A list of useful, mostly free or open source software and web services. W = website or web application, * = favorite.
Updated August 21, 2010.
CONTENTS:
Security and Encryption
Password Managers / Generators
Finance
Email and Messaging
Office Suites and Operating Systems
General Productivity Tools
Webmaster and Domain Tools
Remote Access and Desktop Sharing
File Backup and Disk Imaging
System and Network Tools
SECURITY AND ENCRYPTION:
* OpenDNS (W) – DNS service with optional content filtering
* Google Public DNS (W) – DNS service without content filtering
* Google namebench – Find the best DNS server for you
Prey – Track your stolen laptop
USB Safeguard – USB thumb drive encryption
TrueCrypt – Open source full disk encryption application
FreeOTFE – Open Source disk encryption program for PCs and PDAs
* EncryptOnClick – Freeware folder and file encryption tool, portable
* ESET Smart Security – Not free, but my favorite
* Microsoft Security Essentials – Free, use with Windows Firewall
* Panda Cloud Antivirus – Free real-time antivirus, use with Windows Firewall
* HouseCall (W) – Trend Micro’s online security scan
F-Secure Online Scanner (W) – Online scan with removal
ESET Online Scanner (W) – ESET’s online scan
* Norton Removal Tool – Uninstaller for Norton AntiVirus
Other AV Uninstallers (W) – Uninstallers for common antivirus software
ThreatFire – Use in addition to signature based antivirus applications
PC Tools Firewall Plus – Free Firewall
Spyware Doctor with Antivirus – Two free versions, one part of Google Pack
PrevxCSI – Malware on-demand scanner
* McAfee SiteAdvisor – Internet security plug-in
Web of Trust (WOT) – Internet security plug-in that uses user feedback
VerificationEngine – Website authentication tool
Trend Micro eMail ID – Webmail authentication plug-in
Sandboxie – Application virtualization
VirtualBox – Full virtualization product
Windows Virtual PC – Create virtual machines in Windows 7
PASSWORD MANAGERS / GENERATORS:
* KeePass Pasword Safe – Open source password manager
* Mitto (W) – Free web-based password manager
Clipperz (W) – Online password manager
* GRC Password Generator – Online password generator
SafePasswd.com – Alternate online password generator
FINANCE:
* Financial Fate – Financial planning software
* Yodlee MoneyCenter (W) – Online money management service
Mint (W) – Yodlee based finance service, with ads
moneyStrands (W) – Yodlee based finance service, with ads
* AnnualCreditReport.com (W) – free annual credit report
* Equifax ID Patrol (W) – Identity theft protection, not free (better than LifeLock)
* How Americans Spend (W) – Consumption breakdown (2008)
* RetireAbilty (W) – Nationwide’s retirement planning calculator
Retire Secure Index (W) – Wells Fargo’s retirement planning calculator
* Retirement Quickplan (W) – E-TRADE’s retirement planner
myPlan Snapshot (W) – Fidelity’s retirement modeling calculator
Intuit Billing Manager (W) – Create and send invoices online
* The Invoice Machine (W) – Online invoicing service, free for three invoices per month
QuickBooks Simple Start – Free, basic accounting software
Trulia (W) – Real estate search
Zillow (W) – Another real estate search
* Buy vs. Rent (W) – Online tool to calculate your breakpoint
Budget calculator (W) – Simple budget calculator
Investment returns calculator (W) – Return calculator
* Cost of Inflation Calculator (W) – Online tool to visualize future inflation
CD Calculator (W) – CD calculator
EMAIL AND MESSAGING:
Zoho Mail (W) – Ad-free webmail
Global Mail Exchange (W) – Webmail service
Thunderbird – Alternative to Outlook Express/Live Mail
Trend Micro eMail ID – Webmail verification plug-in
thawte Email Cert – Digitally sign and encrypt email
Comodo SecureEmail; – Another option for freeware email encryption
Lightning – Integrated calendar for Thunderbird
OFFICE SUITES AND OPERATING SYSTEMS:
Zoho Office Suite (W) – Web office suite
Google Docs (W) – Google’s online office suite
OpenOffice.org – Open source suite
Lotus Symphony – ODF based by IBM
Portable OpenOffice.org – An office suite for your thumb drive
* Ubuntu – Linux based OS
openSUSE – Linux based OS
OpenSolaris – Open source Solaris OS
Puppy Linux – Little Linux build
Wubi – Ubuntu installer
GENERAL PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS:
* Google Apps Standard edition (W) – Collaborate with your family or small business
Box (W) – Online sharing and collaboration
Huddle (W) – Collaboration, free for charities
Drop.io (W) – File sharing
Open Workbench – Open source alternative to MS Project
CreativePro Office (W) – An office management suite
Hypertable – Open source database
* Pencil – Open source GUI prototyping
Nullsoft Scriptable Install System – Open source install maker for Windows
* Bugzilla (W) – Defect tracking system
* Subversion – Open source version control system
Perforce – Configuration management (free for two users)
Celtx – Storyboards and scriptwriting
PlanningWiz (W) – Create and share floor plans
Sunbird – Mozilla’s desktop calendar
* Foxit Reader – A better, faster PDF reader
* CutePDF Writer – A quick “print to PDF” utility
Text Mining Tool – Convert anything into TXT
* Picasa – Free image editing software, including web sharing
GIMP – Open source image manipulation program
Photoshop Express (W) – 2G online storage with basic editing tools
* Gadwin PrintScreen – A free print screen alternative to SnagIt
Fireshot – Firefox extension for taking web page screenshots
PortableApps – An entire suite of portable applications
Firefox Mobile – Firefox for mobile devices
* Firefox Sync – Sync Firefox settings across computers
Citebite (W) – Create direct links to text within a Web site
Geni (W) – Create your family tree
ClassMarker (W) – Create hosted or embedded quizzes
WEBMASTER AND DOMAIN TOOLS:
Aptana IDE – Open source web application IDE
Microsoft Web Platform – Windows Web server, database, and other tools
* FileZilla – Full-featured FTP client
* WordPress.org – Content publishing platform
Joomla! – Open source CMS
* Color Sphere (W) – Assists with color selection
Defensio – Website spam management
reCAPTCHA Mailhide (W) – Show a CAPTCHA before showing your Email address
Kampyle (W) – Collect website visitors’ feedback (free version)
* Woopra (W) – Web analytics software
* Google Analytics (W) – Web site stats
* Google Webmaster Tools (W) – Everything Google about your site
* Yahoo! Site Explorer (W) – Everything Yahoo! about your site
* Bing Webmaster Tools (W) – Everything Microsoft about your site
Bing Box (W) – Add a Bing search box to your site
Google Site Search (W) – Add Google Search to your site
Magento – Open source shopping cart
* Browsershots (W) – Screenshots of your site in different browsers
* Domain Tools (W) – WHOIS and more
Favicon Editor (W) – Free favicons, plus editor
REMOTE ACCESS AND DESKTOP SHARING:
* LogMeIn Free (W) – Remote access of your home computer, free version
* CrossLoop – Free desktop sharing tool, easy
TeamViewer – Another free desktop sharing tool
Fog Creek Copilot – Free on weekends
* OpenVPN – Open source SSL VPN
dimdim (W) – Free web meeting service
Yuuguu (W) – Web meetings and desktop sharing
FILE BACK-UP AND DISK IMAGING:
* Genie Free Timeline – On-the-fly automated back-up solution
Comodo Backup – Scheduled folder and file backup system
* MozyHome Free (W) – Free remote, automated backups
SpiderOak (W) – Free remote backups, supports Linux
* Genie Backup Manager Pro – Not free, disk imaging and file backup software
DriveImage XML – Free disk imaging software
SYSTEM AND NETWORK TOOLS:
* Google namebench – Find the best DNS server for you
* EASEUS Partition Manager – Disk partitioning utility
Axence NetTools Pro – Network scanning, security, and administration tools
Spiceworks – Network management and asset reporting
* Darik’s Boot And Nuke – Bootable hard disk wiper
* CCleaner – System cleaner
* Windows Sysinternals – Microsoft’s Sysinternals tools suite
PageDefrag – Defrag your paging files
AutoRuns – Startup monitor
BGInfo – Displays system configuration info as a background image
* Process Monitor – Displays file system, registry, and process activity
ESET SysInspector – A system analysis tool
* ClearType Tuner (W) – Manage your ClearType via the Web
Pandora Recovery – File recovery tool
Calibrize – Calibrate monitor colors