awesome-free-apps/open-source-only.md

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

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

Important

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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
• Download Managers
• Games
  • Cloud Gaming
  • Mobile Emulators
  • Other Emulators
• Graphics Tools
• 3D Modeling and Animation
• Security
  • Antivirus
  • Password Managers
• Image Viewers
• Remote Access
• Text Editors
• 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
  • Screenshot
  • Space Visualizer

Audio

Audio Players

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. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Stargate DAW - Innovation-first DAW, instrument and effect plugins. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Browsers

• Chromium - Browser project behind Chrome. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• ungoogled-chromium - Privacy-focused Chromium with Google services removed. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Firefox - Browser with privacy and customization. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Pale Moon - Goanna-based browser. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Communication

Messaging

Email Clients

• ElectronMail - Electron-based desktop client for ProtonMail. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Mailspring - Beautiful, fast email client. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• ThunderBird - Email client for easier management. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Compression and Archiving

• 7-Zip - Archive manager supporting 7z, ZIP, and other formats. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• PeaZip - Archive manager supporting 180+ formats with encryption and compression. 🪟 🐧 🟢
• PDF Archiver - Tool for tagging and organizing PDFs on macOS. 🍎 🟢

Customize

System Customization

• HideVolumeOSD - Hides the Windows volume bar. 🪟 🟢
• ExplorerPatcher - Restores and enhances the classic taskbar and system elements. 🪟 🟢
• Hidden Bar - Simple app to organize and declutter your menu bar. 🍎 🟢
• FluentFlyouts - Replaces default flyouts with customizable modern ones. 🪟 🟢

Wallpaper Tools

• Rainmeter - Desktop customization tool offering widgets, skins, and live stats. 🪟 🟢
• Lively Wallpaper - Tool to set animated and interactive wallpapers. 🪟 🟢
• WinDynamicDesktop - Port of macOS Mojave Dynamic Desktop feature to Windows. 🪟 🟢
• ScreenPlay - Wallpaper and widget engine. 🪟 🐧 🟢
• Plash - App to set websites as wallpapers. 🍎 🟢
• Komorebi - Animated wallpaper manager. 🐧 🟢
• Variety - Wallpaper changer with features for downloading and managing wallpapers. 🐧 🟢

Data Management

Copy and Move

Sync and Clone

• FreeFileSync - Tool for comparing and syncing files or folders. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Syncthing - Continuous file synchronization for multiple computers. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Developer Tools

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

API Development

• Insomnia - Simple API client for REST and GraphQL development. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Bruno - Offline API client that is fast, Git-friendly, and open source. 🪟 🟢
• SoapUI Open Source - For testing REST and SOAP APIs with scripting support. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Database

Network Analysis

• James - Proxy for intercepting HTTP/HTTPS requests. 🪟 🍎 🟢

Game Engines

• Godot - Game engine for 2D and 3D games with an easy-to-learn scripting language. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Cocos2d - Game engine for mobile and web games, focused on 2D games. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Monogame - Framework for cross-platform game development with C#. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Tiled - Level editor for creating tile-based game maps, used with other engines. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• OpenRA - Game engine for real-time strategy games, supporting mods for classic titles. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Flixel - 2D engine built with Haxe, suitable for platformers and action games. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Virtualization

• Docker - Containerization platform for operating-system-level virtualization. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Lima - Tool for launching Linux VMs with file sharing and port forwarding. 🍎 🟢
• QEMU - Emulator and virtualizer for hardware and system virtualization. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Vagrant - Tool for managing reproducible development environments using virtual machines. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Rancher Desktop - App for managing containers and Kubernetes on desktop. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Documents

Office Suites

• LibreOffice - Popular and easy to use office suite. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• OnlyOffice - Office suite with collaboration features. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Apache OpenOffice - Suite for documents, spreadsheets, etc. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

E-book

• iChm - CHM reader. 🍎 🟢
• Readest - Cross-platform eBook reader with tools. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Scribus - Layout and publishing software. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Sigil - EPUB editor. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Naps2 - Scan documents to PDF and more, as simply as possible. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

PDF Tools

• MuPDF - Powerful PDF viewer. 🪟 🐧 🟢
• PDF Arranger - PDF editor for splitting, merging. 🪟 🐧 🟢

Download Managers

• JDownloader - Popular download manager. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Games

• Heroic Games Launcher - Launcher for Epic, GOG. 🪟 🐧 🟢
• ProtonUp-Qt - Tool for managing Proton/Wine compatibility. 🐧 🟢

Cloud Gaming

Mobile Emulators

Other Emulators

• DuckStation - PlayStation 1 emulator with focus on speed, accuracy, and modern enhancements. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• PCSX-Redux - PlayStation 1 emulator aimed at advanced debugging and better game compatibility. 🪟 🐧 🟢

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. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Colorpicker - Color manipulation tool for picking and modifying colors. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Draw.io - Desktop app for creating diagrams and flowcharts. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• FontForge - Font editor for creating and modifying font files. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

3D Modeling and Animation

• Blender - 3D creation tool supporting modeling, animation, rendering, video editing, and more. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Wings 3D - 3D modeling software focusing on subdivision modeling. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• MakeHuman - 3D human modeler for creating realistic character models. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Security

Antivirus

• ClamAV - Antivirus engine for detecting malware, viruses, and other threats. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Password Managers

• KeePass - Lightweight password manager for secure storage of passwords in encrypted databases. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Passbolt - Team-oriented password manager for sharing and storing passwords securely. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Image Viewers

• FlowVision - Waterfall-style image viewer. 🍎 🟢

Remote Access

• Moonlight - GameStream client for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Steam Link. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• RustDesk - Remote desktop software with a focus on simplicity and security. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Sunshine - Self-hosted game streaming server for use with Moonlight. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Text Editors

• Notepad++ - Text editor with syntax highlighting and advanced editing features for developers. 🪟 🟢
• Visual Studio Code - A powerful and extensible code editor developed by Microsoft, featuring debugging, version control, and support for numerous languages. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Atom - Hackable text editor with features like Git integration and an extensive plugin ecosystem. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Vim - Highly configurable, command-line-based text editor that is especially favored by developers for its efficiency. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Emacs - A powerful, extensible text editor with a broad range of features and customization options. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Brackets - Text editor focused on web development, with live preview and preprocessor support. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Fastedit - Code editor that looks like notepad and has frost background. 🪟 🟢
• CodeEdit - Lightweight native code editor for macOS. 🍎 🟢
• Haystack Editor - Code editor with a canvas UI for better code understanding. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Neovim - A modern, extensible terminal-based code editor. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Video

Video Editors

• Shotcut - Video editor with a wide range of features. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• OpenShot - Easy-to-use video editor with support for multiple video tracks. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Kdenlive - Video editor with multi-track editing and a powerful interface. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Olive Video Editor - Non-linear video editor with powerful features and an intuitive interface. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Video Players

• VLC Media Player - Media player supporting almost all video formats. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Kodi - Media center that allows you to play and view most videos, music, podcasts, and other digital media files. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• MPV - Cross-platform media player with a simple interface. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• MPC-HC - Lightweight video player with support for all common formats. 🪟 🟢
• IINA - Media player for macOS. Performs better than VLC. 🍎 🟢

Video Streaming and Recording

• OBS Studio - Software for live streaming and video recording. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• Streamlabs Desktop - Streaming software with a customizable interface for live broadcasts. 🪟 🍎 🟢
• Jitsi Meet - Video conferencing and streaming solution. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Nginx RTMP - Media streaming server using NGINX. 🐧 🟢
• Livestreamer - Command-line utility to stream video from various platforms. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Kaltura - Video streaming platform for creating and managing content. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Video Converters and Compressors

• FFmpeg - Command-line tool for video and audio processing with wide format support. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢 ⭐
• HandBrake - Video transcoder for converting video formats. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• VidCoder - Video transcoder based on HandBrake, with a user-friendly interface. 🪟 🍎 🟢
• FastFlix - GUI for H.264, HEVC and AV1 hardware and software encoding. 🪟 🟢

VPN and Proxy Tools

• Tunnelblick - OpenVPN client for macOS with a user-friendly interface. 🍎 🟢
• Algo - Personal IPSEC VPN setup for secure cloud usage. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• SpechtLite - Simplified rule-based proxy tool for macOS. 🍎 🟢
• Specht - Rule-based proxy app for macOS using Network Extension. 🍎 🟢
• ShadowsocksX-NG - Modern Shadowsocks client with enhanced features for macOS. 🍎 🟢
• rvc-mac - Ribose VPN Client for macOS, providing secure VPN connections. 🍎 🟢
• OpenVPN - VPN solution for secure internet connections. 🪟 🟢
• SoftEther VPN - VPN software with multiple protocol support. 🪟 🟢

Utility

• yt-dlp - Feature-rich command-line audio/video downloader. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Keylock - Lock your keyboard. 🪟 🟢
• Winpower - Improved power settings for Windows. 🪟 🟢

Clipboard Management

• Clipy - Lightweight clipboard manager. 🍎 🟢
• CopyQ - Advanced clipboard manager with editing and scripting capabilities. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢
• Maccy - Simple and lightweight clipboard manager. 🍎 🟢
• Diodon - Simple and lightweight clipboard manager for Linux. 🐧 🟢
• Qopy - The fixed clipboard manager with a clean and minimalistic UI as well as very unique features. 🪟 🍎 🐧 🟢

Metadata

Window Management

• AltSnap - Lightweight window management tool for snapping windows to predefined positions using keyboard shortcuts. 🪟 🟢
• FancyZones - Feature of PowerToys that helps with window snapping and arranging for multi-monitor setups in Windows. 🪟 🟢
• Sway - Tiling Wayland compositor for Linux, similar to i3, designed for use with Wayland. 🐧 🟢
• OnTopReplica - A simple app to display a portion of your screen on top of other windows. 🪟 🟢
• GlazeWM - Tiling window manager inspired by i3wm. 🪟 🟢

File Management

• Files - Modern file manager that helps users organize their files and folders. 🪟 🟢
• WinSCP - SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, and SCP client with a user-friendly interface. 🪟 🟢

Screenshot

• Greenshot - Screenshot tool for Windows that allows capturing, annotating, and editing screenshots. 🪟 🟢
• ShareX - Powerful screenshot and screen recording tool with advanced editing options. 🪟 🟢 ⭐
• Capter - Super simple screenshot tool. 🪟 🍎 🟢

Space Visualizer