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It's a mobile world, but we have not fully abandoned thedesktop PC. Real computing work (and a lot of the play) requires a full personal computing system. And to get the most out of it, you need software.

Software can be expensive, but free programs have been a mainstay of the desktop experience for decades, and today's offerings are powerful. You can find a great variety of free audio and video editors, office suites, file utilities, organizers, photo converters, and more. To keep things free, software developers can adopt an ad-based model, create donation-ware, or use a shareware/freemium model that charges for extra features.

To be included in this roundup, software must be available directly from the developer/creator/original publisher. It should (typically) have a Windows-based downloadwe're not including browser extensions, because we're not all using the same browser. But we've included web-based apps that are as good asor even better thanmost downloadable programs.

More requirements for inclusion here: If the software is on a tiered sales model, the free version cannot be trial-ware; it must offer at least a free-for-life option. Preferably, the program has had an update in the last year or two, and the program should have little or no advertising to support it. Finally, this list is about software for productivity; there are plenty of other places to find free PC games.

Always be on the lookout for crapware installers: To make ends meet, many creators of otherwise great free software, or the services that offer free programs for download, bundle in things youdon'twanti.e., crapware. Worse, the installation steps are often obfuscated, so you might unintentionally provide the unwanted program with permission to be installed. For more about how to spot and avoid this problem, seeHow to Rid a New PC of Crapware.

A related pro tip: Download desktop software only from the maker of the software directly. It's not foolproofafter all, developers want to eat, toobut it helps.

For more free software, check outThe 100 Best iPhone AppsandThe 100 Best Android Apps.

Did we miss any free programs you can't live without? Let us know in the comments.

Best Free Audio/Video Software

Best Free Audio-Editing Software

Windows, macOS, Linux

Open-source Audacity(Opens in a new window) can record and edit audio files on more tracks than you can imagine. It then outputs exactly what you need. It is perfect for noobs and pros alike, on any desktop OS.

MSRP Free

Best Free Video Converter

Windows, macOS, Linux

No one would call HandBrake(Opens in a new window) simple, but it's hard for any other video transcoder to compete in power and comprehensiveness. Transcode means to convert; Handbrake will turn almost any video format into another video format. It's free, it's open-source, and it has years of practice.

Best Free Video Editing

Windows, macOS, Linux

While it lacks the slick interface found in most other video editors, Shotcut(Opens in a new window)'s got lots of other powers, and you don't have to pay anything for themyou have nothing to lose but time in trying it out. You can undock panels as you work, customizing the editing on screen, which is great on multi-monitor setups.

MSRP Free

Best Free Game Recording/Streaming Software

Windows, Web, iOS, Android

Stream your video gaming with Logitech's Streamlabs Open Broadcasting System(Opens in a new window) (aka SLOBS) directly to YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook. You can even switch between gameplay and your webcam to make some commentary. There may be a learning curve because of the power it wields, but you can find plenty of help online.

Best Free Video Player

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

The premier way to watch just about any video, no matter the video's weird codec, VLC media player(Opens in a new window) has features including auto-rotating smartphone videos taken at the wrong orientation and resuming playback from where you stopped. Seriously, VLC plays backanything on all desktop platforms, and it guarantees no ads, tracking, or spyware. (For more, readHow to Play DVDs in Windows 10.)

MSRP Free

Best Free Communication Software

Best Free Messaging Software

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation

Millions of people worldwide useDiscordfor text, voice chatting, and video chattingmainly while kicking one another's arses in online games or watching gameplay streams on Twitch or Caffeine. Even Microsoft wanted to buy it. You can spend a monthly ($9.99) or annual ($99.99) fee to go premium for better video/audio quality and to upload larger files.

Per Month, Starts at $9.99

Best Free Remote Access

Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, browsers

PCMag's top pick for software that can control of other computers is TeamViewer(Opens in a new window). Almost everything you need is free for personal use: desktop sharing, file transfers, and chatting with remote users. The setup couldn't be easier. Take control of a remote PC over an internet connection with the app, or use a browser (including Chrome OS) with theTeamViewer(Opens in a new window)extension. A caveat: Remote-access tools can be abused, so don't turn one on unless you're on the phone with the person you're allowing access to. And make sure to turn it off after you're done.

Per User, Per Month, Starts at Free

Best Free Video Conferencing

Windows, macOS, Linux, web, iOS, Android

Want to host an online meeting for you and 100 of your closest friends? Zoom Meetings can let them all in for free, for up to 40 minutes from any device, even a smartphone.Competitively priced premium plans with additional features are also available. Zoom is a PCMag Editors' Choice award winner, and it made our list of the Best Tech Products of 2021, too. (Also check out our top zoom tips.)

Per User, Per Month, Starts at $14.99

Best Free Writing and Design Software

Best Free Desktop Publishing Tool

Windows, macOS, Linux

Scribus(Opens in a new window) is the open-source equivalent ofAdobe InDesignfor desktop publishing, or as close as you can get. It has built-in color separation and management and a lot more, all free.

Best Free Writing Tool (Screenwriters)

Windows, Linux

Do you fancy yourself a budding screenwriter but lack the funds for high-end tools such asFinal Draft? Trelby(Opens in a new window) does a fine job of helping you format correctly, remember character names, and import and export to formats used in Hollywood.

Best Free Writing Tool

Windows, macOS, iOS

The highly structured interface of yWriter can help a budding or experienced novelist get a real handle on their story and the characters who may be trying to overtake it. The program is full of stats on what you have written, giving you a data-driven writing experience. This program doesn't have the depth ofScrivener, but it does have a much lower priceit's free, or you can make a donation.

MSRP Free

Best Free World-Building Tool

Windows, macOS

Pronounced how youd probably guess, Shaxpir(Opens in a new window) is like a simplistic version of our top-rated Scribner, with an everyone free tier that is very useful, although pros may consider the $7.99 a month subscription with extra features. For no charge, you get the full manuscript builder, world-building notebook, progress tracker, offline use, and cloud backup.

Best Free Entertainment Software

Best Free Maps Software

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

As if high-end software that lets you virtually fly across the globe isn't cool enoughespecially as it has all the same features as its online/mobile sibling, Google MapsGoogle Earth Pro(Opens in a new window) for the desktop is totally free. It includes advanced features such as high-resolution printing, distance measuring, and global guided tours. Although it also comes in web and mobile versions, the desktop version is the only one that lets you view satellite images of the moon and Mars. It also has star maps.

Best Free Media Center

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Smart TVs, media hubs, NAS devices

If you don't know or care what a media server is, but you just want to stream your videos and music collection around the house, Plex could work well for you. Install it on all your devices, point it at some media, and those audio and video files become available on everythingeven remotely. (For more, read How to Set Up a Plex Server,How to Share Your Plex Libraries,How to Organize Your Plex Media Library, andThe Expert's Guide to Managing Your Plex Server.)

Best Free Social Media Software

Windows, iOS, Android, Web

You probably think of TikTok as a mobile-only phenomenon. But not only can you access the video wonderland on the desktop at TikTok.com(Opens in a new window) to see your For You page, there's also a well-done app for it right in the Windows Store. TikTokWindows won't work with your webcam, but you can use it to upload video you edit to perfection with desktop video tools. It's all free but has ads for supportjust like on the mobile versions, they show up looking like videos you might want to see.

Best Free Imaging Software

Best Free File Viewer and Converter

Windows only

View, manage, and compare your images with this fast and intuitive freebie. FastStone Image Viewer(Opens in a new window) supports a slew of image formats, including RAW image formats from specific digital camera manufacturers. It has companion apps for screenshots and photo resizing.

Best Free Graphics Software (Vector Editing)

Windows, macOS, Linux

Adobe Illustrator is the high bar of vector image editing, but it has a premium price to match. You can still get cross-platform Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) image creation with the free Inkscape. You'll have to work a little harder to learn it, but it may be exactly what a talented (but cash-strapped or subscription-shy) artist needs.

MSRP Free

Best Free Graphics Software (Bitmap Editing)

Windows only

Is Paint.net(Opens in a new window) a perfect replacement for Photoshop? Nothing is as powerful as Adobe's program, but at this pricefreePaint.net comes close. For any minor (and even some major) picture manipulation, it's fast, comprehensive, and easy to use.

Best Free Productivity Software

Best Free Office Suite

Windows, macOS, Linux

There aren't many free office suites, and only one is a download for the major desktop operating systems. The open-source LibreOffice, now in version 7, suffers a bit in the polish department, lacks collaboration features, and sports an overstuffed toolbar interface that might remind you of Microsoft Office a decade ago. But it's powerful nevertheless, and it easily converts and imports files from other systems. It comes with aword processor (Writer), a spreadsheet component (Calc), a presentation program (Impress), a vector drawing program (Draw), and even a full database (Base) and math-formula editor (Math). And it's all utterly free.

MSRP Free

Best Free Note-Taking App

Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web

Once just a part of Microsoft Office, the sublime OneNote has become a free, standalone powerhouse for note-taking across all the major OSes. It still works with Office, syncs data across all platforms, and has full online access via Office.com, with storage on OneDrive. That's why it's our Editors' Choice pick for note storage.

Per Year, Starts at $69.99

Best Free Text Editor

Windows only

Notepad++(Opens in a new window) is nothing like the anemic Notepad most Windows users grew used to over the decades. This free download has tabs, color-coded nesting text, WYSIWYG printing, and support for macros. It's a must for hand-coders or any writer who wants a minimalist interface.

Best To-Do List for Everyone

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Web

This is our favorite to-do list app, ever. We give the paid version a full five-star review, but even the free version is fantastic. The Todoist interface is simple perfection no matter what platform you use it oneven wearables and via email (turning messages into tasks). The free version gives you five projects with five collaborators on each, working across 300 possible tasks, supports uploads of 5MB files, and keeps a one-week active history.

Per Month, Starts at $5.00

Best Power-User Note Taker

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

Another place to put all your notes? Obsidians got a learning curve, but once mastered, it's the best note-taker youll find as a power user. The free version is available for personal useit lacks only support and sync options, but you can get around the sync by storing your Obsidian Vault in a spot where a cloud service backs it up.

MSRP Free

Best Programming Environment

Windows, macOS, Linux, web

Need to write some code? Use VS Code from Microsoft(Opens in a new window). It has everything youd want in a coding environment, from plug-ins to great organization. And it's easy to get started with this program, even though you have to do a little setup to tweak it to perfection. And the price is great.

Best Free Security Software

See the article here:
The Best Free Software of 2023 | PCMag