Projects
Useful open source projects
Free programs, legal to use and share, for the everyday jobs people usually pay for.
How projects are chosen
- Open source, free to use and share.
- Run by a community or a non-profit, not by a company that sells it or makes money from it.
- No company or organization from the United States or Israel behind it.
- Well known, with an active community and an official site.
- Transparent: public code, public discussions, and nothing hidden about who runs it or how it is paid for.
Always download a program from the official site linked here, never from download portals. If you think a project here breaks these rules, or one is missing, send a message.
The projects
Office documents
LibreOffice
Write letters, make spreadsheets and presentations, and open the files other people send you. Its Draw program also makes flyers and simple logos.
Instead of paid office suites.
Email
Claws Mail
A light email program for your computer that reads all your accounts in one place.
Instead of paid email programs.
Passwords
KeePassXC
A password safe that lives only on your computer, with no account and no cloud.
Instead of paid password managers.
Video and music
VLC
Plays almost any video or audio file, with no extra codecs to buy.
Instead of paid media players.
Drawing and photos
Krita
Paint, draw and retouch images, from quick fixes to illustrations.
Instead of paid drawing and photo programs.
Camera photos
darktable
Sort your camera photos and fix light and colors without touching the original.
Instead of paid photo libraries.
Video editing
Kdenlive
Cut, join and title your videos.
Instead of paid video editors.
Audio
Tenacity
Record and edit voice, podcasts and music.
Instead of paid audio editors.
Compressed files
7-Zip
Open and create zip files and almost every other archive format on Windows.
Instead of paid archive tools.
Share files
LocalSend
Send files between your phone and computer on the same Wi-Fi, without cables or cloud.
Instead of paid file transfer apps.
Maps
CoMaps
Offline maps for your phone, made by its community, with no ads and no tracking.
Instead of map apps that track you.
PDF and documents
Okular
Read PDFs and e-books, fill in forms and add notes, from the KDE community.
Instead of paid PDF programs.
Flyers and booklets
Scribus
Lay out flyers, posters, newsletters and booklets ready for print.
Instead of paid page layout programs.
E-books
Calibre
Organize your e-books, convert them and send them to your e-reader.
Instead of locked e-book stores and their apps.
Convert videos
HandBrake
Shrink or convert any video so it plays on your phone, TV or computer.
Instead of paid video converters.
3D and animation
Blender
Model, animate and render in 3D. Run by a Dutch non-profit foundation.
Instead of paid 3D programs.
Sync your files
Syncthing
Keep folders in sync between your own devices, with no cloud in the middle. Run by a Swedish non-profit foundation.
Instead of paid cloud storage.
App store for Android
F-Droid
An app store with only free and open source apps, each checked and built from its public code.
Instead of app stores that track you.
Two step login codes
Aegis Authenticator
Keep the six digit login codes for your accounts in an encrypted vault on your Android phone.
Instead of authenticator apps tied to big companies.
Podcasts
AntennaPod
Follow and listen to podcasts on Android, run by volunteers with no company behind it.
Instead of podcast apps with ads.
Maps on the web
OpenStreetMap
The free map of the world, made by volunteers. Anyone can use it and fix it.
Instead of map services that sell your location.
Operating system
Linux Mint
A free system for your computer that gives old machines a second life.
Instead of buying a new computer too early.
Many projects accept donations to pay for their servers. If one helps you, consider giving back.