The Best Places to Find Freeware
by 13 people |
Ranked #8,527 in Tech & Geek, #196,480 overall | Donates to March of Dimes
Where's the freeware?!
Have you ever needed some free software, but don't know where to look? Well, your wait is over! This lens will show you how to find the best freeware on the web. Think of it as your tour guide to Internet "freeware."
Why would someone want to find freeware?
Because freeware is free (duh!). Freeware is also getting more and more popular as commercial software gets increasingly expensive. The popularity of freeware has also grown because of its availability on the Internet. Finally, people like freeware because a lot of free software today is of equal or greater quality than its commercial counterpart.
...but my mom/teacher/personal advisor said it was dangerous to download programs from the Internet!
Yes, downloading random stuff off the Internet can be extremely hazardous. Programs that look safe can be home to viruses, Trojan horses, and spyware. That's why you need to know which sites are safe and which are hazardous. Please don't let the bad sites ruin your Internet experience. There are many fantastic programs that can be downloaded from the internet that you don't want to miss. As they say, "With great power comes great responsibility."
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So, how and where do I find freeware?
There are two basic options:
1. If you are looking for a specific type of free software, I would suggest going straight to a freeware website.
2. If you are trying to keep track of the latest freeware, I would recommend monitoring blogs. Personally, I do this with Google Reader. To use Google Reader, just tell it some of your favorite blogs or websites, and it will show you any new articles added to the site. This saves a ton of time if you have multiple websites you visit daily.
1. If you are looking for a specific type of free software, I would suggest going straight to a freeware website.
2. If you are trying to keep track of the latest freeware, I would recommend monitoring blogs. Personally, I do this with Google Reader. To use Google Reader, just tell it some of your favorite blogs or websites, and it will show you any new articles added to the site. This saves a ton of time if you have multiple websites you visit daily.
Wait!! Before you download...
Before downloading a program, make sure it's from a reputable website. Do some research, and/or use some of the sites I have listed below. Also, make sure the program is not a dud. It's pretty easy to google the name of a program and find out if people like it or not.
Another thing that is advised is to make a backup of your system with Window's built-in System Restore before intstalling a program. Personally, I like to use Sandboxie to test out the program before permanently installing it. Also, make sure you have your antivirus program up-to-date just in case. Remember, if you don't like the program, or it is messing with your system, you can always uninstall it.
Another thing that is advised is to make a backup of your system with Window's built-in System Restore before intstalling a program. Personally, I like to use Sandboxie to test out the program before permanently installing it. Also, make sure you have your antivirus program up-to-date just in case. Remember, if you don't like the program, or it is messing with your system, you can always uninstall it.
Great Opensource Software Books
The Best Freeware Websites
These are the best freeware websites I have found on the Internet.
P.S.-I have personally used all of them to download freeware.
P.S.-I have personally used all of them to download freeware.
- Download.com
- This is my favorite place to find freeware. This site is well organized and the programs can be sorted by their rank, amount of downloads, etc... Also, all the programs are pre-tested for spyware. Most of the popular freeware on the Internet can be found here. Be careful though, not all the downloads are free.
- Livin' Free: A Comprehensive Guide to Freeware
- I'm sorry, I had to put this in the list. It is my lens about some of the best freeware I use daily.
- SourceForge.net
- SourceForge has an overwhelming amount of opensource programs. The only fault I can find is that it is sometimes hard to navigate to the program you want to download.
- DonationCoder.com
- This site has some very unique and helpful freeware.
- PC World
- This site has some useful freeware. However, some of the programs are trials.
- FreewareHome.com
- FreewareHome has tons of freeware programs which are categorized and rated for your browsing ease.
- Osalt.com
- Osalt gives a list of commercial software, and then provides you with links to free alternatives.
- GrandFiles.com
- This site has a very clean interface, and provides you with some of the basic freeware everyone should have.
- Downloadpedia
- This is kind of like the Wikipedia of free and opensource software.
- OpenSource Living
- This site has a great interface for finding opensource software.
- UtilityGeek
- UtilityGeek has a lot of handy diagnostic freeware.
- Giveaway of the Day
- Giveaway of the Day is a very unique site. Everyday, it gives away a commercial program for free. Before downloading any of the programs on this site, I would recommend looking at the comments to see if other people like the program or not.
Interesting Freeware Books
The Best Blogs to Find Freeware
Note: A lot of these blogs have a database of freeware programs.
- Lifehacker
- This site is simply amazing. Not only does it provide fantastic recommendations on freeware, it also gives great tips and tricks on getting things done.
- CyberNet
- CyberNet has a lot of interesting articles on freeware and technology daily.
- Freeware Genius
- This blog has a lot of original posts and also gives very detailed descriptions about the freeware it promotes.
- DownloadSquad
- DownloadSquad is pretty similar to Freeware Genius.
- gHacks Technology News
- Again, kind of the same format as Download Squad and Freeware Genius.
Remember...
Downloading freeware is a great way to save money, as long as you do it safely.
With all the money you save from freeware, why not buy a great laptop!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Reader Feedback
Patung wrote...
Cool lens...agree that sometime freeware is better than commercial software.
Posted December 16, 2008
dannystaple wrote...
Good lens. I recommend adding sourceforge - as I know what I will be getting is free and legal there. Also for trying out applications, I don't know sandboxie, but I do recommend Virtual Box.
Posted December 02, 2008
Zion wrote...
Wow! This is a great info for all of us.
I really like your lens! so I gave you 5*.. how about that?!...
Please try to stop by my Best Acne Treatment lens. I would really much appreciate if you could rate mine too!
Thank you so much!
Zion
Posted November 25, 2008
by tjkastl
Hi! My name is TJ Kastl. I am a college student in Minnesota going into electrical engineering. I hope you like my freeware lens! (more)
