awesome-free-apps/filter/recommended-only.md

Windows Only — macOS Only — Linux Only — Open-source Only — Recommended Only

Mobile version — Android Only — iOS Only

Icon	Meaning	Icon	Meaning
🪟	Available on Windows	🟢	Open-source (Repository Link)
🍎	Available on macOS	⭐	Recommended by us
🐧	Available on Linux

Important

Maintaining this project requires a lot of time. Donate to support me! ❤️

Discord server — Patreon

Want to add something to the list? Check -> contributing.md

If you want to become a maintainer, check this -> https://github.com/Axorax/awesome-free-apps/issues/28

Important

Looking for the mobile version of this list? -> MOBILE.md

Contents

• Audio
  • Audio Players
  • Audio Recording
  • DJ Software
  • Music Notation
  • Music Production
• Browsers
• Communication
  • Messaging
  • Email Clients
• Compression and Archiving
• Customize
  • System Customization
  • Wallpaper Tools
• Data Management
  • Copy and Move
  • Sync and Clone
• Developer Tools
  • API Development
  • Database
  • Network Analysis
  • Game Engines
  • Virtualization
• Documents
  • Office Suites
  • E-book
  • PDF Tools
• Note Taking
• Text Editors
• Download Managers
• Games
  • Cloud Gaming
• Mobile Emulators
• Other Emulators
• Graphics Tools
• 3D Modeling and Animation
• Security
  • Antivirus
  • Password Managers
• Image Viewers
• Remote Access
• Video
  • Video Editors
  • Video Players
  • Video Streaming and Recording
  • Video Converters and Compressors
• VPN and Proxy Tools
• Utility
  • Clipboard Management
  • Metadata
  • Window Management
  • File Management
  • Application Management
  • Screenshot
  • Space Visualizer

Audio

• FXSound - Boost sound quality, volume, and bass. Has a beautiful modern UI. 🪟 🟢 ⭐

Audio Players

• Foobar2000 - Lightweight and highly customizable audio player with support for many formats. 🪟 🍎 ⭐

Audio Recording

• Audacity - Audio editor for recording and editing sounds. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

DJ Software

Music Notation

Music Production

• LMMS - DAW for creating music with virtual instruments and MIDI support. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Browsers

• Tor Browser - Privacy browser routing traffic over the Tor network. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Communication

Messaging

• Discord - Communication platform for text, voice, and video, popular with gamers. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Email Clients

Compression and Archiving

• 7-Zip - Archive manager supporting 7z, ZIP, and other formats. 🪟 🟢 ⭐

Customize

System Customization

Wallpaper Tools

• Lively Wallpaper - Tool to set animated and interactive wallpapers. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• Rainmeter - Desktop customization tool offering widgets, skins, and live stats. 🪟 🟢 ⭐

Data Management

Copy and Move

Sync and Clone

• FreeFileSync - Tool for comparing and syncing files or folders. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Developer Tools

• livewinsize - Visualize window size in pixels and other units. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• TkForge - Drag & drop in Figma to create a Python GUI with ease. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

API Development

• Insomnia - Simple API client for REST and GraphQL development. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Postman - API development platform with advanced testing and collaboration tools. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Database

• DBeaver - Universal database tool for SQL databases like MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Apache Family, and more. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Network Analysis

• Wireshark - Leading tool for capturing and analyzing network traffic. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Game Engines

• Godot - Game engine for 2D and 3D games with an easy-to-learn scripting language. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Unreal Engine - Powerful, fully-featured game engine for high-quality 3D games. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Virtualization

• Docker - Containerization platform for operating-system-level virtualization. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• VirtualBox - Virtualization software for creating and managing virtual machines. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Documents

Office Suites

• LibreOffice - Popular and easy to use office suite. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

E-book

• Calibre - Powerful e-book manager. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

PDF Tools

• Sumatra PDF - Fast, lightweight PDF reader. 🪟 🟢 ⭐

Note Taking

• Inkless - Minimal, shortcut based app to take notes and use for light coding. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• Obsidian - Knowledge base app with powerful linking and markdown support. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Text Editors

• Visual Studio Code - Code editor with debugging, integrated Git support, and a vast extension marketplace. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Download Managers

• AB Download Manager - Easily download files from anywhere. 🪟 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Free Download Manager - Modern download accelerator. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Games

• Steam - Platform for buying and playing PC games. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Cloud Gaming

Mobile Emulators

• BlueStacks - Android emulator for playing mobile games on PC. 🪟 🍎 ⭐

Other Emulators

• RetroArch - Open-source, cross-platform emulator that allows to play games from a wide variety of retro gaming consoles and platforms. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Graphics Tools

• GIMP - Versatile image editor for tasks like photo manipulation and graphic design. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Inkscape - Vector graphics editor used for creating logos, illustrations, and more. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Krita - Digital painting software designed for illustrators and concept artists. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

3D Modeling and Animation

• Blender - 3D creation tool supporting modeling, animation, rendering, video editing, and more. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Security

Antivirus

Password Managers

Image Viewers

• ImageGlass - Lightweight, versatile image viewer. 🪟 🟢 ⭐

Remote Access

Video

Video Editors

• DaVinci Resolve - Professional video editor with advanced color correction and effects. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Video Players

• PotPlayer - Feature-rich video player with advanced playback options. 🪟 ⭐

Video Streaming and Recording

• OBS Studio - Software for live streaming and recording video. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Video Converters and Compressors

• FFmpeg - Powerful tool for format conversion and multimedia editing. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

VPN and Proxy Tools

Utility

• AutoHotkey - Scripting language for task automation and custom hotkeys. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• PowerToys - Utilities for file renaming, resizing, and productivity tools. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• yt-dlp - Command-line tool for downloading audio and video. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐

Clipboard Management

Metadata

• ExifTool - Command-line tool for editing metadata in various file types. 🪟 🍎 🐧 ⭐

Window Management

• FancyZones - Snap and arrange windows in multi-monitor setups. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• Rectangle - Efficient window manager with keyboard shortcut support. 🍎 ⭐

File Management

• Everything - Fast file search tool indexing the entire file system. 🪟 ⭐

Application Management

• Bulk Crap Uninstaller - Powerful tool for uninstalling multiple applications and cleaning leftovers. 🪟 🟢 ⭐

Screenshot

• ShareX - Powerful screenshot and screen recording tool with advanced editing options. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• Snipaste - Free, Customizable, Portable snipping tool.

Space Visualizer

• WizTree - Fast disk space analyzer that scans drives and shows file size distribution. 🪟 ⭐