Why Run Windows Apps on Linux? Here Are 15 Linux Alternatives

As you might need seen, increasingly more persons are switching to Linux today. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless fairly widespread for Linux customers to search for apps they’re used to utilizing on Home windows.

If you wish to benefit from the Linux expertise to the fullest, we suggest switching to Linux apps to carry out your day-to-day duties. That is how your journey will come full circle.

So, to help you on this course of, here’s a listing of Linux options to standard Home windows apps you can obtain and use free of charge.

1. LibreOffice (Microsoft Workplace)


LibreOffice - LibreWriter

LibreOffice is a cross-platform workplace suite for Linux that helps all main doc codecs. It enables you to open recordsdata from Microsoft Phrase, PowerPoint, and Excel.

One of the best factor about LibreOffice is that it’s open-source and free in comparison with Microsoft Workplace, which requires a subscription plan. The one factor lacking is an Outlook various, however now we have you lined down this listing.

Obtain: LibreOffice (Free)

2. GIMP (Adobe Photoshop)


GIMP image editor

GIMP is an open-source, cross-platform picture modifying software program with highly effective options for dealing with photos, graphics, 3D work, and artworks. You’ll be able to add varied customizations and plugins to additional improve its options.

GIMP is likely one of the greatest options to Adobe Photoshop as a result of it’s open-source and consumes a lot much less reminiscence and sources. Regardless that it’s free and light-weight, it nonetheless offers all of the instruments you want for picture modifying and designing.

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Obtain: GIMP (Free)

3. Inkscape (Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW)


Inkscape - Main

Inkscape is a vector modifying and designing software program for Linux and different OSes that provides highly effective technical and creative illustration instruments. You should use it to create illustrations, cartoons, animations, clip arts, and way more.

Inkscape has gained important reputation as an alternative choice to Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW as a result of its wealthy function set and since it’s free and open-source. You will be taught Inkscape fairly rapidly if you’re good at different vector graphics software program.

Obtain: Inkscape (Free)

4. Mozilla Thunderbird (Microsoft Outlook)


Mozilla Thunderbird email client

Mozilla Thunderbird is likely one of the greatest free electronic mail purchasers on the market you should use as an alternative of Outlook. It enables you to add electronic mail IDs from any electronic mail supplier, together with Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, and others.

Thunderbird lets you add individuals to your contacts with one click on. It additionally offers good folders function that filters out unimportant emails equivalent to advertising and marketing letters and adverts.

In contrast to Outlook, Thunderbird is free and open-source, and you may additional supercharge it with a plethora of plugins and add-ons.

Obtain: Mozilla Thunderbird (Free)

5. gedit (Notepad)


gedit text editor

gedit is a straightforward but highly effective textual content editor for Linux with all of the Notepad options. It lets you write easy textual content in addition to programming language syntax. Furthermore, you’ve got syntax highlighting obtainable for main programming languages.

gedit additionally lets you print the textual content recordsdata and presents mandatory options like undo and redo. It additionally lets you edit recordsdata from a distant location.

Obtain: gedit (Free)


VLC Player - Home

VLC has been one of many high apps for enjoying movies for a very long time now. Though it is open-source and free, it nonetheless presents extra strong options than the default video gamers obtainable on totally different working programs.

VLC Media Participant performs many of the commonplace video codecs. This, together with a ton of different options together with the function to spice up the amount past 100%, make VLC a super video participant various to Home windows Media Participant in your Linux PC.

Obtain: VLC Media Player (Free)

7. Slack (Microsoft Groups)


Slack on Linux

Slack is a famend communication platform that’s now obtainable for Linux. After the pandemic, the world has shifted to digital collaboration and work platforms, and Slack helps you handle and set up your online business operations via on-line conferences, crew collaboration, and channels.


Slack additionally lets you share recordsdata with different customers and integrates with standard providers equivalent to Google Drive. In contrast to Microsoft Groups, it’s free to make use of for primary enterprises and particular person customers.

Obtain: Slack (Free, in-app purchases obtainable)

8. Krita (Microsoft Paint)


krita paint software

Krita is a complicated portray app for creating digital paintings that equips you with varied instruments to sketch and paint on a digital playground. It’s generally utilized by comedian artists, because it has wonderful instruments in its wealthy function set.

Krita is an efficient Linux various to Microsoft Paint. It is free and open-source and has far more superior options and instruments.

Obtain: Krita (Free)

9. Kdenlive (Microsoft Film Maker)


kdenlive video editor

Kdenlive lets you create skilled movies and is appropriate for each primary {and professional} video modifying. The app is open-source and allows you to use varied media elements from a number of audio and video recordsdata in several codecs.

{Most professional} video modifying apps will not be free, however Kdenlive is. It is likely one of the greatest free options for Film Maker you may ever discover due to the highly effective options it presents together with a free price ticket.

Obtain: Kdenlive (Free)


GParted - Main

In some unspecified time in the future in your computing expertise, it’s important to create or handle the disk partitions in your onerous drive. It’s a technical course of, and knowledge loss is a attainable danger, so most customers wish to have partitioning apps that make it straightforward to handle the onerous disks.

GParted lets you create, resize, and merge partitions simply. You can even transfer partitions and get all the mandatory instruments for disk administration. GParted is a strong free various to any partitioning software program you might need used on Home windows.

Obtain: GParted (Free)

11. Transmission (uTorrent)


Transmission torrent client for linux

Deciding on a superb torrent consumer is crucial, as totally different purchasers fluctuate in connection pace, knowledge privateness, and efficiency. That is why Transmission is a superb uTorrent various for Linux. It is ad-free, open-source, and runs easily.

Transmission can be appropriate to your privateness because it does not acquire any consumer or analytics knowledge.

Obtain: Transmission (Free)

12. 7-Zip (WinRAR)


7Zip for Linux GUI Version

A file archiver is a must have utility to your PC. WinRAR is probably the most well-known file archiver, however sadly, it’s unavailable for Linux. As an alternative, Linux customers have discovered a strong various to WinRAR in 7-Zip.

7-Zip is a reasonably light-weight file archiver. Its small dimension allows it to supply a lot better efficiency. Furthermore, it’s free and open-source, in contrast to WinRAR, and is obtainable for all main Linux distros.

Obtain: 7-Zip (Free)

13. EverSticky (Sticky Notes)


Notes Created Using EverSticky

EverSticky lets you save fast notes in your desktop display screen, making it an ideal utility for to-do lists, notes, and reminders. It’s a complicated various to Sticky Notes.

The app has a novel function that enables it to synchronize with Evernote as a way to entry your Evernote notes on any Linux system. It additionally has an auto-save function for mechanically saving the notes as you sort.

EverSticky is free and offers all the mandatory options you count on from a note-taking app. As well as, it additionally helps wealthy textual content, permitting you so as to add tables and checkboxes to your notes.

Obtain: EverSticky (Free)​​​​​​​

14. Okular (Adobe Reader)


Okular app for linux

Okular is a must have app for dealing with paperwork, because it helps all main file codecs equivalent to PDF, ePUB, TIFF, Pictures, DVI, XPS, and ODT. The app has a minimal interface with an interactive sidebar, and it’s also possible to annotate the content material to make studying efficient.


Okular is definitely obtainable for all main Linux distros. It’s fully free, in contrast to Adobe Reader and Foxit Reader, which provide a free model with limitations.

Obtain: Okular (Free)​​​​​​​


clementine music app

All of us want a music participant app for enjoying and managing our music assortment. Clementine is a music participant with a minimal, easy-to-use interface. You’ll be able to search via and play your native music and even take heed to radio on Spotify, SoundCloud, and several other different third-party sources.

Clementine offers an automatic good playlist based mostly in your listening historical past and presents many different highly effective options. The app is open-source and obtainable throughout all the most important Linux distros, making it a incredible Linux various to AIMP and Home windows Media Participant.

Obtain: Clementine (Free)​​​​​​​

Set up Linux Options As an alternative of Searching for Home windows Apps

Linux is an revolutionary OS with an unlimited group of builders. You will discover an app for any activity you may consider, together with some highly effective however lesser-known options to Home windows apps.

If you’re operating Linux on an outdated PC, you would possibly wish to set up light-weight options as an alternative of resource-hungry apps for Linux.


lightest-linux-apps

10 Lightest Linux Apps and Applications to Pace Up an Outdated PC

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