The software directory
Download Programs for PC
All 276 free apps in the catalogue, organised by what they do.
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.
Security and privacy
10 programs
KeePass
A free, open-source password manager that keeps your passwords in one encrypted file on your own computer.
ProtonVPN
A VPN service with official desktop clients, a no-cost plan, and separately priced paid plans.
OpenVPN Community
Install the OpenVPN Community client for Windows and reach any standards-based VPN with a certificate profile, a virtual adapter and the bundled GUI.
Avast Free Antivirus
A proprietary Avast One free edition that provides antivirus and online-scam protection on supported devices.
Aster Mail
Encrypted email with a free 10 GB account, one custom domain and five aliases. Open-source desktop and web clients; external email protection varies.
Malwarebytes
A malware scanner with a free version that finds and removes infections already on your PC, and paid real-time protection.
VeraCrypt
Free, open-source encryption software for protected file containers, encrypted USB drives and full-disk encryption.
ClamAV
Scan files and folders on Windows with Cisco Talos's open-source antivirus engine, updated signature databases and a command-line scanner.
Bitwarden
An open-source password manager that syncs an encrypted vault across browsers, phones and computers, with a free plan.
HOL Guard
An open-source local security layer that reviews supported AI coding-agent actions, with approval prompts, policy controls and decision history.
System tools
60 programs
DisplayCAL
Open-source display calibration and profiling front end for ArgyllCMS, with colourimeter and spectrophotometer support and ICC profile management.
CopyQ
Keep a searchable clipboard history of text, HTML and images in customisable tabs, with global shortcuts, ignore rules and scriptable commands.
Rufus
A small Windows utility that writes an ISO image to a USB drive so a computer can boot and install from it.
Mousetroke
Free, open-source mouse gestures with custom actions, per-app rules and screen corners. Portable Windows EXE; a separate macOS beta is available.
Mole CLI
A free terminal toolkit for reviewing disk use, clearing caches, removing apps and monitoring system activity, with separate platform-specific branches.
CrystalDiskInfo
A storage health monitor that reads S.M.A.R.T. data from HDDs, SSDs and USB drives, showing temperature, power-on hours, error counts and wear level.
AOMEI Backupper Standard
A free Windows backup program that images systems and disks, syncs folders, clones drives and restores images, with scheduling, incremental backups and bootable media.
BleachBit
Free disk space and clear caches, cookies, logs and temporary files on Windows with a preview-first cleaner whose rules are readable XML.
WinDirStat
A free, open-source disk usage viewer for Windows that shows what fills your drive as a colourful map of every file.
MacClean
A macOS storage cleaner for reviewing chat media, app caches, large files and developer data before choosing what to remove.
FreeFileSync
Compare two folders side by side with FreeFileSync, review the planned changes, then mirror, update or two-way sync them with versioned backups.
WizTree
A very fast disk space analyser for Windows that shows the largest folders and files in seconds, with a treemap view.
Greenshot
A small, free screenshot tool for Windows that captures a region, window or full screen and opens it in a simple editor for arrows, text and blurring.
ShareX
A free, open-source screenshot and screen recording tool for Windows that can annotate, read text from and upload what you capture.
Gamepad Bench
A free browser gamepad tester for checking buttons, sticks, triggers and supported vibration, with local measurements and shareable summary reports.
AntiMicroX
AntiMicroX maps gamepad buttons, sticks and triggers to keyboard, mouse and macro actions so controllers work in games that only accept keyboard input.
Meson
Free cross-platform build system for C, C++, Fortran and Rust projects that generates Ninja files from a fast, readable declarative description.
Windhawk
Windhawk installs small open-source mods that change taskbar, Start menu, Explorer and other Windows shell behaviour without patching system files.
Deskflow
Deskflow is a free GPL-2 KVM utility that shares one keyboard, mouse and clipboard across several computers, so one desk can drive every screen.
Gaming Booster
A free Windows game-mode utility with per-game profiles, system monitoring and controls for power settings, process priority and selected background apps.
Process Monitor
A real-time Windows activity monitor that records filesystem, registry, process, thread, image-load and network events into a filterable, exportable trace.
Fish Tank Plus
A 3D aquarium screensaver and live wallpaper for Windows, with continuous multi-monitor scenes, interactive fish and optional webcam-based perspective.
CPU-Z
A small, free Windows utility that shows exactly which processor, motherboard, memory and graphics your PC has.
Glary Utilities
A Windows maintenance suite that groups cleanup, startup, privacy, registry, and file-management utilities.
Go
Free Go compiler and toolchain for Windows with modules, testing, formatting and cross-compilation built into a single self-contained installer.
Accessibility Insights for Windows
Accessibility Insights for Windows is Microsoft's free MIT-licensed inspector for finding accessibility defects in desktop apps through UI Automation.
KeePassXC
Keep passwords, passkeys and one-time codes in an encrypted local database that stays on your own devices, with browser fill-in and global auto-type.
GlazeWM
GlazeWM brings i3-style tiling to Windows with a declarative YAML config, named workspaces, keyboard-driven focus and multi-monitor layout rules.
ksnip
Open-source screenshot tool with annotation, tabs and upload targets for Windows, macOS and Linux users, with a scriptable command-line mode.
simplewall
Control which programs may reach the network on Windows with a small Windows Filtering Platform front end, notification prompts and its own rule editor.
DiskGenius Free
Partition manager and disk utility for Windows that resizes and converts partitions, clones disks, recovers lost partitions and browses raw volumes without a reboot.
WinToUSB Free
Creates Windows To Go installations on USB drives and external disks, cloning or installing Windows from an ISO, WIM or ESD image onto portable bootable media.
Cryptomator
Encrypt files inside Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive or any folder with an open-source vault that unlocks as an ordinary drive letter.
Gpg4win
Encrypt and sign files and email on Windows with the official GnuPG distribution, the Kleopatra certificate manager and Outlook integration.
Microsoft PowerToys
Microsoft PowerToys adds optional Windows utilities for window layouts, file actions, keyboard shortcuts, text extraction, and quicker everyday workflows.
Alacritty
Free GPU-accelerated terminal emulator for Windows that focuses on speed and minimalism, leaving tabs and splits to external multiplexers.
Macrorit Partition Expert Free
A Windows partition manager that resizes, moves, extends and converts NTFS and FAT volumes, converts MBR to GPT, and carries a one-second rollback feature.
CCleaner
A cleanup utility for Windows that clears browser data, temporary files and leftovers, with a free and a paid edition.
AutoHotkey v2
AutoHotkey v2 is a free GPL-licensed scripting language that turns Windows hotkeys, hotstrings and small dialogs into repeatable automation.
Hasleo Backup Suite Free
Free Windows backup and cloning suite that images whole disks, partitions, files and folders, keeps incremental and differential versions, and builds bootable rescue media.
HDClone X.7 Free Edition
Disk copying and imaging tool that clones or images drives of up to 4 TB from Windows or from its own self-booting medium, with no registration and no time limit.
System Informer
System Informer is a free MIT-licensed Windows process explorer with detailed process, handle, service and network views for troubleshooting.
Python
The official Python interpreter for Windows, with pip, the standard library and IDLE, now installed through the Python install manager.
Process Explorer
A portable process viewer for Windows that shows the full process tree with loaded DLLs, handles, signing status, memory use and virus-checking results.
Duplicati
Back up folders and files to cloud storage or a remote server as encrypted, compressed, deduplicated versions with scheduling and a restore browser.
NVDA
NVDA is a free screen reader for Windows that speaks what is on screen, supports braille displays and works with browsers, office suites and everyday apps.
CrystalDiskMark
A storage benchmark that measures sequential and random read and write throughput and latency on SSDs, hard drives and removable media.
Ditto
Ditto is a free GPL-3 clipboard manager for Windows that stores text, images and custom formats in a searchable database and can sync between PCs.
DriverStore Explorer
A portable open-source utility that lists every driver package in the Windows driver store and removes, adds or exports them by publishing status and size.
DskManager
A Windows desktop organiser that groups icons into zones and offers compact list views for keeping shortcuts and files easier to scan.
LeanFPS
A Windows gaming utility that detects games, records frame-rate sessions, and offers reversible system tweaks with a free core and optional Pro features.
NIUBI Partition Editor Free
A free partition editor for home Windows PCs that resizes, moves, merges and clones volumes with a virtual rollback mode and a one-second undo window.
Node.js
The JavaScript runtime used to run build tools, web servers and command-line apps, installed on Windows together with the npm package manager.
Oracle VM VirtualBox
A free desktop hypervisor that runs complete x86-64 operating systems in windows, with snapshots, shared folders and virtual networking.
Sysinternals Suite
Microsoft's bundled collection of Windows troubleshooting tools, covering processes, autoruns, file handles, registry, networking, memory and disk inspection in one archive.
Vagrant
Free tool for building reproducible development environments on Windows by describing virtual machines in a single version-controlled configuration file.
WezTerm
Free GPU-accelerated terminal emulator for Windows with multiplexing, tabs, panes, tabs over SSH and a fully scriptable Lua configuration.
eSpeak NG
eSpeak NG is a compact free speech synthesizer for Windows that adds a system voice and a command line for reading text aloud in over a hundred languages.
minikube
Free tool that runs a single-node Kubernetes cluster locally on Windows for testing manifests, operators and container workloads offline.
Revo Uninstaller
A Windows uninstaller that runs an app’s standard removal process and can scan for remaining files and registry entries.
Video and media
22 programs
ScreenToGif
ScreenToGif records a screen region, window, webcam or sketch board on Windows and opens the capture in a frame-by-frame editor for trimming and export.
VLC Media Player
A free media player that opens almost any video or audio file, disc or network stream without extra codec packs.
Sunshine
Sunshine is a free GPL-3 self-hosted game streaming host that captures and hardware-encodes a Windows, macOS or Linux desktop for Moonlight clients.
Vavo Player
A Windows media player for your own playlists, live streams and local videos, with a programme guide, favourites and playback controls.
Time Overlay
A browser-based countdown overlay generator that exports transparent timer assets for editing and streaming, with optional paid templates and export upgrades.
Kdenlive
A free, open-source video editor from KDE with multi-track editing, effects, titles and proxy clips for smooth playback.
VideoTextRemover
A cloud-based video editor for removing burned-in subtitles and on-screen text, with a monthly free allowance for eligible Google-signed-in accounts.
Shotcut
A free, open-source video editor for Windows, macOS and Linux with a timeline, filters and wide format support.
Kodi
A free, open-source media centre that turns your film, TV and music collection into a browsable library on a PC or TV.
Cisel Media
A Windows video editor with recording, local subtitle generation and speech-pause tools. The free edition exports watermarked video up to 1080p at 30 FPS.
VidCoder
Rip discs and transcode video on Windows through a HandBrake-based interface, with hardware encoders, presets and a batch queue.
OpenShot
Free, open source non-linear video editor for Windows, macOS and Linux with unlimited tracks, keyframe animation and animated titles.
AI New Year Video Maker
Make a free silent New Year greeting by placing a still portrait in an animated scene, then export a short vertical video from your browser.
ClapClip AI
Windows media toolkit with free local batch transcription and conversion. Face-swap and enhancement exports require payment; some Shorts analysis uses online processing.
Synfig Studio
Open source 2D vector animation program for Windows, macOS and Linux with tweening, layer parameters and a skeleton bone system.
MKVToolNix
Create, split, merge and inspect Matroska files without re-encoding, using the mkvmerge engine and the MKVToolNix graphical toolbox.
MPC-HC
Lightweight Windows video player built on DirectShow, with hardware decoding, wide format support and detailed control over playback and subtitles.
Moonlight
Moonlight is a free GPL-3 streaming client that plays games and desktops from a Sunshine or GameStream host on Windows, macOS, Linux, phones and TVs.
Subtitle Edit
Edit, retime and convert subtitle files on Windows with waveform synchronisation, OCR for image-based captions and batch conversion tools.
OBS Studio
Free, open-source software for recording your screen and streaming live, built around scenes you switch between.
HandBrake
A free, open-source video converter that shrinks and re-encodes video files using ready-made presets.
DaVinci Resolve
Professional video editing, colour grading, effects and audio in one application, with a free edition and a paid Studio version.
Photo editors
22 programs
XnView MP
Free multi-format photo viewer, organiser and batch converter for Windows, macOS and Linux with metadata, ICC and 500-plus format support.
FastStone Image Viewer
Free Windows image browser, viewer, converter and light editor with a full-screen workflow, batch processing, EXIF data and scan support.
IrfanView
A small, fast image viewer for Windows that also converts, renames and resizes whole folders of pictures at once.
Krita
A free, open-source painting program for illustration, concept art and comics, with rich brushes and 2D animation.
FaceSwap.Free
Free browser face swapping for photos and short GIFs, with four models and no account. Results have watermarks; face crops or whole GIFs are processed online.
nomacs
Free open-source image viewer for Windows, macOS and Linux with synchronization, metadata browsing, pseudo-colour maps and a plugin API.
FastStone Photo Resizer
Free Windows batch image processor for resizing, converting, renaming, watermarking and applying effects to whole folders of pictures.
RawTherapee
Free, open source RAW converter and non-destructive photo processor with ICC colour management, film simulation and a batch render queue.
FastStone MaxView
Compact Windows image viewer that opens the common formats, applies ICC profiles and supports password-protected image archives.
Cutout.Free
Remove photo backgrounds online for free, then save a transparent PNG or add a replacement backdrop. No account; large images are downscaled before upload.
EveryTool4U Compress Image
Compress JPG, PNG and WebP images in your browser, adjust JPEG/WebP quality, and download results without an account or installation.
Siril
Siril is a free astronomical image processor for Windows that calibrates, registers and stacks RAW or FITS frames into a finished deep-sky picture.
GIMP
A free, open-source image editor for photo retouching, compositing and graphics, with layers, masks and filters.
ImageGlass
Open-source Windows image viewer with a modern tabbed interface, wide format coverage, colour-profile support and per-format viewing tools.
Liveify
Browser tools for GIF, still-image and HEIC conversions, with separate paid AI features and an iPhone app for saving video or GIF as a Live Photo.
darktable
A free and open-source photography workflow application and RAW developer with non-destructive editing.
LazPaint
Free cross-platform image editor mixing raster and vector layers, with selection tools, blend modes, filters and scriptable batch actions.
Enhance.Place
Upscale a photo by 2× or 4× online for free, without an account. JPG, PNG and WebP uploads have file and pixel limits; processing takes place on a server.
ImageWise
Browser image tools for resizing, compressing, cropping and converting pictures, with optional credit-based AI features.
JPEGView
Tiny, keyboard-driven Windows image viewer that renders large photos instantly and doubles as a lightweight batch image processor.
digiKam
Open source photo manager and editor with tagging, face recognition, geolocation and a database-backed library for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Paint.NET
A free image editor for Windows with layers, unlimited undo, effects and a large library of community plug-ins.
Audio
20 programs
ocenaudio
ocenaudio is a lightweight audio editor with real-time effect preview, a spectral view for frequency work and support for very large files on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Mixxx
Mixxx is open source DJ software for Windows with beat detection, controller support, recording and live broadcasting, and no account or licence fee.
VoiceWarp
A free online voice changer for recordings and media files, with browser-based effects and downloadable results.
OpenMPT
OpenMPT is a Windows tracker for composing and editing MOD, XM and IT modules, with sample editing, VST plugin support and accurate rendering to WAV.
fre:ac
Rip audio CDs and convert between MP3, AAC, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis and more, with metadata lookup, AccurateRip checking and multi-core encoding.
foobar2000
A lightweight, highly customisable audio player for Windows with a fast music library, lossless support and converter.
MusicBee
A Windows music player and library manager with tagging, device sync, and playback controls.
Audacity
A free, open-source audio editor and recorder for podcasts, music and quick fixes to sound files.
MuseScore Studio
Free, open source music notation program for Windows, macOS and Linux with engraving tools, playback, a mixer and MusicXML exchange.
Cardinal
Cardinal is a free open source modular synthesizer for Windows, usable standalone or as a VST3, CLAP or LV2 plugin with hundreds of patching modules.
DRockRadio
Free portable Rock and Metal internet radio player for Windows. Browse around 300 stations, save favorites, add your own streams and view track information in a compact or full-screen player.
Giada
Giada is a lightweight loop machine and micro DAW for live sample triggering and arrangement, with VST plugin support on Windows, macOS and Linux.
LMMS
LMMS is a free digital audio workstation for Windows with a step sequencer, bundled synthesizers, VST plugin support and pattern-based song arrangement.
MusicBrainz Picard
Identify music by acoustic fingerprint and rewrite tags from the MusicBrainz database, with cover art, renaming scripts and a plugin system.
Quod Libet
Manage and play a large local music library with saved search queries, playlists, ReplayGain and tag editing through the bundled Ex Falso.
Schism Tracker
Schism Tracker recreates the Impulse Tracker workflow on modern systems, playing and editing IT, S3M and MOD files as an open source Windows program.
Sonic Pi
Sonic Pi turns code into music: type commands, press run, and hear synths, samples and loops play live on Windows, macOS or Linux at no cost.
Sonic Visualiser
Look inside audio with waveform, spectrogram and pitch analysis layers, annotate what you find and extend it with Vamp analysis plugins.
Spek
Spek draws a spectrogram of any audio file so you can inspect frequency content, spot lossy encoding cutoff and verify what a file really contains.
Wavosaur
Wavosaur is a small, quick Windows audio editor with VST plugin hosting, batch processing and precise loop-point tools aimed at sound design and game audio.
Files and network
16 programs
7-Zip
A free file archiver for Windows that creates 7z and ZIP archives and opens RAR, ISO and many other formats.
PuTTY
A Windows terminal client for SSH, serial, Telnet, and other remote session protocols.
PeaZip
A free, open-source archive manager that opens over 200 formats and creates 7Z, ZIP and many others, with strong encryption.
Everything
A tiny search tool for Windows that finds any file or folder by name instantly, as you type.
PlanPusk Archive Manifest Tools
Two Python command-line tools record file sizes and SHA-256 hashes, then compare manifests before archiving and after restoring a folder.
Ventoy
A free tool that turns a USB drive into a multiboot stick: install it once, then copy ISO files on and boot any of them.
Ingenious Search
Windows file and email search with content-based organization and PDF forms. A free daily allowance is available without registration.
Nmap
Install Nmap for Windows to discover hosts, scan ports, identify services and run the bundled scripting engine from a command line or the Zenmap GUI.
AnyDesk
Remote desktop software for connecting to another computer, sharing files, and providing support; free use is limited to personal, non-commercial activity.
FileZilla
A free FTP, FTPS and SFTP client for moving files between your computer and a web server or NAS.
TreeSize Free
A disk-space analyzer that scans a drive or folder and ranks subfolders by size, colour-coding them so the real space hogs are obvious at a glance.
Angry IP Scanner
Sweep whole IP ranges quickly with Angry IP Scanner, which pings hosts, checks ports, resolves names and exports the results as CSV, TXT or XML.
C-SSH
A free graphical SSH client with persistent terminals, remote file management, server monitoring and an optional AI assistant.
RustDesk
Control remote desktops with RustDesk, an open-source client you can point at your own self-hosted relay server instead of a vendor's cloud.
WinMerge
A free, open-source Windows tool for comparing and merging text files and folders side by side, with extra modes for images, tables and binary files.
qBittorrent
A free, open-source BitTorrent client for Windows, macOS and Linux with queueing, RSS filters and a web interface.
Office
30 programs
Random Topic Generator
A free browser toolkit for choosing conversation topics, writing prompts and speaking exercises from a curated topic library.
CalendarTask
A transparent Windows desktop calendar for notes, recurring tasks and reminders, with a free personal-use tier and optional paid synchronisation features.
Joplin
Keep offline-first Markdown notes and to-dos with full-text search, tagging and web clipping, synced across desktop and mobile on your own terms.
LibreOffice
A free, open-source office suite with a word processor, spreadsheet and presentations that also opens Microsoft Office files.
AI Signature Generator
Create a signature-style image from handwriting fonts, adjust its appearance and download PNG, JPG, SVG or PDF without an account.
Anki
Anki is a free spaced-repetition flashcard program for Windows that schedules each card just before you forget it, keeping vocabulary and facts in long-term memory.
WordZip
A free browser-based DOCX compressor that reduces embedded image sizes. Choose a size–clarity balance and download a smaller copy without installing an app.
JabRef
Free reference manager that keeps a bibliography in a plain BibTeX file, with online lookup, groups, duplicate merging and a PDF viewer.
GearDex
Track camera equipment, serial numbers, receipts and shoot plans in a cloud workspace. The free Starter plan supports up to 25 items.
RepairAmigo
Free, self-hosted repair-shop management for intake, pricing, parts inventory, cash and warranty work. Runs as a VirtualBox appliance on your local network.
Apache OpenOffice
Free Apache-licensed office suite for Windows with Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base and Math, plus import and export for Microsoft Office files.
CherryTree
Free hierarchical note-taking app that stores rich text, tables, code boxes and attachments in a single local document or a folder tree.
Freeplane
Free mind-mapping tool with hand-positioned nodes, conditional styles, filters, formulas and Groovy scripting for planning and knowledge work.
Graph
Graph is a free Windows program for plotting mathematical functions, from simple curves and tangents to integrals, series and shaded regions on one coordinate system.
Novastart
A canvas-based workspace for arranging apps and files visually. Its free plan limits workspace size; AI agents and team collaboration cost extra.
Koodo Reader
Free open source ebook reader for Windows that opens EPUB, PDF, MOBI, AZW3 and comic files, with themes, text-to-speech and optional cloud backup.
Microsoft Teams
Chat, video meetings, file sharing, and communities in Microsoft's communication app, with a free option and separate paid organizational plans.
OfficeDex
A desktop editor for DOCX documents, XLSX spreadsheets and PPTX presentations, with free manual editing after sign-in and optional AI assistance.
PuppyOne
A local-first file workspace with editing, Git history, and terminals for AI agents, plus optional cloud hosting and collaboration.
A desktop companion for WhatsApp messaging, file sharing, and calls, linked to your WhatsApp account from a supported Windows PC or Mac.
R for Windows
R for Windows installs the R language and its statistics and graphics environment, with access to the CRAN package archive for data analysis and plotting.
Scratch
Scratch is a free desktop coding environment where children and beginners snap colourful blocks together to build animations, games and stories on Windows.
Scribus
Free desktop publishing program for Windows, macOS and Linux with CMYK and spot colours, ICC profiles and press-ready PDF export.
Tesseract OCR
Open-source OCR engine for Windows with a command-line interface, 100-plus language models and scriptable batch text extraction.
Zotero
Zotero collects references from the web, stores and annotates the attached PDFs, and inserts correctly formatted citations into Word or LibreOffice documents.
calibre
Free ebook library manager that catalogues your collection, converts between EPUB, MOBI, AZW3 and PDF, and sends books to most readers.
draw.io Desktop
Free offline diagramming app with flowchart, UML, BPMN, network and cloud shape libraries that saves to plain local files or your own cloud drive.
gImageReader
Free graphical front end for the Tesseract OCR engine, with PDF and image import, page previews, editable text and scan acquisition.
OnlyOffice
Desktop editors for documents, spreadsheets, presentations, forms, PDFs, and connected collaboration.
WPS Office
A cross-platform office suite with document, spreadsheet, presentation, and PDF tools in one interface.
Browsers and internet
38 programs
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.
Download managers
7 programs
PicoTorrent
Tiny native Windows BitTorrent client with a Win32 interface and libtorrent core, small memory footprint and no bundled extras.
Free Download Manager
A cross-platform manager for resumable downloads, scheduling, traffic modes, and BitTorrent transfers.
ClapClip.art
Save supported public video or audio links in your browser. Free, without an account; online downloads are limited to 720p and the first five minutes.
Motrix
Free download manager for HTTP, FTP, BitTorrent and magnet links, built on aria2 with multi-connection downloads and speed limits.
SABnzbd
Open source Usenet downloader that fetches NZB files, verifies and repairs archives, unpacks them and runs post-processing scripts.
Transmission
Lightweight open source BitTorrent client with a native Windows interface, encryption, blocklists and a remote web interface.
JDownloader
A link-collection download manager for supported file hosts, websites, and multi-part downloads.
8 programs
PDFsam Basic
Free open source PDF tool for Windows that merges, splits, extracts, rotates and mixes pages without uploading documents to any online service.
JOPDF
A desktop PDF editor for personal use, with text and image editing, annotations, page management, conversion, and local or online OCR.
PDF Arranger
Rearrange PDF pages locally: merge, split, rotate, crop, duplicate, and reorder pages in a focused graphical desktop interface for hands-on PDF work.
PDF24 Creator
A Windows desktop toolkit for creating, merging, converting, organizing, and printing PDF files.
ZIPZAX PDF Studio
A free browser-based PDF layout designer for positioning text, images, signatures and shapes on a blank page or an imported PDF background.
PDFCreator
Free Windows virtual printer that creates PDF and PDF/A files from any application, with encryption, profiles, watermarks and automatic saving.
NAPS2
Scan documents from supported devices, apply OCR, and save or share them as PDFs or image files through a cross-platform desktop app, locally.
SumatraPDF
A small, fast, free reader for Windows that opens PDF, EPUB, MOBI, comic book archives, DjVu, XPS and CHM files.
3D and CAD
16 programs
FabRapid 3D
Browser-based tools for converting, viewing and compressing 3D models, with a shared workspace for CAD and mesh-file workflows.
Celestia
Free real-time 3D space simulator for Windows: fly from Earth orbit to distant galaxies using accurate star catalogues, spacecraft models and scripted tours.
Stellarium
Free planetarium for Windows: a photorealistic sky with stars, planets, constellation art, telescope control and time travel to any date or place.
LibreCAD
Free 2D CAD application for Windows that reads and writes DXF and DWG, with layers, blocks, dimensions, snapping and print layouts for workshop drawings.
3D Converter
Convert and preview 3D models in a browser, compare format changes before download, and use optional account-based cloud processing for CAD files.
OpenSCAD
Free script-based 3D CAD modeller for Windows: describe parametric parts as code, preview instantly and export STL or 3MF for printing and machining.
Blender
A free, open-source 3D suite for modelling, sculpting, animation, rendering and video editing.
CloudCompare
Free point-cloud and mesh processing suite for Windows: align laser scans, clean noise, measure distances and export cross sections and surfaces.
Logisim Evolution
Free digital logic simulator for Windows: draw gate-level schematics, simulate them tick by tick, and export VHDL or target a real FPGA board.
FreeCAD
Create and edit parametric 3D designs with an open-source modeler built for product design, mechanical engineering, and other CAD work tasks.
Veusz
Free scientific plotting for Windows: build publication-quality 2D and 3D graphs from files or Python scripts and export them as vector graphics.
SolveSpace
Tiny free parametric 3D CAD for Windows: sketch with constraints, extrude and revolve solids, assemble mechanisms and export STL, STEP or DXF files.
MeshLab
Free mesh processing studio for Windows: clean, repair, decimate, smooth, measure and inspect scanned 3D models across dozens of file formats.
PrusaSlicer
Free 3D printing slicer for Windows: prepare models with tuned profiles, supports, variable layer height and a detailed G-code preview before printing.
UltiMaker Cura
Free 3D printing slicer for Windows with ready-made profiles for many printers, tree supports, plugin extensions and a clear layer preview.
OpenRocket
Free model rocket simulator for Windows: design a rocket from nose cone to fins, run flight simulations and check stability, altitude and descent rate.
Text and code editors
12 programs
Git for Windows
The standard Git distribution for Windows, bundling the git command line with Git Bash, Git GUI, Explorer integration and Git Credential Manager.
DB Browser for SQLite
DB Browser for SQLite is a free MPL-licensed graphical tool for creating, browsing, editing and querying SQLite database files on the desktop.
Geany
Geany is a lightweight integrated development environment for Windows and Linux with tabs, a symbol list, build commands, and a plugin system.
Notepad++
A free text and source code editor for Windows with tabs, syntax highlighting and powerful search and replace.
Sigil
Free EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 editor with a code view, live preview, metadata and table-of-contents tools, regex search and bundled validation.
Visual Studio Code
Microsoft's free code editor for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a built-in terminal, Git support and a large library of extensions.
CMake
CMake is a free BSD-licensed build system generator that writes native project files for Ninja, Visual Studio, Xcode, Make and other tools.
DBeaver Community
DBeaver Community is a free Apache-licensed universal database client that reaches many databases through automatically installed JDBC drivers.
Lite XL
Free lightweight code editor for Windows written in C and Lua, starting in milliseconds and extending through small Lua plugins.
Notepad3
Notepad3 is a small, fast Windows text editor with syntax highlighting, code folding, regular-expression search, and encoding and line-ending control.
VSCodium
Telemetry-free community build of the VS Code editor, shipped as plain MIT binaries with no Microsoft branding and no proprietary add-ons.
Zed
GPU-accelerated collaborative code editor written in Rust, built for low input latency, multiplayer editing and a fast native Windows experience.
Games
15 programs
Steam
Valve's free PC gaming client for buying, downloading and updating games, chatting with friends and managing your library.
AntConquest
A free-to-play browser strategy game about growing an ant colony, developing territory and coordinating alliances against other players. An online account is required.
DOSBox Staging
DOSBox Staging is a modern DOS emulator for Windows with accurate audio, CRT shaders and a readable configuration file for running classic DOS games.
DOSBox-X
DOSBox-X is a DOS emulator for Windows that also runs Windows 3.x, 9x and PC-98 software, with printing, disk images and a built-in debugger.
PCSX2
PCSX2 is a free PlayStation 2 emulator for Windows that plays your own disc images with upscaled rendering, save states and per-game profiles.
Luanti
Luanti is a free voxel game engine for Windows with a Lua modding API, downloadable games and mods, and built-in single-player and multiplayer servers.
MapTool
MapTool is a free virtual tabletop for Windows with fog of war, vision blocking, macros and a bundled Java runtime for online tabletop RPG sessions.
OpenMW
OpenMW is a free, open-source reimplementation of the Morrowind engine for Windows with better performance, controller support and a construction set.
OpenRCT2
OpenRCT2 is a free reimplementation of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 for Windows with multiplayer, new ride types, a plugin API and quality-of-life fixes.
Playnite
Playnite is a free, open-source game library manager for Windows that unifies Steam, GOG, Epic and emulated games behind one interface and controller mode.
Roblox
A free-to-download player for Roblox's community-created online experiences, with account-based progress and optional purchases.
ScummVM
ScummVM is a free interpreter that runs hundreds of classic point-and-click adventure games on Windows using your own original game data files.
SuperTux
SuperTux is a free side-scrolling platform game for Windows with a story campaign, a level editor, add-on support and full gamepad controls.
Tiled
Tiled is a free, cross-platform tile map editor for Windows used by indie and commercial developers to build 2D levels for many game engines.
Warzone 2100
Warzone 2100 is a free, open-source real-time strategy game for Windows with a full campaign, unit design, base building and online multiplayer.
A guide to safer downloads
Downloading programs for your PC is easy; downloading them safely is the part people get wrong. This guide covers the safe path for Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS and Linux, then points to the free programs worth installing first.
How to Download Programs Safely
- Start from the official site. Search engines mix official pages with lookalike download portals. The safest query pattern is the program name plus its known developer domain (e.g. "VLC videolan").
- Skip the big download buttons. Portals plaster pages with ads shaped like download buttons. The real link is usually small, plain text near the file name and version number.
- Choose Custom install. Free installers often pre-check "recommended" extras: toolbars, search engines, browser extensions. Custom/Advanced install lets you uncheck them.
- Check the signature. On Windows, right-click the installer → Properties → Digital Signatures: the publisher should match the developer. Unsigned installers are a red flag.
- Scan before running. One right-click → scan with your antivirus (or upload to a reputation service) costs ten seconds and catches repackaged malware.
Choose a Program by the Job
| Need | Category to browse | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Media playback or conversion | Video tools | Supported formats and hardware requirements |
| Archive handling or maintenance | System tools | Whether a feature changes files or disk layouts |
| Documents and spreadsheets | Office tools | Compatibility with the files you exchange |
| Image, audio or 3D work | Creative tools | Platform support and output formats |
| Passwords, privacy or protection | Security tools | Account recovery, data handling and licence terms |
The catalog index shows the product records that are currently available. It is not a claim that every product in a category is free for every use case.
Download Programs for macOS
Use the publisher's macOS download instructions or the Mac App Store when that is the publisher's supported channel. Confirm the required macOS version and whether an application is built for your hardware before installing it.
Download Programs for Linux
Distribution repositories, Flatpak and Snap can provide packaged software, but package availability and release timing differ by distribution. Read the publisher's documentation and your distribution's package information before adding a third-party source.
Frequently asked questions
How do I download programs for PC free?
Start with the product's documented publisher page, confirm the domain, and read the installer choices. A catalog page is useful for orientation, but you should still verify the destination before downloading.
Where do I download programs for Windows 11?
The same sources as Windows 10: official sites and the Microsoft Store for signed apps. Windows 11's built-in Store is safe but often lags behind official releases.
Is it safe to download free programs?
It can be safer when you identify the publisher, keep your system updated, and inspect the source and installer. A free price does not prove that an application or a download page is trustworthy.
How do I know a download site is fake?
Lookalike domains (misspellings of the developer's name), aggressive "your download is ready" ads, and installers signed by unknown publishers are the three tell-tale signs. When in doubt, use the links in this catalog.