"You get what you pay for" is true in most circumstances, but not necessarily with software. There are hundreds of excellent apps what cost exactly nothing. Let's see the best free apps for Windows, ranging from the best free Antivirus software suites to the best free VPN clients.
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An index of high-quality apps
This guide isn't a roundup. We will not be comparing these apps to one another, to single out the best-of-the-best-no-questions-asked on every category.
Our goal is to gather a couple of hundred great programs, for every job on our Windows computer. This will help you discover apps you might not know about, and maybe alternatives to applications you have been using for years.
Of course, it won't end with this index. We will be creating detailed guides for every different category, where we will test the category's best free apps, with their pros and cons.
Until then, though, you can give them a try yourselves. After all, it's free.
The best free Antivirus / Windows Security Applications
Antivirus
Firewall
- AVS Firewall
- Comodo Firewall
- Outpost Firewall Free
- PrivateFirewall
- TinyWall
- Windows Firewall control
- ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
Malware Scanner
- ComboFix
- Emsisoft Anti-Malware
- Emsisoft Emergency Kit
- Malwarebytes
- Spybot Search & Destroy
- SUPERAntiSpyware
- Trend Micro HouseCall
The best free Audio / Video Utilities
Audio Editing
- Acoustica Basic Edition
- Audacity
- Audio Joiner
- AudioTool
- MP3 Cutter
- MP3Gain
- Power Sound Editor Free
- Reaper
- WavePad
- WaveShop
- Wavosaur
Codec Pack
Media Center
- Kodi (ex XBMC)
- MediaPortal
- Plex
Movie / Video Player
- BSPlayer
- Daum PotPlayer
- DivX Player
- GOM Media Player
- JetAudio Basic
- Kantaris
- KMPlayer
- Media Player Classic Home Cinema
- MPCStar
- SMPlayer
- Snow Player
- VLC Player
- Zoom Player Free
Music / Audio Player
Tags Manager
Video Converter
- Any Video Converter
- Extensoft Video Converter
- Format Factory
- FreeMake Free Video Converter
- Hamster Free Video Converter
- Handbrake
- Miro Video Converter
- Prism
Video Editing
- Avidemux
- Free Video Dub
- Kate's Video Toolkit
- Lightworks
- MPEG Streamclip
- VirtualDub
- VSDC Free Video Editor
The best free Backup Applications
Cloud Backup Clients
- Amazon Cloud Drive
- Box Sync
- Copy
- CloudMe
- Cubby
- Dropbox
- Dump Truck
- Google Drive
- hubiC
- JottaCloud
- Jumpshare
- MediaFire Desktop
- Mega Sync Client
- OziBox
- pCloud
- tresorit
- Yandex Disk
File Backup / Folder Synchronizer
- AllwaySync
- Comodo Backup
- DirSync Pro
- Duplicati
- FreeFileSync
- Karaosoft File Synchronizer
- SyncToy
- SyncBackFree
- SyncFolders
- Syncless
- Syncredible
- Synkron
System Backup / Image Software
- AOMEI Backupper
- Clonezilla
- Drive Image XML
- EaseUS Todo Backup Home
- Macrium Reflect
- Paragon Backup and Recovery
- PING (PartImage Is Not Ghost)
The best free Browsers
- Avant Browser
- Google Chrome
- Kylo
- Maxthon Browser
- Mozilla Firefox
- Opera
- Palemoon
- RockMelt
- SlimBrowser
- SRWare Iron
The best free Code / Text Editors
- AutoIt
- Code::Blocks
- ConTEXT
- Crimson Editor
- GetDiz
- HxD
- jGRASP
- Notepad++
- Programmer's Notepad
- SharpDevelop
- WinSCP
The best free Communication Apps
The best free Diagnostic Utilities
Diagnostic Multitools
System Diagnostics
- CoreTemp
- CPUZ
- CrystalDiskInfo
- Disk Benchmark
- GPU-Z
- HDDScan
- HWiNFO/32/64 Tools
- HWMonitor
- Memtest86
- OCCT
- RealTemp
The best free Disk Utilities
Disk Cleaning
Disk Data Recovery
- EASEUS Data Recovery Wizard
- MiniTool Power Data Recovery
- PC Inspector
- TestDisk & PhotoRec
- Recuva
- Restoration
Disk Defragmenter
Disk Erase
Disk Partitioning
- AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition
- EaseUS Partition Master
- GParted
- MiniTool Partition Wizard
Disk Space Analysis
Duplicate File Finder
- AllDup
- Anti-Twin
- Auslogics Duplicate File Finder
- Double Killer
- DupeGuru
- CloneSpy
- Duplicate Cleaner Free
- Exact Duplicate Finder
- Fast Duplicate File Finder
- SearchMyFiles
The best free Downloading Applications
Music Download
Torrent Client
Video / YouTube Download
- Ashampoo ClipFinder HD
- DVDVideoSoft Free YouTube Download
- Freemake Video Downloader
- Free Youtube Downloader
- Orbit Downloader
- SaveFrom.net
- StreamTransport
- YTD Video Downloader
The best free DVD / CD Utilities
DVD / CD Burner
DVD Rip
- bitRipper
- DVD43
- DVDShrink
- DVDFab HD
- Format Factory
- HandBrake
- MakeMKV
- MediaCoder
- VidCoder
- WinX DVD Ripper
The best free Email Clients
The best free File Utilities
File Compression
File Encryption
File Split / Join
Hash / CRC Check
- Febooti fileTweak Hash & CRC
- HashTab
- HashMyFiles
- HashCheck Shell Extension
- Microsoft File Checksum Integrity Verifier
- MD5 Checker
- WinMD5Free
The best free FTP Clients
The best free ISO Mount Applications
- Alchohol 52% Free Edition
- Daemon Tools
- DVDFab Virtual Drive
- Gizmo Drive
- MagicDisk
- Microsoft Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel
- Virtual CloneDrive
- WinArchiver Virtual Drive
- WinCDEmu
The best free Network Analysis
- Advanced IP Scanner
- NetSpeedMonitor
- NetTraffic
- NetWorx
- SoftPerfect Network Scanner
- TCPView
- Wireshark
The best free OCR
The best free Office Suites
The best free Password Management Applications
The best free PDF Utilities
PDF Creator
PDF Reader
- Cool PDF Reader
- Evince
- Expert PDF Reader
- Foxit PDF reader
- Javelin PDF Reader
- MuPDF
- Nitro PDF Reader
- Sorax Reader
- Sumatra PDF
- PDF-XChange Viewer
The best free Photo / Picture / Image Utilities
Image Viewer
- FastStone Image Viewer
- Hornil Photo Viewer
- IrfanView
- Nomacs - Image Lounge
- Picasa
- WildBit Viewer
- Xlideit Image Viewer
- XnView
- Zoner Photo Studio
Photo Editor
- Artweaver
- Chasys Draw IES
- GIMP
- Inkscape-vector graphics editor
- Paint.NET
- PhoXo
- Photo Pos Pro
- PhotoFiltre
- PhotoScape
- PhotoWipe - (magic eraser)
- PixBuilder Studio
Vector Graphics
The best free Process Management Applications
The best free Remote Control / Administration / Support Applications
The best free Screen Utilities
Screen Capture
- Capture View
- CaptureIt Plus
- Cropper
- DuckCapture
- EasyCapture
- FoxArc Screen Capture
- Gadwin PrintScreen
- Greenshot
- Horizon33
- Jing
- LightScreen
- LightShot
- MWSnap
- PrintKey 2000
- PrtScr
- Puush
- Screen Capturer
- Screen Grab Pro
- ScreenHunter Free
- Screenpresso
- Screenshot Captor
- Shotty
- SnapDraw
- SnapShot
- VVCap
- ZScreen
Screen Recording
- ActivePresenter Free Edition
- Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder
- BB FlashBack Express
- CamStudio
- DVDVideoSoft Free Screen Video Recorder
- IceCream Screen Recorder
- Krut Computer Recorder
- Loilo Game Recorder
- oCam
- Rylstim Screen Recorder
- TinyTake
- Webinaria
The best free Shut Down Applications
- Auto Shutdown Genius
- Drivermagician Auto Shutdown
- Konradp Auto Shutdown
- Shutdown Monster
- Simple Shutdown Timer
- WinMend Auto Shutdown
- Wise Auto Shutdown
The best free Startup App Managers
The best free System Information Utilities
The best free Uninstallers
The best free Virtual Machines
The best free VPN
Got any additions to the best free apps list?
If we left an important app or even an important category, let us know in the comment's section. We'll add the app or the category next time we update the "Best Free Apps" guide.
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Leila Lee says
Nice post! I learned a lot. Besides, I also would like to share a useful tool here Leawo Video Converter, which has lots of powerful functions on converting different videos. Maybe it is another choice for users.
Aaron Samuel says
Nice post, thanks for share. For Video/YouTube Downloader list, you can add Gihosoft TubeGet, a free and powerful video downloader without any ads.