Free office software

OxygenOffice

OpenOffice with extras

Based on the source code of OpenOffice (which is a good alternative if you use Mac OS or Linux) and similar to LibreOffice, OxygenOffice adds a wealth of templates, clip art and photos.

More than 2,900 graphics are included, and you also get more than 90 new fonts and a more detailed help guide. For some people, these extra features will seem like unnecessary bloat, but if you'll use them, it's well worth considering.

Download:

Apple's office software – also works on Windows

FreeOffice

Free version of SoftMaker Office

A free office suite similar to Microsoft Office 365, FreeOffice is a watered-down version of the paid-for Softmaker Office package. It includes TextMaker (similar to Microsoft Word), PlanMaker (Excel), Presentations (PowerPoint) and DataMaker (Access). You can also get a free pdf creator and editor.

FreeOffice can be used with Windows, Mac or Linux and there are also Android apps so you can open and work on documents on your Android phones and tablets. It's compatible with Microsoft Office files and those created using LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice too.

Download:

Android Presentations

iWork

iWork is Apple's answer to the Microsoft Office suite of programs, only for Mac computers and iOS devices. It consists of Pages (like Word), Numbers (like Excel) and Keynote (like Powerpoint). Handily, iWork programs can access files created in Office programs, and you can save iWork files to work vice versa.

Some prefer the look and feel of the iWork programs, especially if they work across multiple Apple devices. If you've a newer Mac, iPhone or iPad you might find the programs are already installed. If not you can download them for free via the links below or by searching the App Store.

You'll need to be running macOS 11 ('Big Sur') or later on your Mac, iPadOS 14 or later on your iPad or iOS 14 or later on your iPhone to install the latest version of iWork. You can update your operating system for free (though older machines may not be compatible).

Download (Mac):

Pages

Numbers

Keynote

Download (iPhone/iPad):

Pages

Numbers

Keynote

Free online office alternatives

The alternative to downloading an office suite is to use one of the many online options. With these, there's no installation to worry about, you can store your work online, and easily collaborate with others. The obvious flipside is that you have to be online for them to work.

Here are some of the best:

Microsoft Office for the web

Online MS programs

Microsoft's stripped-down Office for the web includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, which operate through your browser. Anyone with a free Microsoft account can use them, along with 5GB of online storage with OneDrive, which you can use to store documents.

If you're used to the Microsoft packages, they're worth a try, but bear in mind these are hobbled versions of the software. After all, Microsoft doesn't want to cannibalise its profitable business of selling the full versions of Office.

Try it:

Office for the web

Google Docs, Sheets, Slides & Forms

Good for file collaboration

Google's suite of online tools places more of an emphasis on collaboration than others. You can select a few people to work with you on the same document, spreadsheet, presentation or form, and they can all see it and make changes in real time.

It includes plenty of useful document, spreadsheet, and presentation templates which you can use to get going. You can even set-up offline access when using Google Chrome.

It's also the most web-oriented option, since if you publish one of your Google Docs, you can use all manner of Google's whizzy analytics tools to track its progress too. Google Docs works in conjunction with Google Drive, so you'll have 15GB of free storage (if you need more, see our Free online storage guide).

Try it:

Google Docs

Google Docs – Android

Google Docs – iOS

iWork for iCloud

Anyone can use the online version of Apple's iWork suite of programs via their browser, so even Windows users can benefit from Pages, Numbers and Keynote, if they've a preference for Apple's software.

The online versions aren't as feature-rich as the full downloads and will probably appeal more to Mac users carrying out collaborative work and sharing documents, but anyone with Apple Safari, Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge can access them.

Try it:

iWork for iCloud

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The big free software directory

Here's a list of all the top free software for PCs, Macs and Linux, sorted by category.

Improve computer performance
Utilities
Image & photo editing/storage
Desktop publishing
Audio & video
Communication tools

Improve computer performance for free

The longer you use any computer for, the slower it'll get, since operating systems leave a trail of hard drive-clogging mess behind. Thankfully, there are plenty of freeware options to help you spring clean your PC, keeping it powerful.

Double-check it's suitable for your system before downloading.

CCleaner

Dump the junk

This super-fast program cleans up unused files in around a second, getting rid of all the crap (that's what the first 'c' stands for – honest) as it goes. CCleaner doesn't run all the time, just have it give your machine a quick spruce-up each week to keep it shipshape.

Download:

Ultimate Windows Tweaker

Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 & 11

Allows you to control all your Windows settings in one place, letting you customise your computer's interface as much or little as you want.

Great for those that like modifying their software, but aren't into coding.

Download:

Defraggler

Speed up your hard drive

From Piriform, the same company as CCleaner, Defraggler is a defragmenting tool. Fragments are made when your computer splits up files because there's not enough space in the place they were originally saved. It has a significant effect on performance, since when re-opening these files, your PC has to find two (or more) pieces instead of one. Defragmenters join the pieces together again, thus speeding up the computer.

Windows has a similar function built-in, called Defragment and Optimise Drives, which can be found by right-clicking on the hard drive in question and left clicking on 'Properties' and then the 'Tools' tab, but it takes ages, as it'll only go through the entire drive in one go. Defraggler can be used to do the job on a smaller scale – just choose the files and it'll process them in a few seconds.

While the free version doesn't include product support, the £19.95/year pro version does.

Download:

Compression tool for Macs

StuffIt Expander

While macOS is perfectly capable of packing and unpacking ZIP files, if you want to use the wealth of other compressed file formats out there, such as RAR and TAR, you'll need a third-party expander.

Smith Micro's free version of StuffIt Expander does the job via a simple drag-and-drop interface that works well, so you can focus on more exciting things, like, erm, anything.

Download:

Speed up your Mac's productivity

Quicksilver

If you've got the time to learn it, Quicksilver is a clever productivity tool which'll allow you to launch applications, files and folders without taking your hands off the keyboard.

Many more advanced features mean it can totally change the way you use your computer for the better (and faster), and plug-ins extend its capability yet further. Read the Macinstruct beginner's guide to see if it's for you.

Download:

Improve your Mac's display for free

SuperCal

It's worth trying out SuperCal even if you think your display looks fine. It's a display calibrator which can clean up the image you see on screen by tailoring your computer's output to the characteristics of the monitor you're using.

The results should be better tonal colour gradients, clearer text, and better long-term eyesight for you.

Download:

Free utilities

It can be a nightmare when you're having trouble opening certain file types or trying to get them to work on the right device. Solutions for those fiddly little tasks can be a life saver, and fortunately more often than not it's possible to find free tools online to get the job done.

Zamzar

Free file converter

This is a nifty, user-friendly site which can convert over 1,100 types of media file formats between each other. So, if you've a CV document from Word, and you'd like to make it into a PDF, you simply upload the file you want to convert and choose the file type you want to convert it to – in this case 'pdf' – from the dropdown menu.

Zamzar will then do the hard work, and you can either wait for the conversion to be completed and download it there and then, or aks it to email you a link to download it when it's done. One thing to bear in mind though – since it stores your files online before conversion, it's not advisable to use it to convert sensitive documents.

Non-paying users are limited to two conversions a day with a maximum file size of 50MB, but if you sign up for a paid-for plan you get unlimited daily conversions and can upload files up to 2GB in size.

Try it:

Zamzar

Free image & photo editing – downloads

Go top end on graphics software and you can easily spend £1,000s, so it's good to see that capable freebie programs exist. As the majority of photos are now digital, there are some great free photo editing programs emerging too.

Paint.net

Probably all you'll need

The beauty of basic-yet-surprisingly-powerful Paint.net is if you've used the simple Paint program that comes with Windows, then you'll be able to navigate it with no problems.

It's the most straightforward program to use for basic image cropping and editing, and will optimise images for quick loading on the web too. In short, if you only need the basics, Paint.net should be your first port of call.

Download:

Gimp

Advanced image editing

If you're looking for a free Photoshop equivalent, oddly named Gimp is probably the closest you'll get.

Now in version 2.10.30, it offers powerful editing and filtering tools for photos and graphics, and is further boosted by a range of free add-ons.

For an insight into its capabilities and how it works, check out the screenshots on its site.

Download:

Inkscape

Fun with vectors

Inkscape is a free program similar in operation to Adobe Illustrator or Corel Xara.

It's made for building "scalable vector graphics" – the ones which remain perfectly sharp no matter how much you zoom in or out – making it ideal for serious design work.

Download:

Free for students and educators

AutoDesk

Students and educators can get AutoDesk's computer-aided design software free for one year simply by registering. You can renew your free access annually as long as you remain eligible.

The package includes over 40 AutoDesk products, including AutoCAD, which usually costs £1,986 for a year's subscription! These are the most common computer-aided design packages used for everything from mechanical engineering design to urban planning.

You get full functionality for free, provided you don't use the software for commercial purposes.

Any student or teacher with an ac.uk email address can sign up to the AutoDesk Education Community where you download the software, as well as access forums, support and content sharing. It doesn't matter if you are part-time or about to graduate.

Please note, some of this software will come with built-in features to prevent it being used commercially, such as a stamp on any printouts.

Download:

Feature-rich photo manager

Free image & photo storage/editing – online

There are a few free options out there for photo storage and basic editing online. Although you must be internet-connected to use them, operating via the web means you can store your work online and easily collaborate with others – plus there's no need to install anything.

Google Photos

Replacing the photo organiser Picasa, which was retired in 2016, Google Photos offers basic photo editing and a range of filters, though its strengths lie in storing and organising your collection. It makes accessing, navigating and sharing photos scattered around your various devices more straightforward.

It also offers up to 15GB of photo and video storage for free (with a some limitations) – for full info on this, see our Free online storage guide.

Try it:

Google Photos

OneDrive

Photo organiser

Microsoft's OneDrive cloud storage service offers up to 5GB of photos and video storage for free, and helps with organising and sharing them, as well as allowing you to access them from any device. It's very similar to Google Photos above, though without the editing features.

Which you choose is likely to depend mostly on whether you've a Gmail or Outlook account, or which of the tech behemoths you're more familiar with.

For more info on OneDrive's storage capabilities and limitations, see our Free online storage guide.

Try it:

OneDrive

Sketchup

3D modelling

If you're planning an extension to your house, or are simply redecorating, the free online Sketchup tool makes it relatively easy to build an accurate 3D model to work from.

There are plenty of video tutorials to set you on the right track. Once you've used it a few times, you'll be impressing everybody with your designs.

Try it:

Sketchup

Free desktop publishing – downloads

Desktop publishing software is often pricey, but there are some free programs you can download that can provide a professional touch without having to shell out a fortune.

PagePlus

Easy to use – but no longer supported

PagePlus is no longer supported by its developer Serif, meaning it no longer provides updates or tech support for it, but you can still download the Starter Edition for free.

That's good news, because it's one of the most user-friendly desktop-publishing programs we've come across, with professional-looking results.

If you want more advanced features, you can spend £69.99 on Serif's Affinity Publisher 2 (or sign up for a 30-day free trial), but bear in mind that it's professional-grade software.

Download:

Scribus

More complex and powerful

An acclaimed open source desktop publishing program, Scribus offers features usually only found on more expensive suites like Microsoft Publisher or Adobe InDesign, such as CYMK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) colour and ICC (International Colour Consortium) colour management.

If that means nothing to you, but you want to make a professional magazine, then download this and read some of the detailed free tutorials. Also available for Linux.

Download:

Free audio & video – downloads

As well as a free sound recording program to banish Windows' Voice Recorder, there are ways to organise your MP3 collection, an alternative media player which'll play almost any format, and a clever converter which lets you play any video you like on your iPhone or iPad (or even your iPod, if you've still got one of those).

GarageBand

A basic music-making studio

GarageBand for Macs and iOS devices is a great introduction to the world of music production, with a sound library of software instruments and the ability to record real instruments and assemble tracks.

It's free via the links below, or you can search the Mac or iOS App Store. You'll need a Mac running macOS 11.5, an iPad running iPadOS 15.0 or later, or an iPhone running iOS 15.0 or later to install it (if it isn't already on your device).

Download:

iOS

ImgBurn

Perfect for making DVDs, CDs, etc.

If you need to burn images from your computer onto a CD, DVD or Blu-ray, but don't want to be besieged by millions of options, ImgBurn is a good option. Skip its advanced mode and you've a fairly foolproof tool, meaning you won't waste discs.

Download:

Audacity

Pro wave editing

Audacity is a proper wave editing and recording program. It lets you record audio, add effects, and even create your own soundscapes from scratch.

It's not the most user-friendly tool, but its power more than makes up for this.

Download:

MusicBrainz Picard

Organise pesky unknown MP3s

If you've hundreds of untitled MP3 files on your computer, this is for you – MusicBrainz Picard is a music tagging app that will analyse them and add all the relevant artist and title info to those that match tracks in its database.

It also offers a wealth of other options for keeping your collection organised.

Download:

MediaMonkey

Sidestep iTunes for MP3s

The sheer number of features iTunes now means there are more streamlined music library options available, especially for Windows machines, on which iTunes can be especially slow.

MediaMonkey offers the ability to manage your music without iTunes, and some find it far more useful (and less salesy) than Apple's program.

Download:

Video fun for Mac, iPad and iPhone users

Android

iMovie

You can use iMovie to create trailers and short films from your own video clips, on your Mac, iPhone or iPad. It's filled with all sorts of fun things like filters, sound effects and voice-overs, and special effects such as green-screen backdrops and split screen.

You can get it via the links below, or by searching the App Store. You'll need a Mac running macOS 11.5.1 or later, an iPad running iPadOS 15.3 or later or an iPhone/iPod Touch running iOS 15.3 or later to install it (if it isn't already on your device).

Download:

iOS

VLC Media Player

Plays everything

Another of the free software greats, VLC Media Player is the most widely compatible multimedia player available.

It seems no matter how esoteric a music or video format you throw at it is, it's got it covered. Plus it uses hardware acceleration to make proceedings more snappy too.

Download:

For video on mobile, consoles and more

Any Video Converter Free

When it comes to free video converters, Any Video Converter Free does exactly what it says on the tin.

It converts huge a range of formats, from DVD to DivX to mp4, into files playable by smartphones, tablets and other devices, such as Apple iPods, Sony PlayStations and even Microsoft Zunes – remember them?

Download:

HandBrake

DVD to MP4 converter

Like Any Video Converter Free above, HandBrake is essentially a DVD to MP4 converter that makes video from almost any format playable on laptops, tablets and smartphone.

It supports the likes of Dolby Digital and Digital Theater System (DTS) audio, and has loads of features, though may be a bit intimidating if you're not familiar with video encoding.

Download:

Free audio – online

There are also free audio tools available to use online, if you prefer not have to download and install programs – ideal if you only need something for occasional use.

AudioTag

Identifies songs

Upload a sample or link to a web-hosted snippet of a song (15 seconds will do), and AudioTag will identify it.

Try it:

Audiotag

Communication tools

As well as those you'd expect, like Skype, there are a number of communication tools which bring all your disparate instant messaging accounts together, and some sharing apps too.

Skype

Skype barely needs inclusion here as you probably already have it installed.

There are lots of other voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and video calling services available, and there are certainly cheaper ones for calling landlines and mobiles. But for free voice and video calls via the internet, Skype's still among the leaders, simply because it's so prevalent.

Download:

Trillian

Clever tool Trillian allows you to keep track of all your instant messaging and social networking conversations from one centralised location.

It looks like any number of the instant messaging apps you're probably familiar with, and has a straightforward interface, plus all manner of handy features, like instant link-shortening for Twitter users.

Download:

Adium

If you're a Mac user and your online social life includes more than one instant messaging program, Adium is a neat way of combining them all in one easy-to-use window.

It supports Google Hangouts and Twitter among others. It's also highly customisable with add-ons aplenty, including third-party plugins for WhatsApp, Skype and more.

Download: