Our Top Ten Freeware Picks (PLUS)

We grew up with freeware. When we first jumped on the Web over two decades ago, almost all software was freeware. Things have changed. But we still use love freeware – not just because it’s free – but because it’s good stuff. And you can’t beat the price.

We have probably left off this list a lot of good freeware that we use, and if that’s the case, then let this be a good start.

So here it is: Our first list (at least in a long time) of our favorite freeware. Most of these programs we use on our own computers.

All of these programs work on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and all versions of Windows 10.

1. Irfanview – A super fast photo viewer and simple photo editor. Always one of the first things we install when we get a new computer. Sometimes the developer plays games with the installer, but there is always an option to install anything but Irfanview. If it were anything other than Irfanview it would not be on this list. Get more information about and /or download Irfanview  here.
2. MetaPad – It’s an oldie but a goodie. This little text editor leaves NotePad in the dust, But the next version of Windows 10 (version 1809) promises to update Notepad for the first time in over a decade – and it looks like it’s going to be good – but still not as good as MetaPad.  You can get more information and download MetaPad here.  Hint: You don’t want MetaPad LE – just Metapad.zip.
3. CalendarPal – It’s another oldie but a goodie – and also our program. But it’s still our favorite quick calendar & weather application, and we still use it. Get more information about and/or download CalendarPal here,
4. HiBitUninstaller – an unistaller on steroids. HiBit is not only a great uninstaller, but a great startup manager, disk cleaner, services manager, and more. It’s a Jack-of-all-trades that has mastered most of them. You can learn more about and/or download Hibit Uninstaller here.
5. Geek Uninstaller –  Geek does one thing good. It’s the fastest uninstaller around. If you don’t need all the features of HiBit and you don’t want to pay for an uninstaller (or get a free one that is bundled with no-no ware), Geek Uninstaller (Free) should be on your PC. Nope it’s not as robust as paid programs like Revo Uninstaller, but it is more than  good enough to be on this list. Learn more about Geek Uninstaller and / or download the free version from here.
6. FastStone Capture (the last freeware version) – The last free version of FastStone is old and doesn’t have nearly the features of the paid version, but we’ll stack the old, last free version of FastStone Capture up against any free screen capture tool around today. Read more about and/or download the last free version of FastStone Capture (version 5.3) here.
7. 7-Zip – Windows users don’t really need a zip utility unless they need to unzip RAR files and / or need more flexibility working with compressed (zipped files). If we had to choose one zip utility for our computers, it’s going to be 7-Zip. Visit the 7-Zip web site for more information and to download it. Note: There are separate versions for 32-bit and 64-bit computers.
   
8. AutoRuns – The all-time BEST Free startup manager – heck – it’s the best darn startup manager free or not free. But, alas, it’s not for beginners. But if you’ve been around Windows a while and you know the ropes, there is no better startup manager anywhere. If you’re not at least a moderately advanced Windows user, heed this warning: Be careful what you disable/delete with AutoRuns. Learn more about and / or get AutoRuns here.
9. Privacy Badger – Not exactly an application – it’s an extension for Chrome, Firefox and Opera. This extension is a product of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) – an agency advocating for a free and unrestricted internet. Regardless of your political views, Privacy Badger is an excellent ad blocker, anti-tracker and privacy extension. If you’re looking for a very good and thoughtfully crafted extension to block ads and increase your privacy, we think you’ll like Privacy Badger. A lot more information about Privacy Badger – and download links for Chrome, Firefox and Opera  can be found here.
10. VLC Media Player – Without a doubt, VLC deserves a place on your computer. It’s a master at playing all types of media files. VLC can play almost any time of audio and/or video file natively. It also deserves to be installed on your PC. It’s our default media player… if you give a try, it will probably be yours too. Learn more about and/or download VLC Media Player here.

Worth mentioning…

Libre Office & Open Office.

Both of these free Office suites can handle almost any Microsoft Office document. They can also create documents that can be opened in Microsoft Office.

If you don’t have extra money to spend on an office program, either of these will make a nifty addition to your freeware collection. Both are great.

Learn more about Libre Office here – and more about Open Office here.

Your suggestions & comments are welcome!

If you have any favorite freeware picks you think that most every Windows user should have, please leave a comment.