Best Free Accounting Software
TurboCASH 5
Replaces Quicken
TurboCASH 5 is a small-business accounting package that includes such
functions as invoicing, debtors, creditors, VAT accounting, balance
sheet and income statements, and reporting. It’s accessible to multiple
users and companies.
GnuCash
Replaces Microsoft Money or Quicken
GnuCash is a slimmed-down version of the bloated Microsoft Money and
Quicken packages, but it contains all of the essential features for
managing money. The interfaces are incredibly simple — it functions much
like a checkbook ledger on your computer — but there’s a lot of meat
hidden throughout the software.
Best Free File-Sharing Software
Ares Galaxy
Replaces BitTorrent
Ares Galaxy is a BitTorrent and chat software program with an easily
accessible interface and a built-in audio/video viewer. You can share
any types of digital file and publish your them through their own
peer-to-peer network.
eMule
Replaces BitTorrent
eMule is a peer-to-peer file-sharing client that includes robust search
features, checks for file corruptions during downloads, and previews of
downloads.
Tribler
Replaces BitTorrent
Tribler enables its users to discover and share video, audio, photos, and other files.
Best Free Graphics Software
GIMP
Replaces Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the most popular free
alternative to Photoshop. It is known for its versatility, as you can
use it as a simple Paint program or for more sophisticated capabilities,
such as photo retouching, layering image rendering, and format
conversion.
Blender 3D
Replaces Maya, 3DSMax
Blender is a 3D graphics-creation program that enables you to perform
animation, modeling, rendering, post-production, real-time interactive
3D, and much more.
Dia
Replaces Microsoft Visio
Very similar to Visio, you can use Dia to create a wide variety of
diagrams, such as flowcharts and relationship charts. You can save your
pieces to an XML format and export them to EPS or SVG formats.
Inkscape
Replaces Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw
Inkscape is a vector graphics editor that includes features such as
shapes, paths, markers, clones, text, gradients, and patterns while
supporting functionalities such as layers, node editing, bitmap tracing,
and more. You can import JPEG, TIFF, and PNG files and export as PNG or
other vector-based formats.
Scribus
Replaces PageMaker, InDesign, QuarkXPress
Scribus, a desktop publishing application, supports many major graphic formats as well as SVG import and export.
Best Free Audio/Video Software
VLC Media Player
Useful
VLC is a fast and powerful multimedia player that supports various audio
and video formats, including but not limited to MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4,
DivX, and MP3, as well as DVDs and VCDs. It plays almost any file, CD,
DVD, webcams, and other devices.
SMPlayer
Useful
SMPlayer is a free media player with the added ability to play and
download YouTube videos. On top of that, if you’re the type not to sit
and commit to an entire movie, SMPlayer will simply replay where you
left off, which is perfect for busy folks.
Handbrake
Unique but essential
Handbrake enables you to stick a DVD in your DVD drive and have the
contents of that film stored to your hard drive in a form that can be
read by pretty much any media player. This is awesome for travel since
you can store all your movies in your laptop instead of carrying around
DVDs.
Audacity
Unique but essential (for some)
If you’re interested in recording your own podcast (or just want to make
your own voice recordings for whatever reason), Audacity and a
microphone are pretty much all you need to get the job done. Audacity is
also very useful for other voice recording purposes.
Media Player Classic
Useful
Media Player Classic plays a wide swath of audio and video formats,
including MPEG/MPEG-2/MPEG-4, DivX, Xvid, and CD/VCD/DVD media.
Best Free Security & Anti-Virus Software
KeePass Password Safe
Essential
KeePass is a lightweight and intuitive password manager for Windows,
Linux, Mac OS X, and mobile devices. Your passwords are kept safe in an
encrypted database, which you can quickly access with a master password.
TrueCrypt
Replaces BitLocker
TrueCrypt enables you to convert a memory stick into a strongly
encrypted data storage device, meaning that you can store personal data
on it without worrying about losing it and having personal information
get out and about.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
Replaces Norton Antivirus
You can hardly tell Bitdefender is running, as it works quietly but
efficiently. It’s excellent at blocking and removing malware as well as
protecting your computer from phishing.
HealthMonitor
Useful
HealthMonitor enables you to keep an eye on the health of your computer.
It identifies slowdowns and other system issues quickly and lets you
know (for example, it gives a popup if your system memory gets to a
certain percentage of fullness, or if your hard drive has only 10 GB
free). This can keep you out of trouble and also give you clues to
problems your machine might be having.
