Get what you DON'T pay for: Here are 196 programs that cost nothing but will make your computing life richerall while keeping your wallet fat.

We don't want to make you feel bad, but, uh... are you really still paying for software? Wow.

Well, we're here to spread the word: There's no lack of free software to be found online. Some of it is as powerful, if not more so, than the name-brand packages found on shelves at Best Buy for big bucks. By free, we mean you don't pay a dime except for what it costs to download and install the software. There are even times when you don't have to install anything, since there are a lot of great Web-based applications available these days.

Knowing all this, every year PCMag puts together a fresh look at the Best Free Software. We check the previous year's picks to make sure they've still got the chops (and the $0 price tag) and cull through other options that have come our way. We concentrate on productivity apps and utilities for Windows users, but make note when a program also works for Mac OS X and Linux distributions. Every one of the products in this list that is classified as a Windows product is compatible with XP up to Windows 7unless otherwise noted.

In addition, we know there's plenty of free software available for smartphones, so we've made a notation if the app has a mobile component, but we'll leave the full list of no-cost apps for your phone to our mobile experts (See ".")

Many of the apps rounded up here are also "portable," meaning that they have versions that can be placed on a USB Flash Drive and run without installation, sometimes as part of the PortableApp.com platform; we've marked them as such.

Did we miss any great no-cost programs? Leave a comment on the story and let usand the rest of the worldknow about your favorite freebie.

In This Story:

Anti-Malware

1. Ad-Aware Free 8.2

http://www.lavasoft.com/products/ad_aware_free.php

Windows

The latest version (8.2) of this venerable tool includes new tech that looks for malware patterns to ID threats, and an ultra-simple mode to automatically handle problems before you need to worry. It's free for home use; naturally, the Plus and Pro versions throw in extras, but they'll cost you ($26.95 and $39.95, respectively).

 Read PCMag's review of .

2. avast! Free Antivirus 5.0

http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

Windows

With a new interface that makes it easier to master, as well as a new heuristic engine for finding trouble on your PC (on top of the usual definitions), this perennial freebie continues to improve. Of course, you can pay to get even more protection via .

 Read PCMag's review of .

3. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 9.0

http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage

Windows

This app is better for keeping an already clean system clean rather than rooting out problems (according to our tests), but it excels at that, even when you're running a Windows system in Safe Mode.

 Read PCMag's review of .

4. Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware 1.36

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Windows

Even other security companies, such as like Norton, use Malwarebytes' software, probably because it's fast fast fast at scanning a system for problems. Thankfully, it also does a good job of cleaning up what it finds. Pay for the Pro version to get real-time protection.

 Read PCMag's review of .

5. Microsoft Security Essentials 1.0

http://www.microsoft.com/Security_Essentials/

Windows

Microsoft realized the dirty truth: Windows is susceptible to viruses! And rather than try to make a buck off this fact, it's doing the right thing by putting out its own anti-malware for free to the masses. It's not great protection, but it's better than nothing. It works great with Windows, of course, in 74 countries and 25 languages.

 Read PCMag's review of .

6. Panda Cloud Antivirus Free Edition 1.0

http://www.cloudantivirus.com/en/

Windows

This is our PCMag Editors' Choice among free anti-malware software and for good reason. Half the detection action happens in the cloud (AKA, over the Internet) so you're not downloading over-sized definition files anymore. There's no update button. It's also great at finding malware. Security expert Neil J. Rubenking called it "the best free antivirus software available."

 Read PCMag's review of .

7. ThreatFire 4.5

http://www.threatfire.com/

Windows

It's no longer our Editors' Choice, but we still like the fact that this heuristics-only anti-malware fighter can work side-by-side with traditional definitions-based virus killers to provide supplemental protection. It's fast and even removes rootkits.

 Read PCMag's review of .

8. Trend Micro HouseCall 7.1

http://housecall.trendmicro.com/index.html

Windows

Like Panda, Trend is now using a cloud-based database of malware definitions to find problems, and requires no actual installation on your system. It doesn't run in the background (so no real-time protection), but that also means it's a great 'second opinion' to run along with other anti-malware programs.

 Read PCMag's review of .

App Launchers

9. Launchy 2.1.2

http://www.launchy.net/

Windows | Mac | Linux

By adding the Mac OS to its lineup, Launchy now can be the ultimate application launcher no matter what your operating system. It helps to know a little bit about what's under the hood of your OS, but if you do, this nifty and skinnable open-source keystroke launcher can speed up your computing in a big way.

10. ObjectDock 1.9

http://www.stardock.com/products/objectdock/

Windows

A favorite that mimics the Mac OS dock within Windows, ObjectDock can take the place of the Taskbar, providing an animated way to interact with program icons.

11. PortableApps.com Suite & Platform 1.6

http://portableapps.com/

Windows | Portable

It's kind of a cheat to include this as a program, because PortableApps.com is a platform in and of itself; its purpose is to put all of your favorite open-source programs (many of which are in this story) on a USB flash drive, so you can use them at any PC. Think of it as putting your whole computer in your pocket, with PortableApps.com providing the backbone for launching them from a pop-up menu.

 Read more about PortableApps.com in .

12. Alfred

http://www.alfredapp.com/

Mac

Yes, we're showing Macs some love. Quicksilver was once the beloved app launcher (and more) for the Mac OS, but the developer hasn't done much with it. Now, there's a new option, Alfred. It does much of what QuickSilver did, from launching programs to searching the Web and contacts. And there are more features on the way.

Audio

13. Audacity 1.2

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

This open-source tool sets the bar for what you can do with audio for free. It can record anything you play on your computer and edit it in ways you can't conceive of until you start playing around. Limitations, such as no native MP3 export, are overcome by free plug-ins. If you want to podcast or mix music on the cheap, Audicity is what you need.

 Read PCMag's review of .

14. Foobar2000 1.0.1

http://www.foobar2000.org/

Windows

Want to play just about any kind of audio file you can imagine in Windows? Foobar2000 1.0.1 has you covered. Its extensive set of additional components ensures a smooth process for working with compressed files, burning CDs, and even adding Dolby 5.1 surround sound support when you listen through headphones.

15. MP3 Skype Recorder 1.9.0

http://voipcallrecording.com/

Windows

You might be shocked to learn that this software records Skype calls to MP3 format. Yeah, that's it, but MP3 Skype Recorder does it incredibly well. It even saves the call as mono or stereo tracks, with an adjustable bit rate. There are no time limits or file size limitations. It even records SkypeOut calls to regular phones or conference calls with multiple people.

Backup/Synch/Storage

16. CloudDrive 0.68

http://www.driveoncloud.com/

Windows

You get 5GB of free online storage with Adobe Acrobat Online Storage Service. Uploading and downloading from such a service isn't always easy though, especially if you want to grab a whole folder of data. CloudDrive, a free client for Adobe Acrobat Online Storage Service, lets you do exactly that via drag and drop.

17. Dropbox

http://www.dropbox.com/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Web | Mobile

Our Editors' Choice for cloud-based automatic file sync, Dropbox is the epitome of a set-it-up and let-it-go service. Install it on any desktop or laptop computer and all the files in your Dropbox folder appear on all systems (or on a friend's if you share a folder). It's free for up to 2GB of data synched, and that's data you can access on your iPhone or via the Web, too.

 Read PCMag's review of .

18. DriveImage XML V2.13

http://www.runtime.org/driveimage-xml.htm

Windows

Free for private use, this utility makes full "hot images" of your drives or partitions that are stored as XML files, so you can still access data on them. It works for Windows versions XP to 7, and it has a number of command-line parameters for power users.

19. DriverMax 5.5

http://www.innovative-sol.com/drivermax/

Windows

Drivers are the magic software sauce that keeps your computer hardware humming. But when you switch from PC to PC and take peripherals with you, or you just need to make sure you've got the latest drivers, what do you do? Turn to DriverMax. It will do a back-up and restore of drivers you need, or just download the latest for your (new) operating system on the same PC. Use it for Windows XP through Win7, whether it's 32- or 64-bit version.

20. Gladinet Cloud Desktop Starter Edition

http://www.gladinet.com/

Windows | Web

There's lots of cloud-based storage out there that's going to waste, even if you have accounts that provide access. Gladinet's software attempts to rectify this by giving you direct desktop access to cloud storage solutions, such as Amazon S3, SkyDrive, Box.net, and Google Docs, acting as if it's a network drive. It also has "cloud-to-cloud" backup, so your Google Docs files get backed up to some other service's online storage.

21. MozBackup

http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/

Windows

If you love your Mozilla products (i.e. Firefox, Thunderbird, Flock, Songbird, among others), then you probably use them on multiple computers. Just make sure they're set up the same, or, at the very least, that all of the data inside, such as e-mail, is stored safely. MozBackup takes care of backup and restoration.

22. MozyHome Online Backup

http://mozy.com/home

Windows | Mac

You've got lots of files that need protection, including big media files. They can take hours and hours to upload to the cloud. Let MozyHome handle it in the background. You get up to 2GB free. (More than that and you'll pay a subscription fee.)

 Read PCMag's review of .

23. SpiderOak

http://www.spideroak.com

Windows | Mac | Linux

SpiderOak provides 2GB of free online storage that backs up in the background. It also offers Linux support and promises "100 percent zero-knowledge privacy."

24. SyncToy 2.1

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=c26efa36-98e0-4ee9-a7c5-98d0592d8c52

Windows

What Microsoft once called a "powertoy" is now a great folder-to-folder synchronization tool. It's great for backing up data from local to network storage once in a while, either manually or scheduled.

25. Syncplicity

http://www.syncplicity.com

Windows | Mobile | Web

Synchronize up to 10,000 files or 2GBwhichever comes firston up to two computers free (you pay for more). Sign up friends and you can add another 1GB per new user recruited. What's more, Syncplicity goes out of its way to work with other cloud-based services, such as Google Docs.

 Read PCMag's review of .

26. Windows Live SkyDrive

http://skydrive.live.com/

Windows

Let's get serious about free storage space. 2GB is fine for documents, but it's not enough for everything you've got. Maybe you can't get enough free space in the cloud for everything, but Microsoft comes close. Its SkyDrive online storage delivers 25GBfree. The only limit: You must keep to no more than 50MB per file.

Blogging

27. Posterous

http://posterous.com

Web

This might be the easiest way for anyonenewbie or experiencedto get started with a new blog, podcast or sharing site. Posterous hosts a Web page for you where you can post just about anything, from your deepest thoughts to most types of digital media (stills, video, or audio). Here's the kicker: You (or others in your group) can autopost directly from e-mail, so any one can become an instant Web publisher.

 Read more about Posterous on Appscout.com.

28. Ustream.tv

http://www.ustream.tv

Web

If you've got a Webcam or some compatible screen-casting software and a good Internet connection, you can stream video live with Ustream.tv, a PCMag Editors' Choice for live video broadcasting. It's not exactly TV quality, but being able to build up a fanbase this way is priceless.

 Read PCMag's review of and check out the PCMag Radio channel at Ustream.tv.

29. WordPress.com

http://www.wordpress.com

Web

This is where you go to setup a new blog, which WordPress will host and you control. You only pay if you need extra space or even more control (such as CSS modification).

 Read PCMag's review of .

30. Windows Live Writer 2009

http://download.live.com/writer

Windows

Want a word processor that's specifically for blogging and can automate posting to top blogging platforms, such as Movable Type, WordPress, Live Journal, TypePad, and others? The new version of Writer offers enhancements for sharing images and even cropping and tilting pictures on the fly, or creating albums. You can even auto-publish video to sites like YouTube. Plug-ins will integrate Writer with sites like Digg, Flickr, and Twitter.

31. Zoundry Raven 1.0.375

http://www.zoundryraven.com

Windows| Portable

Send your missives to multiple blogging platforms with this WYSIWYG editor. Zoundry Raven gives Windows Live Writer a run for its money (or it would if either cost a dime). The open-source app can run portably from a USB flash drive and be used with any Windows PC.

Browsers

32. Firefox 3.5

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile | Portable

What more can we say about Mozilla's flagship product? There's always a new and more innovative version on the way. It's the primo example of a perfected extensible architecture (that is to say, plug in), and it remains our Editors' Choice in desktop browsing.

 Read PCMag's review of .

33. Flock 2.5

http://www.flock.com/

Windows | Mac OS | Linux

The self-described "social Web browser" is built on the same underpinnings as Firefox, but it gets its social on by integrating with sites and servicesmost recently, Twitter and Facebook.

34. Google Chrome 4.0

http://www.google.com/chrome/

Windows | Mac | Linux

Firefox once reigned supremeas a browser with extensionsbut Chrome is coming to usurp the throne. It doesn't offer a big library of extensions, comparatively, but couple what it has with incredible speed and you've got a winner.

 Read PCMag's review of .

35. Maxthon

http://www.maxthon.com/

Windows

Back on this list by popular demand is Maxthon, a browser that introduced many to the idea of tabs. It now supports Windows 7 features, such as multitouch. It sports a built-in RSS reader and ad blocker, as well as support for plug-ins and skins.

36. Opera 10.5

http://www.opera.com/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile

Opera claims to be "the fastest browser on earth," thanks to a new JavaScript engine, Carakan, and a new graphics library, Vega.

 Read PCMag's Hands On of .

37. OperaTor 3.5

http://archetwist.com/en/opera/operator

Windows

Combine the portable version of Opera with the anonymizing service Tor (The Onion Router) and you get OperaTor, a bundle (including Polipo as a proxy) that keeps your surfing secret.

38. Prism

https://mozillalabs.com/prism/

Windows

There are a lot of Web-based programs out there, and a lot of them are on this list. There are times, though, when you want your apps to run on your desktop alone, so if the browser crashes, your Web app doesn't go with it. That's what Prism does. It's a site-specific browser. You specify the site, then an app like Gmail, Meebo, Mint.com, etc. can run on your desktop as if it's installed software.

 For more on how site-specific browsers work, read How to Run Web Apps from Your Desktop.

39. Safari 4

http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

Windows | Mac | Mobile

A fine performer on the desktop and the cornerstone of browsing on the iPhone, Safari is Apple's entry into the browser wars. It also continues to innovate with cool visuals (Cover Flow for your history), better speeds, and overall compatibility.

 Read PCMag's review of .

Calendar/PIM

40. 30 Boxes

http://30boxes.com/

Web

This Web calendar actually looks 100-percent like the calendars of yore. You won't get confused using 30 Boxes, even on the months with 31 or 28 boxes.

41. Chandler 1.0

http://chandlerproject.org

Windows | Mac | Linux

Though it looks like Outlook, Chandler is all about keeping track of the notes, to-do lists, and meetings in your future.

42. Google Calendar

http://www.google.com/calendar/

Web

One of the best of the many Google online apps, Calendar displays your schedule any way you want. It's imminently searchable, of course, and has its own Labs section, with experimental ideas from Google that you can implement, if you want.

43. Google Contacts

http://www.google.com/contacts

Web

Google's answer to keeping track of your friends and family might be a bit anemicokay, it's more than a bit anemicbut it's a must have when your life is intertwined with Google Voice and Gmail.

44. Lightning

http://www.mozilla.org/projects/calendar/lightning/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

Another project of Mozilla Labs, Lightning is technically an extension for the Thunderbird e-mail software. And what an add-on it is, providing full calendaring support with a task list. You can even synch it with your Google Calendar.

45. Remember The Milk

http://www.rememberthemilk.com/

Web | Mobile

You don't want to forget the milk, or anything else, and this superior cloud-based task manager will make sure your to-do lists are easily managed and accessible via a variety of smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and even through other Web services, such as Gmail.

46. Yahoo Calendar

http://calendar.yahoo.com/

Web

Not much has changed with Yahoo's online calendar or contacts in the last few years, but maybe it doesn't need to. This kind of simplicity is hard to come by. If you don't want all the extra bells and whistles of other apps, this might be the right PIM for you.

Conferencing/VoIP

47. Adobe ConnectNow

http://www.adobe.com/acom/connectnow/

Web

Part of Adobe's Acrobat.com suite of tools, ConnectNow provides you with a meeting room where you can invite up to two users to do some collaborative work. Attendees can share screens, take part in text chats, whiteboard, and video conference via webcam. The free version lets you create up to five PDF files and there is a cap on the size of files. If you'd like to invite additional attendees and get more robust conferencing features, you can upgrade to a monthly or annual plan.

48. Dabbleboard

http://www.dabbleboard.com/

Web

Dabbleboard, an online collaboration app, brings drawing and some real-time collaboration and whiteboarding to your virtual meeting. The free version lets an unlimited number of collaborators draw on the board while chatting; you can pay for a subscription to do more, such as get control over who can view and edit drawings, as well as encrypted access.

49. Dimdim 5.5

https://estore.dimdim.com/user/signup

Web

If you want to hold an online conference with people in far-flung places, and you're looking to do it for free, check out Dimdim. Dimdim lets you schedule online meetings for up to 20 peopleno software installation needed.

 Read PCMag's review of

50. Doodle

http://www.doodle.com/

Web

Continuing in the tradition of Web conferencing apps with silly names, Doodle is like the eVite of online meetings. It's easy to schedule events like conference calls and family gatherings, and you can import them into your Outlook, Lotus Notes, Google, Yahoo, and Facebook calendars.

 Read PCMag's review of .

51. ooVoo

http://www.oovoo.com/

Windows | Mac

If all you want to do is have a straight-up two-way video chat with someone else via Webcam, then try ooVoo. The free version even lets you send and receive 1-minute video messages to fellow users. You can also use it for chatting (with up to 6 people) and to send files.

52. Springnote

http://www.springnote.com

Web | Mobile

Use an OpenID, such as your Google sign-in, to access Springnote and you can use this wiki-based site for creating a personal notebook (which you can share) or a group notebook for projects. RSS feeds make it easy for members to keep up, and they can comment on pages when not fully editing the content on them. iPhone users can also access pages via a free app.

53. Skype 4.0

http://www.skype.com

Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile | Portable

Practically synonymous with VoIP and now with one-on-one free video conferencing, Skype offers its core functionPC-to-PC communicationtotally free. That goes for talking to Skype users on smartphones as well. Skype has gotten so big, entire phone systems have been built to use its backbone. You only pay if you want extras, such as the ability to call landline phones or built-in voice mail, but even those are super-cheap compared to what's offered by traditional providers.

 Read PCMag's review of .

54. TokBox

http://www.tokbox.com/

Web

You can video chat with up to 20 people simultaneously via webcams using TokBox. This video-based phone service also ties into your existing IM accounts to find other users (it won't call regular phones). If you'd rather not use the Web, an installable application is also available. You can check out the equally free .

Displays

55. VirtuaWin v4.2 beta1

http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net

Windows

Need more than one monitor but don't have the cash to spend? A virtual desktop might be the answer. You can have as many as nine with VirtuaWin, each found by tapping an icon in the system tray.

56. DisplayFusion v3.1.8

http://www.binaryfortress.com/displayfusion/

Windows

If you're lucky enough to have multiple monitors, and you're looking to get more from the experience, try DisplayFusion. It gives each its own unique wallpaper (with integrated search on Flickr), the ability to display more with the Titlebars at the top of each window, hot keys to move windows from system to system, and more.

Email

57. Affixa 2.2010.1.23

http://www.affixa.com

Windows

Once there were programs called gAttach and yAttach, which integrated Gmail and Yahoo Mail with your desktop. They've both been replaced by Affixa, which does the same for both. It even handles those "mail to" links that crop up online, as if it were the native e-mail app. To support multiple accounts, you need the $3 Pro version.

58. eM Client 2.5

http://www.emclient.com

Windows

Want to get rid of Outlook and get something users can master quickly? eM Client software offers all of the same features, such as e-mail and calendar. It even throws in instant messaging. It works with just about any existing e-mail server software. It's only free for use at home, but a corporate license might be worth it.

59. Gmail

https://mail.google.com

Web

Google's version of online e-mail is a standard now. Because it lives in the cloud, it continues to innovate via the Gmail Labs experiments, some of which become standard features. In the last year alone, Google made sure every Gmail session is secure (notice the https in the address), and maybe most remarkably, it is no longer in beta. If that label was holding you back, you've got no excuse now.

 Read .

60. Inbox2

http://www.inbox2.com/

Windows

You've got a lot of inboxes outside of your e-mail, including your social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. This app combines them all, so you can send one message to all services and read them all in one interface.

61. Thunderbird 3

http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile | Portable

It's been the best desktop alternative to Outlook for a long time. Version 3 of Mozilla's e-mail and RSS news reader adds a new feature to the interface: tabs (just like in Firefox). And, of course, it's always supported cool extensions. It's not for businesses, but for everyone else eschewing Web-based email, it's the best choice.

 Read PCMag's review of .

62. VoxOx 2

http://www.voxox.com

Windows | Mac

You want a tool that does it all? This could be the one. VoxOx 2 integrates with a wide variety of services and software: It does voice and video calls, SMS text messaging, instant messaging, file sharing, e-mail, and even faxing. It helps that the parent company is a telco. You might have to pay for some calls, but the charge is minor. It even includes a new digital "personal assistant" and on-the-fly translation of text.

 Read more about .

63. Zimbra Desktop

http://www.zimbra.com/

Windows | Mac | Linux

If you want to handle all your Web mail on your desktop along with a POP/IMAP account or two, Zimbra gives you an Outlook-esque interface from which to do so. Set up all of your accounts and it will handle messages, plus contacts, calendars, and more.

File Transfer/Sharing

64. BitTorrent 6.2

http://www.bittorrent.com/

Windows | Mac | Linux

The client software for the BitTorrent protocol, which makes sharing a breeze, is not as good as its competition, but it still sports fast performance across all OSes.

 Read PCMag's review of .

65. FileZilla 3.3.2.1

http://filezilla-project.org

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

We once mistakenly called this a Mozilla project because of its name. It's not. This free FTP client software started as a computer science project in 2001 and blossomed into an open-source staple.

66. LimeWire 5.5.7

http://www.limewire.com/download

Windows | Mac

In the days of Napster, instant file sharing was all the rage. The closest you can come to that todayand still be legalis LimeWire. The client can access the Gnutella sharing network, as well as BitTorrent downloads and uploads. If you're willing to pay for a subscription, you get extras like anti-virus protection.

 Read more about LimeWire at PCMag.com.

67. net2ftp 0.98

http://www.net2ftp.com

Web

You may not want to start up an FTP client just to transfer one file. In fact, why use a client at all? Net2ftp is a Web app that can handle the transfer. All you have to do is give it the server, username, and password.

68. RightLoad 1.9

http://rightload.org/

Windows

This tiny FTP client does one thing: It sends files directly to pre-configured servers, with a simple right-click. It even lets you quickly throw images onto Facebook and Flickr.

69. µTorrent 2.0

http://www.utorrent.com/downloads/

Windows | Mac | Portable

Our favorite BitTorrent client (it's our Editors' Choice) is also yours, since half the protocol's users prefer it. No wonder: It's super small, super fast, and gives you all the controls you need to manage the bandwidth it uses.

 Read PCMag's review of .

70. Vuze

http://www.vuze.com/

Windows | Mac

This BitTorrent client does more than BitTorrent. It's also a media player that works not just on your computer, but it serves video on a variety of other devices, including all three major game consoles, TiVo Series 3, Apple TV, iPods, and the iPhone. Yet, it remains an open platform.

File Viewers/Converters

71. Adobe Reader 9

http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/

Windows | Mac | Linux

The primary reader for Adobe Acrobat files, Reader used to be bloated and slow. Newer versions, however, are almost as fast as Acrobat-reading competitors. If you still think it's slow, use PDF Speedup (Windows only) to, well, speed it up, by deactivating unneeded extra features.

72. FoxIt Reader 3.2

http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/reader/

Windows | Portable

You don't need Adobe to read Acrobat files. FoxIt Reader is a long-time popular PDF reader that is famed for having no bloat. It allows you to annotate a file, or convert all of a PDF's text directly to a TXT file.

73. FreeCommander

http://www.freecommander.com/

Windows| Portable

Tabs or dual panes are a staple of any replacement for Windows Explorer; FreeCommander sports both, plus a built-in file viewer, archive handler, multi-file renaming, file splitting/rejoining, and FTP support. And, it's portable, so you can run it from a USB flash drive.

74. IrfanView 4.25

http://www.irfanview.com/

Windows

A true classic, IrfanView (pronounced ear-fan-view) is all about viewing and converting graphics files, covering just about any graphic format you can conceive of. It even has some editing and annotation capabilities, all in a tiny 1.3MB download.

75. IZArc 4.1

http://www.izarc.org/

Windows | Portable

Open or create just about any compressed file you can think of with IZArc. Zip, RAR, and the like are a given, but it also tackles CD/DVD image files, such as ISOs or BINs (and it can convert them, too). Just drag a file onto IZArc to get started. The portable IZArc2Go runs from your USB flash drive.

76. muCommander v0.8.5

http://www.mucommander.com/

Windows | Mac | Linux

If you use multiple operating systems, you've likely wished you could access files on them all in the same manner. Try muCommander. Written in Java, it looks the same on all OSes: a simple dual-pane explorer-type app that handles file compression and comes in 23 languages.

77. PDF-XChange Viewer 2.049

http://www.docu-track.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer

Windows

PDF-XChange Viewer looks like it provides as much control over PDFs as you can getshort of buying Acrobat for a few hundred bucks. It's got a toolbar stuffed with features, from advanced navigation to markup/comments (including "rubber" stamps) to search to import/export to working with AcroForms (interactive forms). It will even password encrypt/decrypt files.

78. PeaZip 3.0

http://peazip.sourceforge.net/

Windows | Linux | Portable

Install PeaZip, right click on files uncompressed (to pick archives you can create) or compressed (to pick how best to extract the contents) via the context menu that pops up. Windows 7 users will get a cascading submenu of choices. Go into PeaZip's own interface to create settings that help you out.

79. PrimoPDF

http://www.primopdf.com/index.aspx

Windows

Nitro Software's PrimoPDF makes PDF files. It's that simple. Thing is, it does it fast via drag and drop of popular formats, including Microsoft Office (over 300 file types total).

80. Nuance PDF Reader 6

http://www.nuance.com/imaging/products/pdf-reader.asp

Windows

While PDF-Xchange crams a lot of power into a convoluted, multi-button interface, Nuance attempts similar features in a better-looking package. It loads extremely fast (at 18MB vs. Adobe Reader's 200MB, that's almost a given). Nuance will also play back embedded media in a PDF file and convert files to Word, RFT, or Excel formats.

81. xplorer2Lite 1.7.2.7

http://zabkat.com/x2lite.htm

Windows

So, you've heard that dual panes and tabs are the way to go if you're looking to replace Windows Explorer? So did xplorer2, which also adds folder comparison/synchronization, previews of certain file types (like TXT and RTF), and a text editor of its own.

82. XnView 1.97.2/1.70

http://www.xnview.com/en/xnview.html

Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile | Portable

We love IrfanView, but XnView goes a little farther by supporting more operating systems. It, arguably, has a prettier interface for converting the 400+ graphic file formats it supports.

83. ZamZar

http://www.zamzar.com/

Web

Don't install a thing the next time you have a file that needs converting. Zamzar lets you upload files up to 100MB. Just pick a format to convert them too, and you'll get an e-mail with a link to download it. This works for documents, images, audio, and video. You can even compress a file. If you want to upload larger files, you can subscribe for $7 a month to start.

Finance

84. 1DayLater

http://1daylater.com/

Web | Mobile

Everyone from freelancers to small businesses needs to keep careful records. This could come down to the number of minutes spent on a project, or miles traveled, and, of course, expenses. 1DayLater is all about tracking time, distance, and cash for all your projects and clients, providing a visual report of what's what.

85. Billeo

https://www.billeo.com

Windows | Mac | Web

Billeo is a combination electronic-wallet, form filler, password manager, and more. It helps make it easier to conduct financial transactions online, whether paying a bill or making a purchase. Grab the browser plug in for Firefox to get started.

 Read PCMag's review of .

86. Buxfer

http://www.buxfer.com

Web | Mobile

You don't have to store your bank data in this online money management app; Buxfer will simply synch with your downloaded bank data, if you prefer. Either way, you get an easy-to-grasp look at your financial health, with reports on what you've spent and made, as well as budgeting suggestions. Take it on the road with you via your iPhone, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile devices, too.

87. Mint.com

http://www.mint.com/

Web | Mobile

PCMag's Editors' Choice for online financial Web services is a big name now: Intuit, the makers of Quicken, bought the company, realizing this was the future of online finance. Mint gathers your banking information and spending data from all of your bank accounts, credit cards, and loans, and gives you a constant, up-to-date report on how your finances fare, with advice on how to improve things, if needed.

 Read PCMag's review of .

88. Outright

http://outright.com

Web

Having a hard time imagining keeping your small business' finances online? Outright makes online biz bookkeeping easy, by tracking income and expenses, creating reports on that data, and then providing an overview of what you need to pay in taxes. It imports data from your financial institutions (like Mint does for your individual accounts) and partner sites, all for free.

 Read PCMag's review of .

Fun/Home

89. calibre 0.6.45

http://calibre-ebook.com/

Windows | Mac | Linux

As ebooks get more popular, you need a way to keep track of them all. Calibre is gaining thousands of users each month doing just that. It sorts ebooks by title, author, rating, and more, plus you can tag them as you like. It will convert ebook formats (so you can make EPUB or PDF files from MOBI and TXT, or vice versa). It will even sync with some ebook readers if you don't use the built-in viewer to read on your computer screen.

90. Celestia

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

Travel the galaxy with this planetarium software, which uses an "exponential zoom feature" to make traveling through the stars seamless no matter the scale. If the package doesn't include the stars and celestial objects you desire, there's every chance an add-on in The Celesita Motherlode will.

91. FreeMind 0.9.0

http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki

Windows | Mac | Linux

A mind map is like a flowchart/illustration/diagram of all the words, ideas, and pictures you can imagine as you brainstorm new ideas. Mind mapping software, such as FreeMind, helps get those ideas down before they slip away. It's written in Java, so it runs on all OSes, providing an interface similar to an outline on steroids to track whatever you insert as you think think think.

92. Geni

https://www.geni.com/

Web

Get ready to decorate the family tree. Geni lets you build out your genealogy and find ways to connect them with others when ancestors overlap (to do some of that connecting requires upgrading to the Pro version). You can log in with your Facebook account to share updates to the family tree with everyone you know.

93. Ibis Reader

http://ibisreader.com/

Web | Mobile

This started out as a simple work-around for iPhone users and has blossomed into a great-looking cloud-based ebook reader that you can use on a laptop or phone, including the Droid, Nexus One, and iPhone. It uses HTML5 to store books locally (though this requires 50MB of space, even on your phone). Add ePub docs of your own to your My Books shelf: You'll want them until Ibis builds out a better catalog of books.

94. Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store-ebooks-newspapers-blogs/b/ref=topnav_storetab_kinc?ie=UTF8&node=133141011

Windows | Mac | Mobile

You don't have to own a Kindle to buy Kindle-based ebooks. Amazon, smartly, created software that makes them readable on all operating systems and mobile phones with decent screensall the better to sell more ebooks, obviously. What's nice is, with the WhisperSync tech, you can start reading on your desktop or laptop and continue where you left off on your iPhone or BlackBerry (or the actual Kindle hardware).

 Read PCMag's review of for iPhone.

95. Penzu

http://penzu.com/

Web

Dear diary, I had no idea that I could write online and be able to keep my thoughts and feelings private and secure until I found Penzu. I can even insert pictures from Flickr, share entries if I want to, and search past entries. I can get even more cool features (like customized backgrounds and AES encryption) if I want to pay $19 a year for the Pro version.

96. ReadPal 2.2

http://www.readpal.com/

Windows

If you're the type of reader that hates the screen and loves the print out, maybe ReadPal will help you save some trees. It takes your documents and formats them into easily-readable, auto-scrolling text. Or you can read in "Banner Reader" mode: A rapid sequence of words appears in the same place on the screen (it's supposed to be brain friendly). It even takes out extraneous words, so you can skim things faster. It claims it will help you read 42 percent faster. That might be a safe bet, though we can't speak to your level of comprehension.

97. Showoff.com the Visualizer

http://www.showoff.com/apps/default.aspx

Web

Gardeners rejoice and get ready to show off your green thumb. This Web app lets you upload a picture of your abode and then wrap greenery around it, without needing to build a 3D model. Imagine, ahead of time, what all that forsythia will look like around the driveway. You can even use interior shots of your house to play with furniture placement.

98. Sweet Home 3D 2.3

http://www.sweethome3d.eu/index.jsp

Windows | Mac | Linux | Web

This interior design app lets you build a 2D view of your home's floor plan, with 2D representations of furniture. Then, Sweet Home 3D gives you a 3D preview of what the room will look like. It's better than making a friend (and by friend, I mean me) help you move a couch around to find the perfect spot.

99. Timetoast

http://www.timetoast.com/

Web

Occasionally, we all need a timeline for a presentation. Timetoast lets you build extremely beautiful and interactive timelines, which can then be shared on Web pages.

Graphics

100. Artweaver 1.0

http://www.artweaver.de

Windows

This starter tool lets you digitally paint to your heart's content, without making a mess or paying through the nose.

101. Aviary.com

http://aviary.com

Web

Aviary isn't just a single graphics tool, it's a whole flock of tools for creating and editing images in the cloud. If you install a Firefox extension, Aviary can even do screen captures of Web pages, which you can then quickly edit. Brand new to the site: a full-blown audio editor.

102. Blender

http://www.blender.org

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

Open-source tools for making animated movies that rival anything out of Hollywood server farms? Yes, it's possible with Blenderand a metric-ton of hard work and talent. If you lack the latter, you can still play with Blender's serious modeling, shading, animating, and rendering toolseven if it's just a 3D stick figure.

103. GIMP 2.6

http://www.gimp.org

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

The GNU Image Manipulation Program is the ultimate open-source alternative to Photoshop; in fact it can handle just about any professional image editing and creation tasks asked of it, at a price anyone can afford. There's a separate download site if you want GIMP 2.6 for Mac OS X.

 Read PCMag's review of .

104. FastStone Image Viewer 4.0

http://www.faststone.org

Windows

View, manage, and edit images in all the major formats with this intuitive freebie. It supports a photo import from the hardware of a number of digital camera manufacturers, has a great red-eye removal effect, and includes a number of extras.

105. Inkscape 0.47

http://www.inkscape.org/

Windows | Mac | Linux | Portable

There are lots of free bitmap editors and even 3D programs, but what about vector graphics? If you're looking for Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw on the cheap, check out the open-source equivalent Inkscape, which uses the open Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format for files. Check out some of the possibilities you can create with Inkscape in the Open Clip Art Library.

106. Jing

http://www.jingproject.com/

Windows | Mac

You can do more than take a picture of your screen and annotate it with Jing. The utility will also record video of what happens on screen, and it integrates ways to share your captures via IM, e-mail, or blog. Everyone who downloads Jing gets a free account for instant sharing at sister-site Screencast.com with 2GB storage. Pay $15 a year to go pro, and you can record video as MPEG-4 and record from your webcam, too.

107. Paint.NET 3.5.4

http://www.getpaint.net/

Windows

What used to be a student project is now perhaps the best available free Photoshop-esque tool . Paint.NET is fast, too, something Photoshop can seldom claim. Paint.NET, which requires the .NET framework in Windows, can also take plug-ins of its own, including one that lets it read Photoshop's own native PSD files.

108. Picasa 3.6

http://picasa.google.com/

Windows | Web

Google's Picasa doubles as an image editor and master manager of images and video that is extremely simple to use, even though it looks like nothing else you've seen. It works directly with digital cameras to download images to the master image collection; it even supports images in RAW format. Picasa's Web Albums give you an online repository for sharing your favorite pics with the world. Picasa is our PCMag Editors' Choice for consumer image organization and editing.

 Read PCMag's review of .

109. Google SketchUp

http://sketchup.google.com/

Windows | Mac

Want to build a 3D model but don't have the expertise of a Pixar artist nor the money to spend on high-end tools? Google's been providing SketchUp for people just like you for years. Check out the many video tutorials and then dive into the app, creating models of your home, office, or cityeven a whole new world, if you've got time.

110. Picnik

http://www.picnik.com/

Web

This cloud-based image editor is so good, even Google took notice of it and then bought it. For now, Picnik remains a standalone app for touching up images, which you can gather from (or save to) sites like , Facebook, Yahoo, Webshots, or Picasa. We're looking forward to seeing it integrated with Google's other online tools in the future.

 Read PCMag's review of .

111. Photoshop.com

https://www.photoshop.com/

Web | Mobile

You're not exactly going to get the full power of in your browser window, but you get a nice subset of tools to put to work on an online library of photos at this URL. The online version offers standard editing and uploading to sharing sites. Mobile versions, like that for iPhone, give you limited cropping, rotation, and exposure modification for pics on the handheld.

112. PosteRazor

http://posterazor.sourceforge.net/

Windows |Mac | Linux

Small open-source app PosteRazor takes images from a variety of file types, rasterizes them to enlarge them without pixelation, and formats them for printing out in large formats, so that you can physically stitch them together as a poster. This could be the secret to printing a billboard of that embarrassing picture of your sister.

113. SketchPad

http://mugtug.com/sketchpad/

Web

Visit this URL and you don't sign in: you're instantly confronted with an empty palette awaiting your artwork. It's instant painting without giving away a shred of private data. Hit the save icon (a floppy disk, for those of the current generation who don't remember them) and your masterpiece shows up on a new tab in PNG format, ready to be saved with a right-click.

114. Splashup

http://www.splashup.com/

Web

Instantly launch Splashup in a new window and you'll be image editing with a full suite of controls in no time. When you're done, you can save images directly to , , and Facebook.

115. Sumo Paint

http://www.sumopaint.com

Web

Amazingly, Sumo Paint is still around: amazing because the interface is so close to Photoshop's I thought Adobe would have bought it or killed it by now. Sumo Paint has a lot to offer for a Web-based image editor, and you don't even need to register to use it for image editing. There's a downloadable Adobe Air version of the program you can run on Mac, Windows, or Linux, but that'll cost you $19 per year.

Instant Messaging

116. AIM 7 (beta 2)

http://products.aim.com/

Windows | Mac | Web | Mobile

AOL Instant Messenger, as AIM was once known, still has the biggest IM network and the easiest to access from multiple places and servicesa network used by most of the other tools in this section. Using the actual AIM software, however, can get you a few extras, like easy ability to send IM as SMS texts, but mostly it's all about staying in touch with friends and family, no matter what computer or handheld (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Mobile) you use. The new LifeStream feature makes sure the desktop software captures your social networking, as well.

 Read PCMag's review of .

117. Digsby

http://www.digsby.com

Windows | Mac | Linux

This multi-protocol IM client is one we once loved, and still like (see the review for particulars) It's especially noteworthy because it was among the first to deeply integrate social networking with IMs by including access to updates from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and MySpace. It even includes e-mail, such as Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo! Mail, as well as POP3 and IMAP accounts. It's nicely customizable in appearance, too.

 Read PCMag's review of .

118. KoolIM

http://www.koolim.com/

Web

Like Meebo, this is a fast way to access individual instant message accounts without installing software. The interface is not as polished as some of the competition, and I'm not familiar with some of the providers KoolIM supports (Gadu-Gadu?). But for fast access to AIM and others, it does the trick.