Certain types of software have long had a reputation for being very expensive. As cloud computing has become more popular, many popular software packages have switched to a monthly subscription model rather than charging users a one-time fee. While these subscriptions often look inexpensive on a monthly basis, the fees can really add up over time.
Free Open Source Alternatives to Expensive Software
While there are many good reasons to consider open source applications, the ability to avoid or reduce these fees continues to be a primary factor for many users. With that in mind, we have published a list of open source applications that can replace expensive closed source apps.
Accounting
1. Edoceo Imperium
Replaces QuickBooks Pro ($249.95), Sage 50 Accounting ($299–$5,499)
Designed for small and medium businesses (SMBs), Edoceo Imperium combines accounting and invoicing capabilities with some basic customer relationship management (CRM) features. It integrates with Google Calendar, Maps and Gmail, and it can support up to 4 billion users with varying levels of access. Operating System: OS Independent
2. FrontAccounting
Replaces QuickBooks Pro ($249.95), Sage 50 Accounting ($299–$5,499)
Also designed for SMBs, FrontAccounting includes some basic ERP features, such as inventory and manufacturing tracking. The website includes a helpful demo so that prospective users can see it in action. Operating System: OS Independent
3. TurboCASH
Replaces QuickBooks Pro ($249.95), Sage 50 Accounting ($299–$5,499)
This accounting package aims to offer all the features most SMBs will ever need, including debtors, creditors, general ledger, stock control, invoicing, reconciliation, trial balance and reporting. It supports multiple companies and multiple users. Operating System: Windows
4. XIWA
Replaces QuickBooks Pro ($249.95), Sage 50 Accounting ($299–$5,499)
For Linux only, XIWA (pronounced zee’ wuh) stands for “Xiwa Is Web Accounting.” Under development since 1999, it boasts multi-user support, multi-company support, payroll, stock/investment tracking, reporting and more. Operating System: Linux
Audio Recording/Editing
5. Ardour
Replaces Apple LogicPro ($199.99), FL Studio Producer Edition ($199), Sonar X3 Producer ($349), Adobe Audition ($349 or $49.99 per month), Sony ACID Pro ($149.95
Created to meet the needs of professionals, Ardour is a full suite of sound recording, editing and mixing tools. Key features include unlimited tracks and busses, both non-destructive and destructive recording, support for dozens of file formats, the “most flexible mixer architecture in the industry,” hundreds of plugins, full sample accurate automation, a video timeline and more. Operating System: Linux, OS X
6. Audacity
Replaces Apple LogicPro ($199.99), FL Studio Producer Edition ($199), Sonar X3 Producer ($349), Adobe Audition ($349 or $49.99 per month), Sony ACID Pro ($149.95
A good option for amateur musicians and home users, Audacity is an easy-to-use recording and editing application. It can also convert tapes, records and CDs to digital files, and it supports WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3 or Ogg Vorbis file formats. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
7. Frinika
Replaces Apple LogicPro ($199.99), FL Studio Producer Edition ($199), Sonar X3 Producer ($349), Adobe Audition ($349 or $49.99 per month), Sony ACID Pro ($149.95
Frinika describes itself as a “complete music workstation.” The interface and features aren’t quite as advanced as some professionals will want, but it does offer a sequencer, midi support, soft synthesizers, audio recorder and notation editor. Operating System: OS Independent
8. Linux MultiMedia Studio (LMMS)
Replaces Apple LogicPro ($199.99), FL Studio Producer Edition ($199), Sonar X3 Producer ($349), Adobe Audition ($349 or $49.99 per month), Sony ACID Pro ($149.95
LMMS includes a song editor, beat and bassline editor, piano roll, 64-channel FX mixer and more. Originally developed for Linux only, it now also has a Windows version. Operating System: Windows, Linux
9. WaveShop
FL Studio Producer Edition ($199), Sonar X3 Producer ($349), Adobe Audition ($349 or $49.99 per month), Sony ACID Pro($149.95
Less full-featured than the other options on this list, WaveShop is a Windows-only tool that emphasizes fast performance and a small footprint. Noteworthy features include normalizing, fading, sample rate conversion, audio generation, unlimited undo, extensive help and peak, RMS and spectral analysis. Operating System: Windows
Business Intelligence
10. Jaspersoft
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
One of the most popular open source business intelligence tools, Jaspersoft offers dashboards, visualizations, self-service reporting, rich analytics, mobile support and more. The link above provides information about the open source community versions of the software, and the company also offers paid commercial versions at Jaspersoft.com. Operating System: OS Independent
11. Jedox
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
Formerly known as Palo BI, Jedox is a full business intelligence suite that includes an OLAP server, Excel add-in, ETL and mobile support. The Base version, which includes only the OLAP server and a limited version of the Excel add-in, is available with a free open source license, while the premium on-premise and cloud versions require a fee. Operating System: OS Independent
12. Pentaho
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
Used by companies like Lufthansa, Halliburton, Nasdaq and Edo, Pentaho offers data integration, business analytics and big data tools. The link above primarily provides information about the paid versions of the software, but the open source community version is available for download at community.pentaho.com. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
13. SpagoBI
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
Spago claims to be “the only 100% open source, complete and flexible business intelligence suite.” It builds on a wide variety of other open source projects and offers modules for reporting, OLAP, charts, KPI, interactive cockpits, ad-hoc reporting, location intelligence, data mining, dashboard, collaboration, ETL, master data management and much more. Operating System: OS Independent
14. KNIME
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
Used in more than 60 countries, KNIME describes itself as “the leading open platform for data-driven innovation helping organizations to stay ahead of change.” The core analytics software is free and open source, and commercial extensions are available for a fee. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
15. OpenI
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
This plug-in that extends the capabilities of Pentaho and Jasper promises to get new users up and running with its analytics tools in just 72 hours. It includes dashboards, interactive reporting, ETL, dimensional modeling, OLAP cube design, and predictive modeling. Operating System: OS Independent
16. BIRT
Replaces Oracle Business Intelligence Standard ($6,264 and up), IBM Cognos Insight ($546 per user), SAS Analytics Pro ($8,700)
Less full-featured than the other options on our list, BIRT focuses on creating reports and visualizations that can be embedded within applications. It’s sponsored by Actuate (which offers a variety of related resources), Innovent Solutions and IBM. Note that in order to use it, you will also need Eclipse. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Business Process Management
17. ProcessMaker
Replaces IBM Business Process Manager Express (tens of thousands of dollars or more)
This self-proclaimed “#1 open source workflow and BPM software” offers tools for modeling workflows, running processes, creating reports and optimizing workflows. In addition to the open source version, it comes in paid on-premise and cloud-based versions. Operating System: Windows, Linux
18. Activiti
Replaces IBM Business Process Manager Express (tens of thousands of dollars or more)
Java-based Activiti boasts lightweight size and fast performance. Paid support is available through Alfresco. Operating System: OS Independent
19. Bonita Open Solution
Replaces IBM Business Process Manager Express (tens of thousands of dollars or more)
This full BPM suite includes tools for mapping organizations, defining data structures, building user interfaces, creating actionable reports and more. In addition to the free community version, it comes in paid “teamwork,” “efficiency,” and “performance” versions that add more features. Operating System: OS Independent
CAD
20. BRL-CAD
Replaces AutoCAD ($4,195 and up)
For more than two decades, the U.S. military has used this collection of more than 400 tools to model its weapons systems and analyze lethality. Key features include interactive 3D solid geometry editing, high-performance ray-tracing, network-distributed framebuffer support, image and signal-processing tools, path-tracing and photon mapping support, a system performance analysis benchmark suite, an embedded scripting interface and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others
21. FreeCAD
Replaces AutoCAD ($4,195 and up)
This 3D parametric modeling tool was designed to be easy enough for home users and hobbyists to use. Its modular architecture makes it very easy to customize or extend. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others
22. Archimedes
Replaces AutoCAD ($4,195 and up)
Downloaded hundreds of times each week, Archimedes offers a simplified CAD solution with a minimal feature set. It’s built on Eclipse’s Rich Client Platform. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Customer Relationship Management
23. Sugar Community Edition
Replaces Sage ACT! ($269.99 and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)
Used by millions of people worldwide, Sugar offers tools to connect sales, marketing and support teams with prospects and customers. The link above goes to the free community edition; paid cloud versions can be found at SugarCRM.com. Operating System: OS Independent
24. vTiger
Replaces Sage ACT! ($269.99 and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)
This CRM suite boasts that more than ten thousand organizations use it. Features include email marketing, project management, customer portal, calendar, task management, reporting, file management, access control, inventory management and more. The link above primarily provides information about the paid, cloud versions of the software, but a free open source download is also available. Operating System: Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
25. Orange Leap
Replaces Sage ACT! ($269.99 and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)
Formerly known as MpowerOpen, Orange Leap offers constituent relationship managment to aid non-profits in their fundraising. Paid versions of the software are available on the main website, and you can download the source code from SourceForge. Operating System: Windows.
26. SourceTap
Replaces Sage ACT! ($269.99 and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)
SourceTap aims to help sales teams improve the accuracy of their forecasts, close more deals, shorten the sales cycle, improve collaboration and recognize trends. It’s available with a commercial or an open source license. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
27. SplendidCRM
Replaces Sage ACT! ($269.99 and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)
Splendid comes in a wide variety of on-premise and cloud, paid and free versions. The latest version has better Twitter integration, Twilio integration, undelete capabilities, recurring calls, an HTML5 calendar and more. Operating System: Windows.
28. ConcourseSuite
Replaces Sage ACT! ($269.99 and up), Salesforce.com Professional ($780 per user per year)
Java-based ConcourseSuite incorporates tools for sales force, marketing and customer service teams. In addition to the free version, it comes in paid cloud and on-premise versions. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Database
29. MySQL
Replaces Microsoft SQL Server Standard ($899 and up)
The “world’s most popular open source database,” MySQL counts Facebook, MTV Networks, Sears, Verizon Wireless, Kayak, SonicWALL, Wikipedia, Tumblr and many other well-known companies among its users. In addition to the free community edition, it comes in paid standard, enterprise and cluster carrier grade editions. Operating System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X
30. PostgreSQL
Replaces Microsoft SQL Server Standard ($899 and up)
Currently enjoying something of a resurgence in popularity, PostgreSQL claims to be “the world’s most advance open source database.” It’s been under development for more than 15 years, and commercial support is available through third-party organizations. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
31. Firebird
Replaces Microsoft SQL Server Standard ($899 and up)
Under development for more than three decades, Firebird is a relational database that boasts “excellent concurrency, high performance, and powerful language support for stored procedures and triggers.” Paid support is available through third-party providers. Operating System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X, Solaris
32. LucidDB
Replaces Microsoft SQL Server Standard ($899 and up)
LuicdDB claims to be “the first and only open-source RDBMS purpose-built entirely for data warehousing and business intelligence.” Key features include column store, bitmap indexing, hash join/aggregation, and page-level multiversioning. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
33. Kexi
Replaces Microsoft Office Access ($109.99), FileMaker Pro 12 ($329)
Kexi describes itself as “an open source visual database applications creator, a long-awaited competitor for programs like MS Access or Filemaker.” It’s now part of the Calligra suite of office productivity apps. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Desktop Publishing
34. Scribus
Replaces InDesign CS5 ($239.88 per user per year and up), QuarkXPress ($849), Microsoft Publisher, ($139.99)
Suitable for use by professional graphic designers and publishers, Scribus is a full-featured page layout program. Supported features include color separations, CMYK and spot colors, ICC color management, PDF creation and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
35. MiKTeX
Replaces InDesign CS5 ($239.88 per user per year and up), QuarkXPress ($849), Microsoft Publisher, ($139.99)
If you’re creating a document with lots of scientific expressions and mathematical formulas, MiKTeX is worth consideration. It was specifically designed “for the creation of beautiful books—and especially for books that contain a lot of mathematics.” Operating System: Windows, Linux
Development Tools
36. KDevelop
Replaces Microsoft Visual Studio Professional with MSDN ($1,199 and up)
This integrated development environment (IDE) from KDE supports C/C++ as well as other programming languages. Under development since 1998, it’s a mature, stable project with a large user base. Operating System: Linux, Unix, OS X, others
37. MonoDevelop
Replaces Microsoft Visual Studio Professional with MSDN ($1,199 and up)
Designed for C# and Visual Basic.NET, MonoDevelop helps Windows developers create multi-platform applications. Key features include advanced text editing, an integrated debugger, GTK# Visual Designer, unit testing, localization and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
38. SharpDevelop
Replaces Microsoft Visual Studio Professional with MSDN ($1,199 and up)
Another good option for .NET developers, SharpDevelop (#develop) supports C#, VisualBasic.NET and Boo. It includes an integrated debugger, code analysis, unit testing, code coverage, profiler, integrated Git and Subversion support and more. Operating System: Windows
39. OpenBD
Replaces Adobe ColdFusion 9 ($749)
Previously called Open Blue Dragon, Open BD makes it possible to develop and deploy Cold Fusion Markup Language (CFML) Web apps without purchasing Adobe Cold Fusion. It lays claim to the title: “the world’s first truly open source and free GPL Java CFML runtime.” Operating System: Windows, Linux
E-mail/Collaboration/Groupware
40. Zimbra
Replaces Microsoft Exchange ($689 and up)
Zimbra’s open source version offers a cross-platform client-server mail solution with similar features as Microsoft Exchange. The company also offers a variety of paid communication applications and boasts more than 500 million users. Operating System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X
41. EGroupware
Replaces Microsoft Exchange ($689 and up)
According to its CEO, Web-based Egroupware is “the leading open source collaboration tool and the top choice for big enterprises, SMEs and teams within and across organizations all over the globe.” The community version is free to run on your own server, or you can subscribe to the cloud version or deploy the paid installation package. Operating System: OS Independent
42. Citadel
Replaces Microsoft Exchange ($689 and up)
Citadel proclaims itself “the leader in true open source email and collaboration” and promises to get users “up and running in minutes” whether they are using their own hardware or cloud computing services. Features include email, calendar, forums, mailing list erver, IM, wiki, blogs, RSS aggregation, and more. Operating System: Linux
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
43. Odoo
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Formerly known as OpenERP, Odoo describes itself as a collection of apps for building websites, boosting sales, running your business, boosting your marketing, delighting employees and boosting productivity. You can download the software for free or use the cloud-based versions for $15 per app per user per month. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
44. Openbravo
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Used by companies like Oracle, Johnson Controls, Federal Bank, Grupo Eulen and others, OpenBravo offers a commerce platform and an ERP platform. The open source versions are available at Code.Openbravo.com, or you can purchase enterprise versions and support through one of Openbravo’s channel partners. Operating System: OS Independent
45. Postbooks/xTuple ERP
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Proclaiming itself the “worlds #1 open source ERP software,” xTuple comes in multiple editions, including some tailored for distributors and manufacturers. The PostBooks version is available under an open source or a commercial license, and multiple apps and extensions are available through the xChange online marketplace. Operating System: OS Independent
46. ADempiere
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
This community-minded ERP solution includes sales, purchasing, manufacturing management, meterial management, finance, HR, project management, CRM, POS, ecommerce, maintenance management, and reporting features. It’s based on Compiere code (see below). Commercial support is not available, but the website offers extensive documentation and training information. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others
47. Compiere ERP + CRM Business Solution
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Compiere claims to be “the most modern, adaptable, and affordable ERP solution.” Its features are similar to Adempiere, but it does offer a paid, supported enterprise version, as well as the option to run it on Amazon Web Services. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others
48. opentaps
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Opentaps users include Toyota, Honeywell, mBlox and others. It combines ERP and CRM capabilities, and paid services and support are available. Opentaps is also available through Amazon Web Services. Operating System: Windows, Linux
49. Apache OFBiz
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Short for “Open for Business,” OFBiz offers a full suite of enterprise automation tools, including ecommerce, catalog management, promotion and pricing management, ordering, customer management, accounting, content management, POS and more. It’s designed to be flexible and easily customizable. Operating System: OS Independent
50. Dolibarr ERP/CRM
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
Created for small companies, foundations and freelancers, Dolibarr is available as a standalone application or a cloud service. Many plug-ins and add-ons are available through the Dolistore. Operating System: OS Independent
51. webERP
Replaces Microsoft Dynamics (prices vary), SAP (prices vary), NetSuite ($999 and up)
WebERP promises practical, mature Web-based software for running a business and is particularly well-suited for the needs of wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers. Several third-party companies around the world offer paid support. Operating System: OS Independent
Foreign Language
52. Step Into Chinese
Replaces Rosetta Stone Chinese ($499)
While it isn’t a full training program like Rosetta Stone, Step Into Chinese offers a variety of tools for teaching yourself the language, including flashcards and a dictionary. It includes more than 26,000 words and more than 8,300 Chinese characters. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
53. ZWDisplay
Replaces Rosetta Stone Chinese ($499)
Another good tool for learning Chinese, ZWDisplay emphasizes reading and listening skills. It uses a specialized color-coding format to help users learn Chinese tones. Operating System: Linux
54. Zkanji
Replaces Rosetta Stone Japanese ($399)
Zkanji helps users learn Japanese with a dictionary of 210,000 words, help reading and writing Japanese characters, and flashcards for drilling vocabulary. It aims to be useful to beginners and advanced students. Operating System: Windows
Gateway Security Appliances
55. Endian Firewall Community
Replaces Check Point Security Gateways ($528 and up), Sophos UTM products ($535 and up)
Users can create their own unified threat management (UTM) appliances with the community edition of Endian and any standard x86 hardware. Endian also sells hardware, software and virtual appliances based on the same technology. Operating System: Linux
56. Untangle
Replaces Check Point Security Gateways ($1,500 and up), Sophos UTM products ($535 and up)
Untangle’s free NG firewall includes open source solutions for Web filtering, application control, anti-virus, anti-phishing, intrusion prevention, firewall, OpenVPN, anti-spam, ad-blocking and reporting. Like Endian, it can be used to create your own security appliance using an old PC, or users can purchase supported UTM software or hardware. Operating System: Windows, Linux
Graphics/Drawing
57. Dia
Replaces Visio Professional ($589.99)
Like Visio, Dia can create relationship diagrams, flowcharts, network diagrams, org charts and similar charts. It supports XML files by default and can export to EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF and PNG file formats. Operating System: Windows, Linux
58. Gimp
Replaces Photoshop ($239.88 per user per year)
Short for “GNU Image Manipulation Program,” Gimp offers professional-quality photo editing and image authoring. Very popular among desktop Linux users, it includes the same sorts of advanced features you find in Photoshop. Operating System: Windows, Linux
59. Inkscape
Replaces Illustrator ($239.88 per user per year), CorelDraw ($419)
Like Gimp, Inkscape is suitable for use by professional graphic designers. It offers a wide range of tools for creating vector graphics and supports many different file types. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Mathematics
60. Sage
Replaces Mathematica Standard ($2,495 and up)
Sage provides a unified interface for more than 100 different open source math projects. It can handle basic algebra, calculus, number theory, cryptography, commutative algebra, group theory, 2D and 3D graphing, liner graphics and much more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
61. Genius
Replaces Mathematica Standard ($2,495 and up)
Like Sage, Genius can do many forms of mathematics, including calculus, number theory, statistics, trigonometric functions, modular arithmetic, 2D and 3D plots, and more. It includes a GUI IDE and can output matrices to LaTex, Troff or MathML. Operating System: Linux, OS X
62. Scilab
Replaces Mathematica Standard ($2,495 and up)
Many educational institutions use Scilab to help teach math, science and engineering courses. It can perform many different types of calculations, and paid support, training and services are available through Scilab Enterprises. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
63. Maxima
Replaces Mathematica Standard ($2,495 and up)
The Maxima computer algebra system can solve numerical expressions, including “differentiation, integration, Taylor series, Laplace transforms, ordinary differential equations, systems of linear equations, polynomials, and sets, lists, vectors, matrices, and tensors.” Its code is based on Macsyma, a math program MIT developed in the late 1960s. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Music
64. MuseScore
Replaces Sibelius ($599.95), Finale ($600.00)
Musical notation software typically costs hundreds of dollars. But MuseScore creates beautiful sheet music and it’s completely free. Features include unlimited length, unlimited staves, unlimited voices, wizards and templates, automatic part extraction, transposition, dynamics, lyrics, chord simbles, percussion notation, early instrument notation and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Office Productivity
65. OpenOffice
Replaces Microsoft Office ($71.88 per user per year and up)
The price for a full version of Microsoft Office has come down significantly in recent years, but the yearly subscription fees can still be significant over time. By contrast, the full version of Apache OpenOffice is completely free. It includes word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, graphic, math formula editor and database software, and it can read and write Office file formats. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
66. LibreOffice
Replaces Microsoft Office ($71.88 per user per year and up)
Forked from OpenOffice, LibreOffice offers the same types of software as its predecessor with some additional features and extensions. There’s a helpfulchart on its website that compares it with Microsoft Office. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
67. Calligra
Replaces Microsoft Office ($71.88 per user per year and up)
Formerly known as KOffice, the Calligra suite includes a word processor (Words), spreadsheets (Sheets), presentations (Stage), project management (Plan), painting (Krita), database (Kexi), vector graphics (Karbon), diagramming (Flow) and mind mapping (Braindump). It supports Microsoft file formats, but the interface is quite a bit different than Office’s. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
68. NeoOffice
Replaces Microsoft Office ($71.88 per user per year and up)
Like LibreOffice, NeoOffice is a fork of OpenOffice, but NeoOffice is for Macs only. The latest version supports Yosemite’s new iCloud Drive feature and can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. Operating System: OS X, iOS
Operating System
69. Ubuntu
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
The most popular desktop distribution of Linux, Canonical’s Ubuntu comes in cloud, server, desktop, phone, tablet and TV versions. Paid systems management and support is available under the Ubuntu Advantage program.
70.Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
The “leading enterprise Linux platform,” Red Hat is a commercially supported operating system, which, according to the company, is used by more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies. The Red Hat organization also offers a variety of related developer tools, middleware and cloud computing software.
71. Fedora
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
If you’d like to use the Red Hat version of Linux without paying enterprise support fees, you’ll want Fedora, the free community edition of the same software. It includes more than ten thousand free applications and has been installed on millions of systems.
72. SUSE Linux Enterprise
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
Used by more than 13,000 organizations worldwide, SUSE powers systems at the London Stock Exchange, Office Deport, Teradata and Walgreens. It’s available in server, desktop and cloud versions, all of which require a paid support contract.
73. openSUSE
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
Free for use without a support contract, openSUSE calls itself “Linux for open minds.” It’s a stable, easy-to-use operating system that comes with more than 1,000 different applications built in.
74. Linux Mint
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
Very customizable, Linux Mint lets users choose among four different desktop interfaces. Some of those interfaces are very similar to older versions of Windows, making it a popular option for people who need to replace Windows XP on aging PCs.
75. Debian
Replaces Windows 8.1 Pro ($199.99)
With more than 37,500 applications included, Debian is a very full-featured Linux distribution. It’s popular with many people who have a lot of experience with Linux.
PDF Tools
76. PDFCreator
Replaces Adobe Acrobat XI Standard ($143.88 per user per year)
This application can create PDFs from just about any type of file. It also includes professional features like compressing and resizing images, encryption, password protection, document merge and more. Operating System: Windows
77. jPDF Tweak
Replaces Adobe Acrobat XI Standard ($143.88 per user per year)
Java-based jPDF Tweak calls itself the “Swiss army knife for PDF files.” It can combine, split, rotate, reorder, watermark, encrypt, repair and sign PDFs. Operating System: OS Independent
78. PDFedit
Replaces Adobe Acrobat XI Standard ($143.88 per user per year)
Downloaded thousands of times each week, this tool allows users to edit their PDF files. It can edit text, delete pages, alter graphics and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux
79. PDF SAM
Replaces Adobe Acrobat XI Standard ($143.88 per user per year)
Short for “PDF Split and Merge,” PDF SAM Basic can extract pages, merge multiple documents, reorder pages and more. For a donation of at least one euro, you can download the enhanced version, which adds encryption, decryption and metadata editing capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Point of Sale (POS)
80. Openbravo POS
Replaces QuickBooks Point of Sale Basic ($1,199.95), AccuPOS ($795 and up)
This Web-based POS solution integrates with OpenBravo ERP software. The mobile version allows retail staff to help customers check out from anywhere in the store. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
81. uniCenta
Replaces QuickBooks Point of Sale Basic ($1,199.95), AccuPOS ($795 and up)
Based on the same source code as Openbravo POS, uniCenta is a multi-lingual POS system that works well in multi-use facilities, such as restaurants with a retail store. It’s been downloaded more than 130,000 times. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
82. Floreant POS
Replaces QuickBooks Point of Sale Basic ($1,199.95), AccuPOS ($795 and up)
For restaurants only, Floreant is used in more than 25,000 establishments, including some Denny’s restaurants. It can handle ordering, kitchen print, drawer pull, carry out, tax, discounts, order grouping and much more. Operating System: Linux
Project Management
83. GanttProject
Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)
GanttProject allows users to create tasks and milestones, organize tasks, draw dependency constraints, create baselines and create PERT charts from the Gantt charts. Highly popular, it’s downloaded more than 20,000 times every week. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
84. dotProject
Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)
This project management tool includes calendar, Gantt charts, reporting, resource scheduling, file sharing, forum, and more. Services like installation and customization are available through project developers. Operating System: Windows, Linux
85. Onepoint Project
Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)
Onepoint Project’s features include work breakdown structure, project pipeline, cost baseline, plant/actual comparisons, milestone trend analysis, resource utilization, GANTT/scheduling, tasks, comments, documents, custom fields and more. It’s available in multiple versions for organizations of all sizes, including the basic and community versions which are open source and free of charge. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
86. openXprocess
Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)
In addition to all the typical project management features, openXprocess includes Scrum and agile features for development teams. Paid support and training are available. Operating System: Windows, Linux
87. ]project-open[
Replaces Microsoft Project Standard ($589.99 and up)
Used by more than 32,000 people, Project-Open aims to “bridge the gap between ERP and project management.” A paid SaaS version is available, and you can also purchase support, training and other services for the on-premises version. Operating System: Windows, Linux
Reporting
88. JMagallanes
Replaces SAP Crystal Reports ($495), DBxtra ($490 and up)
Written in Java, JMagallenes can combine static reports or create Swing pivot tables and other charts. It can read data from multiple formats, including SQL, Excel and XML, and it can output PDF, XML and other types of files. Operating System: OS Independent
Screenplay Writing
89. Celtx
Replaces Final Draft ($249.95)
Used by more than 3 million people, Celtx can create scripts, storyboards, schedules, budgets, breakdowns and several kinds of reports. In addition to the free version, it comes in subscription based standard and premium editions. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Video Tools
90. Blender
Replaces AutoDesk Maya ($3,675)
3D animation software can be prohibitively expensive for amateurs and home users, but Blender is completely free and has been used to create full-length animated films. It boasts photorealistic rendering, fast modeling, realistic materials, fast rigging, sculpting, an animation toolset, full compositor and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
91. Cinelerra
Replaces Adobe Premiere Pro ($239.88 per user per year), Avid Media Composer ($1,299)
This high-quality video editing solutions promises to “unleash the 50,000 watt flamethrower of content creation in your Linux box.” There used to be a separate community fork of Cinelerra, but now the developers behind both projects are working together on a project to update the software. Operating System: Linux
92. OpenShot Video Editor
Replaces Adobe Premiere Pro ($239.88 per user per year), Avid Media Composer ($1,299)
Very popular with desktop Linux users, OpenShot offers a very intuitive interface that makes it a good option for home users. Key features include 3D animation, curve-based camera motion, compositing, transitions, audio mixing, vector titles, export to many popular formats, chroma-key, special effects and more. Operating System: Linux, OS X
93. Kdenlive
Replaces Adobe Premiere Pro ($239.88 per user per year), Avid Media Composer ($1,299)
Kdenlive attempts to strike a balance between powerful features and an easy-to-use interface. The latest version, released in September, fixes many bugs from previous versions. Operating System: Linux, OS X
94. Avidemux
Replaces Adobe Premiere Pro ($239.88 per user per year), Avid Media Composer ($1,299)
Avidemux can handle many simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks, but isn’t as full-featured as some other video editors. It does have some automation, scripting and batch processing capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
95. Pitivi
Replaces Adobe Premiere Pro ($239.88 per user per year), Avid Media Composer ($1,299)
Still not quite ready for a 1.0 release, Pitivi is an interesting newer video editor that’s under very active development with an aggressive fundraising campaign. It boasts more than 70 transitions, more than 100 audio and video effects, accuracy to the nanosecond and much more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others
Web Site Design
96. Kompozer
Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)
With its intuitive WYSIWYG editor, Kompozer is an excellent choice for Web beginners. It also includes an FTP site manager, color picker, CSS editor, HTML editor, customizable toolbars, forms, integrated spellchecker and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
97. Bluefish
Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)
This app helps experienced programmers and Web developers create advanced Web apps. Features include fast performance, the ability to open more than 500 documents at once, snippets sidebar, unlimited undo, code completion, spellchecker, code block folding and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
98. SeaMonkey
Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)
More than just a Web editor, SeaMonkey also includes a built-in browser, e-mail client, IRC chat and newsgroup and feed client. Owned by Mozilla, it uses much of the same code as the Firefox browser. Operating System: Windows, Linux
99. BlueGriffon
Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)
Also based on the Firefox rendering engine, BlueGriffon is a newer Web editor with an intuitive interface that’s excelling for newbies. It’s won a number of awards and is available in multiple languages. Operating System: Windows, Linux
100. Amaya
Replaces Adobe Dreamweaver ($239.88 per user per year)
Under development since 1996, Amaya is the Web editor managed by the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C). It supports HTML, CSS, XML and SVG. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
Also read
Self-Hosted Alternatives
