14 free PC programs to try instead of paid apps

Key Takeaways

Free PC apps like Obsidian, Gimp, and DaVinci Resolve offer powerful alternatives to paid software.
Apps such as Audacity and VLC provide robust features for tasks like video editing and audio mastering.
In terms of productivity, tools like Grammarly, PDF Creator, and Microsoft To-Do are my go-tos.

One of the greatest advantages of having a PC is the wide array of apps available to you. Whether you’re a gamer, graphic designer, video editor, or need to manage a business, there are hundreds — or even thousands, depending on what you do — of apps to choose from to help you get your job done or simply have some fun.

However, if you’ve already spent a lot of money on the newest GPU or the best CPU, you might be hesitant to grab a new software license or subscribe to a monthly payment for the app you need.

Fortunately, among the myriad of options, you can easily find a free alternative to almost any app. What’s even better, being free does not mean they are worse. On the contrary, sometimes they do their job just as well, if not better.

So, without further ado, here are the best free PC apps you absolutely need to use.

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1 Note-taking app: Obsidian

Power up your notes

Obsidian / Pocket-lint

Obsidian is an excellent choice if you’re looking for powerful note-taking software that’s easy to access and provides an advanced feature set for anyone willing to master it.

It allows you to take notes and create a network of interconnected snippets of information, with the ability to interlink and cross-reference them. It makes the process of taking notes easier and helps you quickly reference older entries.

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2 Photoshop alternative: Gimp

Open-source Photoshop magic

Gimp / Pocket-lint

GIMP is probably one of the most well-known open-source projects. It’s an image editing software that allows you to do most of the things that Photoshop does, with one huge difference. It’s completely free to use. You might not get the newest AI features, but the standard feature set is all here, making it much more affordable to start your journey with graphic design.

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3 Video editing software: DaVinci Resolve

Cut, color, and export your clips

DaVinci Resolve / Pocket-lint

DaVinci Resolve is a wonder for all amateur and professional video editors. It’s a powerful, fully-featured video editing software that is completely free to use. There are some limitations, such as a maximum clip resolution of 4K at 60FPS, but if you’re just trying to get your YouTube uploads ready, it’s the best free choice available. Additionally, DaVinci includes arguably the best color correction tools in the industry, so you can fully utilize your camera’s RAW recording capabilities.

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4 Gaming software: Steam

One-stop app for gamers

Steam / Pocket-lint

If you like playing video games, especially on PC, Steam is probably the first thing you install. However, if you’re just getting into PC gaming, you’re in for a treat. Steam is an online store for all your video games, but it’s also much more. It manages your save files in the cloud, lets you connect with friends, and tracks your achievements. It’s the ultimate gaming platform you need on your PC. Plus, there are many free games on Steam, so you can use this free software to install even more free, fun apps.

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5 Office suite: LibreOffice

Become a productivity powerhouse

LibreOffice / Pocket-lint

A few short years ago, getting a pricey license for Microsoft Office was the only way to get a proper, fully functional office suite on your PC. However, times have changed. If you like working online, you can use Google Docs or even free online versions of Office Suite directly from Microsoft. But if you need a powerful set of productivity tools, there is LibreOffice. It may look a bit retro, but it contains all the necessary tools to fill in spreadsheets, type up word documents, and create presentations easily and efficiently.

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6 Writing utility: Grammarly

No more problems with grammar

Grammarly / Pocket-lint

Even though your operating system and various word processors have built-in spell check, these are often not enough for correcting grammar. That’s where Grammarly comes in with its desktop app. It highlights any grammatical errors you make in whatever app you have open, making writing emails, dissertations, and even Facebook messages easy and stress-free. Its basic functionality is completely free.

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Your own streaming service

Plex / Pocket-lint

Streaming services are great because of their convenience and the vast libraries of movies and TV shows they offer. However, what if you could stream all the movies you love and have in your media library and have them available everywhere, anytime? That’s what Plex is for. It’s your own personal media center that lets you stream your media from your PC or server to any compatible device. It’s excellent for movie geeks, music lovers, and anyone who has a large library of files they want to access anywhere in the world.

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8 Messaging and communications software: Discord

A hub for all your friends

Discord / Pocket-lint

Whether PC gaming, chatting with friends, or organizing important events, Discord is an extremely handy messenger to have. It allows you to create voice chats, video calls, and text chats, and manage all that with handy groups and channels. It’s also relatively light on resources, so it doesn’t slow down your PC while working in the background. This is a great benefit for gamers who need all the FPS they can get out of their machine.

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9 Audio editing software: Audacity

Master the music

Audacity / Pocket-lint

Whether you’re recording music, voiceovers, or doing video work with audio included, you’ll likely need a tool to work on the audio tracks. Audacity is an impressive free piece of software that lets you do just that. Along with straightforward features like cutting and adjusting levels, it offers an impressive, professional-grade array of tools you can use both when just learning the ropes and when you’re already experienced.

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10 Video player: VLC

Real kino on your PC

VLC / Pocket-lint

One of the big advantages of having an awesome desktop or a great laptop is having a superb screen to watch your favorite movies on. However, if you want the experience of playing movie files to go as smoothly as possible, you need a reliable video player, and VLC is just that. It’s an established app that is easy to use but offers an impressive feature set. Plus, it handles a wide variety of video formats, so you can be sure that your totally legitimate files will play just fine.

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11 Audio player: Foobar2000

Jam to your favorite tunes

FooBar2000 / Pocket-lint

You might have a huge library of MP3s and FLACs hidden away on your hard drive, but without a great music player, they are literally useless. Fortunately, foobar2000 is an excellent choice. Its UI is admittedly a bit spartan, but it makes up for it with usability and a robust feature set. It supports all the important file types and is really easy to use, making it an excellent companion for your Hi-Fi listening needs.

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12 PDF reader: PDF Creator

Getting through all the digital paperwork has never been this easy

PDF Creator / Pocket-lint

PDFs, while an excellent resource and a great way to share documents, can be a pain to deal with sometimes. Fortunately, thanks to PDFCreator, you can easily merge, rearrange, and sign them without much hassle. As the name suggests, it also allows you to create PDFs from other files and even automate the whole process for maximum efficiency.

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13 Task management software: Microsoft To-Do

Organize and plan like a pro

Microsoft / Pocket-lint

Sometimes, when life gets overwhelming and you have a lot to do, creating a to-do list is an excellent way to handle all your responsibilities. Microsoft To-Do is an easy-to-use, free program that lets you create such lists and always keep them with you thanks to cross-platform saving. You can also share these lists and collaborate with colleagues or your family, as well as access them easily from your Outlook account, making it a great workplace companion.

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14 PC monitoring software: HWiNFO

Keep an eye on your PC’s health

HWiNFO / Pocket-lint

Finally, no PC setup would be complete without a way to monitor the health of your system. HWinfo is an excellent tool that lets you do just that. It can not only show you all the devices connected to your PC, but it also provides detailed insights into stats such as temperatures, voltages, and power consumption of your devices. It is a must-have tool for every PC.