Note that these are not all FOSS.
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Photo Editing:
- GIMP
- Krita
- Paint.NET
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Video Editing:
- DaVinci Resolve
- CapCut
- Shotcut
-
Audio Editing:
- Audacity
- Cakewalk
- GarageBand
-
3D Graphics:
- Blender
- Spline
- Rumba
-
Office Software:
- LibreOffice
- Microsoft 365 Free Apps
- WPS Office
-
Antivirus Software:
- Windows Security
- Avast Free Antivirus
- Malwarebytes
-
Productivity Tools:
- Bitwarden
- VSCodium
- PDF-XChange Editor
- 7-Zip
- OBS Studio
- LanguageTool
Avast? Bruh
Avast should not be recommended.
In late 2019, Avast browser extensions were found to collect user data, including browsing behavior and history, and send it to a remote server. The discovery led to the extensions of the Avast and AVG brands being temporarily removed from the Google Chrome, Firefox and Opera extension stores, however, they returned a short time later as there was no concrete evidence that demonstrated a breach of private data of the users.
In January 2020, a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag found that the Avast Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free version were collecting user data, which was being resold to personalize advertising through a subsidiary, Jumpshot. The leaked documents showed that Jumpshot offered to provide its customers with “Every search. Every click. On every site.” from more than 100 million compromised devices. In response, Avast announced on January 30, 2020, that it would immediately shut down Jumpshot and cease all operations due to the backlash of its users’ data privacy.
On the basis of the information revealed, on 11 February 2020 the Czech Office for Personal Data Protection announced that it had initiated a preliminary investigation.
In February 2024, the Federal Trade Commission fined Avast $16.5 million for collecting user data and reselling that data. The collection was done under their program to ensure that such collection of user data was not happening.
I always recommend Windows Defender and a good sense of Internet security to anyone who uses a computer.
If you’re dumb, no antivirus can protect you. If you’re reasonably intelligent, any antivirus will protect you.
Thanks for sharing this list of software tools! It’s great to see a variety of options, including both FOSS and proprietary software.
Photo Editing: GIMP and Krita are excellent open-source tools, while Paint.NET offers a user-friendly interface. Video Editing: DaVinci Resolve is professional-grade, CapCut is perfect for social media, and Shotcut balances simplicity with features. Audio Editing: Audacity is versatile and open-source, while Cakewalk and GarageBand are great for music production. 3D Graphics: Blender is leading in open-source 3D modeling, with Spline and Rumba offering unique features. Office Software: LibreOffice is a robust open-source suite; Microsoft 365 Free Apps and WPS Office are excellent free alternatives. Antivirus: Windows Security provides reliable protection, with Avast and Malwarebytes adding extra layers of security. Productivity: Bitwarden for password management, VSCodium for coding, PDF-XChange for PDFs, 7-Zip for compression, OBS Studio for streaming, and LanguageTool for writing. This mix offers powerful solutions for various needs and preferences.
I recommend Okular for PDF reading. No ads, no upsells, no BS. It also has native dark mode
Avast is virus itself
you forgot linux as an alternative to windows and mac;)
*Tenacity, not Audacity
Doesn’t that apply to every project hosted in America, too, though? Every project is subject to the jurisdiction in which it is hosted. And I know they’re not the only project that accepts error reports and in-app updates. Unless there is more telemetry involved or tracking of out-of-app activity, I’m not seeing cause for alarm here. Though I’m open to evidence that there is.
From what I’ve seen on their site since is that they’re saying they are now GDPR compliant. And I suppose, since they are still open source, that anyone finding anything seriously malicious would have pointed it out by now. Maybe just a bit of bad press and people jumping to conclusions because “Russia bad.”
I do still plan to check out Tenacity though and see if it’s a better project.
I only discovered Krita recently, but holy shit does it fill the Photoshop void very well. The UI isn’t the same as PS, obviously. But I find it much easier to navigate than Gimp’s UI. And Krita is surprisingly feature-rich.
If you don’t mind paid, Affinity is pretty nice too.
Desperately needs Linux support though.
Didn’t they recently get bought by Canva? Not saying that’s a good or bad thing, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Yeah but it’s also a one time purchase
…for now.
I like Krita. But to be honest, after years and years of using GIMP, I ironically have nothing but trouble trying to rewire my brain to do things any other way. The same problem that many people have when moving from Photoshop to GIMP.
Also, i fundamentally need DDS files, which Krita (AFAIK) doesn’t handle.
You should totally get on some PS forums and start bitching about its UI being ‘backward and unusable’ compared to GIMP :)
Some of us use FOSS because of access to the source and the benefits of an all FOSS system. Not because it’s zero cost. This list is just zero cost and some happen to be FOSS.
Some of us like free stuff though and the post never said that it was supposed to be a list of FOSS projects.
I guess this is Technology not Linux or FOSS, but feels like the difference is often mixed up and it’s not all about cost. Anyway, looks like there is now a added note they aren’t all FOSS.
looks like there is now a added note they aren’t all FOSS.
The post hasn’t been edited.
