Linux Mint (Cinnamon Edition) is a free Linux operating system built mainly from open-source software, and one of the easiest choices for people moving from Microsoft Windows. Its Cinnamon desktop looks and feels familiar, with a Start-style application menu, a taskbar, a system tray and a file manager, so you can get comfortable without learning a completely different desktop layout. It comes with everyday applications and a software manager for installing more free programs. Linux Mint is free to download, install and keep using — no Windows licence, subscription or trial period required. For the most Windows-like experience, choose the Cinnamon Edition.

Fedora Workstation Fedora Workstation is a completely free, open-source Linux operating system with a modern GNOME desktop. It is an alternative to Linux Mint for everyday browsing, office work and other computer tasks.

GIMP lets you edit photos, crop images, remove backgrounds and create graphics without needing an expensive photo-editing subscription.

Krita Krita is a free, open-source painting and image-editing application, especially useful for digital illustration, drawing, concept art and creative graphics. Download the free version directly from the official site.

LibreOffice Writer lets you write letters, resumes, reports and other documents. It is part of LibreOffice, a free office suite that can also work with common Microsoft Office file formats.

ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors is a free, open-source desktop office suite for writing and editing documents, including DOCX files. It also includes spreadsheet, presentation and PDF tools; the desktop application does not require a paid licence.

Kdenlive lets you cut video clips, add titles and transitions, work with multiple tracks and export finished videos without paying for an editor.

Shotcut Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor for trimming clips, arranging video and audio tracks, adding filters and exporting finished videos without a subscription.

VLC media player lets you watch videos and listen to audio in a wide variety of file formats, including MP4, MKV and MP3, without needing extra codec packs.

mpv mpv is a lightweight, free and open-source video and audio player supporting a wide range of formats and subtitles. It has a minimalist interface and many customisation options.

Audacity lets you record and edit voice, music and podcasts. You can trim recordings, adjust sound levels and remove unwanted noise.

Tenacity Tenacity is a free, open-source audio recorder and multitrack editor. Use it to edit voice recordings and podcasts, apply effects and work with multiple audio tracks.

OBS Studio lets you record your computer screen, webcam or tutorials, and broadcast live video when you need to.

ShareX ShareX is a completely free, open-source Windows tool for screenshots, screen recordings and GIF captures. It is particularly useful for recording quick demonstrations and capturing areas of your screen.

Inkscape lets you create logos, diagrams, icons and scalable vector artwork with professional drawing tools.

LibreOffice Draw LibreOffice Draw is a free, open-source drawing tool included in the LibreOffice suite. Create diagrams, flowcharts, simple illustrations, posters and other page layouts.

PeaZip lets you compress files, open ZIP and 7z archives, and extract many other archive formats. It is open-source and free for personal or business use, without trial limits.

7-Zip 7-Zip is a free, open-source file archiver for Windows that creates and extracts ZIP and 7z files and opens many other archive formats. There are no licence or registration fees.

Brave is a free, open-source web browser with a built-in ad blocker called Brave Shields — no extra extension or subscription required. It automatically blocks many third-party website ads and trackers, helps stop cross-site cookie tracking and browser fingerprinting, and upgrades connections to secure HTTPS where possible. It also provides protection against phishing and malicious websites. Blocking unwanted advertising and tracking can make pages load faster and reduce data usage. You can change Shields settings for individual websites if something does not work properly. Brave is free to use permanently; optional paid services are not needed for these features. Some first-party or search ads may still appear.

Mozilla Firefox Mozilla Firefox is a free, open-source web browser with tracking-protection features, extensions and cross-platform support. It is a useful alternative to Brave.