Free Software: A Helpful List
Ranked #13,042 in Computers & Electronics, #264,282 overall
Welcome to The Free Software List! - Over 75 so far
I realized that Squidoo was in need of an organized, plentiful list of Free Programs that could be found on the internet, so I created this one. Organized by category, and with download links and references all in one, it should help you find what you are searching for, or perhaps discover something new. This list was created from a wealth of Internet knowledge I have accumulated over the years, then regurgitated in the form of a Squidoo article ;) Hope you find my article helpful! Let me know if I missed any, I will be frequently updating as well, Happy Surfing!
Contents at a Glance
Web Browser
Surf the Internet
- Mozilla Firefox
- Very Secure. Has literally thousands of Addons to enhance the Browser
- Opera 9.6
- Full of features & loads websites very quickly
- Google Chrome
- Extremely fast with little memory usage. Minimalistic graphical user interface is aesthetically pleasing & easy-to-use
- Safari
- Apples's classic browser
- Camino
- Mac browser based off Mozilla
- K-Meleon
- Lightweight browser based off mozilla & infused with the Gecko layout engine
- Flock
- Social browser. The social version of Firefox. (Flock 2 Beta released)
- Internet Explorer 8
- Your redesigned classic. Improved surfing speed & security
- Maxthon
- Internet Explorer Engine + added functionality
- Avant
- Internet Explorer Engine + added functionality
Email Client
Mail your peeps
- Thunderbird
- The Firefox of Email Clients. Mozilla application with great User Interface and extensions
- FoxMail
- Lighter, alternate verson of Thunderbird with many of the same features
- Opera M2 Mail Client
- Mail client included in with web browser Opera
- Microsoft Office Outlook
- Classic Microsoft. Recipe hasn't changed much
- Outlook Express
- Alternate version to Office Outlook
Instant Messaging Client
You have an online txt
- Pidgin
- Absolutely the best. No spam. Supports almost every IM network, attractive GUI
- Trillian Basic
- Uses very little resources. Easy to use. Supports many IM networks
- Meebo
- Web-Based. Access your IM client without downloading a thing.
- Miranda
- Lightweight, small & fast client
- Digsby
- Great. Instant Messaging Client + Email Notifications + Social Networking
CD/DVD Burning
Burn for free
- CdBurnerXP
- Easy-to-use free burn client
- ImgBurn
- Handels many types of img files
- DeepBurner
- Lightweight & multi-capable
Media Player
Dont pay to view
- VLC Media Player
- Has codecs for everything. No searching. Simple to use
- GOM player
- No codecs needed. Plays almost everything available. No hassle, just pops open and plays
- KMplayer
- Fully customizable player. Very attractive, modern look.
- Media Player Classic
- No need to install. A lot of features. Very versatile
Audio/Video Converter
Get the format you need
- SUPER
- Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer. Convert anything to anything
- MediaCoder
- All in one solution for compressed audio & video conversion
- Avi2Dvd
- A great program to convert your AVI camcorder files to DVD
- Videora
- My all time favorite. Supports alot of formats. Will convert for PSP, Xbox, Ipod, Etc.
- DVDshrink
- Make copies of your DVD's and leave off trailers, bonus footage, etc.
- Handbrake
- Back up your DVD collection to your hard drive. Maybe transfer some to your PMP
Music Player & Organizer
Tunes
- Itunes
- By far the most popular music organizer/player nowadays
- Songbird
- Itunes killer from Mozilla. Has integrated web-browser + Ipod support
- MediaMonkey
- Great for the Audiophile and Massive music storage collection
- Winamp Full
- The best organizer for customizable skins
- Foobar2000
- Very customizable. A lot of preferences and settings
CD/DVD Emulation
Virtual cd/dvd
- Gizmo Drive
- My new favorite. Supports 26 virtual drives. Organizer as well
- Magic Disc
- Supports many types of image formats for virtual drives: ISO, BIN/CUE, NRG, UIF, etc. Easy to Use
- Virtual Clone Drive
- The easiest one on the list to use. Integrates with Windows Explorer
- Alcohol 52%
- Trial Version of Alcohol 150%. Worth trying.
- Daemon-tools
- Will only produce 4 virtual drives, but supports a lot of image formats. Good for temporary use
AntiVirus
Eliminate harmful infections.
- Avira AntiVir
- Amazing detection of a vast library of viruses. Lightweight on CPU usage
- Avast
- Good detection of virus and spyware in real-time. Fairly lightweight
- AVG AntiVirus Free Edition
- A large database of resources and definitions. Easily updated. Adequate for most home users
- Kaspersky
- Great at detecting and effectively removing viruses. Its removal skills makes it very valuable
- Dr. Web Cure It
- A portable virus detection and removal tool. Great for curing friends' pcs
Anti-Adware/Spyware
Remove the nasties
- SuperAntiSpyware
- The current best. Detects & removes more than all others
- MalwareBytes Anti-Malware
- What you download for removing Trojans
- Comodo BO Clean
- Interceps Mal-ware before it enters your system
- ThreatFire
- Intercepts Mal-ware before it enters your system
- HiJack This
- System security tool that analyzes your system for security holes and other vulnerabilities
System Cleaning and Improvement Section
Tune Up & Cleaning Utility
Restore, Modify & Improve
- Advanced SystemCare
- Nice looking interface with a load of features. Registry cleaning, Defrag, System Tweaks, etc.
- Glary Utilities
- Easy management of system devices. Clean look
- Ashampoo WinOptimizer
- Very good tweaking utility. Top notch. Includes Internet Optimizer
Registry Cleaner
Sweep up & Organize clutter
- EasyCleaner
- Best out of the free reg. cleaners. Frequent updates, very helpful
- Comodo Registry Cleaner
- Comodo's relatively new registry cleaner
Disk Defragmenter
Organize for optimization
- Smart Defrag
- A wonderful IoBit program with a great interface. Many features. Very good for Windows Vista users
- Diskeeper Lite
- An older version but still very strong. Lightweight.
- Ultimate Defrag
- Allows for individual placement of files for optimal performance & tweaking
- JkDefrag
- Portable. Allows you to run disk defragmentation from usb or cd
- Power Defragmenter
- Lacks some of the features of others, but it simple and quick
File Cleaning
Get the gunk out
- Ccleaner
- Best one in my opinion. Has been improved and moved to the top
- PcDecrapifier
- Its #1 purpose it to remove trial versions and unwanted preinstalled software. Perfect for Dell pcs
Memory Optimizer
Free up all you have available
- CleanMem
- A great application for older pc's. Works without forcing Windows to free memory. No hassle. Very minimalistic
- FreeRAM XP Pro
- Works really well for users with under 1GB of RAM
Program Uninstaller
Replace your Windows uninstaller with something better
- MyUninstaller
- Gives a ton of information on the program. Much more than Windows. Best in this category. No installation required
- Windows Installer Cleanup Utility
- Actually replaces the Windows uninstaller. Cleans up loose ends & tidies
- Revo
- Uninstalls programs without monitoring the installation. Simplistic
StartUp Manager
Dont wait forever
- StartupRun
- Lightweight and easy-to-use. Simple GUI. Small footprint
- WinPatrol
- Allows further customization of StartUp. Digs into Windows & allows for full control. Portable version as well.
TCP settings tweaker
Optimize your connections
- TCP Optimizer
- THE one & only: Optimizes your settings automatically. Great for beginners to advanced.
Network Finder Utility
Dont waste time searching for wireless
- Net Stumbler
- THE one & only: Finds all networks, displays strength and parameters. Easy & Powerful
Bittorrent Client
Download safe, fast, and easily
- uTorrent
- The most popular and byfar fastest bittorrent client available. Uses very little system resources
Software Suites
Replace for free
- Open Disc
- Aims to replace $$ programs: Abi Word (MS Word) / OpenOffice (M.Office) / Gimp (Photoshop)
- Lupo Pensuite
- Full Spectrum Open-Source Package: Internet. Multimedia. Graphics. Security. System. Office
Desktop & GUI
Modify your look & feel
Desktop Transformers
Change it up
- 3D Desktop
- A beautiful desktop GUI that works on all Windows
- BumpTop
- My favorite! Signed up for the testing. It is stunning & efficient. Impress your friends & play around
Twitter!
Twitter specific free applications
A wonderful article written specifically for Twitter. Descriptive and Useful
New Guestbook
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tjkastl
Feb 21, 2009 @ 7:46 pm | delete
- Hey thanks for visiting my lens. You've got a nicely setup lens! 5 stars.
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Squidoo-Pat
Jan 31, 2009 @ 10:45 pm | delete
- You've got a useful list here-nice job.
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neosix
Jan 31, 2009 @ 5:23 am | delete
- Nice list, but I don't like FreeRam XP pro, I described that in my post
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Twobit
Jan 28, 2009 @ 3:55 am | delete
- Pretty nice lens you have!
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plecasso
Jan 22, 2009 @ 4:35 pm | delete
- Feedback appreciated, thanks ~ Plecasso
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by plecasso
Hello! We are two brothers, devoted to Squidoo, and helping you. We are readers, writers, musicians and geeks. We were born and raised in Memphis, TN.... more »
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