Guides: Free and open source software
Write and cite
There are a variety of free and open source word processors available for you to use as alternatives to Microsoft Word and Google Docs.
- LibreOffice: entire suite of free, open source tools for writing, presentations, editing, and spreadsheets
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Notion: free note-taking tool that allows you to collaborate with teams and keep everything in one place
- Available for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows
- Simplenote: free, simple note-taking tool
- Available for Android, in-browser use, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows
- WPS Office: entire suite of free tools for writing, presentations, editing, and spreadsheets
- Available for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Zotero: free, open source citation management tool
- Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Check out our Zotero research guide for more
Browsers, messaging, and privacy
Browsers
- Brave: free, open source browser with privacy protections and other services such as free, secure video calling
- Firefox Focus: free browser with pre-installed security and privacy protections
- Tor: free, open source private browser
- Available for Android, iOS,
Email and messaging
- ChatSecure: free, open source encrypted messaging app for iOS
- Signal: free, open source encrypted messaging app
- Available for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Thunderbird: free, open source email client
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Tutanota: free encrypted and private email client
- Wire: free, open source encrypted messaging tool
Privacy and security
- Bitwarden: free, open source password manager
- Available for Android, in-browser use, iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows
- DuckDuckGo: a search engine that doesn’t track you
- HTTPS Everywhere: browser add-on that encrypts and makes your browsing more secure
- KeePass: free, open source password manager
- Available for Windows; variations of KeePass (such as KeePassXC) are available for other systems and devices
- Privacy Badger: free, open source privacy tool and ad blocker; works on several common browsers
- uBlock Origin: free, open source privacy tool and ad blocker; works on several common browsers
Audio, video, and design
- Audacity: free, open source audio software
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Free Music Archive: freely downloadable, royalty-free music
- OBS Studio: free, open source screencasting and streaming tool
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- OpenShot: free, open source video editing software
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Shotcut: free, open source video editing software (note: it has a steep learning curve)
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- TechSmith Capture: free screen capturing and recording tool
- Available for Mac and Windows
- VLC Media Player: free, open source media player
- Available for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows
Graphic design and images
- Canva: free online graphic design tool
- Gimp: free, open source image editing tool
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Inkscape: free, open source graphics editor
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Krita: free, open source online painting program
- Available for Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Pexels: Free stock photos; all openly licensed and downloadable
- Pixabay: High quality stock photos and videos
- Unsplash: A growing collection of high-quality, freely usable images with Creative Commons licenses. Several institutions, such as the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library, have added historical photos to Unsplash’s collections.