The Best Free Software of 2022

Windows, macOS, Linux

No one would call HandBrake simple, but for power and comprehensiveness, it’s hard for any other video transcoder to compete. Transcode means to convert; Handbrake will turn almost any video format into another video format. It’s free, it’s open-source, and it has years of practice.

Windows, macOS, Linux

While it lacks the slick interface found in most other video editors, Shotcut‘s got lots of other powers, all without paying—you have nothing to lose but time in trying it out. You can undock panels as you work, customizing the editing on screen, which is great on multi-monitor setups.

Windows, Web, iOS, Android

Stream your video gaming with Logitech’s Streamlabs Open Broadcasting System (aka SLOBS), directly to YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook. You can even switch between gameplay and your own camera to make some commentary. There may be a bit of a learning curve due to the power it wields, but you can find plenty of help online.

Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, browsers

PCMag’s top pick for software to take control of other computers is TeamViewer. Almost everything you need is free for personal use: desktop sharing, file transfers, and even chatting with remote users. The setup couldn’t be easier. Take control of a remote PC over an internet connection with the app, or use a browser (even in Chrome OS) with the TeamViewer extension. (That said, remote access tools can be abused, so don’t turn it on unless you’re on the phone with the person you’re allowing access to. Turn it off after.)

Windows, Linux

Fancy yourself a budding screenwriter, but lack the funds to buy high-end tools like Final Draft? Trelby does a damn fine job of helping you keep the formatting correct, remember character names, and even import and export to formats used in Hollywood.

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Smart TVs, media hubs, NAS devices

If you don’t know or care what a media server is—you just want to stream your videos and music collection around the house—Plex is probably for you. Install it on all your devices, point it at some media, and those audio and video files become available on everything…even remotely over the internet. (For more, read How to Set Up a Plex Server, How to Share Your Plex Libraries, How to Organize Your Plex Media Library, and The Expert’s Guide to Managing Your Plex Server.)

Windows, macOS, Linux

Adobe Illustrator is the high-water mark of vector image editing, but it has the premium price to match. You can still get cross-platform Scalable Vector Graphic (SVG) image creation with the free Inkscape. You’ll have to work a little harder to learn it, but it may be exactly what a talented (but cash-strapped or subscription-shy) artist needs.

Windows, macOS, Linux

Free office suites aren’t many, and only one is a download for the major desktop operating systems. The open-source LibreOffice, now in version 7, suffers a bit in the polish department, lacks collaboration features, and sports an overstuffed toolbar interface that might remind you of Microsoft Office a decade ago. But it’s powerful nevertheless, and it easily converts/imports files from other systems. It comes with a word processor (Writer), a spreadsheet (Calc), a presentation program (Impress), a vector drawing program (Draw), and even a full database (Base) and math-formula editor (Math). And it’s all utterly and completely free.

Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web

Once just a part of Microsoft Office, the sublime OneNote has become a free, standalone powerhouse for note-taking across all the major OSes. It still works with Office, syncs data across all platforms, and has full online access via Office.com, with storage via OneDrive. That’s why it’s our Editors’ Choice pick for note storage.

Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android

The venerable browser Firefox remains highly customizable; strong on security, privacy, and performance; and supports a slew of new standards. (For more, read Which Browser Is Best?, plus our Top Firefox Tips.)

Windows (including a Microsoft Store app), macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, browser extensions

You’ll see many password managers out there, and a few of them have a free tier, but none is so completely free as the fully open-source Bitwarden Free. (You can pay for extra features, if you want them.) The free version has unlimited password storage and full sync across all your devices. It even includes a full multi-factor authentication app. (For more, read our guide to the Best Free Password Managers.)

Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS

Do you want to stop the trackers watching you online dead in their digital tracks? Going incognito on a standard browser isn’t enough. You need to use a full-on privacy browser, one that blocks the cookies and especially the fingerprinting of your whole browser and computer. Brave is one of a slew of them with a rating for strong protection from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, but it also adds in advanced protection against fingerprinting. (For details, read The Best Private Browsers.)

Windows only

Recuva (say it out loud) is a must on the tool belt of any techie: It’s the key to helping recover a lost file. It’s easy to understand, but note: It should really be installed before you lose a file. It’s a portable application, too, so you have the option to run it from a USB thumb drive.

Windows, macOS, Android

Sure, Windows itself copies files between folders and drives just fine. But TeraCopy can take over that job and make it sing—it’s faster, and the interface for making copies is better looking. Plus, it provides more information and feedback, and it can even recover from transfer errors.