Best Free Software of 2020
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It’s a mobile world, but we haven’t abandoned the desktop entirely. The real work (and a lot of play) of computing requires an entire personal computing system, and to get the most out of that, you need software.
Software may be pricey, but free software has been a mainstay of the desktop experience for decades, and today’s offerings are pretty solid. Software developers can adopt an ad-based model, donation tools to keep things afloat, or a shareware/freemium model that charges for additional features.
Something to always watch for: crapware installers. To make ends meet, many creators of great free software, or services that offer software for download, bundle the things you want. don’t do Wants. Even worse, the installation routine obscures the steps, so you offer the unwanted tacit permission to install. For more information on how to spot and avoid this issue, see How to Get Rid of Crapware on a New Computer, and check out the Uninstaller section below.
Pro tip: just download the desktop software directly from the software maker. It’s not foolproof – after all, developers want to eat too – but it helps. This is why one of the inclusion criteria here is that the software is available directly from its maker.
Other criteria:
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The software must be available directly from the original developer/creator/publisher.
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The program must (usually) have a Windows-based download. However, we have included web-based applications that are as good or better than some of the downloadable programs.
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If the software is on a tiered sales model, the free version cannot be a trial program. You should at least have a free lifetime option.
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Preferably the software has been updated in the last year or two.
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The software should contain little or no advertising to support it. However, some Freemium software depends on the appearance of ads. We’ll include some if it doesn’t suck.
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Productivity software is what this list is about; There are plenty of other places to find free games for PC.
For more free software, check out our Top 100 iPhone Apps and Top 100 Android Apps.
My voice
(Image: Getty)
Daring
The open source Audacity software can record and edit audio files on more tracks than you can imagine. Then it outputs exactly what you need, even to MP3 if you’re using a plug-in. It’s perfect for noobs and pros alike, on any desktop operating system.
automation
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IFTTT
If This, then That, also known as IFTTT, is a service with a website and apps that allows you to create automated processes that connect your web services and smart home devices. Do you want your lights to turn on when you walk in the door? Do you want to create a backup when you make a new contact? Want email or text warnings when the weather turns bad? The combinations and understandings are endless and only limited by your imagination. (Some tools don’t give you full access, but hey.) (Read our review of IFTTT.)
Zapier
Another in the world of automation between services and applications, Zapier focuses on companies and helps them get the most out of all the disparate services they use. Get ready for increased productivity. The free version allows you to perform up to 100 automated tasks per month. (Read our review of Zapier.)
Backup and sync
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Basic Dropbox
Put the files in the Dropbox folder on the desktop, upload them to the cloud and sync them with any other computer on the account. The files can also be accessed via apps or the web. If you accidentally delete a file, you can use the website to restore it. Dropbox offers 2GB of free online storage. (Read our Dropbox review.)
Microsoft OneDrive
Keep in mind that OneDrive is the most flexible and comprehensive sync and backup tool. It is the official cloud storage for Microsoft Office and Windows 10 users (built directly into the operating system). OneDrive includes 5 GB of free online storage. If you subscribe to Microsoft 365, that storage jumps to 1 TB per user. (Read our review of Microsoft OneDrive, PCMag Editors’ Choice.)
I am driving
You get 5GB of free IDrive to back up files from all your devices. If that’s enough, you’ll find this service more than meets your needs. It will even backup your photos and videos from Facebook. (Read our review of IDrive, PCMag Editors’ Choice.)
(Was wondering about Google Drive? It’s on the list, but it’s at the bottom under the Office Suites.)
AOMEI Backupper
The free standard version of this tool can create a full system image, back up entire drives or specific partitions, or schedule backups for files and folders you select. Sorry, the option to clone an entire drive to another drive will now cost you the price of the pro version.
Browsers
Mozilla Firefox
The esteemed browser Firefox remains our editors’ choice. This is because it is highly customizable, strong in security, privacy and performance, and supports a large number of new standards. (Read our Firefox review, plus top Firefox tips.)
Google Chrome
Chrome still ranks highly as a browser to keep in your arsenal. Especially if you’re a fan of Google products—which is built into Chrome OS on Chromebooks, so it’s practical is being The operating system. However, it is possible Not The browser you want if you’re a privacy advocate, even if it will stop supporting tracking cookies in the future. (Read our review of Google Chrome, plus top Chrome tips.)
Cleaning/maintenance facilities
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CCleaner is free
The first C is Crap! CCleaner deletes extraneous files that corrupt the operating system and browsers. Get it and run it regularly. It will even delete some apps that you didn’t think you could get rid of. (Read our review of CCleaner Professional Plus.)
Defragler
Hard drive defragmentation has become fleeting in the age of terabyte drives, but it’s still smart to do to speed up data access. Defraggler’s interface makes it easy to do. It even works with solid state drives (SSDs).
Conferences
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Skype
Skype is synonymous with video conferencing. There’s reason that our Editors’ Choice review says Skype, which is now run by Microsoft, is “a very polished, highly functional service that runs on every platform you can think of (including the browser) and offers more communication options than any of its competitors.” You can make unlimited video calls between Skype users, even with user groups. Additionally, its ability to translate in real time is straight out of science fiction. (Read our review of Skype for Windows, PCMag Editors’ Choice)
GoToMeeting is free
Up to three people on computers can use this service to video chat and even share screens, all without fees or any setup other than sharing a URL or organizer code. Sign up for an account or sign in with your Google or Facebook accounts, and request a regular meeting room for online use. Since it is web-based, it works on any desktop or laptop computer. (Read our full GoToMeeting review.)
Zoom
Want to host an online conference for you and 100 of your closest friends? The zoom feature can let them all watch what you’re showing for up to 40 minutes from any device, even a smartphone. It will also allow for live one-on-one HD video meetings. Plus you can chat as you like. (Read our review of Zoom Meeting, PCMag Editors’ Choice, plus our zoom tips.)
E-books and comics
comics
Amazon-owned Comixology is the A shop to buy digital comics from almost all publishers of comic books. You read it in the app, and surprisingly it makes reading page by page or board by board fun, especially on a tablet the size of a comic book page. Simultaneous viewing means that you stop on one device and pick up the next device in the same place. Pair it with the Comixology Unlimited Reading subscription option or purchase new comics the same day they appear in stores. For comic book geeks, it’s a must. (Windows users are stuck in the web-based interface.) (Read our review of Comixology, PCMag’s Editors’ Choice, plus everything you need to know about digital comics.)
kindle
Practically the Kindle brand is a de facto e-book reader these days, it’s more than just hardware – it extends to apps and software for reading e-books (which you have to buy from Amazon, of course). Start the book on any device, follow it elsewhere — Kindle WhisperSync knows where you left off reading. X-Ray gives you an insight into the book; GoodReads integration gives you a social aspect. PageFlip allows you to keep your page while scanning the rest of the book.
caliber
If you have a lot of e-book files, then Caliber is an open source tool that you need to get organized. It converts files into different formats, so that you can use the e-books on many different devices, which will also be synced. It’s constantly updated with new features and support for non-Amazon e-book reader devices, such as the ones from Kobo.
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Microsoft Outlook.com
If you have a Microsoft account, you can access Outlook.com, behind Hotmail, Live mail, and our editors’ choice of web-based email. There’s still the same Outlook for Windows and Mac — it comes with Microsoft Office — but this free option is the perfect, simple, consumer-based webmail complete with OneDrive. Interesting features include scans, so you can, for example, delete all messages from one sender at once, and built-in chat – including Skype video chat. The iOS version is especially great. (Read our review of Outlook.com, PCMag Editors’ Choice.)
gmail
The most popular choice for individuals and businesses alike, Gmail has a clean interface and works with as many, if not all, third-party email applications that you can imagine. Plus, it probably has the best spam filter you’ll ever use. (Read our top tips for Gmail.)
Thunderbird
Mozilla’s casual email client still has all the features that made it great years ago: account setup wizards, multiple languages, hundreds of add-ons, a tabbed interface, great search, junk phishing tools, and the option of a custom email address with your choice of name the field. Migrating from previous versions is very easy and worth it if you are using the desktop.
Anti-spam
If you use a desktop email client like Outlook, Thunderbird, or even Windows Mail, you probably don’t get as much anti-spam capability — especially with POP3 email accounts. Stick SPAM on the system – they work directly with Microsoft to make it as tough against spam as possible. The Windows version is completely free for home use.
Restore and delete files
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Recova
Recuva (say it out loud) is a must on any technician’s tool belt: it’s the key to helping recover a lost file. It is easy to understand, although it must already be installed Before lose a file. It’s portable, so you have the option to run it from a USB thumb drive. (Read our review of Recuva.)
test disk
TestDisk does more than just find lost files. It can fully recover a lost hard drive partition, and make what was previously a non-bootable drive bootable again. It’s open source so it might not have a great user interface like you’re used to, but it’s powerful. The companion tool PhotoRec specializes in recovering lost photos.
an eraser
The opposite of recovering files is total destruction – the thing you do to keep the file out of someone else’s hands. Eraser does this, overwriting the place on your drive where the file(s) live until it’s cleaned up, with no chance of it coming back to haunt you. Use it to schedule a free disk space wipe, or just to clean the Recycle Bin.
File Transfer
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philizilla
The former Computer Science project is now one of the best standalone FTP clients. It’s a must for website owners who transfer lots of files to a server quickly. It comes in a client server and Windows server only option.
terracopy
Windows copies files between folders and drives just fine. TeraCopy takes over and makes it sing — it’s faster, better looking, provides more information/feedback, and can recover from transfer errors.
µ torrent
Still one of the biggest clients for downloading and uploading torrent files,…
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