Free Open Source Software (FOSS), sometimes also called just Open Source or Free Software, is software that is licensed to be free to use, modify, and distribute. Using free and Open Source software is ethical and avoids piracy.
Here I listed some of the very best and most useful free and open source software that students, hobbyists and professionals can use to produce amazing and complex creation.
GIMP
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is the gold standard when it comes to free image editing software. GIMP contains most of the things you will find in paid image editors. This includes photo retouching, complete artwork creation, and more. It has many advanced features once you start to explore.Alternative to: Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photo-Paint
Download GIMP
Inkscape
Inkscape works with vector graphics. You can use Inkscape to create pieces of artwork to hang on your wall, posters for school assignments, or even start to create images for your own brand! Features offered with Inkscape includes paths, text, gradients, and more; with import available from JPG, V SD, GIF, PDF and other formats, and export to a full range of different file formats including SVG, EPS,and TEX.Alternative to: Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw
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LibreOffice
LibreOffice is the desktop suite of tools which people use around the world for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations. The free LibreOffice suite replicates almost all the features of desktop Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and is compatible with all Microsoft Office file formats. With LibreOffice Writer, you can create text documents just like in Word. You can use Calc instead of Excel for your spreadsheet program. Impress is the presentation app that works just like PowerPoint.Alternative to: Microsoft Office, WPS Office
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WordWeb
WordWeb is a handy utility that quickly provides you the definition, example usage, synonyms, and antonyms of any given word, as well as readable and audible pronunciations (for many words). The application also gives you the option to quickly cross-reference Wikipedia and other online dictionary references.Alternative to: Dictionary.com, Lingoes
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Blender
If you need to create 3D computer graphics or models, then Blender is the toolset you are looking for. Using Blender, it's possible to create animations, models for 3D printing. 3D interactive elements for websites, and video games with Blender's 3D video game engine. The tool has everything you need to produce 3D graphic creations, including modelling, rigging, texturing, motion tracking and video tracking.Alternative to: Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max
Download Blender
PDFsam Basic
PDFsam Basic allows you to do some things with PDF files that are impossible to do just with the usual Adobe Acrobat Reader. You can use PDFsam Basic to split PDF files into a separate PDF for each page, merge two different PDF documents, mix PDF documents (combine scans of even pages that have been separated from scans of odd pages), rotate PDFs, or just pick out particular pages from a PDF file.Download PDFsam Basic
yEd Graph Editor
yEd Graph Editor is a powerful ,simple and intuitive software that helps users to create flow charts, network topographies, top-down charts, UML diagrams, and more. The software has a drag and drop interface with a self-adjusting feature that can automatically organize the parts into clean positions. You can even import data from Excel and output to a number of formats including PDF, GIF, JPG, and Encapsulated PostScript.Alternative to: Lucidchart, draw.io, Dia
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Grammarly
Grammarly highlights possible spelling and grammar mistakes in your text, suggests changes and provides feedback on the grammar level of what you have written. There's an application for Windows, a Google Chrome plugin, a website, and mobile apps available, so you really can use Grammarly anywhere.Alternative to: Ginger
Download Grammarly
Mendely
You can use Mendeley to organise documents like PDF , Word document. Think of it like a document store for your studies where you can access them from anywhere, and even quote or link to them in your assignments (using share functionality). Mendeley has a full-text search so you can find what you need easily, plus you can add virtual notes on your documents too.Alternative to: EndNote, Zotero, Citavi
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PicPick
PicPick is the screenshot tool that can help you do scrolling ,screenshotting and more. PicPick offers screen capture of the whole screen, a particular program, or part of the screen that you select. You can then edit screenshot pictures including adding blurring, frames, watermarks, increasing/decreasing brightness and more. By defining your own hotkeys for PicPick you don't need to do so much clicking to take advanced screenshots.Alternative to: Greenshot
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Google Drive
Google Drive can be used to backup any files and/or folders on your computer and ensure the version stored in the Google Drive cloud is the same as the version stored on your computer. These files and folders are then available anywhere with an internet connection:smartphone, tablet, or computer, and you can share them or download them whenever and wherever you want. Google gives everyone 15GB of free storage.Alternative to: Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive
Visit Google Drive
CCleaner
This software application is designed to make your computer more productive. CCleaner will delete temporary and unwanted files, plus clean browser history (that's deleting all the names and addresses of the websites you've visited), cookies (used to store your website visit details), file fragments (like deleted files where bits have accidentally been left), plus other unneeded application data.Alternative to: Clean Master, BleachBit
Download CCleaner
VLC Media Player
VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can stream from webcams and Internet sites like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and Gaia. It supports almost all video , audio format. Most free media players are ad-supported, the free VLC media player is a project of the nonprofit organization VideoLAN, it is totally ad free.Alternative to: Winamp, MX Player, SM Player
Download VLC Media Player
qBitTorrent
qBittorrent is an open source client for Windows, which is used to download torrent files. qBitTorrent (qb) is a communication protocol for peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) which is used to distribute data and electronic files over the Internet. The letter q in the name qBittorrent is because it is designed using Qt.With the latest version of the program, you get high-end encryption, as well as support for scheduled speed limits, magnet links, automatic downloads, protection from trackers, multiple languages, and more.
Alternative to: µTorrent, Free Download Manager, Advanced Download Manager
Download qBitTorrent
KeePass
KeePass provides an effective way to save and organize tons of usernames and passwords you have for your web accounts and various services. It uses industry-standard (and near unbreakable) AES encryption and two-factor authentication to keep the details of your accounts safe and secure. It supports input and export of data from other password managers and also comes with built-in password generator which can suggest random passwords.Alternative to: Last Pass, BitWarden
Download KeePass