This is my personal reference list of useful software for Microsoft Windows.
Typically I only install what I need, and uninstall software that hasn't been used for a while. Where possible I prefer to run containerized or portable apps. There's nothing installed on my system that isn't on this list.
Before setting anything up, the first task is to disable telemetry, remove pre-installed bloatware and make a few security tweaks. For this I use a series of PowerShell scripts provided by Privacy.Sexy.
Items marked with '❌' are not fully open source, and '💲' indicates either not free, or has premium tier
Networking
- Tor Browser - For more anonymous browsing + access to the Tor network
- VirtualBox - x86, AMD64, and Intel64 virtual machines
- WinSCP - SFTP client and remote access file manager
- qBittorrent - BitTorrent client
- WireShark - Packet analyzer
- Angry IP Scanner - Quickly find IPs within a range, open ports and other info
- NetLimiter - ❌💲 Network traffic monitoring tool with simple firewall functionality
- Universal Radio Hacker - SDR client for investigating wireless protocols
General Apps
- HWiNFO64 - ❌ System info and diagnostics
- Process Hacker - Monitor system resources and analyse currently running processes
- Etcher - For flashing ISOs onto USB drives with a overly-fancy UI
- ExifCleaner - Tool to easily remove metadata from images and media
- X410 - ❌💲 Fork of X.org to run Linux GUI apps in Xfce via WSL
- LinPhone - VOIP client for making/ receiving phone calls and SMS messages
Security Utilities
- Cryptomator - Fast file encryption for cloud storage
- VeraCrypt - Strong disk, container and file encryption
- KeePassXC - Password manager for KeePass files
- Kleopatra - Certificate manager and PGP file encryption suit
- WireGuard - VPN connection client using WireGuard protocol
- CalmAV - Anti-virus scanner (See also, ClamWin GUI app)
- BleachBit - Frees up disk space by deleting unneeded data in the cache and temporary files
- Windows Spy Blocker - Block Microsoft telemetry and data collection and manage application access
- Harden Tools - Easily turn off undesired or privacy-invasive Windows features
- WFN - Firewall notifier to monitor outgoing connections
UI Utilities
- CopyQ - Advanced clipboard manager
- Espanso - Text expander with powerful matching system (similar to AHK)
- AutoHotKey - Keyboard remapping, macros and automation scripting
- Quick Look - Small utility that lets you quickly preview a file by pressing
Space - EarTrumpet - A utility that provides better volume control on a per app basis
- ColorPicker - Minimal but complete color picker
- Power Toys - Color picker, fancy zones, run dialog, rename utility, shortcuts and more
- SidebarDiagnostics - Customizable desktop widget showing system resource and hardware info
- Wox - Global search, run commands and execute actions with
Alt+Space - Groupy ❌- Group multiple windows into browser-like tabs, while preserving Alt + Tab switching
Creativity
- Gimp - Image and photo editing application
- DarkTable - Organize and bulk edit photos (similar to Lightroom)
- InkScape - Digital drawing/ illustration
- Audacity - Multi-track audio editor and recording
- OBS Studio - High performance streaming/ broadcasting and recording
- VLC Player - Multimedia player and play back framework
- Shotcut - Video editing platform
- HandBrake - For converting video from any format to a selection of modern codecs
- Synfig Studio - 2D animation
- Blender - 3D modelling, rendering and sculpting
- Cura - 3D Printing software, for slicing models
- Dia - Versatile diagramming tool, useful for UML (similar to MS Visio)
- ShareX - Quick and easy screen recorder
- SmugMug ❌💲- Premium photography backup, sync, sharing and publishing service
Media
- FreeTube - YouTube client
- Nuclear - Free music streaming & downloads
- Spotify ❌- Premium music subscription
- Amarok - Powerful local music player
- Pocket Casts ❌- Podcast player
- Plex Client - Client for accessing self-hosted media server
- Steam ❌- PC game store
Productivity
- Standard Notes - Encrypted, synced notes application
- Thunderbird - Email, calendar and contacts client
- ProtonMail Bridge - Allows for ProtonMail to be used with client
- Tresorit ❌- Cloud storage sync and backup
- 1Password ❌- Cloud-synced, multi-device password manager and auto-fill
- Firefox - Web browser with containers
- Brave Browser - Chromium-based web browser
- Binance ❌- Full-screen crypto trading
- LibreOffice - Basic Office suit
Development
- VS Code - Customizable code editor, with InteliSense, built-in compilers, git and plugins
- Cmder - Better console emulator for Windows, with Tmux-like features, great for SSH sessions
- PostMan - For testing and developing API endpoints
- Android Studio - For native Android development with Java/ Kotlin
- Arduino IDE - Compile and upload for IoT devices
- Processing - IDE and compiler for creative coding with the Processing language
- DB Browser for SQLite - Create, design, and edit database files for SQLite
- RunJS - Real-time JavaScript playground, useful for writing quick scripts
- Docker Desktop - Easy way to containerize applications
- Notepad++ - Lightweight text editor with syntax highlighting
- Zap - Web app security analyzer
- Vega - Automated security testing to find XXS, SQL injection and other issues
- Git - Version control system
Device-Specific
- YubiKey Manager - Configuring YubeKey devices
- OnlyKey - For configuring the OnlyKey with PGP, SSH, Passwords, 2FA, Crypto and secure data
- StreamDeck - Setting up macros on the StreamDeck
- Razer Synapse ❌- Customize the RGB for Razer products
- SoundBlaster Audigy FX ❌- Drivers and audio level customization for sound card
- AMD Radeon Settings ❌- Drivers for customizing graphics card for different tasks
- Chameleon - For programming the ChameleonMini NFC / RFID contactless smartcard emulator
- Ledger Live ❌ - App for managing assets stored on Ledger Hardware Wallet
Installation
On new installs, Microsoft's Package Manager can be useful for quickly installing required software.
See also, my Winstall Collection of the above apps.
Example winget Script
winget install --id=Lexikos.AutoHotkey -e
winget install --id=REALiX.HWiNFO -e
winget install --id=GNURadio.GNURadio -e
winget install --id=Balena.Etcher -e
winget install --id=WiresharkFoundation.Wireshark -e
winget install --id=Mozilla.Firefox -e
winget install --id=angryziber.AngryIPScanner -e
winget install --id=Microsoft.PowerToys -e
winget install --id=Docker.DockerDesktop -e
winget install --id=Oracle.VirtualBox -e
winget install --id=WinSCP.WinSCP -e
winget install --id=qBittorrent.qBittorrent -e
winget install --id=Cryptomator.Cryptomator -e
winget install --id=Keybase.Keybase -e
winget install --id=KeePassXCTeam.KeePassXC -e
winget install --id=StandardNotes.StandardNotes -e
winget install --id=Mozilla.Thunderbird -e
winget install --id=ProtonTechnologies.ProtonMailBridge -e
winget install --id=AgileBits.1Password -e
winget install --id=BraveSoftware.BraveBrowser -e
winget install --id=thehandbraketeam.handbrake -e
winget install --id=LibreOffice.LibreOffice -e
winget install --id=GIMP.GIMP -e
winget install --id=Inkscape.Inkscape -e
winget install --id=darktable.darktable -e
winget install --id=Audacity.Audacity -e
winget install --id=OBSProject.OBSStudio -e
winget install --id=VideoLAN.VLC -e
winget install --id=Meltytech.Shotcut -e
winget install --id=BlenderFoundation.Blender -e
winget install --id=Ultimaker.Cura -e
winget install --id=Spotify.Spotify -e
winget install --id=Valve.Steam -e
winget install --id=Postman.Postman -e
winget install --id=Arduino.Arduino -e
winget install --id=SQLiteBrowser.SQLiteBrowser -e
winget install --id=Notepad++.Notepad++ -e
winget install --id=elgato.streamdeck -e
Note: It's very important to always carefully check the URL for each download before proceeding. Only install applications from their official source.