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Short packs instead of browsing 20 categories. Themes match what shows up most in forums and on Reddit (privacy, backup after a scare, new PC, creators, self-host, leaving Google/Adobe/Office/Notion/Figma, AI on the PC). Each kit points to the official site and states what it does not cover. Download only from the source — see safe download.
New PC / Windows from scratch
A clean laptop or desktop: the minimum to browse, write, open PDFs, compress files, play media, and store passwords — without a pirated suite. The classic forum ask after a wipe: “what should I install?”
- Firefox — browser · Security
- LibreOffice — documents, spreadsheets, slides · Productivity
- SumatraPDF — read PDFs (Windows) · Productivity
- 7-Zip — compress/decompress · Utilities
- VLC — video and audio · Multimedia
- Bitwarden or KeePassXC — passwords · Security
Does not cover: Photoshop, Premiere, full cloud, or “unlimited free” VPN. For creation, use the Adobe kit; for cloud, the Google kit or Cloud.
Home office / small business
Documents, PDFs, email, spreadsheets, and light organization. Invoicing and tax filing are not solved by open-source ERP alone — check the license and talk to an accountant.
- LibreOffice or ONLYOFFICE — office suite · Productivity
- PDF24 — merge/compress PDF · Productivity
- Thunderbird — email · Communication
- GnuCash — books and transactions · Finance / Business
- Joplin or Obsidian — notes · Organization
- Bitwarden — business passwords · Security
Does not cover: full invoicing platforms, complete QuickBooks/Xero-class suites, or a Shopify store. See caveats in Business and the FAQ.
Everyday privacy
The combo that shows up most in r/privacy and specialist guides: a serious browser, tracker blocking, unique passwords, 2FA, and — if it makes sense — a freemium VPN. Start with the basics before “de-Googling” everything.
- Firefox or LibreWolf — browser · Security
- uBlock Origin — ads and trackers · Security
- Bitwarden — passwords · Security
- 2FAS — two-factor authentication · Security
- ProtonVPN or Windscribe — VPN (free plan with limits) · Security
- Cryptomator — encrypted cloud folders · Cloud / Security
Does not cover: full anonymity, Tor for everything, or unlimited free VPN. Expand in Security and the Leave Google kit.
Backup and recovery
After a dead drive or ransomware, the ask is always the same: copy folders, take a system snapshot, and (optionally) encrypt what goes to the cloud. Golden rule: 3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite.
- FreeFileSync — mirror folders to an external drive · Backup
- Kopia or Duplicati — incremental/encrypted backup · Backup
- Macrium Reflect Free or Rescuezilla — disk image · Backup
- rclone — sync with Drive, S3, etc. · Backup
- Cryptomator or VeraCrypt — encrypt before uploading · Cloud
Does not cover: “unlimited free cloud backup” or recovery if you never tested a restore. Catalog: Backup.
Creators (video, audio, live)
The stack that shows up constantly in YouTube, podcast, and streaming forums: screen recording, audio/video editing, compression, and capture — without Creative Cloud.
- OBS Studio — live streaming and screen recording · Multimedia
- Audacity — audio and podcast · Multimedia
- Shotcut, Kdenlive or DaVinci Resolve — video editing · Multimedia / Design
- HandBrake — compress/convert · Downloads
- ShareX — screenshots, GIFs, and upload · Multimedia
- Affinity, Photopea or GIMP — thumbnails and covers · Design
Does not cover: paid stock, full Restream/StreamYard, or After Effects feature-for-feature. Expand in the Adobe kit.
Homelab / self-host (first step)
In r/selfhosted and r/homelab, beginners usually start with: containers, one useful app (photos/files/media), DNS with ad blocking, and secure remote access — back up before “spinning everything up”.
- Portainer CE or Docker Desktop — containers · Homelab / Dev
- Nextcloud or Immich — files / photos · Homelab
- Jellyfin — home media · Homelab
- Pi-hole or AdGuard Home — DNS / network ads · Homelab
- Tailscale or WireGuard — remote access · Homelab
Does not cover: free 24/7 power, easy self-hosted email, or zero maintenance. Glossary: homelab / self-host. Catalog: Homelab.
Programming and IT
A recurring ask in r/learnprogramming and college forums: editor, Git, API client, database, and containers — all on the desktop, without a JetBrains Ultimate subscription.
- VSCodium or VS Code — editor · Development
- GitHub Desktop or LazyGit — Git · Development
- Bruno or Insomnia — test APIs · Development
- DBeaver — databases · Development
- Docker Desktop or Podman Desktop — containers · Development
- Windows Terminal — modern terminal · Development
Does not cover: a full course, cloud hosting, or paid CI. Expand in Development and, for local models, Local AI.
More productive Windows
In r/software and r/Windows11 the “essentials” list almost always includes fast file search, PowerToys, a solid compressor, advanced screenshots, and disk cleanup — without a shady “optimizer”.
- PowerToys — shortcuts, FancyZones, rename · Desktop PC
- Everything — find files in milliseconds · Desktop PC
- 7-Zip — ZIP/RAR/7z · Utilities
- ShareX — capture and OCR · Multimedia
- WinDirStat or WizTree — see what fills the disk · Desktop PC
- Geek Uninstaller — clean uninstall · Utilities
Does not cover: “speed up your PC in one click”, CCleaner clones, or Windows cracks. To scan documents with OCR, see Scanning & OCR. PC baseline: New PC kit.
Leave Google (as much as possible)
Common swaps for Drive, Docs, Photos, and Meet. Email and search are hardest; start with files and documents.
- Nextcloud — files and sync (self-host or provider) · Cloud / Homelab
- LibreOffice or CryptPad — offline docs / collaboration · Productivity
- Immich — photos (homelab) · Homelab
- Jitsi Meet — video calls · Communication
- Firefox — browser without a Google account · Security
- Thunderbird — read email from any provider · Communication
Does not cover: fully “de-Googling” in one afternoon. Self-hosting needs maintenance — see homelab and self-host. Guide: alternatives to Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
Leave Adobe / Creative Cloud
Photo, vector, layout, painting, and video without a monthly subscription. Start with Affinity (free with a free Canva account) for the closest Creative Cloud workflow; use Photopea/GIMP/Inkscape if you prefer open source or the browser.
- Affinity — photo + vector + layout in one app · Design
- Photopea or GIMP — raster / PSD · Design
- Inkscape — open-source vector · Design
- Krita — digital painting · Design
- Kdenlive or DaVinci Resolve — video · Design
- Darktable — RAW development (Lightroom) · Photography
- Blender — 3D and motion · 3D & CAD
Does not cover: every plugin/Adobe Stock, Creative Cloud collaboration, or After Effects feature-for-feature. Generative AI in Affinity needs Canva Pro. For books and magazines, also see Publishing. Guides: Photoshop · Premiere / CapCut · Canva.
Leave Notion / Evernote
Notes, a personal wiki, and tasks without a paid workspace. The classic ask when the free plan gets tight or the account becomes an expensive “second brain”. Start local (files on disk) if simple backup is the priority; use AppFlowy/Anytype if you want something closer to Notion.
- Joplin — Markdown notes with optional sync · Organization
- Obsidian — local vault, graphs, and plugins · Organization
- Logseq — journal and linked blocks · Organization
- AppFlowy — Notion-style pages and databases · Organization
- Anytype — objects and graphs, data on your device · Organization
Does not cover: Notion AI, team CRM, unlimited invites, or a ready-made “second brain”. Guide: alternatives to Notion.
AI on your PC (leave paid ChatGPT)
Run a model at home, transcribe, and get coding help without sending files to the cloud. Quality depends on GPU/RAM; check each model's license before commercial use.
- Ollama or LM Studio — download and serve the model · Local AI
- Jan — desktop chat, offline · Local AI
- Open WebUI — web UI on your own PC · Local AI
- Buzz — transcribe audio on your computer · Transcription
- Continue — editor help, local model · Local AI / Development
Does not cover: GPT-4 on your phone, company plugins, or a weak GPU that “runs everything”. Guide: alternatives to ChatGPT Plus. Catalog: Local AI.
Leave Figma / Miro
UI, flowcharts, and whiteboards without an Adobe/Figma subscription. Penpot covers interface work; diagrams.net and Excalidraw handle everyday meetings and docs.
- Penpot — UI and prototyping · Diagrams
- diagrams.net — flows, UML, architecture · Diagrams
- Excalidraw — freehand whiteboard · Diagrams
- Pencil Project — desktop wireframes · Diagrams
- Inkscape — vectors and icons · Design
Does not cover: a company design system, full FigJam, or Dev Mode. Expand in Diagrams and the Adobe kit.
Home paperwork (scan and find)
Scanner, OCR, searchable PDFs, and an archive for notes, warranties, and receipts. A common ask after a move, tax season, or a full drawer — without “AI that reads contracts alone”.
- NAPS2 — scan with a UI · Scanning & OCR
- OCRmyPDF — searchable PDF · Scanning & OCR
- PDF24 — merge, crop, and compress · Productivity
- Stirling PDF — PDF toolbox · Productivity
- Paperless-ngx — document archive (self-host) · Scanning & OCR
Does not cover: digital certificates, court e-filing, or enterprise document management. Paperless needs a bit of homelab. Catalog: OCR.
Personal finance
Spending, budgets, and household accounts — not the small-business kit. HomeBank and Actual handle month to month; GnuCash if you want double-entry; Ghostfolio is investments only.
- HomeBank — desktop budgeting · Finance
- Actual Budget or Firefly III — envelope / self-host · Finance
- GnuCash — entries and accounts · Finance
- Ghostfolio — track a portfolio · Finance
Does not cover: bank open-banking automation, automatic tax filing, cashback cards, or business invoicing. For home office and small business, use the Home office kit. Catalog: Finance.
Leave Office 365
Word, Excel, Outlook, and OneDrive without a monthly subscription. The desktop suite covers files; email and sync go to Thunderbird and Nextcloud/Syncthing — Microsoft 365 mixes it all under one login.
- LibreOffice or ONLYOFFICE — documents, spreadsheets, slides · Productivity
- Thunderbird — email and calendar · Communication
- Nextcloud or Syncthing — files instead of OneDrive · Cloud
- PDF24 — PDF without Acrobat · Productivity
- LanguageTool — proofreading · Productivity
Does not cover: company spreadsheet VBA, Teams, Copilot, or heavy macros. Guide: alternatives to Office. Cloud/files: Drive / OneDrive / Dropbox. Nearby: Home office and Google kits.
Students
Office, PDF, Anki, Zotero, and notes — full kit on its own page. Catalog add-ons: Languages, E-books, OCR, and Transcription.