Microsoft 365 Personal, for instance, costs £60 a year for an individual subscription. Adobe’s Photoshop is £22 a month. We've also seen paid-for antivirus software that can cost as much as £90 every year in renewal fees.
But here's the good news – there are excellent free equivalents for all these programs and more. Below, we explore the best free software and explain how to avoid data-grabbing malware.
– stay on top of your tech and get unlimited expert 1-2-1 support by phone, email, remote fix and in print.Office software
LibreOffice
At a glance:Available from:
Built by a worldwide community of hundreds of developers and released as open-source software, LibreOffice is a great example of the high-quality free tools currently available.
This is a fully featured office suite, with its key components being Writer (word processing), Calc (spreadsheets) and Impress (presentations). Into the bargain, you also get Draw (for creating vector graphics and flowcharts), Base (for building and managing databases), and Math (for formula editing).
LibreOffice also has the advantage of being a traditional installable program and can be used offline, unlike free cloud-based office tools (more on that shortly). And LibreOffice’s files are compatible with Office files, so you can open and edit these, even if you don’t have Word or Excel installed.
Google Docs
At a glance:Available from:
Unlike LibreOffice, Google Docs is cloud-based, so you don't need to download any files to your PC – just visit the URL above with a Google account. If you want to access documents from your phone, you can grab the free Google Docs app.
You can control the permissions for every document that you type up or import (Microsoft Word files are supported). For example, you can invite other users to collaborate or add comments and suggestions to the copy. Changes are automatically saved, too, so you can revisit older versions of the text if needed.
Other handy features include spelling and grammar checks, the ability to convert a document to a PDF, and custom add-ons – including AI-powered suggestions for your copy.
Take steps to keep your personal information hidden from prying eyes – learn .Microsoft 365 (free version)
At a glance:Available from:
Another cloud-based service that can be accessed via any web browser. It provides free word processing, spreadsheet and presentation tools – simply log in with your free Microsoft account to get started.
Microsoft 365 is convenient as, like Google Docs, it comes with a small amount of cloud storage and can be accessed from any device with an active internet connection. A free account gets you 5GB of space (via OneDrive), which is more than enough for most people just using the tool to type up documents.
News, deals and stuff the manuals don't tell you.Photo editing
Paint.net
At a glance:Available from:
Paint.net was originally designed as an unofficial replacement for the very basic Microsoft Paint tool that comes built into Windows, so the interface should feel familiar.
That said, the program provides a powerful set of features, some of which are usually reserved for expensive paid programs, such as a clone brush (for removing unwanted elements from your photos), support for layers and unlimited levels of undo. It also has a range of special effects and filters for you to play around with.
Note that the Microsoft Store app version of Paint.net isn’t free.
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
At a glance:Available from:
GIMP is an open-source photo editor and an alternative to consider if you don't want to pay for Adobe Photoshop. It offers a slightly more advanced set of image-editing tools than Paint.net, but also represents a steeper learning curve.
You can customise the interface to suit your needs, which means your most-used tools can live in their own dedicated space. There's also layer support, photo enhancement tools for removing unwanted objects and a host of custom brushes to give your work a unique look.
If you're dealing with an image that needs a hit of colour, you can manually bump up the saturation levels. You can try GIMP on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Pixlr Express
At a glance:Available from:
The free version of Pixlr Express allows you to edit up to three images per day.
File ExplorerOpen ImageUltra HDSave JPGSecurity software
As part of our rigorous security testing, we've been hands-on with plenty of popular free and paid-for antivirus programs including:
Avast Free Antivirus Norton 360 DeluxeBitdefender Antivirus Free for WindowsOur expert says:
'To ensure your data remains hidden from prying eyes, we attack free and paid-for antivirus software with tens of thousands of threats – including viruses, ransomware and phishing attacks.
Callum Pears, Which? antivirus expertEven more free tools
Join Which? Tech Support
Which? Tech Support can help you keep on top of your home tech. Our experts explain things clearly so you can resolve issues and feel more confident using your devices.
Get unlimited 1-2-1 expert support:
By remote fix By phone By emailIn printWhich? Tech MagazineAdditional reporting by Tom Morgan.
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/the-best-free-safe-software-ajW7U4V3dBVU