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Free, open source alternatives

Swap the apps you pay for, or the ones that watch you, for free software anyone can read and improve. Every download button goes to the project’s own site.

  • 64 open source apps
  • 38 programs replaced
  • All free

64 apps

Design and photos

Instead ofAdobe PhotoshopAdobe Paid
  • GIMPWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeThe long-standing free photo editor: layers, masks, curves, healing and plug-ins.DownloadWebsite
  • KritaWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeA painting app made by artists, with brushes, layers and animation built in.DownloadWebsite
  • PhotoCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaA Photoshop look-alike written in Rust that opens and saves layered PSD files.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAdobe IllustratorAdobe Paid
  • InkscapeWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeVector drawing for logos, icons and print, saving straight to SVG.DownloadWebsite
  • VectorCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaVector illustration with Illustrator’s tools and shortcuts, rebuilt in Rust.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAdobe LightroomAdobe Paid
  • darktableWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeA raw photo developer and library that never touches your originals.DownloadWebsite
  • RawTherapeeWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeRaw processing with fine control over colour, detail and noise.DownloadWebsite
  • LightCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaA photo library and raw developer laid out like Lightroom, running on your machine.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAdobe InDesignAdobe Paid
  • ScribusWindows, Mac, LinuxFreePage layout for magazines, posters and books, with print-ready PDF export.DownloadWebsite
  • DesignCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaPage layout and publishing laid out like InDesign, written in Rust.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofFigmaFigma Freemium
  • PenpotBrowserFreeDesign and prototyping in the browser, built on open standards; host it yourself or use theirs.DownloadWebsite
  • FigCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaInterface design and prototyping as a native app, also runs in a browser tab.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofCinema 4D and MayaMaxon, Autodesk Paid
  • BlenderWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeModelling, sculpting, animation, rendering and even video editing in one app.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAutoCAD and SolidWorksAutodesk, Dassault Paid
  • FreeCADWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeParametric 3D modelling for parts, buildings and anything you plan to make.DownloadWebsite
  • CADCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlpha2D drafting and design in the AutoCAD mould, written in Rust.DownloadWebsite

Video and audio

Instead ofAdobe Premiere ProAdobe Paid
  • KdenliveWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeA multitrack video editor with effects, titles and proxy editing for big files.DownloadWebsite
  • ShotcutWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeA straightforward editor that opens almost any format without importing.DownloadWebsite
  • FilmCraftWindows, Mac, LinuxAlphaA Premiere-style editor: source and program monitors, a multitrack timeline and the usual trims.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAdobe After EffectsAdobe Paid
  • EffectCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaMotion graphics and visual effects with layers and keyframes, rebuilt in Rust.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAdobe AuditionAdobe Paid
  • AudacityWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeRecord, cut and clean up audio, from podcasts to voice notes.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAvid Pro ToolsAvid Paid
  • SoundCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaRecord, edit and mix audio in a native digital audio workstation.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofFL StudioImage-Line Paid
  • LMMSWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeMake beats and songs with a pattern editor, piano roll and built-in synths.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofSibeliusAvid Paid
  • MuseScoreWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeWrite, play back and print sheet music.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofCamtasiaTechSmith Paid
  • OBS StudioWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeRecord your screen and camera or stream live, with scenes you switch between.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofPaid video convertersVarious Paid
  • HandBrakeWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeShrink and convert videos with ready-made presets for phones and the web.DownloadWebsite
  • VLCWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreePlays nearly every video and audio file, and converts them too.DownloadWebsite

Office and notes

Instead ofMicrosoft OfficeMicrosoft Paid
  • LibreOfficeWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeDocuments, spreadsheets and slides that open and save Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.DownloadWebsite
  • ONLYOFFICE DesktopWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeAn office suite that looks and behaves much like Microsoft’s, tabs and all.DownloadWebsite
  • WordCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaA Word-style word processor, native and fast.DownloadWebsite
  • GridCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaSpreadsheets in the Excel mould, rebuilt in Rust.DownloadWebsite
  • DeckCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaSlide decks in the PowerPoint mould, rebuilt in Rust.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofNotionNotion Labs Freemium
  • AppFlowyWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreePages, databases and boards like Notion, with your data kept on your device.DownloadWebsite
  • AFFiNEWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeDocs and whiteboards in one space, working offline first.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofEvernote and ObsidianEvernote, Obsidian Freemium
  • JoplinWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeMarkdown notes and notebooks, synced end to end encrypted to the cloud you pick.DownloadWebsite
  • LogseqWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeAn outliner for daily notes and linked thoughts, stored as plain files.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAdobe AcrobatAdobe Paid
  • PDFsam BasicWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeMerge, split, rotate and pull pages out of PDFs, offline.DownloadWebsite
  • PdfCraftWindows, Mac, Linux, BrowserAlphaRead, organise, combine, split and secure PDFs.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofEndNoteClarivate Paid
  • ZoteroWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhoneFreeCollect papers and pages, then cite them in Word or LibreOffice in any style.DownloadWebsite

Web, mail and chat

Instead ofGoogle ChromeGoogle Free
  • FirefoxWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeThe independent browser, with tracking protection on by default.DownloadWebsite
  • BraveWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeChrome’s engine and extensions, with ads and trackers blocked out of the box.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Free
  • ThunderbirdWindows, Mac, Linux, AndroidFreeMail, calendar and contacts for all your accounts in one app.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofWhatsAppMeta Free
  • SignalWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeEnd-to-end encrypted messages and calls, run by a non-profit.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofSlackSalesforce Freemium
  • ElementWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, BrowserFreeTeam chat on the open Matrix network, encrypted end to end.DownloadWebsite
  • MattermostWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeChannels and threads like Slack, on a server you run.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofZoomZoom Freemium
  • Jitsi MeetBrowser, iPhone, AndroidFreeVideo calls straight from a link, with no account needed.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofChatGPTOpenAI Freemium
  • JanWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeA chat app that runs open AI models on your own computer, offline.DownloadWebsite
  • OllamaWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeDownload and run models like Llama and Gemma locally with one command.DownloadWebsite

Files, passwords and your computer

Instead ofDropbox and Google DriveDropbox, Google Freemium
  • NextcloudWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeYour own cloud for files, calendars and contacts, on a server or a provider you choose.DownloadWebsite
  • SyncthingWindows, Mac, Linux, AndroidFreeKeeps folders in sync between your devices directly, with no cloud in between.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofGoogle PhotosGoogle Freemium
  • Ente PhotosWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeEncrypted photo backup with face search and shared albums.DownloadWebsite
  • ImmichiPhone, Android, BrowserFreeA Google Photos look-alike you host on your own server.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofAirDropApple Free
  • LocalSendWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeSend files to any nearby device on the same Wi-Fi, whatever it runs.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofWinRAR and WinZipwin.rar, Corel Paid
  • 7-ZipWindowsFreeOpens and makes zip, 7z, rar and most other archives, very small and fast.DownloadWebsite
  • PeaZipWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeAn archive manager for 200 formats, with encryption.DownloadWebsite
Instead of1Password and LastPassAgileBits, LastPass Paid
  • BitwardenWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, Android, BrowserFreeA password manager that syncs everywhere, free for unlimited passwords.DownloadWebsite
  • KeePassXCWindows, Mac, LinuxFreePasswords in an encrypted file you keep, with no account at all.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofTeamViewerTeamViewer Paid
  • RustDeskWindows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, AndroidFreeRemote control of another computer, through their servers or your own.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofSnagitTechSmith Paid
  • ShareXWindowsFreeScreenshots, scrolling captures, GIFs and annotations, with dozens of upload targets.DownloadWebsite
  • FlameshotWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeTake a screenshot, then draw, blur and label it before saving.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofCCleanerGen Digital Freemium
  • BleachBitWindows, LinuxFreeClears caches, logs and leftovers to free space and protect privacy.DownloadWebsite

For developers

Instead ofVisual Studio CodeMicrosoft Free
  • VSCodiumWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeThe same editor built from the open source code, without Microsoft’s telemetry.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofSublime TextSublime HQ Paid
  • Notepad++WindowsFreeA fast, light code and text editor with tabs and syntax colours.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofPostmanPostman Freemium
  • BrunoWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeAn API client that saves requests as plain files in your repo, offline and with no account.DownloadWebsite
Instead ofDocker DesktopDocker Freemium
  • Podman DesktopWindows, Mac, LinuxFreeRun and manage containers and Kubernetes from a desktop app.DownloadWebsite

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