Essential Installs

SiNevesh9 appsUpdated Feb 15, 2024

Things I'll always install on a fresh OS.

Mozilla Firefox
Like
Open-source browser with Gecko engine, supporting HTML add-ons and providing privacy features like Enhanced Tracking Protection and third-party cookie blocking.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application type
Web Browser
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
HUAWEI AppGallery
iPad
AppImageHub
Snapcraft
Linux Mobile
Flathub
Samsung Galaxy Store
PortableApps.com
Haiku
Flatpak
Homebrew
Chocolatey
Gecko
F-Droid
+8
SiNevesh’s note
Every computer needs a web browser, and Firefox is the best one around at the moment.
Thunderbird
Like
Cross-platform email client providing POP/IMAP support, robust filtering, multiple accounts, and chat. Extendable via add-ons with RSS/Atom, etc.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Email Client
Calendar App
Platforms
Windows
Linux
Android
BSD
AppImageHub
Snapcraft
Obtainium
Flathub
PortableApps.com
F-Droid
OpenAPK
Homebrew
Chocolatey
Mac
+7
SiNevesh’s note
The best mail program I've used. Allows me to setup the interface how I want it and control all my email accounts easily. No space wasted, no oversimplifications, and yet still nice to look at.
7-Zip
Like
Efficient file archiver offering superior compression and encryption. Supports multiple formats such as TAR, ZIP, with a unique self-extracting feature.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
File Archiver
File Compressor
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
ReactOS
Arch Linux
SiNevesh’s note
Great tool for opening archive files from the internet, or compressing your own files to save space during backups. Much more space-efficient than Windows built-in zip tools.
ShareX
Like
Free and open-source tool for screen capture and recording; enables file uploads, annotation, dark mode, 4K support, and customizable themes.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Screenshot Capture Tool
Screen Recorder
Platforms
Windows
PortableApps.com
Steam
+29
SiNevesh’s note
Fully-featured screenshot tool, allows capture of your entire screen, a small region, GIF/video capture, all with quick editing and automatic upload. Extremely useful for quickly sharing ideas on messaging apps or forums.
Notepad++
Like
Free open-source code editor and Notepad replacement supporting multiple languages, featuring high speed, low resource usage, privacy focus, and plugin extensibility.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Code Editor
Text Editor
Platforms
Windows
PortableApps.com
+10
SiNevesh’s note
A much more robust notepad with a smidgen of syntax colouring if you do some casual coding or config editing.
MPC-HC
Like
Open-source media player offering video and audio format support, no ads, and community-driven development. Features include dark theme, codec support, and YouTube compatibility.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Media Player
Audio Player
Platforms
Windows
PortableApps.com
+5
SiNevesh’s note
Whlie not as user-friendly as VLC, sometimes you need something different. Whenever a file doesn't play nicely with VLC, I've found MPC-HC absolutely knocks it out of the park.
VLC Media Player
Like
Cross-platform, free media player supports multimedia files, DVDs, streaming, offers hardware acceleration, 4K, lossless audio, and more.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
Media Player
Audio Player
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Windows Mobile
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
HUAWEI AppGallery
iPad
AppImageHub
Apple Watch
Snapcraft
Google Chrome
Apple TV
Flathub
PortableApps.com
F-Droid
Kindle Fire
Haiku
Android TV
OpenAPK
Homebrew
Chocolatey
Xbox
Android Auto
+4
SiNevesh’s note
One of the best media players around, VLC strikes a great balance between having lots of features while remaining simple and intuitive.
MusicBee
Like
Manages and organizes music libraries, playlists, and folders, supports podcasts and web radio, advanced tagging, CD ripping, device sync, and multiple audio formats.
Cost / License
Free Personal
Proprietary
Application typeApplication types
Audio Player
Media Player
Platforms
Windows
+8
SiNevesh’s note
iTunes is bloated, other choices often have a 2006-looking UI or are just glorified file browsers, opening files from explorer is laughable... where does that leave you? MusicBee. I will admit MusicBee isn't perfect, but it's darn good.
yt-dlp
Like
Command line program that's a youtube-dl fork that downloads videos from YouTube and over 1000 sites. The main focus of this project is adding new features and patches while also keeping up to date with the original project.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source
Application typeApplication types
YouTube Downloader
Video Downloader
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Linux Mobile
Termux
Haiku
SiNevesh’s note
Download almost any video from almost every website you can think of (yes, even that one). I get so much use out of this it's unbelievable.