Best FOSS Desktop Programs
Web Broswers
Proprietary example: Google Chrome
- Brave-Comes with an ad blocker and dozens of customization options to get the best privacy settings you want. It also comes with TOR built-in and is compatible with all google chrome extensions. Brave also has a feature that allows you to enable privacy-respecting ads in exchange for earning cryptocurrency.
- Chromium– An open-source version of google chrome. works just like chrome and is compatible with all chrome extensions
- Firefox– The original open-source browser. It requires some adjustment for maximum usage. Click here for hardening instructions
- GNU Icecat– The ultimate privacy and freedom-respecting browser. It is based upon firefox and can use firefox add-ons. This browser will not allow non-free javascript code to execute, which ensures maximum freedom, security, and privacy but will also prevent the user from accessing multiple websites, including youtube.
- Waterfox– Based on firefox and compatible with all firefox add-ons. A middle-ground choice between firefox and icecat. It has more privacy-focused settings by default and won’t prevent you from accessing sites like youtube.
Office Suites
Proprietary example: Microsoft office (Microsoft word)
- Libre office
- openoffice
- onlyoffice
- Siag office
Multimedia Editors
Video Editors
Proprietary example: Adobe Premier Pro
FOSS OS compliant-Lightworks: Lightworks is a proprietary program but is one of the few professional-grade video editors that works on a few Linux distributions. It is a high-quality editor that has been used to make multiple movies such as pulp fiction, the king’s speech, and the wolf of wall street. We recommend using one of the FOSS-compliant programs on this list, but if you are a professional editor and the other three options don’t work well enough, give this program a try.
Graphic Design
Proprietary example: Photoshop
- GIMP– Alternative to Photoshop
- Inkscape– Alternative to Adobe Illustrator
- scribus– Alternative to Indesign
Audio Editors
Proprietary example: Apple Garageband
Video Chat
Proprietary example: Zoom
Instant Messaging
Proprietary examples: slack and discord
Media Player
- VLC
- Mplayer
- mpv player
