send files and messages directly between devices on the same local network, without a cloud account or external internet connection for private nearby sharing.
Mattermost Desktop
Mattermost Desktop is the open-source Windows client for self-hosted Mattermost servers, giving teams channels, threads, file sharing and calls on infrastructure they control.
Mumble
Mumble is a free BSD-licensed voice conferencing client with very low latency, positional audio and self-hosted servers for teams and gaming groups.
Postman
Free API client for Windows that sends HTTP and GraphQL requests, organises collections, runs test scripts and documents endpoints for teams.
Tailscale
WireGuard-based mesh VPN client that links your own devices and servers with identity-based access, MagicDNS and exit nodes.
Vivaldi
Chromium browser with built-in mail, calendar, feeds, notes, tab stacks and workspaces, free to download and closed source.
WinSCP
A free Windows file transfer client for SFTP, FTP, SCP, WebDAV and S3, with a two-pane view, sync and scripting.
Wire
Wire is an end-to-end encrypted Windows client that combines messaging, group calls and file sharing in one app, with a free personal tier and open-source code.
WireGuard
Connect Windows to a WireGuard server with the official free client: import a tunnel configuration, activate it and keep traffic inside the encrypted tunnel.
Wireshark
A free, open-source network analyser that captures traffic and decodes it packet by packet, protocol by protocol.
Zoom Workplace
Zoom's app for video meetings on Windows, with screen sharing and chat, and a free plan with a time limit on meetings.
Browsers and Email Clients in This Category
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is an open source web browser licensed under MPL-2.0 (Mozilla Public License 2.0) and published by the Mozilla Foundation, with builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It renders current web standards well, runs the full extension catalogue including content blockers, and adds tracking protection, while Mozilla's own container extension supplies optional container tabs that keep work and personal logins apart. It suits anyone who wants a mainstream browser they can inspect and configure rather than another Chromium reskin. The weaknesses are real: it usually uses more memory than Chrome or Edge on the same hardware, a few corporate web applications are still tested only against Chromium, and the default setup enables telemetry, sponsored new tab tiles and a search partnership that funds Mozilla. All of those can be switched off in Settings, but you have to switch them off.
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Thunderbird is the desktop email client from the same project, also licensed under MPL-2.0 and available for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus a separate Android client maintained under the same name. It handles IMAP and POP accounts, multiple identities, a calendar and address book, RSS feeds and newsgroups, and it includes OpenPGP encryption for end-to-end encrypted mail. It suits people who want mail stored locally, strong filtering rules and no subscription. Its weak points are the interface, which still feels denser and older than webmail, slow indexing of very large mailboxes, and Microsoft Exchange support that depends on add-ons. There is no official iOS client.
Comparison Table
| Program | OS | Licence | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mozilla Firefox | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS | MPL-2.0 | Everyday browsing with extension control and tracking protection |
| Mozilla Thunderbird | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android | MPL-2.0 | Desktop mail, calendar and OpenPGP in a single local client |
Search Deals, Telemetry and Defaults
Worth stating plainly: no free browser ships an ad-free default search deal. Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari and Opera all take money from search providers, and the engine selected on first run reflects that revenue. Mozilla's largest single source of funding is its search agreement with Google, which is why Google is the preselected engine, and Firefox builds also show sponsored shortcuts on the new tab page. Treat the first launch as a configuration task: choose your own default engine, uncheck the sponsored content boxes, and the browser stays free without the commercial defaults.
Telemetry is a separate switch, and in Firefox it is on by default. The Privacy & Security and Search settings pages control technical and interaction data, crash reports, studies and search suggestions. Mozilla collects less than Google does by default and publishes its data collection documentation, but less is not none. Thunderbird has equivalent telemetry and crash report settings, and your mail stays on your own machine unless you point an account at a remote provider.
Good to know
Is Firefox better than Chrome for privacy?
Firefox blocks more trackers out of the box and is not built by an advertising company, so it is the better default. Chrome still collects more and links it to a Google account. Neither is private until you switch off telemetry and add a content blocker.
Does Firefox show ads?
Not inside web pages, but the new tab page can show sponsored tiles and paid search suggestions. Both can be disabled in Settings. The default search engine is also a paid placement rather than a neutral choice.
Is Thunderbird still maintained?
Yes. Mozilla funds Thunderbird through MZLA Technologies Corporation, the desktop client receives regular releases, and a separate Thunderbird for Android client is maintained alongside it.
Can Thunderbird connect to Microsoft 365 or Exchange?
Partly. Modern Thunderbird signs in to Microsoft mail with OAuth2 over IMAP, but Exchange calendars and address books usually need a third-party add-on, and some of those are paid. Test it before you move a work account.
Can I use Firefox and Thunderbird without an account?
Yes. Both work with no Mozilla account at all. An account is only needed for Firefox Sync and for the optional syncing of Thunderbird settings, so mail and browsing stay local without one.