15 Best Sites to Download Free PC Software and Programs 2022

Windows has tons of useful software and of course, comes with it many different websites so you can find, download and install the software you want. The problem is that there are a lot of Windows software download websites that advertise themselves as "reliable" and "secure", but they are not.

There have been many free software download sites that have been found to have loosened censorship, causing malicious code and adware to appear rampant in applications. Users accidentally downloading software containing malicious code will make their system infected and the risk is inevitable.

Here are 15 websites to download free Windows software that you can rest assured, trust in safety when using.

Microsoft.com

If you're looking for Windows software, there's no better place than Microsoft's own app download site. In fact, Microsoft.com is also the official source of nearly every trusted Microsoft application. You can be 100% sure that there will be no malware and unauthorized device-free add-ons "implanted" in the software available on Microsoft.com, ensuring the installation takes place. completely clean. For example, for Windows, Office, and other native Microsoft programs, it's best to download directly from Microsoft.com.

Besides the necessary software packages, you can also find here optional hotfixes and updates, including the .NET framework, driver packages, web browsers, developer tools, and translation packages. services for Xbox games, such as Microsoft Flight Simulator. The biggest minus point of this site is the absence of third-party software (of course).

Microsoft Store

Besides Microsoft.com, Microsoft Store is definitely the address you need to prioritize when you need to search and download an application for your Windows computer. In addition to the native Microsoft apps available on Microsoft.com, you also get access to a number of third-party apps designed for the Windows system on the Microsoft Store. These include familiar names such as iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Facebook, Spotify, VLC, Python, Adobe Lightroom, Pinterest, Ubuntu for Microsoft, Slack, Screen Recorder Pro, Zoom, Microsoft Edge and many more software other famous.

Another reason why the Microsoft Store should be your preferred choice is that it is designed to work with Windows systems, updated with your last PC update.

Developer's website

There are many places to download third-party Windows software. But you can always put your trust in the original download page. No matter what software you need, you can find it using a simple Google search. In most cases, the official website will be listed as the first search result or at least in the first search page. Whether you want to download a programming language like Python or an official game, don't forget to check its official website first.

In the latest versions of Windows, if you have to choose between the Microsoft Store and the official third-party website, you should choose option 1 (if available). This is because the Microsoft Store version has been specifically tested and optimized for performance on your device.

For example, Netflix available in the Microsoft Store will tweak exactly to your Windows screen size and look a lot better. But you won't have any problem downloading the software from netflix.com, the official website.

SourceForge.net

Besides Microsoft's websites, SourceForge is also another reliable site if you want to find some software for Windows. One highly appreciated element of SourceForge is that this site is able to address important user concerns about whether a particular third-party software is official software. This is done through a special validation code, that the software is an “exact copy”.

In addition, SourceForge can also ensure user safety by scanning all installed packages for malware. “Problematic” software will be flagged specifically. Each page has actual user reviews and screenshots, giving you an overview of the app's quality.

The software “collection” available on SourceForge is also impressive, comprising more than 500,000 projects, including more than 64,500 paid software. You can find almost every software you need for Windows here, along with thousands of other cool open source applications. It is important that all are secure.

AlternativeTo.net

AlternativeTo gives you an experience quite similar to SourceForge in terms of software categories: easy to search, with full display of user reviews and ratings, as well as download links of related solutions. . There are over 100,000 different apps you can find on AlternativeTo right now, and this number will continue to grow over time.

One of the most appreciated aspects on AlternativeTo lies in the application comparison and rating system from the user community, providing you with a lot of alternatives at a glance. Detailed user-centric reviews help you get to know a particular software more thoroughly before hitting the download button.

GitHub.com

Perhaps no need to introduce more about this reputable download website. Although a bit complicated for the novice, GitHub can be considered the number one address if you are looking for a complex version of software. Simply because this is one of the largest original code repositories in the internet.

In addition to the key open source software, you can also find thousands of important Windows software repositories such as the latest Windows Terminal, Skype for Business, Docker, Azure, PowerToys, and more. They're all completely secure, malware-free, and constantly updated in real-time by a global community of developers.

GitHub today has become an essential tool for advanced developers, but you can also find a lot of solutions for casual users.

Chocolatey.org

Chocolatey is an extremely versatile and useful tool that allows you to install any software, including third-party ones, on Windows 10 with ease. Chocolatey is especially useful for developers who often have to work with PowerShell, Windows Terminal, and other command line tools.

To download any software through Chocolatey, you must run PowerShell or Windows Terminal in administrative mode and search for the relevant installation package on the website. Currently, there are more than 8000 popular software, including Adobe Acrobat Reader, Google Chrome, Python, Git and Windows Terminal… available on Chocolatey.

Steam

Are you a passionate gamer? If you want to reliably play any game on your Windows PC, Steam will be a formidable competitor to the Microsoft Store. Steam not only has a collection of over 30,000 gaming software for Windows and other operating systems, but also some of the best discounted software, user reviews, and a strong community of around 100 million people. .

You must install the Steam software from the official link, as well as the Steam ID and library manager required. Once done, you can download any game you want. If you're having any issues working with Steam, try these fixes.

Filepuma.com

Up to this point, the article has discussed the latest software download environments. If you are looking for a more traditional website with a minimalist approach, Filepuma will easily meet your needs. It's not the biggest PC software repository, but it's certainly one of the "cleanest" and most user-friendly (without ads or "tricky" installers). Filepuma has all the major stuff you'd expect - from Skype to Google Drive via Dropbox.

There are also many unique software here and you can easily find all of them using the categories listed in the left pane. The most popular software in different categories are listed on the main page. Minimalist and elegant, Filepuma is a simple choice that goes well with your software downloads. The only annoying thing is the ads on the main page (not on the software), but that can be easily disabled.

Ninite.com

Ninite is one of the best free software download sites, offering some popular software like Chrome, VLC, Gimp, Foxit Reader, and Spotify. While using Ninite, you don't have to worry about the crapware that comes with it, and best of all, you can install all the software you want with just a click or two. You don't have to install each piece of software individually - Ninite automatically downloads the latest version and installs it for you. Ninite Pro software is used by thousands of companies because of its high reliability. The only drawback is the rather limited amount of software available.

Softpedia.com

Softpedia is one of the biggest and most popular free software download sites where you can find almost any free and paid software you need for multiple platforms. The good thing about Softpedia is that you will always get the latest version of the software you want. Furthermore, Softpedia also provides you with actual software reviews and screenshots for most of the most popular and used software. If you've never used Softpedia, give it a try.

DownloadCrew.com

DownloadCrew recently updated the navigation menu and feature selection to provide intuitive access to the software on Windows and other platforms. The program provides the latest download links, mentions the date of the last update and provides comments on the use of the software.

Among the many Windows-centric solutions, DownloadCrew has an excellent collection of VPN applications, security and privacy toolkits, audio and video tools, and meeting/collaboration software. With a clean interface and easy-to-read font style, you can easily use your desired software. This is a good site with a complete list for Windows and third-party software solutions.

FileHorse.com

FileHorse offers a useful selection of high-quality software and applications for Windows and macOS. All software is regularly updated with the latest version. Along with the download links, you will get a full description of whether the software is free or a free trial and key features to expect. You also get a helpful list of alternatives to the software, although not as exhaustive as the Alternative.to that the article mentioned above.

A prominent security status badge next to each software download assures you of the safety of your files. If you don't want to install any software, FileHorse also offers a cloud web version so you can work with various cloud-based software.

Store.epicgames.com

Until recently, Steam was the number one source for Windows gaming software, but Epic Games is better in many ways. The Epic Games Store has a great collection of Windows-compatible games, both free and paid. This is the company behind Unreal Engine, the highly portable graphical frontend for Fortnite, Gears of War, Xenon Racer, Ark II and many other 3D games. With virtual reality (VR) technology appealing to core gamers, Epic Games has the largest collection of great game franchises.

You only need to download Epic Installer for Windows once. It is available on every game website and installing it allows you to safely download whatever you want with ease.

DeviantArt.com

Strictly speaking, this is not a software download source. DeviantArt is a veritable treasure trove of themes, wallpapers, screensavers, icon packs and other customizations for Windows. You must be logged in to the website to complete the download.