Free software refers to computer programs that are free of charge, in contrast to proprietary, paid (commercial) software. The Free Software Foundation defines free software as “free and open source software that can be used, modified and shared with no restrictions.” Examples of free software include the Linux kernel and BSD operating systems; the GNU Compiler Collection and C library; the MySQL relational database server as well as the Sendmail mail transport agent; the Blender 3D computer graphics software and the Replicant smartphone OS.

It’s important to understand that it is illegal to download paid software for free without buying it first or paying for it. This is known as piracy. It deprives the developer of money and may cause the product to fail or cease to be supported in the future. Downloading pirated software from non-official sites can lead to malware and virus infections.

TechSpot Downloads releases updates every day with a variety of new programs in categories like productivity communications, security, and gaming. It also has a helpful guide that can help users avoid downloading harmful software and discover alternatives they can try.

FileHippo is a well-known web site with lots of current programs and categories like Windows and Mac software as well as Android apps. The page you could try this out for each app includes short, informative reviews written by real users. This will give you a better idea of the app’s capabilities and benefits before you install it.

The drawback is that FileHippo can sometimes request that you install a new program before the one you’re looking for, but it’s clearly labeled, easy to skip, and doesn’t recommend shady software. It also has large back catalogs of previous versions of various applications, which is great to have if you have older programs that require updating or you’re concerned about stability issues in the most recent version.