About this tool
The FOSS Alternative Finder is a hand-curated mapping of popular paid and proprietary software to genuinely free and open-source replacements. Every alternative on this page ships under a recognized open-source license (MIT, GPL, Apache, MPL and similar), is developed by a community or a foundation, and costs nothing to use — for personal and, in almost all cases, commercial work too. Nothing here is sponsored: we list what we would actually install on our own machines.
How to use it
- Type the name of the tool you are replacing — for example “photoshop” — in the search box.
- Narrow the list with the category chips, or switch the sort to browse by category.
- Click the green name to open the official project website and download it from there.
Always download open-source software from its official site. That is the only way to be sure you get the real, unmodified program.
Why choose open source at all?
Three practical reasons. First, cost: there is no subscription, no trial that expires, and no features locked behind a “pro” tier. Second, freedom: the license guarantees you can use, study, modify and share the software — it will not be taken away from you if a company changes its mind. Third, privacy and file formats: most open-source projects store your data in open standards, so you are never locked into one ecosystem.
Are open-source alternatives as good?
For everyday work — documents, photo editing, video cutting, notes, messaging, backups — yes, comfortably. Projects like LibreOffice, GIMP, Blender and VLC are used professionally every day and have been refined for decades. A fair warning: a few niche features of industry tools may be missing or work differently, so expect a short adjustment period. The good news is that trying costs you nothing but a download.
Can I run these on Windows or macOS?
Yes — the vast majority are cross-platform, and the badges on each card show where each one runs. A “Self-hosted” label means the software runs on your own server or computer and you connect to it from your browser or phone; that is easier than it sounds, and it means nobody else hosts your data.
Missing something?
This list grows over time. If your favorite open-source replacement is not here, or a pairing looks wrong, write to admin@getfoss.org and tell us what to add.