Despite the fact that in recent years it seems that almost all interesting applications have gone to the software model as a service, and that for any utility they want to charge you a monthly subscription, there are still a huge amount of free tools for your computer.
Although many are well known, in this list we will not talk about VLC or LibreOffice, which have millions of users around the world, but other applications as good or better than alternative payment, depending on the case, which are excellent in what they do, so much, that it is hard to believe that they are completely free and free to use.
Handbrake
Handbrake is a tool to convert video in almost any format known to man, supports a wide variety of codecs, is cross-platform (Windows, Linux and macOS), and is free and open source.
IrfanView
One of the best alternative image viewers for Windows, exceptional if you think that the default utility of the system leaves much to be desired. IrfanView not only serves to look at your images, but to convert, optimize, scan and print, create slide shows, process bulk, and much more through their plugins. It is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10
Everything
If anyone has noticed that the browser of Windows Explorer does not really search the entire system (although Microsoft is finally planning to solve it), one of the best alternatives to solve this problem is to use Everything.
It is a desktop search engine for Windows that locates files and folders extremely quickly and also searches the entire system. The tool works with all versions of Windows, from XP to Windows 10 and in addition, it is free software.
Desmos
A completely free scientific calculator, with graph functions, equations, transformations and others. You can use it freely from the web in a modern browser from any operating system, or you can get mobile apps for iOS or Android.
DaVinci Resolve 15
Considered one of the best professional video editors, its latest version DaVinci Resolve 15 is extremely powerful and you can use it from Windows, Linux or macOS with all the features to edit in the free version.
Krita
Krita is an excellent digital painting program designed especially for artists who work with illustration, comics, conceptual art, painting, and more. It is completely free and multiplatform, available for Windows, Linux and macOS.
OpenToonz
This is the software they use in Studio Ghibli to make most of their movies. It is a program for the production of 2D animations completely free and open source. OpenToonz is available for Windows and macOS.
MuseScore
MuseScore is a professional software for music notation completely free and without restrictions. With it you can create, play and print scores from Windows, Linux, macOS or ChromeOS, as well as having mobile versions of the app for iOS and Android.
Source Filmmaker
This is the tool for creating movies that they use in Valve to create the scenes of their famous games within the video game engine Source. Source Filmmaker or SFM is available completely free through Steam.
OBS Studio
This is a famous tool and much loved by many professional streamers. OBS is a free and open source software created for video recording and live streaming. It is compatible with Windows, Linux and macOS.
Blender
An old one but good. Blender is perhaps the best open source software for the creation of three-dimensional graphics, modeling, VFX, animation, drawing, and more. It is available for Windows, Linux and macOS.
Space Engine
This interesting tool offers us a “simulator of the universe” through which we can explore from our computer, a virtual universe traveling through stars, galaxies, planets and asteroids. It is completely free and the project lives on donations. Space Engine is available for Windows from XP to Windows 10.
DarkTable
For many DarkTable is the closest thing to Lightroom that you can get for free and in an open source project. It is an application for the workflow in photography that offers RAW development, editing and retouching of images. DarkTable is available for Windows, macOS and packaged for multiple Linux distributions.
Audacity
A legendary among the most popular and used open source applications. This multiplatform audio editor and recorder is one of the best free alternatives for editing, recording, creating effects, audio conversion, etc. You can use Audacity in Windows, Linux and macOS.
BrickLink
The latter is almost a small gift for the most geeks. BrickLink is an incredible software for the construction and photorealistic rendering of Legos. Its interface is quite simple and easy to use, it integrates an instruction generator and you can use it in Windows or macOS without paying a penny.