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Avira Free Software Updater is a program for Windows by German security company Avira that checks Windows PCs for software updates.

It is recommended -- most of the time -- to run up to date versions of programs installed on Windows. The main reason for that is security, as older versions may have security issues that newer versions patched. Other reasons may be stability and new features.

There are reasons for not updating software, for instance when a new version is worse than the old, or when you only have a license for an older version and want to keep on using it without having to renew it.

Avira Free Software Updater is a free program to check if updates are available for installed programs on a Windows machine.

Warning: The program installs Avira Browser Safety during installation as a Chrome extension. The program installer has no option to block this from happening. You can block the installation in Chrome however as you will be prompted when that happens.

The program scans the system when you run it, and lists all programs that are outdated after a brief moment.

Avira Free Software Updater lists the name of the program, the developer, a link to the program website on the Internet, and a big update button. The installed version, but not the latest version, is displayed when you hover the mouse cursor over the download icon next to the program icon.

This means that you have no option to verify that a new version is indeed available, and what version number that new version has.

The update button advertises the Pro version of the application only however, and does nothing else in the free version.

You can click on the website link however to open it, and download the latest version manually from it.

The only other option that you have right there is to run a rescan. This can be useful if you have updated some programs and want an updated status report.

The two menu options on the left, my software and events, offer additional information. My Software lists all programs that Avira Free Software Updater detected on the system. This is likely not identical to the number of installed programs though, as the program seems to support only some programs.

Events on the other hand is a log that lists information on scans and updates.

The Pro version of the application, Avira Software Updater Pro, adds the update functionality to the program, and an option to keep software up to date automatically. It costs 24.95 for a one-year subscription though.

How is the program stacking up against one of the best software update programs out there? Sumo is a long standing program that is available as a free and pro version as well.

I ran Sumo on the same system, here is the conclusion:

Avira Free Software Updater, and the Pro version, have a long way to go to reach feature parity with Sumo. Some issues are fixed easily, like missing version information, while others, support for more programs, may take time to get right.

The software program should display an option during installation to inform users about the installation of the Avira Browser Safety extension for Chrome, and disable it.

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Avira Free Software Updater

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Windows

Software Category

Maintenance

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Avira Free Software Updater review - Ghacks Technology News

Do you remember those days in the early nineties when most screensavers were showing flying 3D metallic logotypes? Did you have one?

In this article, I want to go back in time and briefly revise the period in the history of computer graphics (CG) development when it transitioned from research labs to everyone's home computer. The early and mid-1990s was the time when Aldus (before Adobe bought the company) was developing PageMaker for desktop publishing, when Pixar created ToyStory, and soon after 3D modeling and animation software Maya by Alias|Wavefront (acquired by Autodesk). It was also a moment when we got two very different models of CG development, one practiced by the Hollywood entertainment industryand one practiced by corporations like Adobe and Autodesk.

By recalling this history, I hope to be able to shed new light on the value of free software for CG, such as Blender or Synfig. Maybe we can even re-discover the significance of one implicit freedom in free software: awayfor digital artists to establish relations with developers.

It may seem natural today that CG software and GUIsempower digital creativity, but in fact, they wereto a great extentthe result of the attempts of the software industry to automate design and manufacturing.

In the early 1980s the U.S.felt threatened about losing its global economic power. The way it sought to overcome this threat was to envision software as a tool to reduce costs in manufacturing, by automating parts of it. CAD software was in great demand, primarily as a way to reduce the costs for manufacturing, but also to increase U.S. competitiveness. It sped up the development of algorithms for digital drawing and rendering. In this context, Autodesk managed to emerge as a market leader with its AutoCAD and outcompeted many other similar products with a cheap price and features. (At that point in time CAD software used to be developed in-house for large corporations and cost tens of thousands of dollars. However strange it may sound, Autodesk wasamong the first to make CAD software affordable for less wealthy companies at the time, but not, of course, for individual creators.)

This was also the moment in history in which computer graphics transitioned from being part of scientific work to becomingwidely available for noncoding users. This move required producers to minimize maintenance obligations and costs by creating documentation and support services that detached users from developers. However, in the 1990s the business of CAD and desktop publishing software companies (like Adobe) stagnated and needed to diversify.

These growing CG software giants began to swallow smaller companies and incorporate these tools into their portfolios. As a result, individual CG creators got digital tools for drawing and animation, but dispossessed them from influence on technological development, a situation that art critique Boris Groys summarizes in his post,Art Production (March 18, 2013): "The post-industrial 'creative industries' presuppose the innovative, project-oriented and, in a certain way, autonomous working process. But on the other hand, the artists, designers, or writers use the means of production that they do not own or control." We may think that this is the default state of things that we end up with ever since the industrialization of work. But, this is not entirely true.

While CAD software was moving CG away from science (at least for the end user) in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Hollywood industry was experimenting with renewing animation by new tech and by bringing users into software development. Initially, such experiments were rather limited. Somewhere around the 1970s, Lucas Film tried to experiment with CG for making visual effects. Disney tried in the 1980s to introduce CG as a way to automate parts of its animation production. These tests did not have a big impact because these studios had a very well established division of labor, technology, and production pipeline. Any changes caused by new technologies would disrupt the ongoing work process and require major restructuring that they were reluctant to do (cited below,Tai).

For this reason, their early experiments were more of a test of what it would be to have some CG in a movie rather than an attempt to actually develop new algorithms. This was changed by Pixar.

A landmark moment is the call made by John Lasseter to the CG engineering community, through his 1987 SIGGRAPH paper, to improve the visual appeal of animation by redefining Disney's principles of motion for 3D. This paper was the first one in SIGGRAPH that came from an artist and not an engineer. It showed the need to bring artists and CG developers together in a conversation and to jointly improve both technology and the visual expressions that came with it.

In fact, the realization that artists need to be part of developing CG and computing was made in the 1960s through the work of an organization called Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.). The organization tried to attract the computer industry (Xerox, IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Bell Labs) to fund experiments between electronic engineers and artists. E.A.T. thought that "corporations could extend their innovative capacity by providing artists access to their prohibitively expensive tools... Artists would realize their vision, engineers would learn to do different thingslook at things differently, and companies would harvest the ideas and patents." (cited below,Wisniowski). Some of the experiments that this organization managed to facilitate became exemplars of the nascent-at-the-time multimedia and technological arts.

Artists and engineers together would explore holograms, lasers, video, and computer graphics. For example, "Manfred Schroeder investigated the information content of visual images together with Leon Harmon and Ken Knowlton, to make one of E.A.T.'s most renown works called 'Computer Nude' a computer plot of a nude compiled from mathematical symbols" (cited below, Wisnioski).

This 1967 image was one of the first computer-processed prints in the history of digital graphics, and it was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in the first computer art exhibition to be arranged in New York, which was named "The Machine as Seen at the End of the Mechanical Age." Through such works, the engineer was also redefined as "an artist who begins with an idea or need" and then uses his "special tools," constrained by time and budget, to bridge the "creativity gap" between theory and reality (Wisnioski).

Ok, so, fast forwarding (rewinding?)back to the early 1990s, what Pixar, and later Dreamworks, SONY, and Ghibli realized was that there was no way to renew a visual medium without messing up with technology and involving artists and users in the process. Ever since, even if their general production process still resembles a factory with a hierarchical management, the development of artist vision and technology for each film go hand in hand.

Historically, they have tried to downplay the importance of technological development in public opinion, because the industry wants people to believe that their products are made by exceptionally talented artists (something very evident in some of the writings of Ed Catmull, Pixar's co-founder, for example).

This is changing now, with Pixar itself celebrating its technology and the possibility to bring together artists and developers through videos like The magic ingredient that brings Pixar movies to life. Yet, the Hollywood industry makes money not out of technology, but out of the content that it brands and circulates. So, we end up in a situation in which we have software companies that develop CG software, but users not being able to experiment with the algorithms, nor can they contact developers and experiment with alternative techno-art visions.

We now have a Hollywood industry that further pushes the development of CG algorithms and what can be done with them without making the tech available (or only sharing it to a very limited degree). There have recently been signals that this may be changing; for example, Ghibli made their Toonz animation software available for Linux users. But so far, sharing technology remains an exception.

On the backdrop of this history, free software like Blender, Synfig, Krita, and other projects for CG gainsignificance for several reasons that stretch beyond the four freedoms that free software gives.

First, free software allows the mimicking of the Hollywood industry's models of work while making it accessible for more individuals. It encourages practice-based CG development that can fit individual workflows and handle unexpected circumstances that emerge in the course of work, rather than aiming at a mass product for all situations and users. Catering to an individual's needs and adaptations of the software brings users work closer to craft and makes technology more human. Tools and individual skill can be continuously polished, shaped, and improved based on individual needs, rather than shaped by decisions "from above."

This sense of craft gets stronger as artists get in a direct contact with the developers of their tools of work. When they do so, artists and users start guiding technological development, and software engineers change into being servants rather than masters of technological development. I have written more about this in Free software beyond radical politics.

Perhaps the most important quality of free software for CG is precisely this one: to encourage connections between users and producers of technology, reshaping the ways in which technology gets produced nowadays. What happens when these connections get established?

My observations about the effects of these connections are based on some research I have been doing on the Blender and Synfig communities. One obvious outcome is that users gain a greater freedom and advantage to move between freelancing jobs across the world, because technology and a community to help are always easily available.

Surprisingly, most Blender users whom I have met in the past three years do not turn this into their advantage and try to escape the freelancing condition nor do they experiment radically with creating new aesthetic expressions with CG. Instead, the goal of many seems to be to try to reproduce the stylistic visions of Hollywood and bring them to the products they make for television, advertising, and other industries. There are some exceptions, of course, and there are artists who experiment with the medium (for example, the work of the ELI KURUS collective: Platonic Solids 3-D scans of plasticine sculptures 2015), but as a rule they end up being somewhat marginalized and receive less recognition by the community.

The freedom of users to connect to developers seems to bring so much satisfaction that it shifts away focus from problems of employment. The rush for catching the new job and updating portfolios seems to remove time from reflecting on what could be changed in the form of work, which occurs when the form of engaging with the technology has changed and been brought back to craft.

After all, short-term contracts and constant movement between continents might be a cool lifestyle, but they benefit economically mostly the industry that decreases its production costs and responsibilities for creators. Technology and a specific organization of work have given the birth of this very entertainment industry that follows the factory-like model and pushes everyone to constantly move around on short-term contracts. I wonderwhy more people, and not just the Blender Institute, are not trying to create alternative models of work for making computer graphics.

Tai, P.-y. (2012). The Principle of Animation: History and Theory of a Social Technology. Doctoral Dissertation. University of California Irvine, Irvine.

Wisnioski, M. H. (2012). Engineers for Change: Competing Visions of Technology in 1960s America. Engineering studies series. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.

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Rewriting the history of free software and computer graphics - Opensource.com

RokkinCat Milwaukee Innovation: Software developer- focused hackathon http://www.rokkincat.com

Hack & Tell attendees present a game that alters the rules of chess.

One by one, the presenters got up in front of the crowd gathered in the Ward4 space in Milwaukee. They discussed what they accomplished during the day; some worked on their own versions of chess, others on software development tools, others on projects related to their day jobs.

More than 90 people showed up on a recent Saturday for the latest Hack & Tell, an event aimed at helping to increase the level of comfort between Milwaukees software developers and the citys startups.

The event is produced quarterly by RokkinCat, a Milwaukee startup that serves as a technology partner for businesses, and the focus of Hack & Tell is on spending the day building something, not on whether there is a business model behind the idea.

Nick Gartmann, one of the companys founding partners, said hed gone to other hackathon events where the focus was on a particular technology or on the business plan. The result was often an event at which there were 60 to 70 entrepreneurs, a few designers and maybe 10 to 15 programmers.

It made it very difficult for anybody to build a product or a prototype, he said.

The typical ratio of entrepreneurs to software developers also made programmers more hesitant to come to similar events in the future.

Showing up and getting swarmed by 60 entrepreneurs who were looking for a developer was kind of intimidating, Gartmann said.

RokkinCat has been running Hack & Tells over the past two years with a focus on people building things. Participants own the intellectual property for anything they build, there are no restrictions on what the project involves and the prizes at the end of the day are mostly low-value items.

Gartmann said the last two years have been about building trust for the event within the developer community. Starting with the first event this year, the company sought to add more sponsors and has brought on a number of them, including Wantable, gener8tor, Bright Cellars, Ward4 and GitHub.

The goal is also to make the events a better place for software developers and startups to interact, Gartmann said.

Theres a stigma in the Midwest about working for a startup, said Gartmann, noting that most developers are more interested in working at a larger company and startups have to compete with the job benefits those bigger companies can offer.

The idea is for Hack & Tell to be a place where people can meet and work on what interests them. An attendee once built a web store for his wifes jewelry business. Others have come to learn to code, taking advantage of the chance to ask programmers for advice. People have done video animations, written songs, worked on screenplays and even quilted. Some people continue to work on the same projects each time, allowing attendees to see their growth.

Casey Sobrilsky, IT director at Wantable, attended his first Hack & Tell in January and said he was somewhat surprised by the number of non-technology projects.

He came to the event with a specific purpose working on an application to help Wantable track packages. It worked well for him because it helped create an eight-hour window in which he could sit down and code.

I like that it doesnt have to be like that, he said, referring to Hack & Tells open-ended approach to projects; people can come to learn something new or improve.

He also said it was a benefit for Wantable that he could stand up in front of a room full of software developers and tell them y Sobrilabout what the company does.

We have a really hard time finding developers because were using platforms that arent super common to the area, he said.

Sobrilsky brought most of his team from Wantable and they came away with some new ideas of how to address challenges.

Januarys event was the best-attended Hack & Tell to date. Gartmann said more than 120 people signed up for the event, blowing away the previous high of 88.

The hope is to continue using the events to build comfort, collaboration and community among Milwaukee software developers. Gartmann said the team that started RokkinCat has a very entrepreneurial focus and Hack & Tell is one way of contributing to the citys startup scene.

From our perspective, theres just not enough people starting things to have a healthy ecosystem, Gartmann said.

RokkinCat Milwaukee Innovation: Software developer- focused hackathon http://www.rokkincat.com

Hack & Tell attendees present a game that alters the rules of chess.

One by one, the presenters got up in front of the crowd gathered in the Ward4 space in Milwaukee. They discussed what they accomplished during the day; some worked on their own versions of chess, others on software development tools, others on projects related to their day jobs.

More than 90 people showed up on a recent Saturday for the latest Hack & Tell, an event aimed at helping to increase the level of comfort between Milwaukees software developers and the citys startups.

The event is produced quarterly by RokkinCat, a Milwaukee startup that serves as a technology partner for businesses, and the focus of Hack & Tell is on spending the day building something, not on whether there is a business model behind the idea.

Nick Gartmann, one of the companys founding partners, said hed gone to other hackathon events where the focus was on a particular technology or on the business plan. The result was often an event at which there were 60 to 70 entrepreneurs, a few designers and maybe 10 to 15 programmers.

It made it very difficult for anybody to build a product or a prototype, he said.

The typical ratio of entrepreneurs to software developers also made programmers more hesitant to come to similar events in the future.

Showing up and getting swarmed by 60 entrepreneurs who were looking for a developer was kind of intimidating, Gartmann said.

RokkinCat has been running Hack & Tells over the past two years with a focus on people building things. Participants own the intellectual property for anything they build, there are no restrictions on what the project involves and the prizes at the end of the day are mostly low-value items.

Gartmann said the last two years have been about building trust for the event within the developer community. Starting with the first event this year, the company sought to add more sponsors and has brought on a number of them, including Wantable, gener8tor, Bright Cellars, Ward4 and GitHub.

The goal is also to make the events a better place for software developers and startups to interact, Gartmann said.

Theres a stigma in the Midwest about working for a startup, said Gartmann, noting that most developers are more interested in working at a larger company and startups have to compete with the job benefits those bigger companies can offer.

The idea is for Hack & Tell to be a place where people can meet and work on what interests them. An attendee once built a web store for his wifes jewelry business. Others have come to learn to code, taking advantage of the chance to ask programmers for advice. People have done video animations, written songs, worked on screenplays and even quilted. Some people continue to work on the same projects each time, allowing attendees to see their growth.

Casey Sobrilsky, IT director at Wantable, attended his first Hack & Tell in January and said he was somewhat surprised by the number of non-technology projects.

He came to the event with a specific purpose working on an application to help Wantable track packages. It worked well for him because it helped create an eight-hour window in which he could sit down and code.

I like that it doesnt have to be like that, he said, referring to Hack & Tells open-ended approach to projects; people can come to learn something new or improve.

He also said it was a benefit for Wantable that he could stand up in front of a room full of software developers and tell them y Sobrilabout what the company does.

We have a really hard time finding developers because were using platforms that arent super common to the area, he said.

Sobrilsky brought most of his team from Wantable and they came away with some new ideas of how to address challenges.

Januarys event was the best-attended Hack & Tell to date. Gartmann said more than 120 people signed up for the event, blowing away the previous high of 88.

The hope is to continue using the events to build comfort, collaboration and community among Milwaukee software developers. Gartmann said the team that started RokkinCat has a very entrepreneurial focus and Hack & Tell is one way of contributing to the citys startup scene.

From our perspective, theres just not enough people starting things to have a healthy ecosystem, Gartmann said.

Follow this link:
RokkinCat's Hack & Tell sets software developers free - BizTimes.com (Milwaukee)

Over the years a PC might become slower and less reliable than it once was. This can be due to invalid registry entries, lots of background apps, malware, a fragmented and full hard disk and more besides. Although Windows already includes numerous system maintenance tools to keep things ticking smoothly, there are loads of PC optimization programs that can boost system performance at least a little with their hard disk and registry cleaners, disk defrag, RAM optimizers and startup tools.

The best PC optimization software includes a wide variety of system maintenance tools and options, and these are a few freeware programs you can supercharge Windows with.

System Mechanic is one of the most highly rated PC optimization programs for Windows. This has a freeware and Pro version that includes some more advanced modules with anti-virus, internet connection tweaker, Windows customization and search and recovery tools. Nevertheless, the freeware version still has the more essential maintenance tools to give Windows a genuine boost. Press the Start Download button on this web page to save System Mechanics installer to your hard disk.

System Mechanic has an intuitive and appealing UI design that includes most of the softwares tools and options within a left sidebar. It gives you a system status overview (shown in the snapshot above) that highlights things that need fixing, such as registry issues, junk files or fragmented hard drive. System Mechanic Free retains several of the most essential tools from the full package. It has a junk file cleanup tool that does a system-wide scan to erase obsolete files.

It includes a registry tuner with which you can fix invalid registry entries, and that also comes with backup and restore options. With the softwares startup manager users can remove startup bottlenecks to speed up boot times. In addition, you can also speed up Windows with System Mechanics RAM optimizer that defrags RAM. On top of that, this utility has tools to fix invalid shortcuts, repair internet connections and defrag hard disks; and users can run multiple tools at once with its wizards.

Glary Utilities 5 is a cut-down version of the Pro package. However, there isnt that much difference between the freeware and Pro version aside from Glary Utilities 5 Pros automatic updates, free technical support and extra scheduling options. Theres also a free portable version of the software you can run from external drives. Click the Download Now button on this website page to add the freeware version to Windows.

Glary Utilities 5 is packed with more than 20 system tools to optimize Windows with. It includes all the more standard tools such as disk cleaner, registry cleaner, startup manager, uninstall manager and disk defrag. On top of that, this program also has less standard tools for removing malware, fixing invalid shortcuts, deleting empty folders, erasing duplicate files, splitting and joining files and even file recovery. Glary Utilities 5 enables users to run a custom 1-click Maintenance scan that incorporates a number of its tools, which can come in handy.

The programs RAM optimizer enables you to select a more specific amount of RAM to free up with a slider bar. Glary Utilities 5 also integrates with File Explorer so that you can select some of Glarys file management options directly from context menus. Overall, Glary Utilities 5 has almost all the tools youll need for PC optimization.

CCleaner is award-winning PC optimization software with an extensive user base eclipsing two billion downloads. It has fairly thorough cleanup tools that dont erase any more essential system files, and you can use this software to free up hundreds of megabytes of disk space, remove software, manage startup items and repair possible errors.

The freeware version of CCleaner might lack some of the scheduling, file recovery and disk defragmentation tools included the Professional Plus package; but it still has a few handy options for system optimization. Press the DownloadFree Versionbutton on the softwares home page to add the freeware CCleaner to Windows.

CCleaners primary tools are its hard disk and registry cleaners. It has flexible hard disk and registry cleaners that you can configure to delete a variety of more specific file and registry items. The software also has extra settings that enable users to select specific folders or files to either delete or exclude from system scans. Another advantage of CCleaners hard disk cleaner is that it also enables you to clean up third-party software file items.

For various PC problems, we recommend to use this tool.

This tool will repair most computer errors, protect you from file loss, malware, hardware failure and optimize your PC for maximum performance. Quickly fix PC issues and prevent others from happening with this software:

Beyond the HDD and registry cleaners, CCleaners tools might seem a little limited compared to some alternative optimization software. The freeware version doesnt include any disk defrag, RAM optimizer, shortcut fixer, one-click maintenance option or much in the way of file management tools. However, it still has a good startup manager with which you can not only remove startup items, but also delete scheduled tasks and third-party software context menu entries.

CCleaners handy Browser Plugins tool enables users to quickly activate or deactivate browser extensions, apps and plug-ins. You can can also search for and erase duplicate files with the Duplicate Finder tool. So even if CCleaner doesnt have the most extensive number of utilities, its still a handy Windows optimization program. Check out this Windows Report article for the full lowdown on CCleaner.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free is a stripped down version of WinOptimizer 14, which is retailing at $49.99. WinOptimizer 14 might have more extensive file management and system maintenance tools, but there are still plenty of options and settings to explore in the freeware version. You can add WinOptimizer Free to 32 and 64-bit Windows platforms from XP up by pressing the Download button on this web page.

WinOptimizer Free has Drive Cleaner, Registry Optimizer and Internet Cleaner tools for system maintenance. Its One-Click-Optimizer provides a handy shortcut to run those tools simultaneously. The Drive Cleaner is flexible as users can create exclusion lists, add file filters and configure it to delete items to the Recycle Bin. WinOptimizers Startup-Tuner is another more essential system maintenance tool with which you can disable Windows services and edit startup items. The program comes with a Task Scheduler for you to schedule optimization runs, and it also saves the most frequently used modules in Favorites for quicker access.

However, WinOptimizer isnt just system maintenance software. It also includes handy Windows customization and file management tools. For example, the software has a Context Manager you can customize Windows context menus with. The Icon Saver enables users to save Windows desktop icon arrangements. In addition, you can split up, encrypt and recover files with WinOptimizers File Splitter, File Encrypter and Undeleter tools. So WinOptimizer offers more tools than most optimization suites.

WinUtilities Free is another all-in-one PC optimizer with a freeware and Pro edition, which has a $29.95 one-year subscription. The publisher reveals relatively little about the differences between the freeware and Pro editions of WinUtilities. The UI design of both editions is almost identical, but the File Undelete, Task Scheduler and Duplicate Files Finder only work in the Pro version, which also has free technical support. WinUtilities Pro also boasts a more effective registry scan engine and disk cleaner. Open this page and press the Download Now button there to save the WinUtilities Free installer to Windows.

WinUtilities Free has an impressive 25 modules that consist of PC optimization, clean up and repair, files & folders, registry and other system tools. In the optimization category, users can select Registry Defrag, Disk Defrag, Startup Cleaner, RAM optimizer and BHO (Browser Helper Objects) Remover tools. The software includes a Disk Cleaner to remove junk data, Registry Cleaner to fix invalid registry entries, Shortcut Fixerand Uninstall Manager.

The softwares 1-Click Maintenance option incorporates most of the clean up and defrag tools. WinUtilities Free has some useful file and folder and registry tools to split and merge files, analyze disk space, back up the registry and remove and restore context menu options and settings with. The publisher has also packed all those tools within a clean and intuitive UI.

So those are five great utility software you can optimize Windows with. They provide RAM optimizers, disk and registry cleaners, startup managers, shortcut fixers, uninstall managers, duplicate file finders and disk defrag tools; and some of them also include additional Windows customization and file options. The best thing is that theyre all freeware software!

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The best 5 free PC optimization software to supercharge your computer - Windows Report

With the tax season coming to a close many people are looking for quick and free options to ensure they get not only the biggest refund possible, but also to ensure the IRS has no reason to come knocking. Here, we take a look at some of the IRSs recommended programs to complete your tax filings in 2017 for free. Do keep in mind that while most people will find some, if not all of these options free, each tax and thus payment system is different. With that in mind, lets look at the best free tax software in 2017.

Now, if youre filing and in a hurry, TaxAct may be your best free option. Of course, that does come with some caveats. For the free version, you do need to file only a 1040A or a 1040EZ, but in many cases this would be all that you would have needed in the first place. If you do instead need to itemize or file a different form (say, a 1099) then it will offer you inexpensive ways to do your taxes. The interface itself is simple and easy to use, and the guidance through the process is quite well done. If you do end up having questions regarding your taxes, TaxAct also has a great online help section, and protections available if you are audited by the IRS. If youre more curious about TaxAct, check out our full review here.

For some, the added features of tax programs nowadays can be seen as a little too involved, a bit too much hand holding. For these people, who still want a free program, Liberty Tax Service may be a good fit. Allowing for form selection for those that know what they need to file and an easy to use. As a bonus, there are multiple physical Liberty Tax Service locations available nationwide, which allow for support if needed. While not always free (as conditions do vary) many will find it cheap and easy to do your taxes through LTS if youve paid attention in previous years. While there is no option to pay any potential fees with a cut of your refund, there is a refund advance program, though do keep in mind potential interest and loan details, and that this can only be done in office.

One of the smaller names in the tax preparation game, TaxSlayer still has plenty to offer for customers, including free filings if you are below 52 years old and make less than $63,000 a year if you live in certain states. While not tax software in the most traditional sense (it being a website), Taxslayer does offer most of the features that would classify it as such and is an IRS supported option along all listed here. On the off chance you dont qualify for truly free, TaxSlayer also allows you to file your taxes to be filed and your return be charged as opposed to upfront fees, which may fit the tighter budgets or interesting situations. While not quite as chock full of features as some of the big names, TaxSlayer is good if you want to get in, get out, and get refunded in a hurry.

A big name in the tax industry, H&R Block is also pretty big when it comes to savings. With a layout that is extremely user friendly, people can feel like tax experts by time they have finished their first years filings. In terms of cost, there are plenty of savings to be had. Around 6 in 10 people who file with H&R Block will be able to do so for free, with both state and federal tax filings. This also includes Schedule A itemized deductions, which includes medical expenses, charitable donations, losses due to theft and job expenses. As if this could be any better, you can import your W-2 via a smartphone picture, and import last years tax data from nearly anywhere for free, making H&R Block a solid choice for those looking for free tax software.

By far one of the most popular tax programs this year has been TubroTax by Intuit software. Though often on the quite pricey side, for those that can qualify for the free version (1040EZ and 1040A filers) will get some of the best features available in the tax software industry. Similar to H&R Block mentioned above, importation of your W-2 through a snapshot is a breeze, and TurboTax lets you know exactly how each entry affects your returns. Turbotax also has a very handy ExplainWhy function, which gives you the rationale of how each entry affects your tax refund, allowing you to learn as you go instead of merely entering data and getting a return. As a final bonus, E-filing is free with Turbotax, meaning that instead of waiting on a check, direct deposit can be selected which may be of great benefit, considering the possible refund delays this tax season.

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The Best Free Tax Software in 2017 - Gazette Review