Free & Alternative Apps We Actually Love
At Razenet, we’re big fans of free, open-source, and solid alternative software: tools we use, trust, and can genuinely get behind. So we put together a comprehensive list of our favourites.
Whether you’re setting up a brand-new PC, ditching expensive subscriptions, or just looking for something better than what came pre-installed, there’s something here for you. Every link goes straight to the official website.
💻Setting Up a New PC?
Ninite
Our #1 favourite. Tick the apps you want, download one installer, and Ninite installs them all at once. No toolbars, no junk, no clicking “Next” a hundred times.
🎨Customize Your Desktop & Media
Open-Shell Menu
Brings back a clean, classic Start menu.
Fences
Organize desktop icons into tidy, collapsible groups. Not free, but a one-time payment that’s absolutely worth it.
PowerToys
Microsoft’s own power-user toolkit with window layouts, a colour picker, bulk file renaming, and much more.
📄Office Suite & Productivity
LibreOffice
A full office suite for documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more.
Thunderbird
A powerful email client with calendar and contacts built in.
Everything
Finds any file on your PC instantly as you type.
PDFCraft
Part of the ArtCraft family of creative tools and another solid option for working with PDFs.
💬Communications
Jitsi
Video meetings right in your browser, no account required.
🎬Video Editing
DaVinci Resolve
Hollywood-grade editing, colour grading and effects, and the free version is incredibly capable.
🖌️Image Editing
GIMP
A full-featured photo editor for retouching and image manipulation.
Photopea
A Photoshop-style editor that runs right in your browser with nothing to install. Even opens PSD files.
PhotoCraft / VectorCraft
ArtCraft’s photo-editing and vector-design tools.
🧊3D Modeling
Blender
Modeling, sculpting, animation, rendering, even video editing. A complete 3D studio, completely free.
🎧Audio Editing
Audacity
Record, cut, clean up and mix audio. Perfect for podcasts and voice-overs.
🎥Streaming, Recording & Video Conversion
🌐Networking Software
Advanced IP Scanner
See every device connected to your network, along with its IP address.
Wireshark
Monitor and inspect exactly what’s travelling across your network. Best suited for advanced users.
🔐VPN & Secure Remote Access
Tailscale
Securely connect all your devices together, wherever they are, with almost zero setup.
WireGuard
A fast, modern, lightweight VPN protocol for building your own secure tunnels.
🖥️Remote Desktop
RustDesk
Easy remote control of another computer. Great for helping family and friends.
TightVNC
A bit technical to set up and use, but totally free with unlimited systems.
🛡️Security & Cleanup
🔑Password Managers & Two-Factor Authentication
Strong, unique passwords plus two-factor authentication (2FA) are the best things you can do to protect your accounts.
Bitwarden
Secure password manager that syncs across all your devices.
Proton Authenticator
A clean, private 2FA code app from the makers of Proton Mail.
🔧System Testing, Info & Tools
RMPrepUSB
Is that “10 TB” USB stick you bought online really 10 TB? Check it! Tests drives for fake capacity and more.
💾Bootable USBs & Drive Cloning
Clonezilla
Clone or image an entire hard drive. Perfect for upgrades and backups.
📁File Transfer
🎮Emulation
LaunchBox
A beautiful front-end to organize and launch your game collection. Premium isn’t required, but it’s worth it.
⭐Handy Tool Websites
VirusTotal
Not sure about a file or link? Scan it with dozens of antivirus engines at once.
Need a Hand Setting Any of This Up?
We’re a small, family-owned team right here in Red Deer. From new PC setups and cleanups to network security and remote support, Razenet is happy to help businesses and individuals alike.
Razenet earns nothing from these recommendations. No ads, no affiliate links. Software features and pricing can change, so always download from the official website.
