✨ Discover Open Source Excellence

Altwares

Alternative Software Directory

Discover free and open-source alternatives to popular closed-source software.
Choose freedom, transparency, and community-driven development.

Showing 85 alternatives

LibreOffice

Open Source
Office Suite

A powerful and free office suite, successor to OpenOffice. It includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.

Alternative to:Microsoft Office
License:MPL 2.0

GIMP

Open Source
Image Editing

GNU Image Manipulation Program - a free and open-source raster graphics editor used for image manipulation and editing.

Alternative to:Adobe Photoshop
License:GPL-3.0

Blender

Open Source
3D Modeling

A free and open-source 3D computer graphics software for creating animated films, visual effects, 3D models, and more.

Alternative to:Autodesk Maya
License:GPL-3.0

Inkscape

Open Source
Vector Graphics

A professional vector graphics editor with capabilities similar to Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, or Xara X.

Alternative to:Adobe Illustrator
License:GPL-3.0

Audacity

Open Source
Audio Editing

An easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux and other operating systems.

Alternative to:Adobe Audition
License:GPL-2.0

VLC Media Player

Open Source
Media Player

A free and open-source, portable, cross-platform media player and streaming media server.

Alternative to:Windows Media Player
License:GPL-2.0

Firefox

Open Source
Web Browser

A free and open-source web browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation and its subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation.

Alternative to:Google Chrome
License:MPL 2.0

Thunderbird

Open Source
Email Client

A free and open-source cross-platform email client, personal information manager, news client, and RSS/Atom feed reader.

Alternative to:Microsoft Outlook
License:MPL 2.0

OBS Studio

Open Source
Screen Recording

Free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. Perfect for content creators.

Alternative to:XSplit
License:GPL-2.0

VSCodium

Open Source
Code Editor

Free and open-source version of VS Code without Microsoft branding, telemetry, and proprietary components.

Alternative to:Sublime Text
License:MIT

Kdenlive

Open Source
Video Editing

A free and open-source video editing software based on the MLT Framework and KDE.

Alternative to:Adobe Premiere Pro
License:GPL-3.0

KeePassXC

Open Source
Password Manager

A free and open-source password manager that helps you to manage your passwords in a secure way.

Alternative to:1Password
License:GPL-2.0

WordPress

Open Source
CMS

A free and open-source content management system written in PHP. Powers over 40% of all websites on the internet.

Alternative to:Wix
License:GPL-2.0

Matrix (Element)

Open Source
Communication

An open network for secure, decentralized communication with end-to-end encryption and federation support.

Alternative to:Slack
License:Apache 2.0

Nextcloud

Open Source
Cloud Storage

A suite of client-server software for creating and using file hosting services with enterprise-grade features.

Alternative to:Dropbox
License:AGPL-3.0

Signal

Open Source
Messaging

A cross-platform encrypted messaging service with a focus on privacy and security.

Alternative to:WhatsApp
License:GPL-3.0

Krita

Open Source
Digital Painting

A professional free and open-source painting program designed for concept artists, illustrators, and texture artists.

Alternative to:Corel Painter
License:GPL-3.0

Calibre

Open Source
E-Book Manager

A powerful and easy to use e-book manager with support for all major e-book formats.

Alternative to:Adobe Digital Editions
License:GPL-3.0

Jitsi Meet

Open Source
Video Conferencing

A fully encrypted, 100% open-source video conferencing solution that you can use all day, every day, for free.

Alternative to:Zoom
License:Apache 2.0

OnlyOffice

Open Source
Office Suite

A comprehensive office suite with document, spreadsheet, and presentation editors with MS Office compatibility.

Alternative to:Microsoft Office
License:AGPL-3.0

Apache OpenOffice

Open Source
Office Suite

A free and open-source office suite featuring word processor, spreadsheet, presentation software, and more.

Alternative to:Microsoft Office
License:Apache 2.0

FreeCAD

Open Source
3D Modeling

Open-source parametric 3D modeler made primarily for designing real-life objects of any size.

Alternative to:AutoCAD
License:LGPL-2.0

Wings 3D

Open Source
3D Modeling

Advanced subdivision modeler that is both powerful and easy to use, perfect for polygon modeling.

Alternative to:Autodesk Maya
License:BSD

SVG-Edit

Open Source
Vector Graphics

Fast, web-based, JavaScript-driven SVG drawing editor that works in any modern browser.

Alternative to:Adobe Illustrator
License:MIT

Ardour

Open Source
Audio Editing

Professional-grade digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Alternative to:Pro Tools
License:GPL-2.0

LMMS

Open Source
Audio Editing

Free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio for music production.

Alternative to:FL Studio
License:GPL-2.0

MPV

Open Source
Media Player

Free, open-source, and cross-platform media player with support for a wide variety of media file formats.

Alternative to:QuickTime Player
License:GPL-2.0

Kodi

Open Source
Media Player

Free and open-source media player and entertainment hub for digital media, perfect for home theaters.

Alternative to:Plex
License:GPL-2.0

Brave

Open Source
Web Browser

Privacy-focused browser that blocks ads and trackers by default, built on Chromium with crypto integration.

Alternative to:Google Chrome
License:MPL 2.0

Mailspring

Open Source
Email Client

Beautiful, fast email client with unified inbox, snoozing, send later, and mail rules.

Alternative to:Microsoft Outlook
License:GPL-3.0

Evolution

Open Source
Email Client

Personal information management application providing integrated mail, calendaring and address book functionality.

Alternative to:Microsoft Outlook
License:LGPL-2.1

ShareX

Open Source
Screen Recording

Free and open-source program that lets you capture or record any area of your screen with various methods.

Alternative to:Snagit
License:GPL-3.0

SimpleScreenRecorder

Open Source
Screen Recording

Feature-rich screen recorder for Linux that supports OpenGL recording with low overhead.

Alternative to:Camtasia
License:GPL-3.0

Atom

Open Source
Code Editor

Hackable text editor for the 21st century, built on Electron with extensive package ecosystem.

Alternative to:Sublime Text
License:MIT

Notepad++

Open Source
Code Editor

Free source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several programming languages.

Alternative to:UltraEdit
License:GPL-3.0

Shotcut

Open Source
Video Editing

Free, open-source, cross-platform video editor with wide format support and extensive features.

Alternative to:Adobe Premiere Pro
License:GPL-3.0

Bitwarden

Open Source
Password Manager

Open-source password manager with cloud sync, browser extensions, and secure password sharing.

Alternative to:LastPass
License:GPL-3.0

Pass

Open Source
Password Manager

The standard unix password manager using GPG encryption and git for version control.

Alternative to:1Password
License:GPL-2.0

Joomla

Open Source
CMS

Free and open-source content management system for publishing web content with extensive extensions.

Alternative to:Squarespace
License:GPL-2.0

Drupal

Open Source
CMS

Powerful open-source CMS platform for building complex websites with enterprise-level features.

Alternative to:Adobe Experience Manager
License:GPL-2.0

Rocket.Chat

Open Source
Communication

Open-source team communication platform with video conferencing, file sharing, and customization.

Alternative to:Slack
License:MIT

Mattermost

Open Source
Communication

Secure, open-source collaboration platform for technical teams with extensive integrations.

Alternative to:Microsoft Teams
License:MIT

Seafile

Open Source
Cloud Storage

Open-source file sync and share platform with high performance and reliability for teams.

Alternative to:Google Drive
License:GPL-2.0

Syncthing

Open Source
Cloud Storage

Continuous file synchronization program that synchronizes files between devices without cloud storage.

Alternative to:Dropbox
License:MPL 2.0

Wire

Open Source
Messaging

Secure collaboration platform with end-to-end encryption for messaging, calls, and file sharing.

Alternative to:Skype
License:GPL-3.0

MyPaint

Open Source
Digital Painting

Fast and easy open-source graphics application for digital painters with focus on painting tools.

Alternative to:Corel Painter
License:GPL-2.0

Sigil

Open Source
E-Book Manager

Multi-platform EPUB e-book editor with WYSIWYG interface and powerful features for e-book creation.

Alternative to:Adobe InDesign
License:GPL-3.0

FBReader

Open Source
E-Book Manager

Free and open-source e-book reader supporting multiple formats with customizable reading experience.

Alternative to:Amazon Kindle
License:GPL-2.0

BigBlueButton

Open Source
Video Conferencing

Open-source web conferencing system designed for online learning with collaboration features.

Alternative to:Zoom
License:LGPL-3.0

Jami

Open Source
Video Conferencing

Free and universal communication platform which preserves privacy and freedoms with peer-to-peer architecture.

Alternative to:Skype
License:GPL-3.0

Vim

Open Source
Code Editor

Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing, beloved by programmers.

Alternative to:Sublime Text
License:Vim License

Emacs

Open Source
Code Editor

Extensible, customizable, free/libre text editor with a vast ecosystem of packages.

Alternative to:UltraEdit
License:GPL-3.0

FileZilla

Open Source
File Transfer

Free FTP, FTPS, and SFTP client with intuitive interface for file transfers.

Alternative to:WinSCP
License:GPL-2.0

7-Zip

Open Source
Compression Tool

Open-source file archiver with high compression ratio supporting multiple formats.

Alternative to:WinRAR
License:LGPL-2.1

HandBrake

Open Source
Video Conversion

Open-source video transcoder for converting video files to various formats.

Alternative to:Adobe Media Encoder
License:GPL-2.0

FFmpeg

Open Source
Video Conversion

Complete, cross-platform solution to record, convert and stream audio and video.

Alternative to:Adobe Media Encoder
License:LGPL-2.1

Greenshot

Open Source
Screen Recording

Lightweight screenshot tool with annotation features for Windows.

Alternative to:Snagit
License:GPL-3.0

qBittorrent

Open Source
File Sharing

Free and open-source BitTorrent client with no ads, clean interface, and advanced features.

Alternative to:uTorrent
License:GPL-2.0

Transmission

Open Source
File Sharing

Fast, easy, and free BitTorrent client with minimal resource usage.

Alternative to:BitTorrent
License:GPL-3.0

PuTTY

Open Source
Remote Access

Free SSH and telnet client for Windows with support for various network protocols.

Alternative to:SecureCRT
License:MIT

VirtualBox

Open Source
Virtualization

Powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise and home use.

Alternative to:VMware Workstation
License:GPL-2.0

QEMU

Open Source
Virtualization

Generic and open-source machine emulator and virtualizer with hardware virtualization support.

Alternative to:VMware ESXi
License:GPL-2.0

OpenVPN

Open Source
VPN

Open-source VPN protocol and software for secure point-to-point connections.

Alternative to:NordVPN
License:GPL-2.0

WireGuard

Open Source
VPN

Modern, fast, and secure VPN protocol with simple configuration and excellent performance.

Alternative to:ExpressVPN
License:GPL-2.0

Git

Open Source
Version Control

Distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during development.

Alternative to:Perforce
License:GPL-2.0

Subversion (SVN)

Open Source
Version Control

Centralized version control system for managing file and directory versions.

Alternative to:Perforce
License:Apache 2.0

PostgreSQL

Open Source
Database

Powerful, open-source object-relational database system with strong reputation for reliability.

Alternative to:Oracle Database
License:PostgreSQL License

MySQL

Open Source
Database

Popular open-source relational database management system used in web applications.

Alternative to:Microsoft SQL Server
License:GPL-2.0

MongoDB

Open Source
Database

Popular NoSQL database program using JSON-like documents with flexible schema.

Alternative to:Oracle NoSQL
License:SSPL

Redis

Open Source
Database

In-memory data structure store used as database, cache, and message broker.

Alternative to:Amazon ElastiCache
License:BSD-3-Clause

MariaDB

Open Source
Database

Community-developed fork of MySQL with additional features and performance improvements.

Alternative to:Microsoft SQL Server
License:GPL-2.0

Nginx

Open Source
Web Server

High-performance web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer with low resource usage.

Alternative to:Microsoft IIS
License:BSD-2-Clause

Apache HTTP Server

Open Source
Web Server

Widely-used open-source web server software powering millions of websites worldwide.

Alternative to:Microsoft IIS
License:Apache 2.0

Docker

Open Source
Containerization

Platform for developing, shipping, and running applications in containers for consistency.

Alternative to:Amazon ECS
License:Apache 2.0

Cyberduck

Open Source
File Transfer

Libre FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and cloud storage browser for Mac and Windows with easy-to-use interface.

Alternative to:SecureFX
License:GPL-3.0

PDFCreator

Open Source
PDF Tools

Free tool to create PDF files from almost any Windows application. Includes virtual PDF printer.

Alternative to:Adobe Acrobat
License:AGPL-3.0

Scribus

Open Source
Desktop Publishing

Professional desktop publishing (DTP) application for creating page layouts, newsletters, and print-ready PDFs.

Alternative to:Adobe InDesign
License:GPL-2.0

SumatraPDF

Open Source
PDF Tools

Lightweight, free PDF reader for Windows with minimal user interface and fast performance.

Alternative to:Adobe Acrobat Reader
License:GPL-3.0

Claws Mail

Open Source
Email Client

Fast, lightweight email client with powerful filtering and extensive plugin system.

Alternative to:Microsoft Outlook
License:GPL-3.0

Dia

Open Source
Diagramming

Drawing program for creating diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, and more.

Alternative to:Microsoft Visio
License:GPL-2.0

GanttProject

Open Source
Project Management

Free project management tool with Gantt charts, resource management, and MS Project import/export.

Alternative to:Microsoft Project
License:GPL-3.0

ProjectLibre

Open Source
Project Management

Open-source project management software, compatible with Microsoft Project files.

Alternative to:Microsoft Project
License:CPAL-1.0

FreePlane

Open Source
Mind Mapping

Free mind mapping software for organizing ideas, brainstorming, and knowledge management.

Alternative to:MindManager
License:GPL-2.0

draw.io (diagrams.net)

Open Source
Diagramming

Free online diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, and more.

Alternative to:Microsoft Visio
License:Apache 2.0

Pencil Project

Open Source
Diagramming

Open-source GUI prototyping tool for creating mockups and diagrams.

Alternative to:Balsamiq
License:GPL-2.0