You’ve just bought a new PC or laptop, costing hundreds of pounds, and you suddenly realise you’ve got to spend even more money on the necessary software. Fear not, though – we’ve curated a list of free software that will do everything you need.
Anti-Virus
Windows 10 comes complete with its own security software called Windows Defender, and while it is more than capable, it has a few limitations. A very decent alternative is Avira Free Antivirus, which is the best piece of free software to secure your new PC or laptop from the latest threats, and as the name suggests, it’s free. If more people become dependant on Windows Defender, and it gains a monopoly, then it will increasingly become a target for criminals.
Backing Up
Hopefully, your new PC won’t succumb to data loss, but accidents happen. As well as physical damage to your hard drive that might arise from knocking your PC or laptop, or spilling a drink on it, data loss can also be caused by viruses or malware. With EaseUS ToDO Backup Free, you can make a dreary task a little more bearable. The program allows you to back up your entire system, or just a selection of files, and can be scheduled to do so at a convenient time.
Web Browser
Windows PCs and Apple Macs come bundled with Windows Edge and Safari web browsers respectively, but if you want a more flexible alternative that is capable of more, Google Chrome is our choice. Chrome supports thousands of plugins, and is the natural choice for many people considering Google is pretty much embedded in our day to day internet lives these days. If you have a Google + account that was logged in on your old machine, your browser history, bookmarks and cached logins will be synced across when you login on your new machine.
Office Suite
While many people will be used to working in Microsoft Office to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations, you may not want to fork out on an Office 360 subscription. WPS Office Free is our choice for a free office suit, and is a great alternative to Microsoft Office. You can create great looking documents, spreadsheets and presentations, and it is compatible with all the usual file formats.
Photo Editor
Adobe Photoshop has been the number one choice for graphic designers for years, and while it is now more affordable thanks to Adobe moving to a subscription-based pricing in the form of the Creative Cloud plan, if you’re a home user you might not want to spend this on something you won’t use that often. GIMP is the best free photo editor out there, and can do most of the things Adobe Photoshop can.
Media Player
VLC Media player has earned a reputation as the best program of it’s type, and quite simply, it blows Windows Media Player and Apple’s Quicktime Player out of the water. It can play pretty much any media file without you needing to download any additional codecs, and has superb customisable settings and filters.