Collection:Windows

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The GNU Webmaster translators are welcome to start these pages:

• https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Collection:Windows.de
• https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Collection:Windows.fr
• https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Collection:Windows.hr
• https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Collection:Windows.it

This collection is maintained by the Free software replacement project team.

Microsoft's software is malware, we urge all Windows users to switch to a free GNU/Linux distribution as soon as possible.

Here is a list of popular free software applications that run on Microsoft Windows — along with the proprietary applications they replace. If you are still a Windows user, you can take a first step towards free software by installing these applications.

When we say these application programs are free software, we're talking about freedom, not price. It means that you are free to use these programs constructively, either alone or in a community, while respecting the freedom of others. The source code is available, so that you can study the software, adapt it to your needs, fix bugs, and release versions with new features. You can also convince or pay others to do these things for you. You are also free to give away and free to sell copies, under the terms of the applicable free software license. These programs are free software because you have freedom in using them. Free software develops under the control of its users.

Microsoft Windows is a clear and instructive example of nonfree software. Its source code is a secret, so programmers cannot learn from it, fix it, adapt it to their clients (your) needs, or even verify what it really does. If you share copies with your neighbors, you will be called a “pirate”, and users have been threatened with imprisonment for this. Nonfree software is completely controlled by its developer, who also has power over the users. We started the free software movement because this power is unjust.

Using free software on Microsoft Windows (or any nonfree operating system) is the first step towards freedom, but it does not get you all the way there. You're still under Microsoft's power as long as you use Windows, including using

• The compatibility layer software Wine.
• The userlands:
  • Windows Subsystem for Linux
    • Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) available for installation on Windows Server 2019 (version 1709) and later, or Windows 10 or later.
    • Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) for Windows 10 build 18917 (also known as Windows 10 May 2020 Update, Windows 10 version 2004, or version 2004, codenamed "20H1") or later.
  • Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) available for installation on Windows 11 or later.

However, on this page we're concerned with the first step.

Free programs

Type	Free program[1]	Replacement for
3D computer graphics software	Blender FreeCAD OpenSCAD	AutoCAD
		Autodesk Maya ("Maya")
		Autodesk 3ds Max
Accessibility		Windows Narrator[2]
Anonymous P2P	GNUnet	DC
Antivirus	ClamWin	Avast Antivirus AVG AntiVirus F-Secure Kaspersky Anti-Virus McAfee VirusScan Panda Norton AntiVirus
BitTorrent client	Tribler	BitTorrent
	qBittorrent
Compiler	Mingw-w64	Microsoft Visual C
Desktop publishing	Scribus	Adobe InDesign
		Microsoft Publisher
		QuarkXPress
Diagramming software	Dia	Microsoft Visio
Document viewer	Evince	Adobe Reader
		Microsoft Reader
		Nitro PDF Reader
Email client, news aggregator[3]	Claws Mail	Microsoft Outlook
		Windows Mail[4]
Multimedia communication	Ekiga Jami Jitsi Desktop Linphone Pidgin qTox Wire	Line
		Microsoft Skype
		Paltalk Desktop
		Riot.im
		Signal
		Viber
		WeChat
Instant messaging client	Gajim Pidgin (pidgin-otr) Psi PyBitmessage Ricochet	ICQ
		Telegram
		Trillian
		Yahoo! Messenger
Live USB	Rufus Universal USB Installer	balenaEtcher
		UNetbootin[5]
		Ventoy
		Windows To Go[4]
Media player	VLC media player (VLC)	PowerDVD
		Windows Media Player
		Apple QuickTime
		RealPlayer Basic
Numerical computing	GNU Octave Scilab	MATLAB
Office suite	LibreOffice	Microsoft Office
Online storage	ownCloud (client)	Apple iCloud
		Dropbox
		Nextcloud (client only)
Proxy server	Privoxy
Raster graphics editor	GIMP Krita Tux Paint	PaintShop Pro
		Adobe Photoshop
		Microsoft Paint[4]
Text editor	Gedit Notepad Vim	Notepad
Time management
Vector graphics editor	Inkscape Xfig	CorelDraw
		Adobe Illustrator
		Xara Photo & Graphic Designer
VPN client	OpenVPN
Web browser[3][4]	Tor Browser	Chromium
		Google Chrome
		Internet Explorer[2]

1. This is a selection of the more common free software applications available for the Microsoft Windows platform, and is nothing like a comprehensive list. You may want to check the Runs-on/Windows category for more software. Windows-only programs may be listed here as well but has external links since the Directory only includes program entries for GNU systems.
2. Included in the operating system and usually not possible to remove.
3. Mozilla branded programs such as Firefox and Thunderbird are not free software unless their names are changed. This is due to Mozilla's trademark policy that forbids selling copies of unmodified executables.
4. GNU IceCat (Mozilla Firefox ESR fork) dropped Windows support after version 38.8.0.
5. Recommends nonfree software.

Windows-only free software

ClamWin

ClamWin is a free antivirus tool with graphical user interface to the Clam AntiVirus engine.

Notepad

Notepad is a text editor that supports tabbed editing, which allows working with multiple open files in a single window.

Rufus

Rufus (the Reliable USB Formatting Utility, with S) is a free portable application that can be used to format and create bootable USB flash drives or Live USBs.

Windows 11 Home and Pro requirements that can be bypassed by Rufus when it's preparing Windows installation media:

• Internet connection and a Microsoft account
• Secure Boot
• TPM 2.0

See also

• FSD: Antifeatures
• Collection:Microsoft

External links

• Adobe's Software is Malware
• Apple's Operating Systems Are Malware
• Google's Software is Malware
• Microsoft's Software is Malware