Free software is software that is downloaded at no cost. This is different from paid (commercial) software. The Free Software Foundation defines “free software” as “open source software that can be altered, used and shared with no restrictions.” Examples of free software include the Linux kernel and BSD operating systems; the GNU Compiler Collection and C library; the MySQL relational database server The Sendmail mail transport agent and the Blender 3D computer graphics software and the Replicant smartphone OS.
It is important to know that it is illegal to download paid software for free without first purchasing it this is known as piratery. It deprives developers of income and could result in the product failing or cease to be supported in the future. Downloading pirated applications from non-official sources can also lead to malware and virus infections.
TechSpot Downloads is updated each day with a variety of new programs in categories ranging from communication to productivity to gaming and security. It also has a guide which helps users avoid potentially harmful downloads and find alternative options.
FileHippo is a well-known website with lots of programs in use and categories such as Windows and Mac software, as well as Android apps. The site’s page for each application also has brief but detailed descriptions written by actual users, so you can get an idea of what the app does and what it can offer before you decide to install it.
The drawback is that FileHippo will sometimes request that you install a different application before the one you’re interested in but it’s clearly identified, easy to skip, and doesn’t offer suspicious software. Also, it has an extensive back catalog of older versions of a wide range of programs, which is nice to have in case you have older apps that need upgrading or if you’re worried about stability issues when you install the latest version.