Free software is software that is available for download at no cost. This differs from paid (commercial) software. The Free Software Foundation defines free software as “free and open source software, which can be used, modified and shared without restriction.” Examples of free software include the Linux kernel and BSD operating systems and the GNU Compiler Collection and C library; the MySQL relational database server as well as the Sendmail mail transport agent and the Blender 3D computer graphics software and the Replicant smartphone OS.
It is important to note that downloading paid software without having first purchased it is a crime. This is called piratery, and it robs developers of income. It could cause the software to fail in the future or be unable to be supported. Downloading pirated apps from non-official sites can result in malware and virus infections.
TechSpot Downloads is updated every day with a variety of new programs in categories ranging from productivity to communications to security and gaming. It also includes a helpful guide that can help users avoid downloading potentially harmful programs and help them find alternatives they can explore.
FileHippo is a well-known web site with a wide selection of current programs, broken down into categories like Windows and Mac software and Android apps. The page for each app has brief, informative descriptions written by real users. This will give you a better idea of the app’s capabilities and benefits before you install it.
The downside is that FileHippo may at times request that you install a new program before the one you’re looking for however it’s clearly marked and is easy to bypass, and doesn’t offer malware that’s not legitimate. Additionally, it offers large back catalogs of previous versions of a variety of programs, which is a nice feature to have in case you have older software that needs to be upgraded or you’re concerned about stability issues when you install the latest release.