The big list of truly free software and websites
There's a huge amount of amazing, and very free software and web based tools out there. This is an ever-evolving, up-to-date list of the best. It will be updated regularly.
| Name | Type | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 Albums Generator | Web tool | Randomly assigns you one album per day to broaden your music taste | 1001albumsgenerator.com |
| 7-Zip | Utility | High-compression file archiver; handles virtually every archive format | 7-zip.org |
| Affinity Photo / Designer | Image / Design | Professional photo editing and vector design suite, now free after Canva acquisition | affinity.serif.com |
| Aitum Multistream | Utility | OBS plugin that lets you stream simultaneously to multiple platforms | aitum.tv |
| Anki | Reference | Spaced-repetition flashcard app used heavily by language learners and medical students | apps.ankiweb.net |
| AO3 (Archive of Our Own) | Reference | Non-profit fan fiction archive run by the Organization for Transformative Works | archiveofourown.org |
| AP News | Reference | Free, ad-light news from the Associated Press wire service | apnews.com |
| Apache OpenOffice | Office suite | Veteran open-source office suite covering documents, spreadsheets, and presentations | openoffice.org |
| Audacity | Audio | Multi-track audio editor and recorder; workhorse for podcasters and musicians | audacityteam.org |
| Bean | Office suite | Lightweight, clutter-free word processor for macOS | bean-osx.com |
| Blender | 3D / Animation | Industry-standard open-source 3D modelling, animation, rendering, and VFX suite | blender.org |
| calculator.net | Web tool | Wide collection of web-based calculators covering finance, health, maths, and more | calculator.net |
| Calibre | Utility | All-in-one e-book library manager with format conversion and device sync | calibre-ebook.com |
| Canva | Image / Design | Browser-based graphic design platform; generous free tier for social media and print | canva.com |
| charm.li | Reference | Free access to BMW service manuals and parts diagrams for enthusiasts | charm.li |
| Chocolatey | Developer tool | Windows package manager; install and update software from the command line | chocolatey.org |
| Clang / LLVM | Developer tool | High-performance C/C++/Objective-C compiler and toolchain | clang.llvm.org |
| cobalt.tools | Web tool | Clean, privacy-respecting media downloader for video and audio from major sites | cobalt.tools |
| Compiler Explorer | Web tool | Interactive tool showing compiled assembly output for code in real time | godbolt.org |
| cooked.wiki | Web tool | Strips recipe websites down to just the ingredients and steps — no life-story preamble | cooked.wiki |
| crontab.guru | Web tool | Visual editor and explainer for Unix cron schedule expressions | crontab.guru |
| DaVinci Resolve | Video | Hollywood-grade video editing, colour grading, VFX, and audio post-production suite | blackmagicdesign.com |
| Desmos | Web tool | Slick browser-based graphing calculator widely used in maths education | desmos.com |
| Draw.io | Developer tool | Free browser-based diagramming tool for flowcharts, architecture diagrams, and more | draw.io |
| Everything (Voidtools) | Utility | Instant file-name search for Windows — far faster than Windows' built-in search | voidtools.com |
| F1 Multiviewer | Web tool | Fan-made app for watching multiple F1 live timing and camera feeds simultaneously | f1mv.app |
| FastStone Image Viewer | Image / Design | Fast, feature-rich image viewer and basic editor for Windows | faststone.org |
| FFmpeg | Developer tool | Command-line powerhouse for video/audio conversion and processing; underpins countless apps | ffmpeg.org |
| FMHY (freemediaheckyeah) | Reference | Massive community-curated wiki of free media and software resources | fmhy.net |
| Foobar2000 | Audio | Lightweight, highly customisable audio player with excellent codec support | foobar2000.org |
| FreeCAD | 3D / Animation | Open-source parametric 3D CAD modeller aimed at engineering and product design | freecad.org |
| FreeTaxUSA | Web tool | File US federal taxes free; state returns cost a few dollars — saves hundreds vs. paid alternatives | freetaxusa.com |
| GarageBand | Audio | Apple's free DAW for iOS/macOS; surprisingly powerful for music production | apple.com |
| GCC | Developer tool | GNU Compiler Collection — the foundational C/C++ compiler for Linux and beyond | gcc.gnu.org |
| GIMP | Image / Design | Full-featured open-source image editor; long-standing free alternative to Photoshop | gimp.org |
| Git | Developer tool | The industry-standard distributed version control system | git-scm.com |
| GitHub | Developer tool | Web platform for hosting Git repos, code review, and open-source collaboration | github.com |
| Godot | Developer tool | Open-source 2D and 3D game engine with its own scripting language | godotengine.org |
| Google Docs | Office suite | Browser-based word processor with real-time collaboration and auto-save | docs.google.com |
| Google Earth | Web tool | Satellite imagery, terrain, and 3D buildings for the entire planet | earth.google.com |
| Google Maps | Web tool | Turn-by-turn navigation, satellite imagery, and local business discovery | maps.google.com |
| Google Voice | Web tool | Free US phone number with calls, texts, and voicemail transcription | voice.google.com |
| HandBrake | Video | Open-source video transcoder; converts and compresses video files quickly and well | handbrake.fr |
| HEC-RAS | Developer tool | US Army Corps of Engineers hydraulic modelling software for river and flood analysis | hec.usace.army.mil |
| Home Assistant | Utility | Local-first, privacy-focused home automation hub supporting thousands of devices | home-assistant.io |
| ILovePDF | Web tool | Browser-based toolkit for merging, splitting, compressing, and converting PDFs | ilovepdf.com |
| Image Optim | Utility | macOS app that losslessly compresses images by stripping unnecessary metadata | imageoptim.com |
| ImageJ | Utility | Java-based scientific image analysis tool widely used in biology and medicine | imagej.net |
| iNaturalist | Reference | Citizen-science platform for identifying and recording plants and animals | inaturalist.org |
| Inkscape | Image / Design | Open-source vector graphics editor; free alternative to Adobe Illustrator | inkscape.org |
| Internet Archive | Reference | Non-profit digital library archiving the web, books, music, and video | archive.org |
| IrfanView | Image / Design | Blazing-fast Windows image viewer and batch processor, unchanged in feel since 1996 | irfanview.com |
| KDEnlive | Video | Open-source non-linear video editor from the KDE project | kdenlive.org |
| Kodi | Video | Open-source media centre that plays local and streaming content on any device | kodi.tv |
| Krita | Image / Design | Professional open-source painting app designed for digital artists and illustrators | krita.org |
| LEGO Studio | 3D / Animation | Free 3D LEGO design tool with auto-generated parts lists and building instructions | bricklink.com |
| Libby | Reference | App for borrowing e-books and audiobooks from your local public library for free | libbyapp.com |
| LibraryThing | Reference | Book cataloguing and community site; more feature-rich and less commercial than Goodreads | librarything.com |
| LibreOffice | Office suite | Full open-source office suite: word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and more | libreoffice.org |
| Lichess | Web tool | Fully free, open-source chess server with puzzles, analysis, and human/bot play | lichess.org |
| Linux / Linux Mint | Operating system | Free open-source OS kernel powering servers, phones, cars, and desktops worldwide | linux.org |
| LocalSend | Utility | Local network file transfer between any devices without accounts or cloud | localsend.org |
| LTspice | Developer tool | Free SPICE circuit simulator from Analog Devices for electronics design | analog.com |
| MAME | Utility | Multi Arcade Machine Emulator — preserves thousands of classic arcade games | mamedev.org |
| Mapy.com | Web tool | Detailed European mapping service with strong topographic and hiking map support | mapy.com |
| Media Player Classic / K-Lite | Video | Lightweight Windows media player bundled with a comprehensive codec pack | codecguide.com |
| Merlin Bird ID | Reference | Cornell Lab app that identifies birds by photo, sound, or description | merlin.allaboutbirds.org |
| Microsoft PowerToys | Utility | Microsoft's own power-user toolkit: window snapping, colour picker, bulk rename, and more | github.com |
| Mixcloud | Web tool | Platform for streaming DJ mixes and radio shows; legally licensed for continuous mixes | mixcloud.com |
| MuseScore | Audio | Free music notation software for composing and printing sheet music | musescore.org |
| NanaZip | Utility | Modern fork of 7-Zip with Windows 11 context-menu integration | github.com |
| Ninite | Utility | One-click Windows app installer that skips bloatware and bundled offers | ninite.com |
| Notepad++ | Utility | Lightweight Windows text and code editor with syntax highlighting and plugins | notepad-plus-plus.org |
| OBS Studio | Video | Open-source screen recording and live streaming software used by professionals worldwide | obsproject.com |
| ocenaudio | Audio | Clean, easy-to-use audio editor with real-time preview of effects | ocenaudio.com |
| Onshape | 3D / Animation | Browser-based parametric CAD with real-time collaboration; free for public projects | onshape.com |
| OpenShot | Video | Simple cross-platform open-source video editor aimed at beginners | openshot.org |
| OpenStreetMap | Web tool | Community-built free world map with no tracking; powers many mapping apps | openstreetmap.org |
| paper2audio.com | Web tool | Converts research papers and documents into audio for listening on the go | paper2audio.com |
| PDF24 | Web tool | Extensive browser-based PDF toolkit: merge, compress, convert, sign, and more | pdf24.org |
| PDFGear | Utility | Desktop PDF viewer and editor with annotation, form filling, and conversion — no watermarks | pdfgear.com |
| PDFonFly | Web tool | Browser-based PDF editor and converter | pdfonfly.com |
| PDFsam | Utility | Offline PDF split-and-merge tool — no upload required, works locally | pdfsam.org |
| Photopea | Image / Design | Full Photoshop-like editor running entirely in the browser; supports PSD files | photopea.com |
| PicResize | Web tool | Quick browser-based image resizing and cropping tool | picresize.com |
| Playnite | Utility | Unified game launcher that aggregates Steam, Epic, GOG, and other libraries | playnite.link |
| PostgreSQL | Developer tool | Powerful open-source relational database; the go-to for serious production workloads | postgresql.org |
| Postman | Developer tool | API development and testing platform; free tier covers most individual use cases | postman.com |
| PrusaSlicer | Utility | Open-source 3D print slicer from Prusa Research; works with most printers | prusa3d.com |
| Python | Developer tool | Hugely popular open-source programming language used everywhere from data science to web dev | python.org |
| qBittorrent | Utility | Open-source BitTorrent client with no ads or bundled software | qbittorrent.org |
| QGIS | Utility | Professional open-source Geographic Information System for mapping and spatial analysis | qgis.org |
| random.org | Web tool | True random number generation using atmospheric noise; used for lotteries and giveaways | random.org |
| Ravelry | Web tool | Free community platform for knitters and crocheters to find patterns and track projects | ravelry.com |
| REAPER | Audio | Fully functional DAW with an honour-system licence; $60 personal, free to evaluate indefinitely | reaper.fm |
| realoem.com | Reference | Free OEM parts catalogue for BMW vehicles with exploded diagrams | realoem.com |
| regex101 | Web tool | Interactive regular expression builder, tester, and explainer with step-by-step breakdown | regex101.com |
| Renshuu | Web tool | Free Japanese language learning platform with grammar, vocabulary, and kanji study | renshuu.org |
| Rufus | Utility | Creates bootable USB drives from ISO files; faster and more reliable than most alternatives | rufus.ie |
| SaoMai Braille Translator | Utility | Free Braille translation software comparable to expensive commercial alternatives | saomaim.com |
| Sci-Hub | Reference | Repository providing free access to millions of research papers behind paywalls | sci-hub.se |
| Sejda PDF Editor | Web tool | Online and desktop PDF editor with editing, merging, splitting, and e-signing | sejda.com |
| ShareX | Utility | Advanced Windows screenshot and screen-recording tool with built-in annotation and upload | getsharex.com |
| Shotcut | Video | Cross-platform open-source video editor with wide format support and no watermark | shotcut.org |
| SpeedCrunch | Utility | Fast, high-precision desktop calculator with a history log and syntax highlighting | speedcrunch.org |
| Spek | Audio | Simple audio spectrum analyser for checking the quality and encoding of audio files | spek.cc |
| SQLite | Developer tool | Serverless, self-contained SQL database engine embedded in browsers, phones, and countless apps | sqlite.org |
| Tailscale | Utility | Zero-config VPN mesh network using WireGuard; free tier covers personal use well | tailscale.com |
| Thunderbird | Utility | Open-source email, calendar, and contacts client from Mozilla | thunderbird.net |
| Tiinyhost | Web tool | Instant, no-signup web hosting for small static sites and HTML files | tiiny.host |
| TouchDesigner | Developer tool | Node-based visual programming environment for real-time interactive media and live visuals | derivative.ca |
| UDisc | Web tool | Disc golf scorecard, course directory, and stats tracking app | udisc.com |
| Unreal Engine | 3D / Animation | AAA game engine free until you earn over $1M in revenue; also used in film VFX | unrealengine.com |
| VeraCrypt | Utility | Open-source full-disk and file-container encryption; successor to TrueCrypt | veracrypt.fr |
| Vim | Developer tool | Legendary keyboard-driven text editor; ubiquitous on servers and beloved by power users | vim.org |
| VirtualBox | Utility | Free cross-platform virtualisation software for running multiple OS environments | virtualbox.org |
| Visual Studio Code | Developer tool | Microsoft's free, extensible code editor — the most popular IDE in the world | code.visualstudio.com |
| VLC Media Player | Video | Plays virtually any media format with no ads, no nags, and no codec hunting required | videolan.org |
| voxorb.com | Web tool | Ad-free map visualising global news, weather events, and natural disasters in real time | voxorb.com |
| Wanderlog | Web tool | Free collaborative trip-planning tool with maps, itineraries, and restaurant lists | wanderlog.com |
| Webpage Archive | Web tool | Paste a paywalled URL to retrieve an archived, freely readable version of the article | archive.ph |
| Wikipedia | Reference | Free, collaboratively edited encyclopaedia covering virtually every topic | wikipedia.org |
| WinDirStat | Utility | Visual disk-usage analyser showing which files and folders are eating your storage | windirstat.net |
| Winhance | Utility | Open-source Windows optimisation and debloating tool | github.com |
| Winamp | Audio | Iconic 90s/2000s music player; still alive and recently relaunched | winamp.com |
| winget | Developer tool | Microsoft's built-in Windows package manager for installing software from the command line | github.com |
| WinRAR | Utility | The 'eternal trial' archiver — technically paid, practically free for 30+ years | rarlab.com |
| Wireshark | Developer tool | Network protocol analyser for capturing and inspecting live network traffic | wireshark.org |
| Wolfram Alpha | Web tool | Computational knowledge engine that answers maths, science, and data queries directly | wolframalpha.com |
| xLights | Utility | Free sequencing software for designing synchronised Christmas light shows set to music | xlights.org |
| XnView MP | Image / Design | Fast cross-platform image viewer and organiser supporting 500+ formats | xnview.com |
| zombo.com | Web tool | You can do anything at zombo.com. Anything at all. The only limit is yourself. | zombo.com |
| Zotero | Reference | Free, open-source reference manager for collecting, organising, and citing research | zotero.org |