Must have Open Source software
why Open Source?
- Well, because it offers transparency and community-driven innovation.
- It’s (usually) more secure since its source code is open and available for anyone to see and critique, allowing experts worldwide to inspect, identify, and fix vulnerabilities quickly. Unlike closed-source software, which relies on the vendor's security practices.
TL;DR
All are Free, Open source and Cross-platform unless otherwise specified.
Have a problem downloading any of them because of restrictions? since they are all open source their code and installation files and instructions are also available on GitHub which shouldn’t be restricted.
* Has a paid Version (10$ / year), Free version is good enough for almost everyone.
** Paid only (w/o free version) at ~5$ / mo
Detailed
Two-Factor Authentication:
- (2fa) adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second verification step on top of your password. Even if someone gets your password, they can't access your accounts without the 2FA code.
- Using 2fa Authentication apps instead of SMS-based 2fa is more secure since they aren’t susceptible to SIM-swapping or interception.
provides:
- end-to-end encrypted cloud backups
- the ability to view the next code (extremely underrated feature)
- the ability to import your existing 2fa codes from various apps e.g. Google Authenticator
- the ability to use in offline mode with no online backup
Password Management:
- Reusing passwords is risky—if one account is breached, others are too. A password manager ensures every account has a unique password.
- Password managers help create and store long, complex passwords that are nearly impossible to guess or crack.
provides:
- Zero knowledge, end-to-end encryption cloud backup
- the ability to store Unlimited passwords, unlimited devices (even on the free plan)
- the ability to Generate, share, and autofill strong passwords and passkeys.
- the abilitty Securely encrypt files (paid version only)
VPN:
- A VPN masks your IP address and location, making it harder for websites, advertisers, and hackers to track you.
- Access content, streaming services, or websites that maybe be restricted in your region.
- A VPN hides your internet traffic from your ISP preventing them from knowing what websites you access.
- VPNs encrypt your internet traffic, protecting sensitive data (like passwords and payment info) on public Wi-Fi.
- Mullvad VPN — Paid ~5$ / mo
provides:
- No logging, Anonymous payments, and Anonymous accounts.
- Advanced features such as Obfuscation (Shadowsocks or UDP-over-TCP), Quantum-resistant connections, multi-hops, API access via Bridges, and Defense Against AI-guided Traffic Analysis
- Based in Sweden, where VPNs are NOT required to log user information or traffic, check out this article by the Mullvad team for more information.
Disclaimer: Using a VPN app does NOT hide the fact that you’re using a VPN from your ISP or the authorities, they can’t know what you’re doing but they do know you’re using a VPN.
Please use VPNs in accordance with the law in your country, don’t break any laws or ToS for any services.
File Sharing:
- Since files never leave your local network, there’s no risk of data exposure to external servers or third parties.
- faster than cloud-based services, especially for large files.
- Perfect for offline environments or when internet connectivity is limited or unavailable.
provides:
- The file transfer is completely peer-to-peer.
- End-to-end encryption.
Browsers:
Your browser is your gateway to the internet, and choosing one with strong security features helps protect against malware, tracking, and data breaches.
- Should work well with your operating system and not significantly degrade performance.
- Limits tracking, offers strong ad-blocking capabilities, and has private browsing modes.
- Supports security-enhancing extensions like HTTPS Everywhere, uBlock Origin, or Privacy Badger.
- Has phishing protection, sandboxing, HTTPS enforcement, and pop-up blockers.
provides:
- Open source and based on Firefox (an open source web browser)
- Not based on Chromium and does NOT have google spyware baked in
- Since google has no control over Firefox, Ad block extentions like uBlock Origin work fully unlike on chromium based web browsers like Google Chrome
- Highly customizable
- Features like split view, side bar, quick view (i.e. zen glance)
- Stable for an alpha (i.e. beta) version, for a more stable browser consider vanilla Firefox
Encryption software:
Encryption software protects sensitive data by making it unreadable to unauthorized users.
provides:
- Encrypting files, folders, or entire drives, safeguarding personal and sensitive information from unauthorized access.
- Creating an encrypted volume on a USB drive for secure data transportation.
- Full disk encryption to encrypt your system protecting all data in case of theft or loss.
- Creating hidden encrypted volumes within standard ones, which can be useful in high-risk situations like being forced to open the encrypted volume
Video editing:
provides:
- Multi-track editing, a variety of effects and transitions, keyframe animations, and powerful audio controls
- Handling almost all video and audio formats without requiring additional plugins
- Flexible layouts and options for configuring the interface to suit your workflow
Bootable USB media creation:
Bootable media creation tools allow you to prepare USB drives for installing or running operating systems or performing diagnostics
provides:
- Unlike traditional tools, Ventoy enables you to load multiple ISO files on a single USB drive without repeatedly formatting
- Just copy ISO files to the USB drive—no need for additional configuration
- Vast range of operating systems, including Linux distros, Windows versions, and even tools like GParted
- Persistent storage for some Linux distributions, enabling you to save files and settings across sessions
Video recording and live streaming:
provides:
- Completely free with no watermarks or limitations
- Full HD and even 4K video recording at customizable frame rates
- Seamless integrates with platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Live
- Combine video from your webcam, screen, images, and audio sources to create dynamic content
Video transcoding:
Video transcoders allow you to convert videos from one format to another, optimize file sizes, or prepare them for specific devices or platforms
provides:
- support for almost all video formats, including MP4, MKV, and WebM, and offers extensive codec options like H.264, H.265, and VP9
- Balancing file size and video quality, allowing you to reduce file sizes without noticeable quality loss
Final thoughts:
Please consider supporting open source software you like and use, also tell your loved ones about them.