The Best Free Software of 2020 Part 1

The Best Free Software of 2020

It's a mobile world, but we have not fully abandoned the desktop. The real work (and a lot of the play) of computing requires a full personal computing system, and to get the most out of that, you need software.

Software can be expensive, but free programs have been a mainstay of the desktop experience for decades, and today's offerings are pretty powerful. Software developers can adopt an ad-based model, donation-ware to keep things afloat, or a shareware/freemium model that charges for extra features.

Something to always watch for: crapware installers. To make ends meet, many creators of otherwise great free software, or the services that offer the programs for download, bundle in things you don't want. Worse, the installation routine obfuscates the steps, so you provide the unwanted program tacit permission to be installed. For more about how to spot and avoid this problem, see How to Rid a New PC of Crapware, and check out the Uninstaller section below.

A pro tip: only download desktop software from the maker of the software directly. It's not foolproof—after all, developers want to eat, too—but it helps. That's why one of the criteria for inclusion here is that the program is available directly from its maker.

Other Criteria:

• The software must be available directly from the developer/creator/original publisher.

• The software should (typically) have a Windows-based download. However, we've included web-based apps that are as good, or better, than some downloadable programs.

• If the software is on a tiered sales model, the free version cannot be trial-ware. It has to have at least a free-for-life option.

• Preferably the program has had an update in the last year or two.

• The program should have little or no advertising to support it. Some freemium software depends on showing ads to exist, however. We'll include some if they don't suck.

• Software for productivity is what this list is about; there are plenty of other places to find free PC games.

  Audio

  
  

  Audacity

  Open-source Audacity can record and edit audio files on more tracks than you can imagine. It then outputs exactly what you need, even to MP3 if you use a plug-in. It is perfect for noobs and pros alike, on any desktop OS.

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  Automations

  
  

  IFTTT

  If This, Then That, aka IFTTT, is a service with a website and apps that let you create automations that hook up your various web and smart home services and devices. Want your lights to come on when you walk in the door? Want a backup created when you make a new contact? Want email or text warnings when the weather turns bad? The combinations and permuations are endless and limited only by your imagination. (Some tools don't give you full access, but hey).

  Zapier

  Another in the world of automations between services and apps, Zapier puts the focus on businesses and helps them get the most out of all the disparate services they use. Prepare for productivity to soar. The free version lets you perform up to 100 automated tasks per month.

  Back-Up & Synchronization

  

  
  

  Dropbox Basic

  Put files in your Dropbox folder on the desktop, and they are uploaded to the cloud and synchronized with any other PC on the account. Files are also accessible via apps or the web. If you delete a file by accident, you can use the website to get it back. Dropbox offers 2GB of free online storage. 

  Microsoft OneDrive

  Consider OneDrive the most flexible and all-encompassing sync and back-up tool going. It's the official cloud storage for users of Microsoft Office and Windows 10 (it's built right into the OS). OneDrive includes 5GB of free online storage. If you subscribe to Microsoft 365, that storage jumps up to 1TB per user.

  IDrive

  You get 5GB free from IDrive to back up files from all your devices. If that's enough, you'll find this service more than up to your needs. It'll even back up your photos and videos from Facebook.

  (Wondering about Google Drive? It's on the list, but down under Office Suites.)

  AOMEI Backupper

  The standard, free version of this tool can create a full system image, back up entire drives or specific partitions, schedule backup of files and folders you specify, even fully clone a smaller drive to a larger drive for an upgrade (or a hard drive to a solid state drive for a speed boost).

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  Browsers

  

  Mozilla Firefox

  The venerable browser Firefox remains our Editors' Choice. That's because it's highly customizable, strong on security, privacy, and performance, and supports a slew of new standards.

  Google Chrome

  Chrome still ranks high as a browser to keep in your arsenal. Especially if you're a devotee of Google products—and it's built right into Chrome OS on Chromebooks so it practically is the OS. However, it's probably not the browser you want if you're a privacy advocate, even if it is going to stop supporting tracking cookies in the future. 

  Clean-Up / Maintenance Utilities

  
  

  CCleaner Free

  The first C is for Crap! CCleaner deletes extraneous files that gunk up the OS and browsers. Get it and run it, regularly. It'll even delete some apps you didn't think you could get rid of. 

  Defraggler

  Defragmenting a hard disk has become a little passé in the age of terabyte drives, but it's still a smart thing to do to eke out a little more data-access speed. Defraggler's interface makes it brain-dead simple to do. It even works with solid-state drives (SSDs).

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  Conferencing

  

  Skype

  Skype is synonymous with video conferencing. There's a reason our Editors' Choice review says Skype, now run by Microsoft, is "a highly polished, hugely functional service that runs on every platform you can think of (including the browser) and offers more communication options than any of its competitors." For free, you can make unlimited video calls between Skype users, even with groups of users. Plus, its real-time translation ability is straight out of science fiction.

  GoToMeeting Free

  Up to three people on PCs can use this service to video chat and even share screens, all without fees or any setup other than sharing a URL or organizer code. Sign up for an account or sign in with your Google or Facebook accounts, and claim a regular-to-use meeting "room" online. Because it's web-based, it works on any desktop or laptop.

  Zoom

  Want to host an online conference for you and 100 of your closest friends? Zoom can let them all view what you're showing for up to 40 minutes from any device, even a smartphone. It will also allow direct one-on-one HD video meetings. Plus you can chat all you want.