Where to Find Free Software

This list is just the tip of the iceberg; there are plenty of sites out there with vast databases of free programs. Yet always be careful what you add to your computer, and regularly check the Add/Remove Programs section of Control Panel for things you've downloaded yet never use. Get rid of those you have no need for to keep your PC in shape.

If you're looking for free anti-virus software, read the full article on How To Protect Your PC For Free. Also if you're a newbie and have questions visit this site's Techie Board, where regulars are keen to help (though remember there are no guarantees they're right).

As for browsing free software sites, there are a few big ones, which have programs on virtually anything under the sun. Be careful to check the veracity of other download sites before using them; after all, it's through downloading that the most vicious malware will get onto your machine.

 

Osalt.

Osalt is a software database with a difference, as it only lists open source equivalents to commercial programs. You just tell it which commercial program you want, and it'll list the free programs that are most similar to it.

Sourceforge.

Sourceforge is another open source software database, this time in regular search-to-find style.

FileHippo.

A user friendly and well organised site, FileHippo catalogues browsers, firewalls, audio tools and DVD tools. It also promises no pop-ups when you visit the site.

Snapfiles.

More slick than FileHippo SnapFiles has the added bonus of user reviews and feedback, though it can be hard to find what you're looking for.

Download.

One of the biggest databases, Download.com includes everything from digital photo tools to developer tools. Also has a Mac section.

Tucows.

Like Snapfiles, Tucows includes its own and users' ratings and also has sections for Linux and Mac users.

For Mac users.

As well as some of the sites above, it's worth stopping by Sof tpedia's Mac arm, VersionTracker for OSX, and Apple's own software repository.