100+ Free and Web Alternatives to Popular Desktop Softwares

dreadpixel

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Here I found a very useful list of free alternatives to very useful and popular Desktop Software.

1. Word Processing


  • http://docs.google.com/: Free online office suite that offers document processing, spreadsheets, even work collaboration.
  • https://www.acrobat.com/welcome/en/home.html: Create PDF files, convert files, and make forms.
  • http://www.pdfescape.com/: Free PDF form editor within your browser; can also use it to fill in PDF forms online.
  • http://www.openoffice.org/: Free open source productivity package that is similar to Microsoft Office.
  • http://www.abisource.com/: Simple word processing program; multiple people can collaborate on one project.
  • https://writer.zoho.com/home?serviceurl=%2Findex.do: A free online word processor that works within your Web browser. Share, collaborate, edit, create.
  • http://www.numsum.com/: Create and share Web spreadsheets.
  • http://writer.bighugelabs.com/: Simple writing utility meant to encourage concentration and focus.
  • http://ckeditor.com/: Web-based text editor.
  • http://www.neooffice.org/neojava/en/index.php: Full office suite for Mac users.

2. Communication


  • http://www.meebo.com/: Centralized dashboard for several different instant messaging programs.
  • http://www.tokbox.com/: Live group video chat anywhere, anytime.
  • http://faxzero.com/: A free fax tool you can use on your computer (covered more fully in http://websearch.about.com/od/usefulsite1/tp/free-fax-online.htm).
  • http://google.com/voice: A centralized online space for phone calls and voice messages.
  • http://www.oovoo.com/home.aspx: Free video chat from mobile to mobile, mobile to computer; up to six people at once.
  • http://www.ebuddy.com/: Web-based instant messaging that works on any computer; integration of all popular chat programs.
  • http://www.pidgin.im/: Instant messaging plugin for simultaneous chat networks.
  • http://www.trillian.im/: Chat client for computer and phone.

3. Presentations


  • http://www.sliderocket.com/: Easy to use with many of the same features as PowerPoint.
  • http://prezi.com/: Create high quality presentations completely online.
  • http://screencastle.com/: Free screencast recorder you can use to film activity within your browser.
  • http://www.vcasmo.com/: Multimedia presentation tool with a wide variety of interactive features.
  • http://www.empressr.com/: Presentations with photo, music, audio, and video; can embed anywhere on the Web.
  • http://animoto.com/: Slideshows from videos and photos.
  • http://flixtime.com/: Video slideshows with sophisticated graphics.
  • http://photopeach.com/: Free slideshow utility.
  • http://www.slideshare.net/: Share your presentations with others.
  • http://www.screenr.com/: Instant screencasts with a Web-based screen recorder.
  • http://storify.com/: Make slideshows using social media content.
  • http://www.vuvox.com/: Produce videos using your own multimedia.

4. Security


  • http://www.eset.com/online-scanner: Finds and removes threats; not intended as a full security suite, but a good option.
  • http://lastpass.com/: Keeps track of all your passwords in one convenient, secure location.
  • http://www.virustotal.com/: Identifies suspicious files or http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0526.htm.
  • http://www.clamxav.com/: Free virus scanner for Mac computers.
  • http://www.virscan.org/: Free Web-based file scanner; upload a file and it will scan it for infections.
  • http://www.avira.com/en/avira-free-antivirus: Free antivirus protection program for home computers.
  • http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download: Free protection against viruses and spyware.
  • http://www.avg.com/us-en/avg-rescue-cd: Helps you identify deep-rooted virus/spyware infections and get your computer working again.
  • http://www.malwarebytes.org/: Scans your computer for spyware, malware, and viruses.
  • http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/: Free antivirus protection from Microsoft.

5. Image and Video Management and Manipulation


  • http://www.aviary.com/: Similar to Photoshop; all sorts of image manipulation/editing tools here.
  • http://jaycut.com/: A free online video editor.
  • http://splashup.com/: Free image editor and photo manager.
  • http://smugmug.com/: Free photo management tool.
  • http://vixy.net/: Download videos and convert them into playable formats for your computer.
  • http://mirovideoconverter.com/: Converts video files for playback on computers and mobile devices.
  • http://aviary.com/: Instant screenshot utility; also available as a http://bit.ly/7wPort.
  • http://www.gimp.org/: Offers many of the same features as Adobe Photoshop; free image editing program.
  • http://pixlr.com/: Online photo editor with menu of advanced effects.
  • http://rsizr.com/: Re-sizes images fast.
  • http://fotoflexer.com/: Advanced Web-based photo editor.
  • http://www.picnik.com/: Browser-based photo editor with menu of special effects.

6. Organizational Tools


  • http://evernote.com/: Jot notes, take pictures, and organize your thoughts and online life in one place.
  • http://springpadit.com/home: Save, organize, and remind yourself with Springpad's easy to use interface.
  • http://www.toodledo.com/: Type in what your day looks like, and Toodledo organizes it into a personalized to-do list.
  • https://www.toggl.com/: Tracks time spent on task so you can more easily bill it.
  • http://iclippy.com/: Captures data from anything you copy and paste (text, video, images) and puts it in one convenient place.
  • http://zootool.com/: Organizes all your Web bookmarks into a searchable index.
  • http://www.mynoteit.com/: Geared towards students; a great way to organize notes and share with others.
  • http://www.rememberthemilk.com/: Management of all online or offline tasks.

7. Calculators, Graphs, and Financial Management


  • http://www.mint.com/: Similar to Quicken, Mint offers one of the most robust financial management dashboards on the market.
  • http://instacalc.com/: For any mathematical computation you might need. Includes scientific notations.
  • http://www.gliffy.com/: Create free diagrams, graphs, flowcharts, and technical drawings.
  • http://web2.0calc.com/: Scientific calculator with standard functions.
  • http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/default.aspx: Easy online graphs for simple projects.
  • http://www.gnucash.org/: Free accounting software for home and business use.
  • http://freelanceswitch.com/rates/: Helpful for freelancers who are trying to figure out how much to bill clients.
  • http://www.buxfer.com/: Free online money management with an intuitive dashboard.
  • http://corporate.yodlee.com/consumer.html: Track spending, pay bills, and control your budget.
  • http://www.ecalc.com/: Scientific calculator available online and as a download.

8. File Management, File Sharing, File Conversion, and File Organization


  • http://www.wobzip.org/: Unzip compressed files, either from your computer or online.
  • http://zamzar.com/: Fantastic tool for file conversion with dozens of file formats available.
  • http://webftper.com/: Browser-based FTP (file transfer protocol) tool; manage your website files from anywhere with an http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0622.htm.
  • http://online.movavi.com/: Free file conversion tool that converts multiple files at the same time (limited file size/length).
  • http://www.ubikuo.net/: Storage of online notes available anywhere with an Internet connection.
  • http://www.dropbox.com/: Free file hosting service that allows users to access their files from anywhere.
  • http://www.esnips.com/: Upload, share, or download files, photos, videos, or music.
  • http://www.mediafire.com/: Free hosting and sharing for any file.
  • http://youconvertit.com/ConvertFiles.aspx: Free file conversion for wide variety of file types.

9. Project Management and Project Collaboration


  • http://piratepad.net/front-page/: Streamlined notepad application that enables anyone anywhere to collaborate on a project in real time.
  • http://mindmeister.com/: Free brainstorming tool with collaborative features; free but does include tiered pricing options for more features.
  • https://bubbl.us/: Highly functional brainstorming tool that can be used in tandem with other people.
  • http://www.mindomo.com/: Collaborative mind-mapping tool; real time sharing and file uploads.
  • http://www.meetingwizard.com/: Arrange and schedule meetings between multiple people groups.
  • http://writeboard.com/: Collaborative web-based text document creator/editor.
  • http://vyew.com/s/: Free real time meetings, collaboration, annotations.

10. Lists, Calendars, and Productivity Tools


  • http://30boxes.com/welcome.php: Track birthdays, friends, and tasks with this interactive calendar tool.
  • http://tadalist.com/: Web-based list maker; make lists and share lists.
  • http://monkeyon.com/: A to-do list for what you would like other people to get done.
  • http://www.timexchange.net/2k8/index.aspx: Task tracking with time/project features.
  • http://todoist.com/: Personal project tracking and management.
  • http://www.tomsplanner.com/: Personal project management via charts.
  • http://www.evernote.com/: Organize your notes, photos, videos, etc. in one place for easy access.
  • http://livebinders.com/: Collect online "resources" and organize them easily.
  • http://doodle.com/: Create and manage events for multiple participants.
  • http://upcoming.yahoo.com/: Track event calendars in your local area.
  • http://websearch.about.com/www.google.com/calendar: Make multiple calendars, share events, track workflow.
 
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