Free applications have become enormously popular thanks to the introduction of different monetization systems that, in most cases, use advertising to generate revenue. However, there are also cases in which these applications offer optional services or products that are paid for, which allows them to dispense, in whole or in part, with advertising.
The fact is that the popularization of free applications has had a positive impact both quantitatively and quantitatively, that is, today we can find many applications of this type, and these also have a higher quality. Quality is essential for them to be competitive, but the user experience they offer is also key for them to become more interesting and attractive options for the consumer compared to their direct rivals.
It is very easy to understand. Imagine that you hesitate between two file decompression applications, both offer a simple and easy to use interface, but one of them has a less invasive advertising model which makes the experience more comfortable. Obviously you will end up opting for the latter, provided that both have the same level of quality.
Having many free applications to choose from is a very positive thing, there is no doubt about that, but at the same time this has a negative side, and that is that it makes it quite difficult to differentiate those that are really worthwhile from those that are not. To help you in such hard work, we wanted to put together this article where we select 10 free applications that are essential on any Windows-based PC.
Before we start, I invite you to leave us in the comments other recommendations of free applications that you find interesting. This is how we expand the value of this article, and you can share with each other other tools that can end up making your life a little easier. With that said, let’s get started.
10 Free Windows Apps You Shouldn’t Miss
1.-File compression and decompression: 7-Zip
He’s quite the veteran who, frankly, needs no introduction. It is true that Windows can work natively with certain types of compressed files, but it does it at a basic leveland this implies that in the end it is essential to have a tool capable of decompressing in different formats.
7-Zip is one of the best free applications for Windows because it fulfills that function, that is, it can compress and decompress using a large number of formats, it is very light and easy to use and is not intrusive at all, which means that we can use it without having to deal with unannounced advertising or any kind of hassle. Its interface can be improved, but intuitive, so we can’t fault it.
Download 7-Zip for free.
2.-Streaming music: Spotify
This is, without a doubt, the best application to play free streaming music. It has a very neat interface, offers a huge variety of musical styles and songsand also covers different periods, which makes it an interesting option for both younger users and those who already have gray hair.
for your monetization use advertising, and it is true that this can become a bit annoying on specific occasions, but taking into account all the music that it puts on our device, the little space that it occupies (about 200 MB) and how easy and intuitive it is, it is impossible to deny that is one of the best free apps available within its class. Some may tell me that YouTube is a good alternative, but in the end it also uses advertising and can show ads that last for several minutes. If we cannot skip it because we are doing something else, we will be “doomed” to listen to them.
Download Spotify for free.
3.-Editing PDF files: PDFescape
Working with PDF files can be somewhat complicated, especially if we have to carry out editing tasks, since these normally require the use of “premium” versions of applications that in their free model only allow text to be displayed and, in the best of cases, signing documents. Luckily, with PDFescape we have this problem solved.
exist two versions of this appthe online version, which allows us to edit PDF files that weigh a maximum of 10 MB and have less than 100 pages, and the application for Windows, which in its free version offers numerous functions, including the creation of PDF files from more than 300 types of files, printing and viewing.
Use the online version for free, or if you prefer download the free app.
4.-Culture and learning: Wikipedia
Wikipedia has become the most popular and widely used encyclopedia in the world, and has been a fundamental tool in achieving democratization of access to culture and knowledge. The dream of having an almost infinite source of wisdom, and that it would be instantly accessible and free of charge by anyone in the world, regardless of their social position or economic level, was fulfilled thanks to Wikipedia.
We can use it in its online version, but also through the dedicated application, which is totally free and open source, does not use advertising and makes available to us more than 40 million articles in more than 300 languages. I think with these credentials it’s easy to understand why it’s one of the best free apps of its kind.
We can download it directly through the Microsoft Store.
5.-Games and leisure: Steam
More than one may have been surprised to see Steam on this list of the best free applications, but the truth is that it deserves to be here. This application is much more than a game store in digital format, with it we will have access to a huge community of PC gamers, and we will also be able to download and enjoy many free games.
To all of the above we must also add the guarantees and security offered by Steam, and the promotions that it celebrates periodically. Thanks to them we will be able to obtain games that are normally paid for completely free of charge, and with the peace of mind that we will never encounter unwanted advertising or with invasive actions.
You can download Steam for free through this link.
6.-Management and use of remote teams: TeamViewer
Remote management and use of equipment has become a very handy solution to get out of trouble in many situations. Thanks to this type of tool we can access those contents or files that we have forgotten to take with us, and we can also help family and friends who have problems with their equipment even if we cannot be present.
TeamViewer is one of the oldest applications in the management and use of remote teams, and it remains one of the best because it is free, it is very easy to use, has a high degree of maturity and also does not matter the operating system of the computer to which we want to connect remotely, that is, it can be based on macOS or Linux. Please note, however, that TeamViewer is only free for personal use.
Download TeamViewer for free.
7.-Web and Internet browsing: Chrome
I understand that everyone has their favorite browser, and therefore some of you may not agree with this choice, but what is undeniable is that, in the end, Chrome is one of the best free applications in its category. this browser it’s very fasthas a very simple and intuitive interface, allows you to install a large number of extensions and has a wide range of advanced functions that will make your life easier.
It is not perfect, I am also aware of it, not in vain I have been using it for many years. Its resource consumption (RAM above all) is high, but it makes up for it by offering excellent performance and a high level of features.
You can download Chrome for free through its official website.
8.-Office and work: LibreOffice
Microsoft Office is one of the most widely used office automation solutions at an international level, but to be able to enjoy its full potential we have no choice but to checkout. If we can’t, or don’t want to, spend money on a tool of this type, nothing happens, because thanks to LibreOffice we can enjoy a very complete office automation ecosystem without spending a penny.
LibreOffice has excellent maturity, is stable and compatible with most files and formats used in Microsoft Office, and has a wide variety of toolss that will allow us to edit texts, work with spreadsheets, create presentations and much more. It is also important to note that its requirements are very low, which means that we can use this suite on computers with few resources without any problem.
Download LibreOffice for free.
9.-Cloud storage: Google Drive
Cloud storage has become a popular solution for make backups totally immune to local problems. Thus, for example, if we make a backup on the second storage unit of our PC, we may get rid of a failure on the first unit, but we still run a significant risk if a general failure occurs that affects both.
Making a backup copy in the cloud completely frees us from this problem, and thanks to Google Drive we can access one of the best platforms that exist, both for performance and for functions and features. Just for downloading the application and start using it we can enjoy a total of 15 GB of free storageenough to save those photos that matter so much to us.
We can download Google Drive for free through this link.
10.-Editing images: Paint.NET
Editing images can be a bit complicated, especially if we’re just starting out and don’t have the slightest idea of what we’re doing. Luckily, there are free applications that offer a simple and intuitive interface, and that allow us to carry out basic editing tasks in a matter of seconds, even if we have no experience.
In this sense, Paint.NET is one of the best tools of its kind, since it greatly surpasses the classic Paint that comes with Windows, but at the same time it is not burdensome, that is, it does not overwhelm the user with a huge amount of of confusing and unhelpful options. If you are looking for something superior, GIMP should be your choice as it is one of the best free software applications out there.
Get Paint.NET for free by clicking here.
