The Best (and if possible free!) non-gaming software
These are my favorite and / or affordable tools. There might be something in there you might want to have a look at... Note: Everything is Windows, unless mentioned otherwise!
(Last update: 01.12.2025)
Categories
Scroll down to check the different categories:
I. File management
II. Office suites
III. Graphics (2D)
IV. Audio
V. Video
VI. 2D CAD
VII. 3D Modeling
VIII. 3D Printing
IX. Programming
X. Other
I. File management
II. Office suites
III. Graphics (2D)
IV. Audio
V. Video
VI. 2D CAD
VII. 3D Modeling
VIII. 3D Printing
IX. Programming
X. Other
Introduction
Mobile
What can you do with a PC you cannot do with a tablet? Lot's of things. And you can do them better, most of the time, on a good ol' Intel or AMD box.
True. Most of these things are now also possible on a tablet or even a phone, and they're often way cheaper on a mobile device. If I find an alternative option on mobile I'll mention it, but frankly, a PC simply works better most of the time.
(I'll just mention some alternatives if I am aware of them.)
Mac / Linux / Windows
Sorry. I don't have a Mac, and use little to no Linux. But some of the mentioned software just might be available on other platforms. Check it.
Open Source / Free / Cheap / Trial / Best
I prefer open source and free, and will settle for cheap. I'm more reluctant to pick trial versions. Lots of stuff is free, but for how long? I'd rather get something cheap that's mine forever, then use a free web-based service that is killed at a whim. And sometimes the best is the only way to go, even though it may cost.
Price
I prefer free (hey, I'm Dutch after all) but can stand up to 50 euro or so for individual programs. Suites or very advanced stuff I'd be going up to a 150 euro. Typically anything above that I draw the line.
I'm also not a big fan of subscription models. I don't mind subscription models, but they tend to be way more expensive (always compare a one-time price with a 5-year subscription) and are often on-line depending. What if my Internet is down, or the seller goes bankrupt?
A good mitigation practice is to select software that allows import and export of intermediate / universal file formats, so you can re-use your files with something else.
Biased
Of course, I'll pick the ones I like(d) and use(d) and match my interests 😏
There are so many alternatives out there, so my picks may not be yours. Feel free to differ in opinion, lambast my choice, and laugh at my inexperience or old-school taste.
I'm not going to mention hundreds of alternatives I had a look at, or tried over time. I might mention a few, especially as I'm looking for the best and greatest stuff right now.
I. File management
Total Commander
- The best, and though it isn't free it's worth every penny.
- Home - On this blog
II. Office suites
Google Docs
- Free. A bit limited and some odd behavior, but great for multi user work and writing novels.
- Info - More on this blog
LibreOffice
- Free. Good. No AI.
- Libreoffice home - More
Microsoft Office
- AI... AI... AI. I'm pretty much done with AI by now. If it wasn't for Excel...
- Microsoft 365 - More
(Corel) Word Perfect 5.1 / 5.2 / 7
- Because nobody remembers😇
- Info
III. Graphics (2D)
Affinity
- Free
- I haven't played much with this one, but it looks very promising and capable
- Affinity home - More
The Gimp
- Annoying but free. I'm not sure what people like so much about it.
IrfanView
- Very fast, simple 2D viewer. Tons of formats. And free.
Krita
- Works quite well with my old Wacom Cintiq, and is freeware
- Krita home - More
- Shouldn't work on Windows 7 / 8 / 10 / 11 but still does. Has some issues with multi monitor setups. But it still works, and because I'm so used to it I still use it...
ProCreate (iOS)
- Not free but worth it
- My daughters favorite. Very impressive on an iPad pro.
Xara Designer Pro X
- Fantastic piece of software, but too expensive, and switched to a subscription model. I used it to build some websites (like the landing page of Ninelizards)
IV. Audio
- Indeed Audacity. Period. Does it all. (It'll never beat Cool Edit Pro in ease of use, but it's free.)
(Adobe) Audition
- Actually this is Adobe Audition - once known as Cool Edit Pro (bring big bucks as this one's expensive, even if it may be the best)
V. Video
Hitfilm (Express)
- I liked it, and now I hate it, because - in spite of owning a full license - I can no longer use it due to unavailability of an activation server...
- Free and pretty good. My current editor after the downfall of Hitfilm (Express)
VSDC
- Do not buy. Works fine in free mode. If you want hardware encoding / decoding you need to pony up . However, that part is licensed using a subscription model, and - even worse - they don't state that clearly. (I fell for it - never again.)
VI. 2D CAD
LibreCad
- Free, open source, no frills. Has lots of trouble reading .DWG files, and the UI does some odd things now and again.
NanoCad
- DraftSight is no longer free for personal use, but NanoCad still is.
VII. 3D Modelling
3DTools Viewer
- Free
- Nice viewer for STL files
- Free for limited personal use.
VIII. 3D Printing
3DTools Viewer
- Free
- Nice viewer for STL files
Simplify 3D
- Not free, but this was pretty much the only workable application for the old Dremel D20, but these days I own a Bambu Lab X1C, which comes with its own slicer. This package might no longer be that relevant...
IX. Programming
- Sometimes I need something special I can't find, and then I'll use PureBasic. It's a functional, feature-rich 'Basic' derivative, but it is not object-oriented. Which is fine by me.
- Home - Survival Guide - More
X. Other
Argus Monitor
- Not free (15 bucks for a 1 year license, but it keeps working after that one year, and you can re-install it on your next machine)
- I only use this one for one reason... and it's great at that: Argus Monitor allows me to build my own fan speed curves in Windows, keeping my PC cool and quiet
HD Sentinel Pro
- Not free, but worth it
- Pretty good application to monitor the health of your harddrives
TouchPortal (iOS / Android device)
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