Even though there are a plethora of websites offering free software, you can never be sure if the files you are downloading are infected with malware or viruses that can kill your PC. Or worse, leak sensitive information on the internet. Hence, you have to be careful with what you download from these websites. That’s why this article will take you over the best, free software downloading websites.
Here Is The List Of Free Software Download Sites
| S.No | Website | What they offer |
| 1. | Softpedia | Operating system, anti-virus, games, among others |
| 2. | FileHippo | Software, file sharing, security & others |
| 3. | Filehorse | Developer tools, firewall, security and more |
| 4. | Ninite | File Sharing software, online storage and more |
| 5. | Download Crew | Networking Tools, security tools and much more |
| 6. | SnapFiles | Drivers, games, software and others |
| 7. | MajorGeeks | Anti-Virus, Internet tools and more |
| 8. | Filepuma | Security, browser, utilities and more |
| 9. | Download | Graphic design software, security among more |
| 10. | Microsoft Store | Business, developer tools, education and more |
The Best Software Download Sites
All the software downloading websites are chosen based on multiple parameters like the number of software, download speed and, most importantly safety.
1. Softpedia
Softpedia is a website that provides free to use software & apps for people around the globe. The website is available in two languages, English & Romanian, respectively.
The Romania-based website is owned by SoftNews NET SRL and they offer software & tech related news and also downloadable software for both Windows & Mac.
Alongside the software, are reviews from their staff. But it’s not limited to just them! Users may also write about their own experiences with the software.
In addition to reviews, you can also find screenshots of the software for a better understanding by the user. Softpedia has made finding the right software child’s play through their categories tabs. You may sort through these categories to select the one you are looking for.
Top Categories:
- Operating Systems.
- Android Apps.
- News & Reviews of software and tech.
2. FileHippo
A UK-based IT business founded FileHippo in 2004. The website is available in over seven languages, including English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Japanese, and Chinese, allowing users to access it from anywhere in the world.
As the website is visited by people from across the globe, they have prioritised quality over quantity. And, in order to distribute high-quality software as rapidly as possible, they have optimised their download speed through their servers.
To keep any software relevant and useful, it receives frequent upgrades that often modify the software. However, not everyone is pleased with all of the changes, which is why FileHippo archives all versions of the software for download. And all this is done by a team of experts who also perform regular checkups, ensuring all their software and apps are free of spyware and malware. Hence, you don’t have to worry about putting your PC at risk while downloading software online.
Moreover, what sets them apart is their AppManager feature, which scans your computer and provides you with links to update them easily.
Top Categories:
- Office & News
- Personalisation
- System Tuning & Utilities
- File sharing
3. Filehorse
Filehorse is a Dubai based free software download website. In addition to providing high-quality software to its users, it also provides software reviews for the most popular and trending software. This is why they have garnered over 10 million monthly visitors to its website.
Because they cater to both Windows & Mac users, they have a humongous library of handpicked quality software & apps. In addition to the software, they keep all the previous versions of the software for people who didn’t like a particular update. And if that wasn’t enough, the interface is designed to be as user friendly as possible in order to improve the website’s usability. Usability is useless without security, so to maximise your computer’s safety all the software are put through VirusTotal & Google Safe Browsing ensuring there is zero spyware or viruses.
Top Categories:
- Anti-Virus
- Video software
- Games
- File transfer & Networking
- Cleaning & tweaking software
4. Ninite
Nanite is a software management system that automatically instals updates for various software with a single click. Ninite was founded by Patrick Swieskowski and Sascha Kuzins to simplify the process of finding useful and safe software & apps for your computer. And they achieved this goal by creating a free to use installer where you can choose several programmes and bundle them together.
Nanite also has a paid version called “Nanite Pro” which unlocks various other features and a relatively cheaper version called “Nanite Updater”.
The thing to remember before using Nanite is that they don’t have any software or apps for the Mac operating system. And even when it comes to Windows, Ninite supports only Windows 7 and later versions.
Despite these limitations, people around the world use Nanite pro because of its superior features, which are toolbar/adware free installation, the ability to update multiple information at once, the ability to automatically select system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) and error reporting in the case of failure.
Top Categories:
- Web browser
- Runtimes
- Imaging software
- Security
- Utilities
5. Download Crew
Download Crew is a US-based software downloading website. Download Crew offer various software and apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android smartphones as well. And not just free software, they also have commercial applications and open-source software. Their store tabs list down commercial paid software with offers & discounts, so you can purchase software legally directly from their website.
Moreover, to keep you updated, they often publish news articles on the best software and tech released in the market. These articles include freebies, promos, reviews, tips and tutorials.
With Download Crew, you can create an account to keep tabs on all your downloads and create a custom watchlist, so you get notified when your favourite software are released on their platform. And you also get access to additional offers when you create an account with them.
Finally, you can also follow them on Twitter or join their newsletter for the latest discounts and offers for paid software and applications.
Top Categories:
- Audio, Video & Photo
- Backup & Recovery
- Design & Illustration
- Developers and Programming.
- Networking Tools.
6. SnapFiles
SnapFiles, originally named Webattack(dot)com, was established in 1997. They have decades of expertise in providing software which are either free to keep or can be downloaded as a free trial. SnapFilers source the software from developers themselves. Hence, eliminating the risk of listing infected files on their website.
Unlike many other websites. The experts at SnapFiles download and test each and every software before listing them on their website, further establishing security for their users.
They have a strict policy against listing useless software on their website. This is why they constantly monitor all the software to make sure they are useful and don’t present any threats to the user.
Furthermore, to make your life easier, they have classified all of the software so that customers can simply find the best one for themselves. Lists such as “top 100 portables” and “top 50 user favourites” help even the most inexperienced users find software on their website.
Top Categories:
- Freeware
- Shareware
7. MajorGeeks
MajorGeeks have a major fan following because of the number of useful and unique software they have listed on their website. When users are not scrolling through their endless list of software, they are simply browsing their fashionable merch store.
Apart from providing computer software & Android apps, they are pretty active on their YouTube channel producing software reviews and tutorials for their users.
In the rare case, you didn’t find free software for your needs. They have a dedicated tab for discounted software on their website. Speaking of discounts, you may also subscribe to their newsletter and receive the latest offers on various software.
Additionally, their patented installer helps you automatically download updates and install them on your PC. All you have to do is download their updater and let it do its magic.
Top Categories:
- Android apps.
- Antivirus software
- Drivers
- Internet tools
- Networking
8. FilePuma
FilePuma publishes news articles on the most popular software and tech on their website. Whether you are trying to optimise your PC or download the best software, their news section has blogs and articles on almost everything. You can also find a huge catalogue of software and apps for your PC and smartphone. And all these are accessible in over 40 languages for ease of understanding by people from around the world.
They make identifying and downloading software as simple as possible by optimising all the web pages, carefully reviewing all software, and listing all versions of any particular software.
You may also be interested in downloading their free to use the updater that scans your PC to find updates for your software. Saving you the time and effort of scouring the internet for the same.
Additionally, FilePuma does not take software submissions from any publisher. Instead, they research for the best free software available and handpick them to list on their website.
Top Categories:
- Security & firewall
- Developer tools
- Graphic design
- Compression & backup.
9. Download(dot)com
Download(dot)com catalogues free to use software for Windows, Mac and other operating systems. They have also expanded into providing android and iOS apps to their users. All the listed software and apps go through a rigorous screening so that you get the best software.
In addition to software, you can also expect to find reviews and comparisons between the most popular software on the internet. And it doesn’t end there, you will also find coupons for various software on this free software downloading website.
We all like to get the best anyone has to offer, that’s why Download(dot)com has created various lists for the best of everything software & tech-related.
Finally, if you have any doubts about their legitimacy, CNET, a prominent software and technology review website, owns and operates Download.com. They cover technology news from across the world and are a pioneer in empowering people to use technology to achieve a better future.
Top Categories:
- Software for Windows
- Software for Mac
- Apps for Android and iOS
10. Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store is a digital distribution platform operated by Microsoft. Originally created for Windows 8 as a primary mode of distributing software. But today it is available for Windows 10 and later versions of the operating system.
As it’s the primary source of software for users using the latest operating system of Windows, they have eliminated the need for third-party websites for downloading and uploading software and apps.
With Microsoft Store, you can always be sure about security as their requirement for listing any software & apps is compatibility and security of user data.
And unlike other software downloading websites, developers come to them rather than the website approaching the developer. So you can expect the best user experience out of the app and software. The website also records authentic user reviews and ratings.
Finally, with such a vast library of apps and software, there is little to no risk of not finding the apps or software you seek. So, if you decide to get any paid software from the Microsoft Store, here are some discounts on Microsoft software.
The bottom line is that you may find a myriad of websites that distribute software and apps for download, but are you willing to jeopardise your PC’s health and wellbeing in order to obtain those apps? The aforementioned apps may undoubtedly assist you in obtaining the software you seek while keeping your computer safe, so only use these websites to download your software and apps in the future.
How Not to Get Software & Apps Online
Software and apps make our lives a lot easier by simplifying and organising them in the best way possible. In fact, most software are designed to do so. It takes thousands of hours and a lot of hard work and ingenuity to create the perfect software. However, oftentimes people cheat the system to acquire software for free from nefarious websites.
As a consumer, you need to understand that obtaining an unlicensed software or app can be prosecutable and you can face legal consequences as a result. Even visiting a crack software website can have serious consequences. People often assume that just using a VPN will shield them from authorities, but that is not the case. If you are suspected of any illegal activities, the VPN service provider has to present all the details of your activities online to the law.
Many ISPs(Internet service providers) around the globe have started to block these websites from their end, but somehow these websites manage to overcome these barriers. As a result, you should only obtain software through legal means, such as visiting the above-mentioned free software download websites.
So, the bottom line is downloading software from websites offering unlicensed software can lead to a lot of trouble not just for your PC but also for you legally. So, you could take an entirely different route and buy software rather than downloading it for free. In case you decide to do so, here are some coupons for anti-virus software. But if you are dead set on downloading software from the internet, the above-mentioned websites are your safest bet.
