Awesome Software

A collection of software, websites, and browser extensions that I frequently use or have used, mainly focusing on open-source and free options.

Guide

Legend:

• 🔓 Open-source software
• 💸 Contains paid features
• 💲 Paid software
• ⛓️‍💥 No longer actively maintained
• 🛜 Web-based
• 🪟 Windows
• 🍎 macOS

AlternativeTo

Discover more alternative software options

Adobe Alternatives

Alternatives to Adobe software

Awesome Mac

A list of useful macOS apps, software, and tools

Basic

Web Browser

• Vivadli 🪟🍎 Based on Chromium, supports vertical tabs.
• Firefox 🔓🪟🍎

Image Viewer

• nomacs 🔓🪟 Supports a variety of formats and can convert image formats.
• FlyPhotos 🔓🪟 The UI is visually appealing, but it only supports image viewing.
• Honeyview ⛓️‍💥🪟 Supports a variety of formats and can convert image formats. When used with Bandzip, it allows previewing images inside compressed files.

Screen Capture

• ShortX 🔓🪟 Feature-rich with a high level of customization and OCR support.
• Snipaste 💸🪟🍎 Available on the Microsoft Store.

Screen Recorder

• OBS Studio 🔓🪟🍎

Media Player

• mpc-hc 🔓🪟
• mpc-be 🔓🪟
• VLC 🔓🪟🍎
• Potplayer 🪟 Offers the most functionality, though it has a bit of a checkered past.

File Archiver

• Peazip 🔓🪟🍎 After double-clicking to extract, it can automatically open the extracted folder.
• 7-Zip 🔓🪟 Compact in size and powerful in performance.
• Bandzip Upon extraction, it can open the folder automatically and delete the original compressed file.
  • v6 ⛓️‍💥🪟 Requires disabling auto-updates.
  • v7 💸🪟🍎 Contains ads.
• Keka 🔓🍎

Download Manager

• FDM 🪟🍎 Can be used with browser extensions.
• Motrix ⛓️‍💥🔓🪟🍎 Modern UI.

Security & Password Manager

• ESET 💲🪟🍎 Low system resource usage, with powerful HIPS functionality. Recommended version: Internet Security.
• Huorong Internet Security 🪟
• KeepassXC 🔓🪟🍎 A password management tool that can sync databases via OneDrive; on iOS, it’s compatible with StrongBox/KeePassium.
• KnockKnock 🔓🍎 Monitor software behavior.
• LuLu 🔓🍎 Firewall.

Creative Design & Production

Image Editor

• Photopea 💸🛜
• GIMP 🔓🪟🍎
• Paint.NET 🪟
• Photoshop 💲🪟🍎
• webp-converter 🔓🪟 Batch convert images to webp format.

Video Editor

• Kdenlive 🔓🪟🍎
• OpenShot 🔓🪟🍎
• Premiere Pro 💲🪟🍎

Audio Editor

• AudioMass 🔓🛜

3D Design & CAD

• Blender 🪟🍎
• FreeCAD 🪟🍎
• QCAD 🔓💸🪟🍎
• SolidWorks 💲🪟
• AutoCAD 💲🪟🍎
• Rhinoceros 3D 💲🪟🍎
• SketchUp 💸🪟🍎 Basic web version is free to use.

Text & Wrok

Office

• MS Office 💲🪟🍎
  • Office Tool Plus Installation.
  • Microsoft Activation Scripts (MAS) Activation.
• LibreOffice 🔓🪟🍎

Note Taking

• Obsidian 💸🪟🍎 Operates on Markdown files.
• Onenote 🪟🍎

E-book Reader

• Sumatra PDF 🪟 Fast and lightweight.
• Aquile Reader 💸🪟 Available on the Microsoft Store.
• Kindle for PC 🪟🍎 Built-in dictionaries.

PDF Editor

• Stirling-PDF 🛜🪟 Local Deployment, interaction in Browser.
• CleverPDF 🛜
• PDFgear 🪟🍎
• Nitro PDF Pro 💲🪟🍎
• Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 💲🪟🍎

Translation

• pot-desktop 🔓🪟🍎 Text selection/OCR translation.
• Grammarly 💸🪟🍎 Grammar correction with Word integration support.
• DeepL 💸🛜
• 欧陆词典 💸🪟🍎

Diagram Drawing

• draw.io 🛜 UML diagram creation.

Remote Conference

• Zoom 💸🪟🍎
• Microsoft Teams 💸🪟🍎

Academic Research

• LATEX 🪟🍎 Academic typesetting software with strong support for mathematical formulas.
• Zotero 🪟🍎 Literature viewing and organization.
  • zotero-better-bibtex 🔓 A plugin for automatic BibTeX file generation.
• Sci-Hub 🛜 Free paper downloads.
• BibGuru 🛜 Citation format management.

Programming

• Git 🔓🪟🍎
• Powershell7 🔓🪟
• Windows Terminal 🔓🪟
  • Beautify
• iTerm2 🍎
  • p10k theme 🔓
  • syntax highlight 🔓
  • auto suggestions 🔓
• MinGW-w64 🔓🪟🍎 C/C++
• Java JDK 🪟🍎
• Anaconda 🔓🪟🍎
• Python 🔓🪟🍎
• Node.js 🔓🪟🍎
• VSCode 🔓🪟🍎
• Visual Studio 🪟🍎
• PyCharm 🪟🍎
• IntelliJ IDEA 🪟🍎
• CodeBlocks 🔓🪟🍎
• XShell 🪟
• Unity 🪟🍎
• Trello 🛜
• XCode 🍎
• Sourcetree 🪟🍎
• Mono Framework 🔓🪟🍎 Cross-platform .NET Framework

Game

• Steam 🪟🍎

Efficiency & Tools

Launcher

• Flow.Launcher 🔓🪟
• PowerToys Run 🔓🪟
• utools 💸🪟🍎 The most feature-rich.
• rubick 🔓🪟🍎 A high-quality imitation of utools.

Remote Control

• Parsec 💸🪟🍎 Free within the local network; allows Windows PC remote access to a Mac with high-quality visuals but also high resource usage.
• Sunlogin 💸🪟🍎 Contains ads.
• VNC Viewer 🪟🍎
• Mouse Without Borders 🪟 Local network only.

Network Tools

• Clash Verge Rev 🔓🪟🍎 Fight against with the Great Firewall.
• V2RayN 🔓🪟🍎 Fight against with the Great Firewall.
• Wireshark 🪟🍎 Network protocol analyzer.

Mouse Enhancement

• WGestures 💸🪟🍎 Mouse gesture control.
• SnipDo 🪟 Floating text tool—when text is selected, a floating box appears for quick actions like copy and paste, and custom automation tasks are supported.
• MOS 🔓⛓️‍💥🍎 Smooth scroll simulation to eliminate mouse wheel stuttering.

File Management & Transfer

• Everything 🪟 Quick file search.
• QuickLook 🔓⛓️‍💥🪟 Quick file preview with the spacebar.
• LocalSend 🔓🪟🍎 LAN file transfer and sharing.
• Apple设备 🪟 File transfer between iOS devices and Windows.
• Onedrive 🪟🍎
• SpaceSniffer 🪟 Visualize disk space usage per file.
• Duplicate Cleaner 💲🪟 Locate and delete duplicate files.

Desktop Customization.

• Rainmeter 🔓🪟
• Wallpaper Engine 💲🪟 Dynamic wallpapers.
• TranslucentTB 🔓🪟 Transparent taskbar.

System Tools

• Microsoft PowerToys 🔓🪟 Windows system optimization and feature extension.
• Traffic Monitor 🔓⛓️‍💥🪟 Floating window for monitoring system status.
• DISM++ 🔓⛓️‍💥🪟 System optimization toolkit.
• AIDA64 💲🪟 Detailed inspection and testing of system parameters.
• Rufus 🔓🪟 Tool for creating a system installation disk.
• DDU 🪟 Complete uninstallation of graphics card drivers.
• Tuba Toolbox 🪟 Collection of various system testing tools.
• iGlance 🔓⛓️‍💥🍎 Display system information (such as CPU temperature, memory usage, and network speed) in the menu bar.
• CheatSheet 🍎 Hold down the command key to view current app shortcuts.
• Rectangle 🔓🍎 Move and resize windows in macOS.

Virtual Machine

• VMWare 🪟🍎 Now free after acquisition by Broadcom.
• VirtualBox 🔓🪟🍎

Hardware Control

• EarTrumpet 🔓🪟 Independently control volume levels for different applications.
• Twinkle Tray 🔓🪟 Adjust monitor brightness.
• BetterDisplay 💸🍎 Enable HiDPI on 2K external monitors.
• AlDente 💸🍎 Set battery charge limits to extend battery life.
• AI Suite3 🪟 ASUS motherboard fan speed control.
• Logitech G Hub 🪟🍎 Logitech mouse configuration.
• Trident Z Console 🪟 G.Skill Trident Z lighting effects control.
• OpenRGB 🔓🪟
• Armoury Crate 🪟 ASUS motherboard control software—flashy interface but too buggy.
• Aura Sync 🪟 ASUS Aura Sync lighting control software—simpler but more stable.

Drivers

• AMD RX6500XT 🪟
• ROG B460i Audio 🪟
• Dell Display Manager & ICC Profile 🪟

Browser Extensions

• Saladict 🔓🛜 Webpage text translation.
• Dark Reader 🔓💸🛜 Enable night mode on web pages.
• uBlock Origin 🔓🛜 Ad blocker.