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The best iPhone keyboard apps in 2024

By admin March 29, 2024

The best iPhone keyboard apps in 2024, The iPhone’s default keyboard may not meet everyone’s needs. Its limited features may leave some users wanting more variety and flexibility, especially on larger devices like the iPhone 15 Pro Max or smaller models like the iPhone SE (2022).

We have conducted research and compiled a comprehensive list of the best third-party keyboards for iPhone, that can significantly enhance your texting experience. These keyboards offer a wide range of features and customization options, such as adjustable key size, swipe typing, themes, and easier access to emojis. Most of these keyboards are available for free, while some offer premium subscription options. Either way, you’ll easily be able to find a keyboard that suits your needs and preferences.

Microsoft SwiftKey AI Keyboard

Microsoft’s SwiftKey AI keyboard is a highly rated third-party keyboard that is favored by many people. The keyboard is powered by the company’s Copilot AI and is designed to learn your writing style. This allows it to recognize informal language, nicknames, and even your favorite emojis, which sets it apart from its competitors. The keyboard also offers various personalization options, including different themes, which enhance its appearance and appeal to the user.

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The best iPhone keyboard apps in 2024

Typewise Custom Keyboard

Typewise has a unique take on key shapes. The app keeps the QWERTY design but switches the traditional rectangle-shaped keys for hexagonal ones — which Typewise says creates more surface area so you can type more accurately. While there is a slight learning curve, Typewise includes a built-in game to practice typing. With swipe gestures, dark mode support, and autocorrect modification, this is a great alternative for those tired of the conventional iOS keyboard. Newer versions include automatic language detection, which switches the app between selected languages, an undo button, and text replacement for often-used phrases.

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Grammarly

The Grammarly iOS keyboard app offers sophisticated grammar review that goes beyond the usual spell check to provide advice on punctuation, spelling context, and misused words. It also helps you build your vocabulary and offers synonyms, which makes it an ideal app for students or business people. Grammarly also has emoji, a smart autocorrect feature, and allows you to build your own dictionary. You also get features that include swipe typing, home screen widgets, and focus filters that mute vibrations and sound effects.

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Facemoji AI Emoji Keyboard

The Facemoji Emoji Keyboard is a free tool that allows you to add a touch of personality to text messages and social media posts. With a wide range of emojis, fonts, and stickers available, you can easily create unique and engaging content for platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok, Instagram, Messenger, Facebook, Snapchat, and SMS. Whether you want to express your emotions through colorful emojis or add some flair to your text with stylish fonts, the Facemoji Emoji Keyboard has something for everyone.

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Phraseboard Keyboard

Phraseboard aims to take the pain out of the tedious job of typing the same responses and phrases repeatedly by allowing you to save them so you can select one of your prewritten answers to reply rapidly. You can create your own customized phrases and sort them by category. You can even quickly access the Phraseboard widget to create new phrases no matter what you’re doing with your iPhone. All your phrases sync with iCloud. The basic app costs $2, and subscriptions are available for some premium language and functionality features.

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Gboard – the Google Keyboard

Gboard is a keyboard from Google and includes everything you’d ever want within a single app. Whether you’re sending GIFs or emojis, searching Google for information, sending directions, or anything else, Gboard has you covered. With Gboard, you can search and send anything from Google, including information on nearby restaurants, videos, images, weather forecasts, news, sports scores — you name it. The app also offers Glide Typing, which allows you to type messages faster and more accurately.

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Fleksy- GIF, Web & Yelp Search

Fleksy offers users a fun and interactive way to type in their own style. You can customize your Fleksy keyboard with powerful extensions and more than 50 colorful themes. Some of the themes cost $1, but many are free. More than 800 emoji come with the app, and it also has its own built-in GIF search engine. The keyboard supports several languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Italian, Portuguese, Turkish, Hebrew, and Dutch. It learns your typing habits as you go, enabling it to give you accurate predictions, which helps reduce typos.

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Fonts

Are you tired of sending your friends and family the same old boring messages? Spice things up with the Fonts keyboard app! You can customize your messages with a wide selection of fonts to fit your unique personality and style. Whether you’re feeling flirty, professional, or just plain silly, there’s a font for every mood. The Fonts keyboard works through iMessage, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Clubhouse, TikTok, Telegram, Roblox, WhatsApp, Twitch, Discord, and more.

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Color Keyboard – Themes, Fonts

The king of keyboard customization is Color Keyboard. Sure, it gives you emoji and autocorrection and even allows you to tap and hold the space bar to move the cursor, but what really sets this keyboard apart is the option to change anything you want about the keyboard’s look. You can change the background using solid colors, gradients, textures, and even your own pictures.

You can also customize the buttons by changing the colors and borders, adding shadows, customizing the fonts, and changing the sounds. If your aim is customization, Color Keyboard takes things to the next level, but you have to subscribe to access everything, starting at $3 per week and rising for longer intervals and premium features.

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Bitmoji

Bitstrips

Bitmoji, a popular keyboard app, is ideal if you want to send an emoji that resembles you rather than using standard emoji or text. Bitmoji allows you to customize and send a personalized emoji, all from your keyboard. Use Bitmoji with any of your favorite chat apps, like iMessage or Snapchat. It’s never been easier to adapt a dynamic avatar with an ever-changing collection of stickers and moods. You’ll need your Facebook login information to sign into Bitmoji and initiate the avatar creation process.

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GIF Keyboard

Tenor

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a GIF can truly help get your point across. Get access to the massive library of animated and musical GIFs for free. From there, you can search for specific GIFs or use keywords to find animations that suit your mood. The GIF keyboard app is compatible with WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Messenger, iMessage, and just about any other messaging app or social media site.

To send a GIF, press your finger on your chosen GIF and hold it down to browse options. Once you’ve found one, share its link, the GIF itself, or a video, or save the media to your photo library. You can also customize the tool to match your specifications and save your favorite GIFs using the keyboard.

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All Symbol Keyboard Fonts Aa

MelonSoup

For the visual among us, the All Symbol Keyboard is an exciting alternative to humdrum alphanumerics with all the custom fonts, symbols, fancy letters, special characters, and emoticons you could ever want — compatible with any app on your iPhone. It works with Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and many others. Whether you’re looking for high-impact symbols to enhance your keyboard, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter posts, or even your username, launch the app and start typing. Premium versions provide unlimited access to features like the All Symbol Keyboard (every single symbol) and Facemoji library, but there’s tons of free stuff to get you started.

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The best emoji keyboards for Android and iOS

Gone are the days when words were enough to fully express our thoughts and feelings. Emoji, a recently accepted form of pictographic communication that now serves as a kind of Esperanto for the internet age, plays a major role in interpersonal and international communications. Most major keyboards for both Android and iOS feature built-in support for emoji, but they are hardly front and center. If you’re looking for a keyboard to truly satisfy your emoji obsession, you may need a dedicated emoji keyboard to carry out the task of conveying your emotions visually via a text environment.

When you download a keyboard app in iOS, you must add it to your list of keyboards. To do this, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboards. Then, scroll to the Third-Party Keyboards section and choose the keyboard app. Then, tap on the keyboard app and toggle on Allow Full Access. For Android 10, you can install your new keyboard directly via the Google Play Store to your Android phone, if it is compatible with the app, and then launch and follow any directions it has.

Here are a few of our favorite third-party keyboard apps for iOS and Android.

Gboard

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gboard is a highly functional keyboard from Google that concentrates on handy features like emoji search, GIFs, stickers, and glide typing. Best of all, it has the Google search app integrated into the keyboard — no more switching apps. Just search for anything from the weather to your neighborhood bodega and send, all from this nifty keyboard.

Emoji>

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Emoji> offers a ton of emoji characters you can use via the keyboard, and they’re split into different categories, making it easy to find the emoji you’re looking for. The keyboard also provides animated stickers and the ability to set up specific emoji as favorites, so you can access them at a moment’s notice without having to search for the ones you want. Updates include compatibility with iOS 14 and all of its attendant emoji, including smiling face with tear, disguised face, ninja, pinched fingers, heart and lungs, black cat, polar bear, seal, dodo sandal, bubble tea, and toothbrush. New emoji widgets are also on hand.

Microsoft Swiftkey

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Swiftkey is not an emoji keyboard per se, but it is the next best thing — an excellent keyboard that comes pre-loaded with hundreds of emoji for you to use. Swiftkey is already a great favorite because of its valuable predictive typing, which can also be applied to emoji. When you type a word or phrase, for example, the app suggests emoji that you can quickly use. The most recent versions include renaming the app to Microsoft Swiftkey, a new Messaging Center on the keyboard toolbar, haptic feedback, one-handed mode, 400 new languages, and new language layouts.

ai.type Keyboard Plus

As its name implies, ai.type was developed around artificial intelligence, aiming to assist people in typing quickly and accurately. It also allows you to personalize the keyboard to fit your individual needs, enabling you to adjust the keyboard’s layout, theme, and color scheme. This means you can set an emoji front and center and select from an extensive inventory of more than 1,000 characters.

Similar to many other keyboard applications, the keyboard can also propose emojis depending on what you type. The most current versions are compatible with the new Emoji 12.1 for 2020 and 517 new emoji. Around 23 new gender-neutral emoji icons have been added. Some of these include a gender-neutral firefighter, astronaut, a person in a wheelchair, and a judge. You’ll also have access to fun emoji objects like an otter, ringed planet, beverage box, and pinching hand.

Fleksy

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you want to add a bit more fun and animation to your typing, Fleksy could be the keyboard that you’ve been looking for. Fleksy is compatible with a wide variety of extensions, letting you quickly add new features as necessary. Maybe the most remarkable thing about Fleksy is how simple it is to get to your emoji. You can browse through dozens of emoji in each section and change categories with a quick tap at the bottom of the keyboard.

Just like many keyboards, you can also establish a variety of attractive themes. Updated versions include features like Next Word Prediction, prepared in 28 languages, and Emoji Prediction so you can inspect the suggested emoji in regards to your conversation’s context.

Go Keyboard

Go Keyboard is a personalizable keyboard that permits you to put emoji, emoticons, stickers, and GIFs in noticeable areas. The app converts text into emoji and emoticons, and you can pick from over 1,000 emoji and stickers, plus over 10, 000 different themes. It supports over 60 other languages, too. If that’s not enough to impress you, you can also type with gestures and various fonts, as well as individualize your keyboard with your own personal photo theme. The Fancy Font feature gives you the opportunity to select your preferred keyboard font.

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Best Linux desktop of 2024

By admin March 26, 2024

The best Linux desktops provide a simple way to find your perfect Linux desktop environment. The thought of a desktop environment as a separate entity from the operating system sounds foreign to most mainstream users coming from Windows or Mac OS.

But that’s just another example of the dexterity of Linux. For all intents and purposes, a desktop environment is just another piece of software, albeit an expansive and complicated one. At the end of the day you can install it just as you would any other piece of software.

Moreover, many desktop developers ensure you can easily drape their creations over your existing installation. Besides the mainstream ones like Gnome, KDE, Cinnamon, Mate, Xfce, LXDE that come pre-installed with one of the mainstream distros, here are some of the interesting ones that you might not have heard about.

We’ve analyzed these Linux desktops on various points, like how resource-intensive they are, their hardware requirements, customizability, and the out-of-box experience. We also considered the design and visual appeal — whether it was beautiful with interesting animations or sleek and minimalistic.

Best for customization

(Image credit: Github)

Developed and used by the Solus distro, the Budgie desktop is written from scratch using components from the Gnome stack.

The highlight of the desktop is its unified notification and customization center called Raven, which also gives you quick access to the calendar, media player controls, system settings and power options. All the elements on the desktop, such as the applications menu, are implemented as applets.

Budgie is easy to customize and extend and offers enough options to help you mold it as you want. For example, by default Budgie doesn’t show icons on the desktop and has only one workspace, but both of these behaviors can be overridden easily from the Budgie Desktop Settings app.

The developers have refined some of the essential elements of the desktop, which includes the Budgie Menu, which now sorts category names alphabetically, and the Icon Tasklist applet that has several new features and behavior refinements.

Several distros, including Ubuntu and Manjaro have spins based on Budgie and Fedora users can fetch it from the COPR repo.

Best for usability

(Image credit: Deepin)

2. Deepin DE

Best Linux desktop that’s aesthetically pleasing

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Reasons to buy

Configurability

Responsive

Host of native apps

Reasons to avoid

–

Not highly customizable

The Deepin desktop is part of the Deepin distro. It’s based on HTML5 and WebKit and uses a mix of QML and Go for its various components.

Besides the desktop itself, notable homebrewed Deepin components include the application launcher, dock and control center. All of Deepin’s tweakable parameters are accessible via a hidden panel that folds into the desktop itself.

The Deepin desktop tries to replicate the usability and aesthetics of Mac OS X, and has a clean and clutter-free interface with nothing except the dock at the bottom of the screen. The desktop now also supports touch-screen gestures. The desktop has configurable hot corners that by default allow you to access the applications menu and the control panel using which you can manage all aspects of the desktop.

The desktop isn’t officially supported by many distros, but several have community-supported spins and you can fetch the desktop via third-party repositories for your installation.

Best Linux desktop of 2024

Also Read : 12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use

Best lightweight

(Image credit: Enlightenment)

3. Enlightenment

Best Linux desktop that’s lightweight and beautiful

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Animated actions

Lightweight

Tweakability

Reasons to avoid

–

Doesn’t ship with many apps

Enlightenment is a rather unusual desktop environment. It is in fact more of a window manager as it lacks taskbars, panels and even menus. Yet, unlike many lightweight environments, the Enlightenment desktop is full of eye-candy that you’d expect from a full-blown environment, at a fraction of the resources.

There are subtle animations tucked in almost every element of the desktop, from the menus to the various desktop widgets. The desktop has a first boot wizard that enables you to select various aspects of the desktop that define its behavior and appearance. For example, you get an option to select the text size in the windows, which is a really useful feature and even more so if you’re running Enlightenment on a high DPI display.

The desktop also offers plenty of modules and configuration options to keep you busy without overwhelming new users. However, you’ll have to put some time to set it up as per your liking. Configuring the desktop requires patience and willingness to try the different options and learn what each does. You can find Enlightenment in the official repositories of all major distros.

Best for old PCs

(Image credit: LXQt)

The LXQt desktop environment is a combination of the GTK-based lightweight desktop LXDE and Razor-Qt, which was an equally lightweight, but far less mature, desktop that used the Qt toolkit. Thanks to this combination, LXQt manages to pull off the look and feel of a modern desktop without being a drain on resources.

The desktop will feel at home on a modern machine, but is still light enough to push an out-of-commission computer back into active duty. It adheres to the old but familiar desktop metaphor, with a status bar laden with icons at the bottom of the screen. The applications menu features the traditional categorized list of apps as well as a search box to help launch apps.

LXQt offers a decent number of tweakable options that help customize the most commonly used aspects of the desktop. The desktop uses modules, which are essentially desktop-independent tools for desktop specific operations, and its panel also supports plug-ins. You can find LXQt in the repositories of virtually all distros.

Best for macOS users

(Image credit: Pantheon)

5. Pantheon

Best Linux desktop for migrating macOS users

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Animated actions

Minimalist

Keyboard shortcuts

Reasons to avoid

–

Lacking customizability

The Pantheon desktop from Elementary OS is another minimalist but stylish desktop that has created a name for itself as an elegant and user-friendly desktop environment.

The desktop uses its own Mutter-based window manager called Gala and takes cues from the Mac OS X desktop for a pleasant user experience. The desktop nicely integrates the various elements, such as the Plank dock, the top panel (called Wingpanel) and the Slingshot application launcher.

Nearly all actions on the desktop are subtly animated, but the desktop manages to strike a balance between form and function. You can use the Pantheon Tweaks tool to customize the desktop. Once it’s installed, you can use the tool to change the appearance of the desktop, set fonts, control the animations and more.

Many of the default apps that ship with Pantheon, such as the Calendar app, the Code text editor are written from scratch, to blend in with the rest of the desktop. Keyboard warriors can also access virtually all aspects of the desktop without using the mouse.

Pantheon isn’t officially supported on any other distro, but can be installed atop Arch, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE and Fedora.

Best Linux distro for Windows users of 2024

The best Linux distros for Windows users can make it simple and easy to switch from Windows to Linux systems.

It can be an inundating experience, especially for people coming from proprietary operating systems like Windows. Linux distributions, thanks to their open source nature, offer a lot more access than their closed source cousins, which makes the transition particularly difficult for many users.

This is where these specialized distros, designed for Windows users, come into the picture. Their objective is to allow users to experience the goodness of Linux while minimizing the learning curve that’s associated when switching to a different operating system. They all take various steps to ensure that the transition is as effortless as possible.

We’ve tested numerous Linux distros to find the best ones for Windows users. We looked at how user-friendly they were, the hardware requirements, the ease of installation, and the overall out-of-box experience. We also considered the distro’s learning curve and the desktop environment, among other aspects.

Best Debian distro

1. Deepin Linux

Best Debian distro for Windows users

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Home-brewed desktop

Helpful first-boot wizard

Touch-friendly interface

Reasons to avoid

–

Slow installer

Deepin Linux is a Debian-based distro that’s known for its aesthetically pleasing custom desktop environment called DDE. Together with several home-brewed apps, the distro is designed to ease new users into the Linux desktop.

Deepin comes in both a stable and experimental version. The “stable” version (currently 20.8) is based on the stable version of Debian at the time of release (in this case Debian 10 “Buster”).

The experimental version (current V23) is designed for “non-production environments”. In other words it’s better for personal use rather than anything critical. The latest experimental build is visually very rich with a “flow design” and added widgets so closely resembles Windows 11.

Deepin uses a first-boot configurator app to help you tweak the look and feel of your installation by changing icons, enabling window effects and more. These are classified into two broad categories and you can use either depending on the number of available resources on your computer.

On lower-end machines, you can run the installation in Efficient mode to make the best use of the limited resources, while on newer ones you can use the Fashion mode to turn up the bling. The amount of customizations in DDE are quite diverse and extend from the main desktop area to the notification management.

There’s a Deepin custom app for conducting the majority of common desktop tasks, such as watching films, listening to music, viewing images, taking backups, recording screencasts, and about a dozen more.

The other custom Deepin app that deserves a special mention is the App Store. It makes it fairly easy to discover and install news apps, which will be appreciated by new users not familiar to the Linux app ecosystem. Also, listed besides the usual categories of apps is the Uninstall section that can help you get rid of any installed apps using a more familiar parlance.

Best Ubuntu distro

2. elementary OS

Best Ubuntu distro for Windows users

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Reasons to buy

Aesthetic desktop

Picture-in-picture mode

Custom apps

Support for Flatpaks

Reasons to avoid

–

Doesn’t support 32-bit architecture

Elementary OS is based on Ubuntu. There are new releases every 1-2 years each of which are named after a different god. For instance, the most recent version (7.0) is codenamed “Horus”.

This isn’t all that’s divine about this OS. It has made a name for itself for crafting a very usable and aesthetically pleasing desktop distro. Everything from its pre-installed apps to its home brewed desktop is designed to give a comforting experience to users new to Linux.

Its custom-built Pantheon desktop, is a pleasing aesthetic take on the classical desktop metaphor. One of its distinguishing features is the picture-in-picture mode that enables you to select an area of a window or the desktop, and then pops it out. This pop-out is movable, resizable, always-on-top, and can move across workspaces

The distro comes with a carefully pruned collection of pre-installed apps that’s been assembled to make the desktop experience more consistent and appealing to new Linux users. In fact, many of its most-used pre-installed apps have functional names like Mail, Music, Photos and Videos, which makes them easier to discover.

The distro also has an onboarding app to help new users set up their installation. elementary OS also uses its own App Center. The latest version emphasizes app screenshots, as well as providing more information about the developer and how actively packages are maintained. Installation is via Flatpaks so it’s very easy to toggle automatic app updates too. It takes a similar approach to system settings with its custom app that exposes the bare essentials instead of throwing an endless stream of toggles and switches.

Best unique distro

Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu. It’s specifically designed to work “out of the box”. The two main flavors use the MATE (pictured) and Cinammon desktop environments. The layout is familiar for Windows users with a taskbar and configurable menus on the bottom.

This distro emphasizes compatibility with restricted/proprietary formats. Out of the box it can edit Microsoft Office documents via the LibreOffice suite. With one click of your mouse you can also “Install Multimedia Codecs” to play all kinds of audio/video files.

You can also use the Software Manager to install more programs. Linux Mint has its own repositories but can also access Ubuntu’s. There are around 30,000 packages available overall, so it’s likely you can find a good equivalent to Windows apps.

The latest version of Linux Mint 21.1 (Codename “Vera) is based on Ubuntu 22.04. This is a LTS (Long Term Support) release so updates will be available until April 2027.

Best for older machines

4. Zorin OS

Best Linux distro for Windows users with older machines

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Reasons to buy

Look changer app

Several free editions

Useful documentation

Reasons to avoid

–

Official tech support isn’t great

At first glance, Zorin OS comes off as just another Ubuntu-based distro. However, what makes it unique is the home-brewed Zorin Appearance app that tweaks the desktop environment to make it resemble Windows in both form and function.

Pitched as a distro for first-time Linux users, Zorin is designed to appeal to users coming from popular proprietary operating systems, namely Windows and macOS.

The GUI is Windows-like with a menu that opens from the bottom left of the desktop and a task bar. You can use the launch menu to install “Windows App Support” to run your favorite Windows apps through the ‘Wine’ compatibility player of ‘PlayonLinux’. The preinstalled LibreOffice suite can also open Microsoft Office documents.

Zorin is available in four different versions: the Core, Lite, and Education editions are free, while the Pro version costs $39. The Core edition is the standard edition that includes all the apps you’d find in a normal desktop Linux distribution, while the Lite edition is designed for older machines. The paid Pro version comes with support and a few extra features, such as the option of using interfaces that mimic macOS, classic Windows and Windows 11. It’s also chock-full of all kinds of apps like advanced video and photo editors.

The distro is complimented by a useful selection of documentation that’s again written for users migrating from proprietary desktops and aren’t used to the Linux way of doing things. All things considered, we’d advise you to use the Lite edition to take Zorin for a spin. This uses the Xfce desktop, so the layout is more familiar to Windows users. You can then switch to the Ultimate edition to experience the full potential of the distro.

Best for ease-of-use

5. Ubuntu

Best Linux distros for Windows users that’s easy to use

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Very accessible for novices

Security and stability of LTS version

Lubuntu spin is great for underpowered PCs

Reasons to avoid

–

Some flavors heavy on resources

Ubuntu is one of the most popular flavors of Linux and is strongly recommended for Linux newbies, as it’s extremely accessible. That’s why we’ve already featured two variations of Ubuntu in this guide, but it’s worth considering the main Ubuntu release itself.

New versions of Ubuntu are released every six months, and every other year the developer Canonical releases an LTS (long term support) version of Ubuntu. These guarantee five years of security and general maintenance updates, so you can carry on using your machine without the hassle of running a full upgrade every few months. Standard releases are supported for one year only.

The current LTS version of Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment, which may be less unfamiliar to Windows and macOS users.

The good news is that Ubuntu is available in a variety of flavors. The “Lubuntu” OS uses the LXQt desktop environment. This will feel comfortable for Windows users, as you can access the menu and minimize windows just as before. Both the desktop and apps that come bundled with Lubuntu are designed to be lightweight, making it perfect for older machines.

As of version 23.04, Ubuntu now officially supports the ‘Cinnamon’ desktop (pictured). This has a similar look and feel to Windows but uses much richer graphics. Naturally, you’ll need a more recent PC to make use of all its features.

Ubuntu has also become increasingly integral with cloud computing services, making it not just a good distro for easing beginners into Linux, but also one for those looking to develop their long-term business IT skills.

Linux distros for Windows users FAQs

How to choose the best Linux distros for Windows users for you?

With the best Linux distro for Windows users, you’ll enjoy a smooth transition from Windows to Linux. But you’ll have to look at many factors before selecting the right distro for yourself.

For starters, check whether your hardware can run the distro, mainly because not all distros run on 32-bit architecture. You’ll want a lightweight distro that’ll run without lagging if you’re on older hardware. It always helps if the distro has plenty of documentation available and an active forum where you can seek help. Also, check out the distro’s desktop environment to see if it’s to your liking, in terms of visuals, functions, and customizability.

The best Linux distros for Windows users: How we test

We analyzed various aspects of different distros to find the best Linux distros for Windows users. We looked at how resource-intensive the distros were, what kind of hardware they’d run on smoothly, the documentation available, and the out-of-box experience. We considered the installation time and the additional apps that came with the distro.

We evaluated the desktop environment based on the visuals, functionality, and customizability. We also checked out the online forums to see if there was an active community that could help with doubts.

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Best color laser printers for 2024

By admin March 20, 2024

The best color laser printers can be a great investment, saving you quite a bit of time and money. For shoppers worried about the long-term ink costs, you’ll find color laser printers surprisingly affordable. Laser printers use toner, which lasts a very long time, delivering a low cost per page for monochrome documents and fast color prints. The best color laser printers offer quick performance and reliability to help keep your home office or small business productive.

If you need to scan documents for record-keeping and photo capture or want the convenience of a color copier, an all-in-one color laser printer is an essential tool for your small business or personal use. For a small added cost, you get expanded capabilities. That’s why every model on this list is an all-in-one from the best printer brands.

Why you should trust us

Digital Trends has been reviewing printers for 20 years, testing them to determine which offer the best quality and fastest speeds. We check the long-term value of each printer, so you’ll know in advance if a low-cost printer is truly affordable or if it has outrageous toner costs.

Printers are complex machines that require a good understanding of the technology to make a solid recommendation. Reviews also highlight problems with compatibility and other details that can become deal breakers when you depend on particular features.

Key considerations while selecting the best color laser printer for you

There are several key factors to consider when choosing a color laser printer. Purchase price matters, but long-term costs can add up quickly. Review the entire list to find the perfect printer.

Print quality and color fidelity

If you’re choosing color, you need more than a hard copy — you want your document to look great. You still need razor-sharp text, but it’s essential for colors to match what you see on-screen and in photos without banding or streaks.

Speed and economy

A laser printer should be fast and efficient with low running costs. Otherwise, you should choose a more versatile and lower-cost inkjet printer.

Special features

All-in-one printers include scan, copy, and sometimes fax functions, filling multiple roles in your office. Many printers offer duplex printing (double-sided), an automatic document feeder (ADF), multiple paper trays, Wi-Fi connectivity, and walk-up printing. These details could be critically important when making a purchase decision.

HP Color LaserJet Pro 4301fdw

Best all-in-one color laser printer

Why you should buy this: It’s a modern, eco-friendly color laser printer with great speed and quality.

Who’s it for: Home offices and small businesses that need documents printed quickly.

Why we picked the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4301fdw:

With blistering fast print and scan speeds, the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4301fdw makes short work of challenging jobs. It prints 35 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome and color documents and scans with its ADF at 31 ppm.

Color documents look great and photos come out nice even on plain paper. A USB port allows walk-up printing via a thumb drive, making the LaserJet Pro 4301fdw an excellent all-in-one printer for home and office.

Best color laser printers for 2024

HP LaserJet Pro MFP M182nw

Best deal on a color laser printer

Why you should buy this: It’s a great bargain on an HP color laser printer.

Who it’s for: Anyone upgrading from an inkjet printer for more speed and durability.

Why we picked the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M182nw:

An HP color laser printer usually costs a lot more than this. HP is recognized as one of the most popular brands for rugged and durable laser printers, so you know a LaserJet will have good quality and long-lasting value.

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M182nw outputs the first page in 11.6 seconds and has sustained print speeds of up to 17 ppm. That’s not superfast for a laser printer, but doubles or triples the color document speed of most inkjets. Combined with budget pricing, this is a good introduction to laser printers for anyone who has used only inkjet printers so far.

Setup should be quick and easy with the HP Smart mobile app, or you can connect the LaserJet Pro MFP M182nw directly to a Windows PC or Mac. HP quality is rarely this cheap.

With integrated scanning and copying, this will work nicely for a home office to take the burden off your inkjet printer.

Canon Color imageClass MF656Cdw

Best color laser printer for small business

Why you should buy this: Great color print quality in a multifunctional printer.

Who it’s for: Anyone who needs to print or copy documents and graphics quickly.

Why we picked the Canon Color imageClass MF656Cdw:

Laser printers are known to be fast and rugged, and the Canon Color imageClass MF656Cdw fits this description well. While we wouldn’t recommend it for photographers, the MF656Cdw is hard to beat for an office that needs to make or reproduce color documents that contain graphics and photos.

While the 22-ppm print speed of the Canon Color imageClass MF656Cdw doesn’t match the fastest color lasers, it does offer duplex printing, copying, and scanning from its 50-sheet document feeder. With a monthly duty cycle of 2,500 pages, it can also hold up to the standard printing demands of small to medium-sized offices.

In addition to USB, print jobs can be sent wirelessly via Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Wi-Fi direct, and Canon’s Print Business app.

Brother MFC-L3720CDW

Best Brother laser printer for photos

Why you should buy this: You’ll get full-color laser prints quickly at an affordable price.

Who’s it for: Home and small office customers with moderate print volume needs.

Why we picked the Brother MFC-L3720CDW:

Color laser printers aren’t cheap. This affordable Brother makes a great addition to a home office or small business. It has many of the same features as more expensive models, like its 3.7-inch touchscreen for easy access to functions and a 250-sheet tray that lets you print more without replacing paper.

With a numeric pad for faxing, fast single-sided scanning, and quick copying, this printer is ready to help make your workday easier. It’s a large, heavy printer that’s designed to last a long time.

If you like the look of this printer, but need duplex scanning and copying, Brother’s MFC-L3780CDW offers super-fast single-pass scanning of multiple double-sided documents in its automatic document feeder for about $100 more.

Why you should buy this: Brother’s MFC‐L8905CDW delivers fast printing speeds and long-lasting supplies at affordable operating costs.

Who it’s for: Small and medium-sized businesses.

Why we picked the Brother MFC‐L8905CDW :

The Brother MFC‐L8905CDW features ultra-high yield toner cartridges that supply up to 9,000 monochrome pages and 8,000 color pages, so you rarely need to interrupt a busy workday. An optional 500 sheet paper tray expands the onboard capacity of 250 sheets in the main tray and 50 sheets in the multi-purpose tray.

Print speeds of up to 33 ppm make short work of long documents and extra copies. This sturdy business printer offers duplex for fax, scan, copy, and print functions and can connect to any device with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or USB. A USB port allows walk-up operation with a thumb drive, while an NFC reader limits access to authorized personnel.

The Brother MFC‐L8905CDW has a recommended duty cycle of 4,000 pages per month but it can handle printing up to 60,000 pages in a month. For such a rugged printer, Brother didn’t skimp on convenience features. The seven-inch color touchscreen can be customized with up to 64 shortcuts to speed up frequent operations.

Brother HL-L3270CDW

Best budget color laser printer

Why you should buy this: It’s the best budget-friendly option for offices with limited space.

Who it’s for: Small and home offices.

Why we picked the Brother HL-L3270CDW

If all you need is a printer that prints quickly, fits perfectly in your small home office, and doesn’t break the bank, then this is the printer for you. With the Brother HL-L3270CDW you can expect print speeds of up to 25 ppm for both black and color pages, a wide variety of connectivity options including wireless and Ethernet, and a 250-sheet max paper tray that can support different paper sizes and types like envelopes or card stock. It’s a great, affordable option for simple, straightforward print jobs.

HP Color LaserJet Enterprise MFP M480f

Best color laser printer for medium-sized businesses

Why you should buy this: HP’s Color LaserJet Pro MFP M480f is a speedy all-in-one printer that’s designed for printing and digital document archiving with intuitive support for cloud storage.

Who it’s for: Small businesses that need a speedy color laser printer.

Why we picked the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M480f:

Workgroups and businesses that don’t have much office space to spare to house a large printer will appreciate HP’s Color LaserJet Pro MFP M480f. The MFP M480f adds multifunctional features that will help with your office’s document needs, including a built-in flatbed scanner, automatic document feeder, and duplexing capabilities. The M480f is a well-rounded multifunction printer that can still output up to 29 ppm in black and white or color.

This speedy but compact number has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low-Energy, and mobile printing is supported across a number of devices and platforms. The big limiting factor on this printer is its small 250-sheet paper input tray, though larger offices with bigger print jobs can upgrade to the optional 550-sheet tray. Duplexing is supported to help save paper and the environment. A front-facing USB port makes it easy to print from a storage drive. The printer can print from or scan to a variety of cloud providers, making it easy for digital document archiving. Businesses on a limited print budget can invest in high-yield toner cartridges for a lower per-page print cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Color laser printers versus inkjet printers: what’s best?

Laser printers are better for text documents, as they produce crisp text even at small font sizes. Over time, they are also cheaper to run than cartridge-based inkjets. However, laser printers require a larger initial investment. If you don’t print very often, a cheap inkjet printer could make more sense and it may take a long time before its higher operational costs catch up to the higher initial cost of a laser printer. For smaller print jobs, the faster pages-per-minute rate of a laser printer also won’t be much of an advantage.

If you’re looking to save money in the long term and need to print pictures, check out inkjet solutions that rely on tanks for ink rather than cartridges, like Epson’s EcoTank series. Since the tanks are refillable with bottled ink, tank printers cost even less than toner for laser printers. Not only will tanks be better for the environment through less waste, but they will save you money for larger print jobs.

Laser printers are still more durable reducing maintenance costs if you print at high volume. Lasers offer faster printing speeds, saving time on large print jobs. That’s why businesses often choose laser printers.

Beyond print quality, inkjet photo printers can also handle a wider variety of paper types and sizes compared to laser printers. Some very large inkjets are available that can print posters and banners. A color laser printer will handle inline photos and graphics in documents just fine. Most modern color laser printers, especially those made for small offices, will be able to handle standard sizes and types of print jobs, from standard documents to labels and card stock.

While color laser printers have gotten much better at handling photographs, if you’re looking to make detailed, color-accurate photographic prints to hang on your wall, display in a gallery, or sell to customers, a high-end inkjet photo printers is still the way to go (or simply outsource the work to a photo lab).

Do color laser printers come with Wi-Fi or AirPrint support?

Yes. As with inkjet printers, wireless connectivity has become standard on color laser printers. That means you can use Apple AirPrint for your iPhone and iPad with nearly any printer and Android’s print service is equally adept at connecting. There are more details about mobile use below.

You can also use Wi-Fi to print and scan with Windows and macOS. However, if you use a Linux computer or want to print from a Chromebook, check the manufacturer’s page to confirm the printer is compatible with your system.

How can I print from my iPad, iPhone, or Android device?

Color laser printers support Apple AirPrint, making it easy to print from an iPad or iPhone to a printer on your Wi-Fi network. Android phones and tablets can also connect to Wi-Fi printers quickly and easily.

For scanning, maintenance, and other specific features, you will need to install the manufacturer’s mobile app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play. The mobile app will often provide more options for quality, input tray, and paper size and type.

How often will I have to buy toner?

This depends on how much you print. Toner cartridges often have yields of 2,000 pages or more (check the specifications of your printer for your model’s specific yield). For light home use, that means many people could easily go a year or more without replacing toner. For office use, the replacement interval will be shorter, but toner could still last a few months.

How can I save money on toner?

The first step is to print efficiently; that is, double-check your page layout settings and make sure everything is correct before you hit that print button. You can also save money by preventing wasted color toner by setting a black and white printer as the default.

When it is time to reorder, you can save money by buying third-party toner cartridges. However, buying third-party toner likely isn’t recommended by your printer’s manufacturer, but so long as you make sure it’s compatible with your printer, it should work just fine. However, some printers, like the HP model above, look for a toner that uses a special chip identifying it as original equipment. HP warns that while some other cartridges may work today, they may not in the future.

Can I buy a color laser printer with built-in fax?

Yes. Many all-in-one laser printers can scan, copy, and fax documents. If you’re doing a lot of faxing, copying, or scanning, be sure to choose a printer with an automatic document feeder (ADF), and if you want to do double-sided scans and double-sided prints, a model that has a duplex ADF and duplex printing will be best. Double-sided prints can also help save money if cost is a concern. Note that not all all-in-ones — also called multifunction printers — have fax modems, so be sure to check the specs before you buy. If you need a multifunction printer, be sure to check out our best picks for all-in-one printers.

How do you test color printers?

To find the best color laser printers, we factor in criteria such as speed, price, maintenance costs, and any unique features that help them one-up the competition.

Our selections are based on our long- and short-term testing; experience with earlier models; familiarity with the company’s technologies; consultation with industry experts, fellow journalists, and users; online forums; lab results; and other third-party reviews. We look across the board — not just at our own experiences — to find consensus on what we think are the best-performing printers you can currently buy. We also look at list pricing to determine if a product is worth the cost. We will even recommend printers that aren’t new, provided the features are still best-in-class.

The printer market evolves constantly, with manufacturers either introducing better models with new features or basic upgrades. So, you can expect our picks to change as well. But don’t worry — the models you see here will be with you for some time, and if we anticipate better models on the horizon, we will state that upfront to help you decide whether you should buy now or wait.

Which is the best color laser printer for home use?

When searching for a color laser printer for home use, you probably don’t want a 100-pound beast meant to survive the rigors of a shared work environment.

A compact, budget-friendly color laser might be ideal. Printing photos is a common use for home printers and some models have good quality even on plain paper.

Is a laser printer good for color?

The first laser printers were monochrome, but most manufacturers offer several color laser printers that provide great quality for color documents.

However, some handle photos better than others. For photographic-quality color pictures, it’s hard to beat an inkjet printer that’s optimized for photos.

Are laser printers being phased out?

Laser printers will continue to be manufactured for the foreseeable future. However, there are some concerns about their environmental impact.

Epson, for example, is phasing out laser printers worldwide by 2026, citing the significant energy required to generate enough heat to fuse toner onto paper.

Meanwhile, HP has found ways to make laser printers more eco-friendly by altering toner formulations and improving efficiency.

If you find our top picks aren’t the right fit for your specific needs, there are other color laser and other printer types that are worth checking out. If you’d like a top-rated printer that can match the quality of the best scanners, or you simply just need a more affordable model, be sure to take a look at some of the all-around best printers on the market.

If you’re looking for additional savings, check out our guides to the best cheap printer deals and best laser printer deals available now.

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Best Free Winrar Alternative in 2024

By admin March 5, 2024

If you are looking for the best free WinRAR alternative then this list will help you find the best WinRAR alternative. Keep reading to know more about the software and its offerings.

Folders in your system can have big and heavy data files which require hundreds of MBs or even GB of space. Such large files are hard to share as some of the platforms will not accept sharing them and some would take a long time for the process. But to help users sharing files easily, WinRAR software was created.

The software helps in compressing and decompressing the files and documents. You can use this software and compress the heaviest files into small ones. These small files can be shared easily from one computer to another easily. Moreover, you can use compressed files to transfer through any third-party software.

Overall WinRAR is a great software to have on your computer but on the other hand, it has some downsides too. The software requires the user to pay a subscription amount to use it. This is what makes most of the users to look for a WinRAR alternative for Windows 10 and older versions.

To help you with the search we have filtered 11 free software like WinRAR that you can use. So without any further delay, let’s take a look at the software and its offerings.

11 Best Free WinRAR Alternative to choose in 2024

Here is the list of best software like WinRAR to choose from in 2024. Take a look at the offerings and choose the best software for yourself.

1. 7-Zip

7- Zip is a great program that you can choose as an alternative to WinRAR. This is a cross-platform software that makes the process of compressing and decompressing files very easy. The best part about this software is that it is available for free and everyone can use this software to compress files as per requirement.

The program claims 10% better compression than other software, which can be a great deal for every user. The program compresses the folder to 7z format and the user can obtain up to 7% compression. The efficiency and subscription-free offering make it one of the best free WinRAR alternatives.

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2. PeaZip

Another great WinRAR alternative is PeaZip. This program is also available for free and it offers various other features to help you handle files and folders. You can manage files effectively and as per your needs. Whether you are a Linux user or a Windows user you can use this software and compress files easily.

The software offers simple but very effective features to compress the files. One of the best features of the software is to manage passwords. The software offers a compression option that can be used to open more than 160 types of files and compress them to your file. It supports formats including 7z, ARC, and BZip2.

It is a very lightweight software that doesn’t require much space from the disk. You can use this software with your old PC or laptop and it won’t affect the processing speed of the device.

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3. B1 Free Archiver

Next up is another free WinRAR alternative that offers a professional interface to the users. The software supports various formats including 7z, b1, zip, rar, arj, jar, xpi, and many others. According to your need you can either download the software or use the programs from your browser, it offers both options to the users.

Other than this you can even compress or decompress files without the internet. Though this is WinRAR open-source alternative and is free to use but it may ask for permissions. You can decline them and accept them according to your requirements. You can use this software on your Windows, Mac, and Linux PC. if you want you can also use it on your Android mobile devices.

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4. ExtractNow

ExtractNow is another WinRAR similar software that offers a similar offering at no cost. This is not only offered free use but it also has a very simple and easy interface which every user can use and compress or decompress files with. One of the best features of this software is that using it you can extract multiple files easily. To compress files using this program like WinRAR you can simply drag and drop the files and the rest will be taken care of by the software.

Other similar WinRAR software also offers a feature using which you can extract multiple files at the same time but this software makes it very easy which is why it is considered the best alternative to WinRAR. It supports all the major file formats to extract and is compatible with Windows 10 and older versions.

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5. jZip

jZip is another program like WinRAR that you can use to compress and decompress files. This is a very similar software to 7-Zip, it supports various formats including RAR, 7-zip, TAR, and GZip. It has a very simple interface with very limited offerings that can be a perfect option for all beginners.

It has very limited options which include pack and unpacks files with ease. This is a free WinRAR alternative that does ask the users to add a toolbar as adware when you install the software. You need to be careful while proceeding with the installing and check only the option which you need. The software is compatible with Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, and XP.

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6. Hamster Zip Archiver 4

Hamster Zip Archiver 4 is software like WinRAR which is free and powerful. This software has a unique compression method that offers an amazing ratio of compression. Above all, it is a fast tool that is observed to perform 2 times faster compression. The level of compression is customizable and you can select it on the basis of your requirements. Other than this you can also password protect the files.

This WinRAR-like software supports file formats including 7z, RAR, ZIP, TAR, and XZ. The software also offers a cloud service to save and share files through the internet. While installing the software you need to check the option carefully and select them as per needs only. If you don’t check then you might get adware while using the software which no one wants. The software is compatible with Windows 10 and older versions.

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7. Bandizip

Next on the list of best free WinRAR alternatives is Bandizip. It is a great tool that is free and has no adware or malware included. Most of the software which are free offers some kinds of adware but not with this WinRAR alternative. You can even scan files with the software before opening them for compression.

Irrespective of your PC performance the software works fast in compressing files. To protect your files you can add encryptions like AES 256 and ZipCrypto. The software is compatible with most of the Windows operating systems.

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8. Zip Extractor

This is a very unique program in the list of the best free WinRAR alternatives. This is a free extension on the Google Chrome browser which does not require any space on your hard disk of the computer. All you need to do is set the extension on the browser and compress files easily. For all those who want to have a program like WinRAR which does not take up space in the hard disk, then they can choose to opt for this WinRAR open-source alternative.

This program offers a very simple and easy interface with the support of multiple file compression easily. Though it has a downside that it only compresses the files which are in your Google Drive and does not compress files from your computer storage.

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9. Ashampoo ZIP Free

Ashampoo Zip Free is a must software to include in the list of best free WinRAR alternatives. This software offers powerful compression of files of various formats. The file formats supported in the software include ZIPX, RAR, ARC, NSIC, WIM, ISO, and others. For packing files the software supports ZIP, 7-ZIP, CAB, and TAR.

This is one of the best alternatives to WinRAR as it offers features using which you can encrypt all archives. The best part is that it is free software, if you wish to use the full version then you can activate it through your email. All the Windows Operating systems after Windows 7 are compatible with Ashampoo Zip Free.

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10. Zipware

Last, in the list of best free WinRAR alternatives list, we have Zipware. This is a simple yet effective tool. It offers all the features which can help in compressing or decompressing files. While the other WinRAR alternative focuses on offering a simple interface it has offered a simple yet attractive interface. The software has many buttons in different colors.

The software works the best as expected, it scans for the files and folder so that no virus gets into your system or other hardware to which you connect. It is a free-to-use tool, yet you can donate some amount for a good cause if you want. The software is compatible with Windows XP and newer versions.

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11. WinZIP

If you are still looking for an alternative to WinRAR, then you can’t go wrong with WinZIP. WinZip is one of the most popular and reliable tools among all other WinRAR alternatives. With the help of the tool, you can easily compress or extract data from different zipped files. The tool also allows you to encrypt your data or extract encrypted data with ease. The tool is available for both Windows and macOS.

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Found the Best Free WinRAR Alternative to Use

By looking at the list of best WinRAR alternatives, you can easily find programs like WinRAR that perform exactly the same and charge no money. You can choose any of the software and download them using the below-mentioned link. The link will take you to the official website of the software. We hope that we have helped you to find the best alternative to WinRAR. Tell us in the comments below which software did you choose and why.

WinRAR at a glance

WinRAR Features

• WinRAR is a powerful compression tool with many integrated additional functions to help you organize your compressed archives.

• WinRAR puts you ahead of the crowd when it comes to compression. By consistently creating smaller archives, WinRAR is often faster than the competition. This will save you disk space, transmission costs AND valuable working time as well.

• WinRAR supports all popular compression formats (RAR, ZIP, CAB, ARJ, LZH, TAR, GZip, UUE, ISO, BZIP2, Z and 7-Zip).

• WinRAR is ideal for multimedia files. WinRAR automatically recognizes and selects the best compression method. The special compression algorithm compresses multimedia files, executables and object libraries particularly well.

• WinRAR allows you to split archives into separate volumes easily, making it possible to save them on several disks.

• WinRAR is also ideal if you are sending data through the web. Its AES 256-bit encryption and its authenticated signature technology will give you the peace of mind you have been looking for.

• WinRAR is a trial product, meaning you have the chance to thoroughly test it. The program can be used absolutely free of charge for 40 days!

• WinRAR licenses are valid for all available language and platform versions. If you have purchased several licenses, you can even mix versions to meet your own personal needs.

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Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps You Can Use In 2024

By admin February 28, 2024

Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps You Can Use In 2024, Facebook-owned WhatsApp Messenger is the most popular messaging app on the planet. The company releases new features regularly to ensure it remains on top. However, people have different tastes and not everyone may like how WhatsApp works or looks both internally and externally.

Meta-owned WhatsApp has a policy and it makes it clear that the company collects lots of telemetry data from your device. Hence, if you are someone who wants to move on to a more personal or secure messaging app, here are the 12 best WhatsApp alternative apps you can use in 2024.

1. Telegram Messenger

Telegram Messenger has been known as the best WhatsApp competitor for a while now and nothing’s changed. The open-source messaging app is still the best WhatsApp alternative out there. Along with the usual messaging features that both WhatsApp and Telegram pack, the latter brings other features like supergroups of up to 100,000 people, public channels, usernames, the ability to share files of up to 2 GB, passcode lock, self-destructing messages and end-to-end encryption in secret chat among other things.

Then, there are Telegram Bots, which really enhance the experience. The bots not only bring you important info on the go but there are several game bots that let you play games inside the messaging app. Other than that, unlike WhatsApp, Telegram can be used on multiple platforms at once, so you can start texting on your phone and then continue it on your PC. I also love the voice call feature here which works quite well.

Availability: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web (Free)

2. Signal Private Messenger

Signal Foundation, the organization that powers the end-to-end encryption technology in WhatsApp Messenger and Facebook Messenger, offers its very own messaging app dubbed Signal Private Messenger. As you’d expect, Signal brings a number of security benefits when compared to WhatsApp. It offers self-destructing messages, screen security (prevents anyone from taking screenshots), and more.

Plus, Signal brings encryption to its backups, calls, group calls, and every other data in the app. Even the files that you send using Signal are protected. Furthermore, according to Apple’s App Store listing, Signal doesn’t link any data to your identity.

It’s a great app for anyone who wants to securely converse with other users. That’s why, Signal is quite popular with journalists. Signal Private Messenger is for people who are looking for a simple and secure messaging app and if you are looking for something like that, it is the best WhatsApp alternative for you.

Availability: Android, iOS (Free)

Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps You Can Use In 2024

Read More : 12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use

3. Discord

Discord is no longer just a platform for chatting with your fellow gamers. While you can explore a variety of Discord servers to engage with your interests, Discord’s DM functionality is often overlooked by many. You can use Discord’s personal messages feature to send messages, emojis, emotes (if you have Discord Nitro), GIFs, images, and even documents. Furthermore, you can make voice calls, video calls, or even browse together after sharing your screen.

Combined with neat integrations from Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, Battle.net, Steam, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Xbox Live, and GitHub, Discord has got you covered for all your messaging needs and is arguably better than WhatsApp.

You can also create group chats on Discord with a total of 10 members. If you need more capacity, you can always create a server. If you ask me, I’d recommend uninstalling WhatsApp right away and installing Discord. You will find the link to download Discord below and I can assure you that you won’t regret the decision.

Availability: Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web (Free)

4. Messages by Google

This might be an odd one but hear us out! Google’s RCS messaging service has improved by leaps and bounds since it was first introduced. Although it may not be the most widely available service in the world and is limited to just Android users, almost every Android device should have this feature. Just download the Google Messages app, go to the settings, and enable RCS (Rich Communication Services).

RCS is a secure way of sending messages across devices; messages sent with RCS are encrypted and can carry more information across than SMS, and the Google Messages app comes tailored with lots of handy dandy features such as smart replies, stickers, GIFs, suggested actions, and integrates very well with GBoard. The one major con of RCS comes due to Apple not adapting the service despite multiple jabs from Google. This means if the party on the other side uses an iPhone, your messages would be sent as regular SMS.

Availability: Android, Windows, Web (Free)

5. Bridgefy

One of the main problems with online messaging apps like WhatsApp is that they rely on an internet connection to work. And if you are out camping in the woods even the normal text messaging apps will not work. That’s where offline messaging apps come into play. These apps don’t require a mobile network or internet connection to work.

Rather, they create a peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh network or Wi-Fi direct-based network on your phone and allow you to send messages to your nearby friends. If you are looking for such an app then you should use Bridgefy. Bridgefy offers three main types of messaging services; Person-to-Person mode, Broadcast mode, and Mesh mode.

You can send messages to a friend, broadcast them to the entire group, and even use users as nodes to send messages to long distances. It is quite helpful during music festivals, sports events, natural disasters, and other such situations where you won’t be getting reliable mobile service.

In fact, Bridgefy and other such apps have become a bastion for protesters around the world as they allow them to evade internet censorship imposed by their governments. The app is free to download and use and is the best offline WhatsApp alternative in my opinion. You should check it out.

Install: Android (free), iOS (free)

6. Kik

Kik is a great messaging app for users who don’t want to use their number to operate a messaging application. While chat services like WhatsApp require users to use their number, I know many users who are not comfortable with sharing their personal numbers to these platforms.

For those users, Kik is a great service as it only requires you to use your email ID. Once you sign up for the service using your email ID, Kik will create a unique user name for you which you can share with other Kik users to chat.

The best part about using Kik is that you are not losing out on any messaging features. You still get access to all the important features including text messages, emojis, stickers, Gifs, photo sharing, video sharing, and group chats among other things.

Another unique feature of Kik is that it supports bots which is something that you do not get on WhatsApp. Using bots you can play quizzes, get fashion tips, the latest news, and more. That said, the main USP of Kik remains its non-requirement of a phone number and if that’s something you want, definitely check it out.

Availability: Android, iOS (Free)

7. Snapchat

While Snapchat technically is not just a messaging app but rather a social media app, I use it more and more as a messaging application thanks to some unique features that no other messaging application can offer. For example, I can send messages which can self-destruct after a set period of time. It also notifies me when someone takes a screenshot of my chats with them. Finally, it offers the best face mask collection of all the apps that I have ever used which makes this app fun to use.

Other messaging features are also here such as the ability to create group chats, voice calls, group voice calls, gifs, and more. I also love Snapchat because it is one of the most innovative chat services on the market. The features that users on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger normally enjoy are generally copied from Snapchat. So, if you want to access these cool features and be the first to receive the latest chat features, Snapchat is the app to use.

Availability: Android, iOS (Free)

8. Skype

Skype is without a doubt one of the best business chat applications out there that you can use right now. With the power of Microsoft behind it, Skype has left all the other business chat applications in the dust. However, that progress has worked against Skype when it comes to personal chats as the business moniker that it has earned keeps normal users away. But let me tell you that Skype is one of the best chatting applications on the market especially if you make a lot of video and voice calls.

I especially find Skype useful when I am using it to make overseas calls as the sound and video quality on Skype is far better than its competition. I also love Skype for its group video call functionality.

While most other apps don’t support group video calls, the ones that do often lag when you add more than three to four people. If you are someone who makes a ton of video calls with their friends and family, I can certainly recommend Skype over WhatsApp or any such chat application.

Availability: Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Web (Free)

9. Keybase

Keybase is an open-source secure chat application, which is great for users who want to communicate securely. Since this is an open-source app, there’s no private company that is looking at all your data. Anyways the data is end-to-end encrypted so at no point in time, the message is exposed to nefarious actors.

The app doesn’t even allow you to take the screenshot of the chats. The messaging app works more like Slack than WhatsApp, however, it’s not aimed at businesses. Rather, it is mainly targeting users who are concerned with their online privacy.

My favorite feature of Keybase is that you don’t need anyone’s number or email ID to connect with them. This allows you to remain in contact with users whom you don’t want to share your personal information with. Finally, this is one of the few messaging apps that offer a native application for the Linux operating system. If you value your privacy, you should definitely check it out.

Availability: Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows (Free)

10. Viber

Viber is another popular messaging and VoIP app that really stands toe-to-toe with WhatsApp when it comes to features. Firstly, the app offers end-to-end encryption in calls, messages, and shared media. Moreover, the messages saved on multiple devices are also encrypted, which brings us to the fact that the messaging apps pack in multi-device support, which WhatsApp lacks.

Like WhatsApp, Viber lets you make video and voice calls but the app goes one step ahead with its Viber Out feature, which lets you make international calls to non-Viber users at nominal rates.

Talking about the messaging features, Viber includes support for stickers, file sharing, last seen, voice & video messages, public accounts, backup to Google Drive, and more. There is also a sticker store and Viber games, which are basically games you can play inside Viber. If you consider everything, you’ll notice that Viber is an app that is very similar to WhatsApp. It packs in most of the features from WhatsApp and then some more.

Availability: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows (Free, with rates for Viber Out)

11. Session

Session is another great contender for one of the best WhatsApp alternatives if your priority is securing messaging. It is a privacy-focused messaging app that promises no metadata and only messages. The open-source app encrypts messaging as well as calls to ensure that nobody has access to your messages on the internet. Session uses Libsodium cryptography to encrypt your chats and its public keys are stored locally on your device.

You don’t need an email or mobile number to start using the messaging app. All the messages on the app are sent via a decentralized onion-routing network similar to Tor. Despite being a privacy-focused app, Session’s user interface is quite customizable with themes and dark mode. You get groups, video calls, voice messages, attachments, voice calls and even group calling functionality on this WhatsApp replacement app.

Availability: Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux (Free)

12. LINE

Another WhatsApp alternative you can use is LINE, which is a highly popular cross-platform messaging app that packs in a ton of features. Like WhatsApp, the app features end-to-end encryption, support for voice and video calls & messages, and more.

It also brings quite a few unique features when compared to WhatsApp like LINE Out (lets you make international calls to non-LINE users), a sticker store, a cool Keep feature (lets you save your favorite messages, photos, etc.), and more. It also features a timeline in the app, where you can see any status updates and photo changes from your friends.

Other useful features of LINE include passcode lock, filter messages, themes, LINE Pay for payments, and more. There’s no doubt that LINE is a very capable and feature-rich messaging app, however, it does feel a little bloated. So, fans of WhatsApp’s simplicity might not like LINE much but if you aren’t bothered by that, you should give LINE a shot.

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12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use

By admin February 28, 2024

12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use, Out of all the operating systems in existence, Linux (also known as GNU/Linux) is the most frowned upon, and there are a few reasons for the same. While overall adaptability, software support, and user experience remain the most common issues with Linux, OS saturation is also a huge issue.

That said, most people involved in Linux treat the overwhelming number of choices as a plus point, as it gives them the ability and flexibility to try out different desktop environments and flavors and, ultimately, settle for what they like the best. However, if you haven’t tried Linux yet and want to start using it for whatever reason, here are some of the best Linux distros you should use and get started with.

1. Linux Mint

Linux Mint has established itself as one of the best distros for beginner Linux users, thanks to Cinnamon’s simplicity (Linux Mint’s desktop environment) and ease of use. It’s an Ubuntu-based operating system that’s good for day-to-day usage and gaming. The Windows-like feel of Mint makes users switching from Windows feel at home and is one of the main selling points of the distro.

Linux Mint also caters to users who hold system stability of utmost importance. A new version of Mint is released every six months, and it’s usually very stable with occasional bugs. And for those who don’t like Cinnamon, MATE, and Xfce are two other officially supported flavors of Linux Mint.

Cinnamon is popular because it uses far fewer system resources than GNOME, meaning it’s easier to run Linux Mint on old hardware with ease – like other lightweight Linux distros we recommend. Unlike Ubuntu, Linux Mint drops support for Snaps and embraces Flatpaks with open arms, and lately, the OS is doing its best to discern itself from Ubuntu. And well, it has been successful in doing the same. Overall, it’s a great Linux distro for beginners because everything just works out of the box.

Pros	Cons
Light on system resources	New features take time to appear
A great starting point for beginners	Could be a little too basic for advanced users
Great stability	Not very customizable

System Requirements:

• 2GB RAM (4GB Recommended)

• 20GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• 1024×728 pixels resolution display

• A dual-core CPU

Flavors: Cinnamon, MATE, Xfce
Download Linux Mint

12 Best Linux Distros You Should Use

2. Pop!_OS

Pop!_OS is developed by a company named System76, which also sells PC hardware and laptops powered by the OS. The OS was originally made with STEM professionals in mind and comes with NVIDIA drivers preinstalled. Soon, the distro became a hit among gamers, largely because installing NVIDIA drivers on Linux wasn’t the most user-friendly work in the world.

Pop!_OS is based on Ubuntu and uses the COSMIC desktop environment, which is Pop!_OS’ homemade desktop environment based on GNOME. However, unlike GNOME, it’s a lot cleaner and has got a few neat tricks up its sleeve, like the keyboard shortcuts, which makes Pop!_OS one of the cleanest Linux systems. Overall, Pop!_OS is a great option for budding creators as well as folks who want to game on Linux out of the box.

Speaking of COSMIC, System76 has recently decided to distance itself from GNOME and recode the entire desktop environment in Rust programming language. Rust-based COSMIC was announced a few years ago and is currently about to transition from the Alpha to Beta stages. The revamped COSMIC will supposedly be faster, smoother, and less clunky than GNOME-based COSMIC.

Pros	Cons
An excellent choice for gamers and content creators	Not a cutting-edge distro
A great starting point for beginners	Requires a decently specced PC
Stable, customizable, and feature-rich	.

System Requirements:

• 4GB (8GB Recommended)

• 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: None
Download Pop!_OS

3. Fedora

Fedora is the Ubuntu of the new world. It’s a cutting-edge Linux distro that’s an upstream version of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It uses the same RPM package manager and embraces Flatpaks and App Images, but more importantly (and the selling point of the distro) comes with a near-stock version of GNOME. Fedora is often one of the first Linux distros to embrace the latest versions of GNOME in its beta builds, which comes out every six months.

And since Fedora is open-source, it also has a few community versions called Spins. Some of the popular spins are Plasma, Xfce, LXQT, MATE, and Cinnamon. Overall, Fedora might not be the best option for absolute beginners, but it’s great for those who know their way around Linux. Besides, Fedora’s got one of the most active distro communities on Reddit. Hence, if something goes wrong, the group of enthusiasts will always be there for the rescue.

One of the areas where the OS doesn’t excel is with regard to system requirements. GNOME is a heavy desktop environment compared to others. As a result, it needs at least 8GB RAM and a decently powerful CPU/GPU to perform well.

Pros	Cons
Cutting-edge	Learning curve for a beginner
Great for stock GNOME lovers	Requires a decently specced PC
Great for gamers and content creators	.
Excellent community	.

System Requirements:

• 2GB (8GB Recommended)

• 15GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, LXQT, MATE, Cinnamon, LXDE, SOAS, and i3 Tiling Window Manager
Download Fedora

4. Manjaro

If your friend says, “I installed an Arch-based Linux OS in just a few hours,” they are probably referring to Manjaro. Arch has always been an inconvenience for new Linux folks, but Manjaro makes it easy to taste Arch. It’s one of the best Arch-based Linux distros that comes in three official flavors/variants — KDE Plasma, Xfce, and GNOME.

Like Fedora Spins, Manjaro has lots of community versions like Budgie, Cinnamon, and MATE too. Hence, you are not devoid of choices in this case. That said, Manjaro isn’t a pure Arch-based system because it isn’t as cutting-edge as the next option on our list. Manjaro has its own repository where all updates from Arch are merged and pushed later. Stability is of great importance for Manjaro, hence, the new packages from Arch are thoroughly tested before they are merged into the OS.

If you’re confused about which flavor to choose, GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Budgie are great if you have a decent PC. However, if you are running ancient hardware, we recommend Xfce or MATE as they use far lesser system resources.

Pros	Cons
Makes installing and trying out Arch easy	Slower update releases than Arch or EndeavourOS
Comes in a variety of flavors	Known to break sometimes
Great hardware support	.

System Requirements:

• 2GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 30GB Disk space (80GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz Dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, Budgie, MATE, Cinnamon, Sway, and i3 Tiling Window Manager
Download Manjaro

5. EndeavourOS

If Manjaro’s “Endeavours” don’t align with your philosophies, EndeavourOS gets a lot of things right for an Arch-based distro. It offers you the flexibility to choose whichever Desktop Environment you like, has the Arch DNA in its veins, and offers quick package upgrades.

For starters, it comes with a customized Calamares installer, which makes installation easy. EndeavourOS does not have “flavors,” instead it prompts and asks you to select the desktop environment of your choice in Calamares during the installation. Besides, EndeavourOS has a great community and is a stellar alternative to Manjaro, or even Arch, for that matter. If all you need is a great rolling distribution, you cannot go wrong with EndeavourOS.

Unlike Manjaro, in which new packages from Arch take at least three weeks to make it to the system, updates to EndeavourOS arrive at the same time as pure Arch Linux. Also, the overall bloatware on EndeavourOS is less compared to Manjaro, which makes it one of the cleanest Arch-based distros out there.

Pros	Cons
The closest cutting-edge OS to Arch	Learning curve for a beginner
Lots of desktop environment options	Frequent Arch updates might break the system or introduce bugs
Great community	.
Calamares installer makes it easy to install	.

System Requirements:

• 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 10GB Disk space (50GB Recommended)

• A dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: Xfce, Plasma, GNOME, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie, LxQt, LxDe, and i3-wm
Download EndeavourOS

6. Elementary OS

Yet another Ubuntu-based distribution, Elementary OS is known for its rather striking resemblance to macOS, which makes it a great starting point for folks who want to switch to Linux from macOS.

Elementary OS has a few great homemade apps that look great and work well. In fact, distros such as Pop!_OS use Elementary’s store, and that’s a testament to the effort the Elementary team puts into developing one of these best Linux distros. Overall, Elementary OS is a user-friendly and good-looking distribution that gets most things right.

For starters, Epiphany is a decent browser available on Elementary OS, and apps such as Photos, Music, AppCenter, and more all feel like they actually belong to the OS because they’re consistent. The wallpapers are some of the best you can find in any distro, and the dock and animations make the distro a visual treat.

Pros	Cons
Consistent design language	For absolute beginners; Mediocre to advanced users may not enjoy
Great set of preloaded apps	Not cutting-edge
Easy to install	The AppStore is mostly empty

System Requirements:

• 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: None
Download Elementary OS

7. Zorin OS

Windows users make up a huge chunk of the crowd that switches to Linux. Hence, one of the top priorities of a few Linux distros is to make them feel at home. That’s exactly what Zorin OS does with its impeccable UI experience. Its clean, polished UI does give out the feeling of a completely revamped experience while still retaining the bits of Windows UI to comfort ex-Windows users.

Zorin is Ubuntu-based but looks/feels quite unlike Ubuntu both in terms of looks and functionality. There’s also a Lite version that can run on weaker hardware. All in all, Zorin has great documentation and posts for beginners to get started, and more importantly, it is completely free and open-source.

Besides, Zorin OS also has a Pro version that costs $40, and for that price, you get more desktop layout customizations, preloaded apps such as GIMP and Blender, and the ability to share your mouse and keyboard across computers. Now, we wouldn’t recommend going all out on the Pro version, since most of the paid features can be added by using extensions. However, for what it is, Zorin OS is definitely one of the cleanest and best Linux distros out there.

Pros	Cons
Made with Windows users in mind	Limited customization options in the free version
Clean and consistent user interface	Updates are slow to arrive due to the Ubuntu base
Easy to install	.
Great for browsing and creating content	.
Has a Lite version for old hardware	.

System Requirements:

• 2GB RAM (4GB Recommended)

• 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• 1024 x 768 resolution display

• A 1GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: None
Download Zorin OS

8. Garuda Linux

Garuda does things slightly differently than other best Linux distros on this list. For starters, contrary to the regular Linux kernel, it uses something called Linux-zen kernel, which claims to significantly improve the overall system and gaming performance.

The centerpiece of Garuda Linux is its UI. It gets lots of modern elements with gradient coloring splashed across the OS. Garuda Linux is based on Arch and follows the same rolling release pattern. It’s offered in multiple flavors; some of the most popular ones are GNOME, Cinnamon, Xfce, and MATE.

The flagship Garuda variant comes with a heavily customized KDE Plasma and is offered in two editions — Dragonized and Dragonized Gaming. The latter includes all the apps you’d need to get started with gaming on Linux such as Steam, Lutris, Heroic Games Launcher, & more, which makes it one of the best Linux distros for gaming.

Pros	Cons
Cutting-edge, thanks to its Arch base	Could be a bit too overwhelming for new users
Highly customizable KDE Plasma interface	Higher system requirements
Gradient theming and icons look fantastic out of the box	Performance and stability issues due to Arch updates
Dragonized Gaming edition brings all gaming tools for you	.
More optimized Linux-zen kernel for better performance	.

System Requirements:

• 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: KDE Plasma, GNOME, Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE, LxQT, Wayfire, Sway, i3 WM, Qtile, and KDE Lite
Download Garuda Linux

9. Solus

Solus is a rather underrated Linux distro. The OS focuses keenly on developers, gamers, and content creators by including the tools required to get started with development, gaming, and content creation. The flagship flavor of Solus OS uses their in-house Budgie desktop, which is one of the cleanest desktop environments you can try.

What makes Solus different is that it doesn’t follow in the same footsteps as other Linux distros. It’s an independently developed distro with a completely different user experience compared to others on this list. Although, if you do not end up liking Budgie, you can switch to other desktop environments, including GNOME, Plasma, and MATE.

Because Solus is an independent distro, it uses its own package manager called Eopkg. It’s quite similar to Apt in Ubuntu but may have a learning curve since the commands are a bit different from the regular Apt commands. However, if you don’t end up liking Eopkg, you could always use Flatpaks and Snaps on Solus. All things considered, it’s one of the best Linux distros out there.

Pros	Cons
Independent OS; Doesn’t depend on any other OS	Eopkg has a shallow learning curve
Highly customizable interface	Slow development pace
The Flagship Budgie desktop looks great out of the box	Lack of software in repos
Comes preinstalled with a few tools for developers	.

System Requirements“

• 8GB RAM (Recommended)

• GeForce 760 and above graphics card with at least 2GB of video memory.

• 40GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: KDE Plasma, GNOME, MATE, Budgie
Download Solus

10. Ubuntu

In the end, we have something that you would have found in the first two entries had you read this list a couple of years ago. Ubuntu started off with the goal of making Linux more accessible and easily installable than Debian, which was then’s Arch Linux. And, for the most part, it succeeded in achieving that goal, only to succumb to a corporate illness a decade after.

Don’t get us wrong, Ubuntu is still a great operating system, but it has lost the bling it used to have a few years ago, and a few weird and poor decisions are to be blamed. Without getting into the details, Ubuntu uses GNOME by default, which is a tad bit customized.

Ubuntu uses Snaps for package management, and the latter is the reason the Linux community has started repelling it. They completely dropped out-of-the-box support for Flatpaks, as we mentioned in our Ubuntu 23.04 features list. Although it’s a good starting point for a complete beginner, we would argue there are better Linux distros to try than Ubuntu.

Ubuntu also raised a few privacy concerns when it started preinstalling Amazon and sharing data with the same a few years ago. Most of the users accused Canonical (Ubuntu’s parent company) of tracking user activity by installing spyware, and it made people lose trust in Ubuntu.

Pros	Cons
Beginner-friendly	Snaps are too slow; No Flatpak support
Customizable	Requires a decent PC to run smoothly
.	Privacy concerns

System Requirements:

• 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 25GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: KDE Plasma, GNOME, Cinnamon, Budgie, Kylin, Studio, Unity, Xfce, MATE, LxQT
Download Ubuntu

11. KDE Neon

KDE Neon is known to provide a flagship KDE experience, and it delivers! It’s a culmination of the latest from KDE Plasma while maintaining the stability thanks to the Ubuntu LTS base. The latest software from KDE always makes its way to Neon first and is a great way of trying out the latest features that the Desktop Environment has to offer while avoiding butchering the stable feel of the operating system.

Since Neon is based on Ubuntu LTS, each major release comes with five years of support and a stable tried and tested LTS Kernel. Neon also has some of the best collections of software thanks to KDE Plasma interface, meaning if you’re a creative individual, you could use some of the many tools the OS has on offer to boost your productivity, creativity, and be more efficient in your art.

Although most may like the interface and apps, like any other software, some may find the collection of apps a bit overwhelming. Hence, Neon may not be the distro for you if you prefer minimalism. Overall, Neon is easily one of the best Linux distributions you can try.

Pros	Cons
Runs Vanilla KDE	Could be overwhelming for beginners
Comprehensive suite of apps	Not the best distro for minimalists
Customizable
Stable Ubuntu Base	.

System Requirements:

• 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 25GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Download KDE Neon

12. Nobara

Nobara is not a mainstream Linux distributions and isn’t known by many except those who closely follow the Proton Compatibility Layer, Wine for Linux gaming, and Fedora. Nobara was created by Glorious Eggroll, the creator of Proton-GE. Nobara market’s itself as a Linux distro for gamers and creators because it adds and solves a lot of things that a Linux gamer may find annoying and needed.

For example, if you’re deeply immersed in Proton and Proton-GE, you may want to install new Proton versions to test for improvements and hence Nobara comes with Proton-QT preinstalled. Similarly, it’s always updated with the latest version of MangoHUD, Kernel patches, has automatic driver installation for NVIDIA GPUs, and comes with things such as OnlyOffice, Steam, Lutris, Flatpak preinstalled.

Pros	Cons
Lots of important preinstalled bits	Is a distro for Gaming and Creative work; May not be ideal for daily usage
Fedora-based, stable	.
NVIDIA Drivers are automatically installed	.

System Requirements:

• 4GB RAM (8GB Recommended)

• 25GB Disk space (100GB Recommended)

• A 2GHz dual-core, 64-bit CPU

Flavors: Nobara Official, GNOME, KDE
Download Nobara

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Computer

Best Desktop Computers of 2024 tested and reviewed

By admin February 25, 2024

Best Desktop Computers of 2024 tested and reviewed, We’ve reviewed dozens of PCs to bring you a list of the best desktop computers in 2024 to help you find what you’re looking for, regardless of if you’re surfing spreadsheets, playing games, or browsing the internet. There are a lot of options to pick from this year, including PCs from Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo, but only a select few are among the best.

For us, the Dell XPS Desktop 8960 remains the best desktop PC you can buy in 2024. However, we have several other options depending on your budget and needs, including desktops for gaming, remote work, and more. We’ll provide a quick overview here, but make sure to read our write-up on how we review desktops for a deeper look at our evaluation process.

Quick overview

• Dell XPS Desktop 8960: A highly flexible desktop that can accommodate almost any budget and purpose, from home office work to high-end gaming.

• Lenovo Legion Tower 7i: A well-built and customizable desktop that shoots ahead in gaming performance.

• Apple iMac 24-inch: Apple’s iMac 24-inch is only better now with the M3 chip at the helm.

• Apple Mac Mini M2: A supercharged version of Apple’s storied Mac Mini that’s as portable as it is powerful.

• Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i: One of the most powerful all-in-one PCs you can buy still, and with a stunning set of features.

• Falcon Northwest Tiki: A boutique desktop PC that’s small and very powerful for gaming.

• Apple Mac Studio: A tiny PC that packs some of the most powerful hardware on the market.

• HP Envy Move: The perfect desktop for a hybrid working style.

• Lenovo ThinkStation P620: A powerful workstation that can handle the most demanding tasks.

• Ayaneo AM01: A quant mini PC that packs a surprising amount of power for a low price.

Why you should trust us

We’ve reviewed hundreds of desktop PCs for years, looking for machines that stand out for gaming, home office use, photo and video editing, and so much more. From miniature PCs that can fit on a bookshelf to behemoth desktops with custom liquid cooling, we’ve seen literally everything, and we know what stands out and what doesn’t.

Key considerations when selecting the best desktop

There are a few key areas we focus on when looking a desktop computer.

Performance

Performance is king when it comes to a desktop computer, but it’s not an equal bar for every PC. Some machines, like the Mac Mini, are offering power in a portable package, while a desktop like the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i goes all-out for gaming prowess. We meet desktops where they’re at, evaluating what they’re trying to accomplish, and at what price.

Build quality

A desktop may look nice, but it’s built of cheap plastics and throwaway components, it won’t last for long. Our review process includes a teardown of every desktop to understand what the internal components look like. In addition, we look at fan placement, ventilation, and cooling to ensure the desktops will stay quiet during operation without overheating.

Support

Things go wrong with PCs, so it’s important to have a robust support system in place. A one-year warranty is standard on most electronics, so we look for companies that go above and beyond what’s required with multi-year warranties and around-the-clock support.

Upgradability

One of the main benefits of a desktop PC is that you can upgrade it in the future, but some brands have missed that memo. We keep an eye out for proprietary components and try to focus on desktops that provide some upgrade paths for users. This isn’t possible for all machines, though, such as Apple’s iMac, where upgrades are tricky for end users due to the form factor.

Dell XPS 8960

The best desktop computer

The best overall desktop PC is the one that will work for the most people, and that’s the Dell XPS 8960. It’s understated in all the right ways, reasonably priced considering the power you can pack inside, and comes in a variety of configurations to suit work, gaming, or both. Choosing the highest-rated PC isn’t easy, but the Dell XPS 8960 gets rid of that issue.

Regardless of what configuration you choose, you’ll find something that matches your needs. That’s because Dell builds them custom ordered, which is the best feature of the XPS 8960. The options are nearly endless, with prices ranging from $750 to over $3,000 depending on the parts you choose. Some of the desktops come without a discrete graphics card, meaning they’re more suited for work than games. However, you can get one of the more expensive ones that include a discrete graphics card.

Dell is offering this new XPS desktop with Intel Raptor Lake and DDR5 RAM for those who are in search of the best gaming PC. You can add up to an RTX 4090 graphics card as well, which is a serious amount of power considering the size of the machine. Powerful hardware means more heat, but the XPS 8950 gets rid of it well with optional liquid cooling and a case with plenty of room for airflow.

Best Desktop Computers of 2024 tested and reviewed

Lenovo Legion Tower 7i

The best desktop PC for gaming

The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i gets almost everything right. It comes with the latest flagship hardware, packing in an Nvidia RTX 4080 and a 13th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, and it comes in a sleek, attractive design that doesn’t get too loud or hot. Perhaps most importantly, it uses standard-sized components so you can upgrade it in the future.

That’s easily the best thing about the Legion Tower 7i. It comes with the more affordable price of a mainstream gaming PC without any of the hurdles that come from brands like Alienware and Asus. The convenience doesn’t come at the cost of performance, either. Based on our testing, the Legion Tower 7i is just as fast as a custom-built PC with the same hardware.

The only downside is how the machine is configured. It comes with fast DDR5 memory, so this computer is great for playing ricky casino online without lag, but it’s set up to run at a slower speed out of the box. That didn’t make a big difference in overall performance based on our testing, but certain applications will run slightly slower in the Tower 7i’s default configuration. Thankfully, boosting the memory speed just takes a couple of clicks.

Apple iMac 24-inch

The best desktop for photo editing

Apple’s iMac 24-inch hasn’t seen a lot of love, but that all changed with the introduction of the M3 chip. Sporting the same stunning design and beautiful screen we fell in love with a few years ago, the iMac Apple is selling today truly is the same, but better.

That all comes down to the M3 chip. Compared to its M1 predecessor, the new model is at least 20% faster, and often much more. The graphics processor, in particular, is impressive. It even manages to beat some of Apple’s older Pro series chips, going as far as to have playable performance in games like Lies of P.

Apple didn’t change much else about the iMac, but it didn’t need to. The 4.5K Retina display is still stunning with a high pixel density, and the speakers are second to none. The upgraded webcam is exceptional, too, offering up a 1080p resolution for crisp video calls. If you’re looking for an all-in-one that just works in 2024, the iMac M3 is for you.

Apple Mac mini M2

The best desktop computer for home

We rarely give products a perfect score, but that’s exactly what Apple’s Mac mini M2 earned in our full review. The updated mini PC features the same compact footprint that Apple has used for over a decade, but now with a major update under the hood.

The base M2 model is a big upgrade over 2020’s Mac mini M1, but the updated desktop really shines with the M2 Pro chip. That takes the Mac mini from being a MacBook without a screen to a full-fledged creator machine capable of tackling the most demanding tasks you can throw at a computer today.

The only problem is the base configuration, which comes with a much slower SSD. We wholeheartedly recommend the Mac mini M2, but make sure to read our Mac mini M2 buying guide to pick the right configuration.

Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i

The best desktop computer for work

It’s really hard recommending an all-in-one over Apple’s iMac, but the Lenovo Yoga AIO 9i is certainly a contender. It’s a 4K desktop that impresses with great performance, a solid price, and one of the best integrated displays we’ve seen, as well as some unique features.

The machine is powered by Intel’s Core i9-13900H, which is one of the most powerful mobile CPUs you can buy. It’s more than enough to handle work applications, and it can even step up for some photo or video editing. More impressive, you can configure the machine with a mobile RTX 4050 graphics card, giving you a little gaming grunt if you need it.

The Yoga AIO 9i makes this list due to its screen and features, however. The 32-inch 4K display is stunning with its glossy finish, and it comes with great color accuracy out of the box. It has some tricks in the base, as well, including a wireless charging pad for your phone.

Falcon Northwest Tiki

The best mini gaming PC

Falcon Northwest is one of the few true boutique PC builders left, and the Tiki explains why. It’s one of the smallest gaming PCs you can buy, and it still manages to pack in flagship hardware. More importantly, the Tiki does both without sacrificing heat or thermals, which is the biggest pitfall for small form factor machines.

It’s expensive, but Falcon Northwest’s attention to detail still manages to stand out. From premium component selection to a detailed dossier of every aspect of your build, the Tiki goes beyond being just a shell for high-end components.

Falcon Northwest offers the machine with AMD or Intel configurations, paired with up to an RTX 3090 GPU. Unfortunately, the Tiki is too small to fit Nvidia’s monstrous RTX 4090. Although the Tiki is clearly a gaming PC first, Falcon Northwest also offers it with Nvidia’s professional GPUs.

Apple Mac Studio

The best desktop for video editing

It feels like the Mac Studio has finally found its footing. It straddled a strange line previous, not quite reaching the level of the Mac Pro while falling short of the value-focused Mac mini. With the M2 Ultra or M2 Max, the Mac Studio finally feels like premium, Pro-level Mac Apple fans have waited for.

It’s crazy fast, getting close and sometimes even beating top-level PC components like the Core i9-13900K and RTX 4090. That’s all the more impressive considering the size of the Mac Studio, which barely takes up a fraction of your desk space. Even considering the high price, the performance and size of the Mac Studio make it feel like a downright deal.

It has all of the professional trimmings you’d expect, too, including support for massive storage arrays and great external monitor support. The Mac mini is still better for most people, but if you can take advantage of the power of the Mac Studio, it’s tough to beat.

HP Envy Move

The best desktop computer for home office

The HP Envy Move is one of the most unique desktops we’ve ever seen. It’s a desktop, but it’s also portable, and it’s the perfect fit for the hybrid work style so many of us have fallen into.

It’s a basic all-in-one at its core, but the Envy Move’s trick is that the legs automatically fold in, allowing you to pick it up and carry it with you. There’s a carrying handle on the back, and activating it will automatically tuck in the legs. And with an included battery, you really can pick up your PC and take it anywhere. There’s even a sleeve in the back so you can tuck in the included keyboard/trackpad combo.

HP doesn’t charge a massive premium for this design, either. The Envy Move starts at just $750 for a mobile Intel 13th-gen CPU, which offers acceptable performance for basic home office tasks.

Lenovo ThinkStation P620

The best desktop workstation computer

The Lenovo ThinkStation P620 is a workstation in every sense of the word. This is a desktop designed to perform the most resource-heavy tasks out there. Created specifically for engineering, data science, machine learning, 3D modeling, video editing, and more, the ThinkStation is the kind of PC that will find uses across many fields, aiding professionals in their daily tasks.

More importantly, it’s the only workstation available now with AMD’s Threadripper 5000 Pro processors. You can pack in up to a Threadripper Pro 5995WX processor, which packs in 64 cores and 128 threads, along with an astounding 256MB of L3 cache. Similarly, you can add up to two Nvidia Quadro GV100 GPUs, which is powerful enough for even the most demanding tasks.

The other specs are just as impressive – eight RAM slots for up to 512GB of memory, as well as six drive slots for up to 24TB of storage. Windows 11 comes default on the machine, but you can also have it pre-configured for Red Hat Enterprise Linux or Ubuntu as well.

The Lenovo P620 isn’t for everyone. It’s an insanely expensive workstation that can cost upwards of $40,000 fully tricked out, but for professionals who demand peak performance, nothing can touch the ThinkStation P620.

Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01

The coolest desktop PC

Sometimes just looking cool is enough. The Ayaneo Retro Mini PC AM01 is in that position. It’s styled after an old-school Mac, fit with a plastic, off-white shell and a badge indicative of an early 1990s Apple logo, but the nostalgic mini PC packs a lot of power under the hood.

It features up to an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U CPU, along with up to 64GB of memory,and up to 2TB of SSD storage. Pricing starts at just $200, with a maxed-out configuration costing $421. This PC isn’t going to floor you in performance, but it’s surprisingly component given its size and low price.

Perhaps the best use case, however, is as an emulator. The AM01 makes a perfect retro gaming companion, all while having a full installation of Windows 11 to back up its usefulness.

Keep Reading

Software

Best IPTV Players for Windows PC in 2024

By admin February 24, 2024

In this blog, we will discuss some of the best IPTV players for Windows 10, 11 which can bring any television channel of the world to your doorsteps.

Till now, the primary source of watching television shows was broadcast channels supported by antennas, satellite dishes, and fiber optic cables.

However, with the rapid growth of the Internet and the smart devices market, watching TV channels directly from a desktop PC has become a new trend.

All thanks to the Internet Protocol television services, a.k.a IPTV. You can use an IPTV player to watch entertaining TV shows, video on demand, live TV channels, and lots more. Through the IPTV Players, you can boost up the ways of your entertainment. No matter where you are and from where you belong to, with the help of IPTV Player you can stream any sort of TV shows and movies quite effortlessly. What you need to do is just sign-up and login at once. Thereafter, watch your preferred movie or TV shows without any sort of hindrance.

Before we move on to the list, let’s first understand what an IPTV player is, how it works, and why it’s important to get the best one for your desktop. Later on, you’ll get to know about the best Windows IPTV Player!

What is IPTV Player?

Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is a service that provides support for multimedia streaming through Internet Protocol (IP) networks. Users can buy an IPTV subscription and watch all TV channels, live media and video on demand (VOD) services anytime over their desktop PCs, laptops as well as Android and iOS devices using an IPTV player.

How Does IPTV Work?

IPTV provides access to television channels and other digital content via IP based networks. It relies on a packet-switched network that covers both unicast (video on demand) and multicast (live TV) streams.

Why Do You Need An IPTV Player For Windows?

In today’s world of digital binge-watching, the traditional television formats, including broadcast/cable networks are on the verge of extinction.

Nowadays, watching movies online and streaming live TV and sports directly from PCs, laptops and tablets has become a new normal. In light of this, a dedicated IPTV player comes extremely handy in playing various streaming protocols on Windows devices.

22 Best IPTV Players For Windows 10, 8, 7 In 2024

Turn your Windows PC into a live TV with best IPTV players. Choose the best-suited one from the complete list discussed below!

1. VLC Media Player

This widely acclaimed IPTV player does not need an introduction. It is an open-source multimedia player that can effortlessly manage all your local media and stream IPTV content, without compromising your security and privacy. It uses m3u files to stream IPTV and other multimedia content.

How to Use VLC Media Player?

All you need is the latest version of VLC and follow a few simple steps to stream IPTV into your VLC player.

• Launch VLC Player.

• Open Network Streams from the Media section.

• Enter the URL of the IPTV network and press Enter.

• All your IPTV channels should now be visible in the left panel of VLC.

Key Features of VLC Media Player:

• It offers support for a number of streaming protocols, multimedia files and DVDs and CDs.

• Built-in codecs – MKV, MP3, MPEG-2, WebM, etc.

• Completely free from computer viruses, spyware and harmful ads

• Highly compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux and mobile platforms.

VLC Media Player comes with a simple interface and is undoubtedly one of the most user-friendly IPTV players.

Read Also : Best Free Phone Spying Apps 2024

2. My lPTV Player

My IPTV is another powerful media player that comes with an electronic program guide (EPG) to help you watch the best IPTV channels on your Windows PC or laptop.

If you have an active IPTV subscription, you can use My IPTV app for listening to online radio channels and watching digital TV and video on demand (VOD).

How to Use My lPTV Player?

Follow the simple steps below to setup My IPTV app on your Windows:

• Lunch My IPTV on your Windows computer or laptop.

• Navigate to the ‘Settings’ menu.

• Load your m3u playlist, select your preferred IPTV channel, and then click ‘OK’.

Key Features of MY IPTV:

• The software supports multiple channels easily

• By default, all channels are grouped based on their genre

• You can easily protect your data with a PIN

• The player has a simple process to follow for adding new channels

It comes with an easy to use interface and can seamlessly stream your m3u playlist from either local storage or any other remote location. If you want to give it a try, you can download the My IPTV app from Microsoft Store for free.

3. Kodi

Kodi is another stunning application that not only lets you watch your local media content but also serves as a great alternative to IPTV player for Windows PC. You can use its media player to play your favorite digital channels directly from your desktop PC.

You can also install various third-party add-ons to stream live TV and watch videos on demand (VOD).

How to Use Kodi?

If you wish to use Kodi as an IPTV player for Windows 10, 11 follow the simple steps below:

• Launch the Kodi application and select the ‘Settings’ option.

• Install the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on on your Kodi application.

• Add the M3U playlist to the add-on for streaming IPTV.

• Wait for the PVR IPTV Simple Client add-on to finish the process of importing channels.

• Once done, select the channel you wish to watch and click the ‘Play’ or ‘OK’ button.

Key Features of Kodi:

• The player has a simple and user-friendly interface

• To watch any programs you can simply paste the URL in the software and it will show you all the results

• It offers the best cross-compatibility features

• The player is fully customized, you can change any part of the player easily

For a free software, Kodi media player definitely offers more than it should, taking into account its simple interface and excellent streaming capabilities.

4. Free TV Player

Free TV player offers easy access to all of your favorite TV shows, movies, channels, and Internet Radio, making it one of the best IPTV players for Windows.

To enjoy live TV shows on your desktop or laptop, simply upload your M3U playlist and you are good to go.

How to Use Free TV Player?

Below are a few simple steps to set up Free TV Player and stream IPTV on desktop PC:

• Launch the Free TV player app on your device

• Enter the URL of M3U playlist provided by the IPTV service provider

• Select your favorite channel and click on the play button

Key Features of Free TV Player:

• It offers both free as well as paid plan

• You get more than 40 channels on the free plan

• Other than the default channels you can easily paste links and stream in no time

• The player has a built-in list of shows to stream

This lightweight free IPTV player definitely deserves a try, if you want to watch a lot of exiting digital content and live TV programs in a hassle-free manner.

5. Simple TV

Simple TV is one of the best and most used IPTV players for PC. It offers a convenient and free mechanism for viewing TV shows and other multimedia content right from your laptop or computer.

You can use this portable application to watch IPTV and listen to radio channels. It comes with an organized interface that supports easy browsing of IPTV channels.

How to Use Simple TV?

You can use Simple TV as a free IPTV player for PC by following some easy instructions provided below.

• Launch SimpleTV player on your Windows device.

• Right-click ‘Playlist’ on the navigation bar and select the ‘load playlist’ option.

• Next, choose the ‘load from m3u file’ option.

• Once the M3U playlist is ready, you can play the IPTV channels of your choice by simply clicking on them.

Key Features of Simple TV:

• Snapshot capabilities and crop features

• Contrast, brightness, and volume adjustment functionality

• It can download playlists created by other users

• It can support LUA script and many more

6. ProgTV/ ProgDVB

ProgTV is another well-known IPTV app for Windows used for streaming live TV channels and listening to radio on PCs.

It works on two independent interfaces and is known for its easy access to digital content and comfortable user experience.

It can remotely control your Home Theatre PC and can also function well with a mouse. ProgTV supports IPTV channels, Internet TV and radio, Rodina TV, Sovok TV, DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-T2, and many other data sources.

How to Use ProgTV/ProgDVB?

Follow the steps given below to set up ProgDVB and ProgTV app as a IPTV player for Windows:

• Choose the ‘TV Sources’ option from the main menu of the ProgTV application.

• Select the ‘IPTV Client’ option and then input your M3U URL in the playlist box.

• Next, choose the channel you wish to watch from the ‘Channel list’ in the main menu.

Key Features of ProgTV/ProgDVB:

• Radio and TV channel recording

• Network Broadcasting and Teletext

• HD TV support

• 10 Bands equalizer and a fast preview of Mosaic channels

7. IPTV

This is currently ranks among the best IPTV players for Windows PCs and laptops as it allows you to watch your favorite TV shows and digital channels via numerous live media sources for free.

However, the IPTV app doesn’t broadcast any of these media sources for streaming digital multimedia, it just offers you a platform where you can watch IPTV content.

How to Use IPTV?

Follow the simple steps below to stream IPTV on PC:

• Launch the IPTV app on your Windows computer or laptop

• Go to the Settings option

• Enter the URL (Provided by the IPTV service provider) to load your M3U playlist

• Click on OK to stream your preferred channel

Key Features of IPTV:

• It offers an easy user interface which is ideal for every user

• To stream, you can easily add a playlist or EPG source

• It has a feature to simply paste URL for searching

• Huge list of channels to satisfy any user

Moreover, it comes with an elegant interface that aims to provide modern TV experience. Users can download this IPTV player for free from Microsoft Store.

8. GSE SMART IPTV

This is one of the most popular IPTV solutions to watch digital channels and TV shows on your device. GSE SMART IPTV is primarily designed for mobile platforms such as iOS and Android devices, but if you wish to use it on your Windows 7/8/8.1/10 PC, you can do it by using an emulator.

For this IPTV application to work on your Windows device, you should install BlueStacks first. BlueStacks is a popular emulator that helps Android OS based applications to run on Windows and macOS devices.

How to Use GSE SMART IPTV?

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to use Smart IPTV player on Windows PC:

• Launch BlueStacks and then sign in with your Google credentials.

• Download GSE SMART IPTV app from either Google Play Store or using the below link.

• Install the application and open it.

• Enter the URL and upload your M3U playlist.

• Click on ‘OK’ and then watch any live IPTV channel as per your liking.

Key Features of GSE SMART IPTV:

• GSE SMART IPTV player for Windows comes in multiple beautiful themes.

• It provides effective parental control options for managing kids’ activity and screen time.

• It lets you add external subtitles for streaming IPTV content.

9. OttPlayer

Don’t have enough money to pay the monthly subscription of your television channels? We got you secured, here we present OttPlayer which is one of the best IPTV players for Windows 10, 11 PC. IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. By using OttPlayer you can watch your favorite TV channels and shows for free by using your pc and internet. OttPlayer allows its users to watch IPTV from your internet service provider or any other source on your phones, tablets, and set-top box or TV, and all this facility in a centralized control via the website. Enjoy IPTV Enjoy life.

How to Use OttPlayer?

Follow the steps below to setup OttPlayer and stream your favorite IPTV channels:

1.First of all, you have to arrange a list of channels, which you can take from any of your convenient sources.

2.You need to get an account from https://ottplayer.es

3.Put registration info i.e. login and password

4.Download the playlist to the website i.e. you downloaded previously, https://ottplayer.es

5.Put the playlist on any compatible device

6.Enjoy IPTV watching.

Key Features of OttPlayer:

• OttPlayer supports various protocols like HLS, RTSP, TS by UDP RTMP

• It also provides playlist support M3U8.

• Provides easy management of channels through icons of respective channels.

• Service to the users is absolutely free and with no ads.

Among all the best IPTV apps, this application is quite interesting and worthwhile. OttPlayer’s easy-to-use interface makes it is an ideal choice for millions of users across the world.

10. Plex

Plex is the most stunning IPTV Players that you should definitely try to enjoy smart video streaming. Plex is highly capable of transcoding almost any sort of media file. Moreover, the user interface is quite easy and simple to use. Plex lets you stream your personal content as well including videos, music, movies, and so on.

How to Use Plex?

Here is how to access Plex as an IPTV player for PC.

• Firstly, signup for a Plex account and then, install the Plex media server by running the setup file.

• After this, launch Cigaras IPTV channel and then select Channels under the online content head category.

• Thereafter, navigate to the IPTV addon and click on it, then click on Settings.

• Now, paste the URL of your IPTV .m3u file, then click on the Save button.

• Next, search for the channels available and add them to your Playlist and enjoy.

Key Feature of Plex:

• The player is compatible with multiple platforms

• It offers great quality video output for every screen

• You get more than 200 free movies and shows

• Free version also has 100+ channels

11. MYIPTV

Looking for the best IPTV players for Windows? Then, MyIPTV is the one that fits perfectly. You can use all of its supreme-quality features for absolutely free. With this, you can play live TV programs, and videos through m3u playlists quite effortlessly. Its user interface is extremely easy to understand.

How to Use MYIPTV?

Here are the steps that you need to follow to access it!

• Head to the Settings.

• Now, you need to add an all-new playlist and EPG source.

• Now, add any URL or local list of channels.

• Switch back to Settings.

• After this, choose the channel playlist and click on the refresh option.

Key Features of MYIPTV:

• The player lets you easily stream live TV programs and videos

• It offers a very easy to operate interface which can be adopted by anyone

• You can easily add a new playlist and EPG source from the settings tab

• The player lets you easily record program for later access

12. Perfect Player Windows

Perfect Player Windows is a free IPTV player that you can try. This player offers amazing digital content right to your PC without charging any money, which is why it is one of the best IPTV players for Windows 10, 11 and previous versions. This is an advanced program that comes with a semi-transparent OSD and a full-screen display option.

How to Use Perfect Player Windows?

Here are the instructions you need to perform to use Perfect Player as IPTV/Media player.

• Launch the Perfect Player application on your Windows system.

• Click on the ‘Add Playlist’ button, paste M3U URL, and then choose ‘OK’.

• As soon as your playlist gets loaded, you can click on the channel name followed by ‘Play’ to begin streaming IPTV content.

Key Features of Perfect Player Windows:

• You can easily set up the player and use it as per needs, it is a flexible player.

• You can even enjoy a full-screen display for your favorite content without paying any charges.

• The player supports multiple languages, which means every human from all around the globe can use this amazing player and stream their favorite content. The supported languages include English, Spanish, Russian, Greek, Portuguese, and many others.

• The formats which are supported in the player are m3u, and XSPF for playlist and EPG along with the other two.

13. IPTV Smarters for PC

Earlier this player was not available for Windows users but now even Windows users can enjoy their favorite content with IPTV Smarter for PC players. This is one of the best IPTV apps for Windows 10, 11 and older versions. You can easily stream and enjoy live TV, movies, series, and videos on demand.

How to Use IPTV Smarters for PC?

Below are detailed instructions on how to set up IPTV Smarters for PC.

• Launch the IPTV Smarters Player application.

• Select the ‘Load Your Playlist or File/URL’ option, fill out the details (e.g., playlist name, playlist type, and file/URL), and then click on the ‘Add User’ button.

• Once the M3U content loading is complete, you can click on the ‘Live TV’ button to see the IPTV channel categories.

Key Features of IPTV Smarters for PC:

• This program works on Xtream codes but still, it can be used in Windows versions including 32 and 64 bit.

• Other than that you can easily use this program on mobile devices, and Smart TVs.

• You can record the live programs and enjoy them whenever you want.

• The best part about this IPTV player is that it supports all major video formats, so you won’t miss any of your favorite content.

14. TiviMate IPTV Player

Next up in the list of Windows IPTV players is TiviMate. The software is basically designed for Android devices. If you wish to use this software then you have to get an Android Emulator. You can use this software on Windows 7, 8, and 10 easily. This was just a short brief about the software.

How to Use TiviMate IPTV Player?

Check below to know more about the process to use the software.

• Open the Playstore and download the software.

• Click on the icon when the installation completes.

• Now click on the icon and search for the name which you wish to watch

Key Features of TiviMate

• The software offers a clean and simple interface that can be easily adapted

• The user can add multiple playlists in the software to view

• It can also schedule a TV guide

• The user can add favorite channels to the home screen and access them

15. IP-TV Player

IP-TV Player is another great pick as it offers high-quality video output at very little data consumption. It is very rare to witness this among the other IPTV players in Windows. It truly is a versatile player which can easily support all types of media files.

How to Use IP-TV Player?

IP-TV Player is a very smooth and easy-to-use software, to demonstrate that we have listed the steps below.

• Install the software from the official website

• Open the software and tune to the list of M3U format list

• You can view the channels list in the side panel

• Tap on the channel to view

Key Features of IP-TV Player

• The software has a simple and easy interface

• All major file formats are compatible with this software

• The user can easily record and take screenshots while viewing

• The software even offers a feature using which user can control from a smartphone

16. PowerDVD

Next, 2024’s best IPTV players for Windows with PowerDVD. It is a great IPTV if you wish to access a huge content library. You can use PowerDVD to access local media files, play music, and perform many other tasks. Moreover, its compatibility with Dolby professional audio and rapid play technology sets it apart from similar software.

How to Use PowerDVD?

You can follow the three-step process shared below to use this software.

• Firstly, install the PowerDVD Windows application.

• After installing the app, select Media Library from the top left corner.

• Now you can select the IPTV channels, movies, and shows to watch.

Key Features of PowerDVD

• 4K and 8K resolution support

• Supports HDR 10

• Lets you watch 360-degree videos

• Supports conversion of video files to MP4

• In-built support for video casting on media streaming devices

• Digitalization of media files

• In-built video editing tools

• Availability of 100GB of cloud storage

17. Flix IPTV

Next, 2024’s best IPTV players for Windows with Flix IPTV. You can use Flix IPTV on iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Android TV, and FireStick. Parental controls, M3U link support, a user-friendly interface, and the ability to change themes make this IPTV player a perfect choice for streaming IPTV content. It offers a 1-week free trial, thereafter you can buy the pro version at a one-time fee of about $7.99.

How to Use Flix IPTV?

Listed below are the following methods to download and use Flix IPTV on Windows PC:

• Download the Flix IPTV APK on your PC.

• Install the software and open it.

• Enter the URL and upload your playlist.

• Now, you can stream IPTV content.

Key Features of Flix IPTV:

• Easy to use and versatile IPTV player.

• Supports all screen resolutions of smartphones, sticks, PCs, and tablets.

• Allows you to add channels and series/movies to Favorites.

• Get to access features like a sleep timer, subtitles, video details, backward/forward video, and a lot more.

18. MaxPlayer

Next on this list of best IPTV players for Windows PC is MaxPlayer. It gives each member of the household the ability to customize their own preferences for their favorite programs, channels, movies, language settings, and viewing time for video on demand (VOD), with support for up to 5 sub-users and 5 devices.

In addition, if your TV service provider records show for you, you will have the ability to instantly rewind those shows. If your Internet service provider provides video-on-demand (VOD) material, MaxPlayer can customize it to work with your device. They provide versions that are compatible with LG and Samsung TV, in addition to MacOS and Windows. You get a whole week to test out MaxPlayer without spending a dime.

How to Use MaxPlayer?

• Visit the official website of MaxPlayer.

• Create your account on MaxPlayer.

• Once registered, you get a 7-day free trial.

• After that, you can continue using the service with one of the provided plans.

Key Features of MaxPlayers:

• All your information and data are secured and protected.

• Supports multiple languages.

• One account can be accessed on multiple devices and platforms.

• Several customization options are available.

19. PotPlayer

Lacking the funds necessary to pay the monthly fee for your membership to the various television channels? We’ve got you covered, and now we’re going to show you PotPlayer, which is one of the top IPTV players for Windows 10, 11, and other PC operating systems.

PotPlayer gives its customers the ability to watch Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) on their mobile devices, tablets, set-top boxes, and televisions, with all of this functionality being controlled centrally via the website. IPTV may come through your internet service provider or any other source. Enjoy some IPTV. Have fun with life.

The abbreviation “IPTV” refers to “Internet Protocol Television.” If you have PotPlayer installed on your computer, you can use it to watch all of your favorite TV stations and programs for free by simply connecting it to the internet.

How to Use PotPlayer?

• Visit the official website of PotPlayer.

• Download the PotPlayer.

• Use the tool as you want with ease.

Key Features of PotPlayers:

• The playback of the video is fluid and unbroken

• When you have two sound cards available, choose which one to use.

• You are able to mark your favorite scene or chapter for later viewing.

• Take a look at the scene in advance with these photographs.

20. MyIPTV Player

The next name on this list of the best IPTV players for Windows 11/10 devices is MyIPTV Player. MyIPTV Player is a free to use tool that has been downloaded and used by over thousands of users. The tool offers a variety of genres and content to watch. From movies, TV shows to so much beyond, you will find everything at MyIPTV Player.

How to Use MyIPTV Player?

• Visit the product page of MyIPTV Player on Microsoft Store.

• Download the MyIPTV Player.

• Use the tool as you want with ease.

Key Features of PotPlayers:

• There are a variety of channels to select from.

• You can PIN protect the tool for additional security.

• The tool comes with an integrated support for EPG.

• You can even download and save content for later.

21. IPTV Extreme

You are welcome to test out IPTV Extreme, one of the best free IPTV player tools for Windows. This player’s earlier versions since it delivers incredible digital material directly to your own computer without costing you any money. This is a sophisticated software that comes with an option to show the whole screen as well as opaque operating system display.

How to Use IPTV Extreme?

When you want to utilize IPTV Extreme as an IPTV/Media player, the procedures that you need to follow are as follows.

• Make sure that the IPTV Extreme program is running on your Windows computer.

• First, choose the “Add Playlist” button, then paste the M3U URL, and last, select the “OK” button.

• After your playlist has finished loading, you can start streaming IPTV material by clicking on the channel name and then pressing the ‘Play’ button after that.

Key Features of IPTV Extreme Windows:

• Russian, Greek, English, Spanish, Portuguese, & a great number of languages are among those that come with support.

• The player is able to support the m3u & XSPF formats for playlists & EPGs respectively.

• Additionally, you are not required to pay any fees in order to take use of a full-screen display for your preferred material.

• Due to the fact that the player supports different languages, it is possible for every single human being from every single part of the world to utilize this incredible player and stream their preferred material.

• You may simply configure the player and utilize it in accordance with your requirements; it is a versatile player.

22. MegaCubo IPTV Player

Here’s another one of the best IPTV players for Windows 10 and other operating systems. This is a free alternative that you can try and watch on IPTV. Using this tool, you can easily use your smartphone on the TV.

How to Use MegaCubo?

• You should first download the tool from the official website.

• Install it and launch it on the system.

• Connect the app to your device and use it as required.

Key Features of MegaCubo:

• Supports a plethora of operating systems

• You can PIN protect the tool for additional security.

• Allows you to save any title and record.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about IPTV Players

Q1. Are IPTV Players Legal?

Yes, ITPV Players are 100% legal. They don’t offer any streaming services or host content of their own. ITPV Players just provides a platform to play multimedia files and streaming protocols.

Q2. Type of IPTV Services

• Video on demand (VoD)

• Live TV

• Start Over TV

• Catch-Up TV

• Live Media Streaming

Q3. How to Access IPTV from PC?

To access IPTV from a PC, you need to download and install one of the above-listed IPTV Players on your PC. You can download the above-listed IPTV Players from their official support website. Once you installed your most liked IPTV Players, thereafter, allow all the permissions they asked, to proceed further. Then, follow the wizard instructions and don’t change anything except the installation destination. Now run the installer, then start up the program and add the list of channels in your playlist. That’s how you can easily access IPTV from your PC and stream your most liked TV shows and movies.

Q4. What are the Main Services Offered by IPTV?

IPTV or Internet Protocol Television is the platform using which users can enjoy television broadcasting on various devices including mobile and computers. It delivers using the traditional terrestrial, satellite, and cable television format.

Q5. Is There Any Alternative to IPTV?

Yes, there are many IPTV alternatives present in the market, some of them are:

• 1332 Kodi

• Splash

• Super Internet TV

• CoolStreaming

• FreeTuxTV

Q6. Is an IPTV player available for free?

Yes, there are multiple Internet Protocol Television services that are available for free. We have mentioned some of the best ones in the article. Undoubtedly the best option for an IPTV player is VLC Media Player.

Q7. How to use IPTV Player?

Although the working of each IPTV player varies the general steps to be applied are as follows

• Download and install any one of the above-mentioned IPTV player alternatives.

• Launch it on your device and select the network streams option available under media.

• Paste the URL of the network of your IPTV and press the enter key to run.

• Now all the channels of IPTV will be visible on the screen of your IPTV player.

Q8. Is IPTV better with VPN?

IPTV can work without a VPN. But if you want to protect your data online from snoopers or ISP, or get access to restricted content in your geographical location, VPN will help you. Moreover, if you use a VPN with your IPTV it offers a reliable experience. As VPN improves the speed of your internet connection, it is followed by a better experience of IPTV.

Which is the Best IPTV Player for Windows PC & Laptops?

So, this concludes our rundown of some of the best IPTV players for Windows 10, 8, 7 in 2024. There are several other options available as well, but the ones mentioned above are the best in terms of features and usability.

And if you are looking for our opinion, then we would like to recommend OttPlayer. It is one of the best IPTV players that you can access to stream your preferred TV shows and movies. You can use OttPlayer for live shows and on-demand shows as well. That’s what we think about the best IPTV player, however, the final decision is completely yours.

So, what are you waiting for? Download any of these free IPTV players now and turn your PC into an amazing entertainment gadget. Lastly, if there is something you think that we might have missed out to mention, then don’t feel hesitate in sharing your suggestions with us. We’ll feel amazed by hearing your suggestions and improve our list of best IPTV Players for Windows PC & Laptops.

That’s all for the present moment, we’ll back again with yet another crispy tech story, till then, stay connected with us! Primarily, don’t forget to subscribe to our Newsletter to rule the tech world.

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Software

Best software for PC 2024

By admin February 14, 2024

Best software for PC 2024, If you are a computer-savvy person, know about the must-have software for Windows 10 you should use in 2024 to make the most out of your brand new PC and laptop.

Microsoft’s beloved operating system – Windows 10 – comes with an array of most up-to-date features and functionality to give you a better and personalized computing experience. From work to gaming, we rely on a bunch of Windows 10 apps to cater to all our computer needs.

In spite of that, every now and then you may find yourself on the lookout for some additional apps for Windows 10 depending upon your requirements.

To solve this problem once and for all, you should start loading your system with all the essential and useful Windows 10 programs that would create a great impact on your work and play.

Keeping all this in mind, below we have mentioned some of the essential apps for Windows 10 that you need to make a note of ASAP. Move down the list and download the must have software for Windows 10, 11, or older version devices.

What Are the Must-Have Best Software For Windows 10, 11 In 2024?

Here we present you our curated list of must-have apps for Windows 10 and 11 that everyone should install on their PC right away. Let’s check out the best PC programs for Windows 10.

1. Win Riser- The Best PC Optimizer and Booster

Let us introduce you to Win Riser. It is a program you will find extremely useful to speed up your computer and optimize its performance. Win Riser is among the top most-used Windows PC software for its brilliant PC cleaning and optimization capabilities. It is well-known for its deep scan and removal of accumulated junk, invalid and faulty Registry remover, integrated driver updater, and the following delightful features.

Key features of Win Riser

• Tracks and removes malware with a single click

• Deeply scans your PC for driver updates, junk files, or problems impacting its performance

• Creates a backup of existing drivers and allows their easy restoration whenever you want

• Creation of a system restore point, allowing you to restore your system if anything goes wrong

• Boasts an integrated tool to manage your device’s startup items

• You can customize the paths, apps, locations, etc., for scanning

• Allows you to ignore the registry items or drivers you do not wish to scan

• You can schedule the computer scans

Read Also : How to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10

2. Driver Update Software

“A must have program for Windows 10 to update outdated drivers”

A driver or a device driver is a computer program (also known as cluster of files) that allows one or more hardware devices such as speaker, printer, graphic card, etc. to build connectivity and communicate with the computer’s operating system.

Without the correct drivers, the operating system would not be able to know what kind of a device is attached to the computer and how to operate or control its functions.

Therefore, it is extremely important to keep your Windows drivers up-to-date always for a smooth and healthy functioning of hardware components.

Using corrupt or out-of-date system drivers, you may face various compatibility or driver-related issues such as no sound, blue screen of death, shuttering or crashing problems, Wi-Fi connectivity issues, or some of the devices like printer may completely stop working.

The safest and easiest way to prevent such device conflicts is to use the best free driver updater software for your Windows 10 PC. Moreover, the driver updater is also an important software for Laptop Windows 10, 11, or older versions.

It is a powerful and extremely user-friendly utility that effortlessly auto-scans your entire PC and helps users install the latest, manufacturer-recommended drivers in just a blink of an eye.

Taking all the essential features of an ideal driver update into consideration, we suggest using Bit Driver Updater that can not only takes care of all driver-related issues but also maximizes the performance and processing speed of your computer. The best software for Windows 10, 11, 8 or 7 updates drivers on your system with minimal effort.

The best thing about this product is that you don’t need to shell out a fortune for it, it’s FREE!

3. Duplicate Photo Finder – Free Up Disk Space

“A must-have program for Windows 10 to clean duplicate photos”

With the rise of widespread adoption of smartphone technology, taking selfies and pictures of everything that catches our attention has become more than just a trend.

However, these identical-looking selfies and duplicate photos tend to get piled up over time, consumes up to gigabytes of disk space, and makes it extremely difficult to manage your digital collection of albums. What if you find out basic software for Windows 10 or other versions that can clear up all the clutter and duplicate data from your device automatically?

To keep your photo gallery and system optimized, all you need is a dedicated duplicate photo cleaner software.

Since Windows 10 PC doesn’t come with an in-built duplicate photo remover tool, it is important to add this utility to your list of must-have apps for Windows 10.

Quick Photo Finder is one of those nifty, renowned software available in the marketplace that can make your job much easier.

It effortlessly finds and removes the multiple copies of duplicate ones, plus also helps you recover a significant amount of lost storage space that you forgot you ever had, all in just a matter of seconds!

4. VPN (Virtual Private Network)

“A must-have software for Windows 10 to keep online identity secure”

Next on our list of essential software for PC is NordVPN. Depending on the country you reside in, there is a chance you might have to put up with geo-restricted content or your government blocking certain websites.

What if the list contains your favorite social media platforms or movie streaming sites?

So, have you ever wondered that your IP address, browsing activity, location, and online identity could be at risk? Well, cybercriminals and spies around the world can see everything you do online such as the websites you’ve searched for, the pictures you’re posting, the movies you’ve been watching, and lots more.

Therefore, it is important to use a good VPN service to hide your IP address and encrypt sensitive data to keep it secure from prying eyes.

The best thing about VPN is that it not only provides a safe passage for your internet traffic but also lets you bypass the censorship to access blocked websites from anywhere in the world along with superfast streaming and unlimited bandwidth.

Having trouble shortlisting the ideal service provider, see the list of Best Free VPN for Windows 10.

5. Cleaner Software

“A must-have software for Windows 10 to unleash its maximum performance”

Cleaner Software is another must have programs for Windows 10. You don’t even want to know the amount of junk your computer can store up and how it can make your system lag behind in its functioning. All those files, caches, and digital debris that you most definitely don’t need.

To avoid that, you need an effective cleaner software. To save you from the hassle of finding one, we have below mentioned a couple of best Windows 10 software which are a must-have Windows applications for cleaning your PC and laptop efficiently.

IObit Advanced SystemCare

When the talk is about the best cleaning apps that you must have on Windows, we cannot skip IObit Advanced SystemCare. The best Windows software is a powerful and easy-to-use software has many interesting features, such as more than 30 troubleshooters ( for example, AI Mode, firewall protection, anti-tracking, and large file cleaner) to clean, protect, and speed up your computer.

You can make a click on the link below to download this cleaner-cum-booster to get the ultimate PC performance.

CleanMyPC

CleanMyPC is a powerful tune-up utility tool developed by MacPaw Inc. to help you get a safer and cleaner PC. With the help of this tool, you can effortlessly scan every nook and cranny of your computer to delete megatons of junk files and boost the speed and overall performance of your PC.

CCleaner

This powerful cleaning utility from Piriform is one of the best PC software on the face of the earth. It automatically deletes broken Windows registry entries and the temporary files. It also detects and identifies all the software that your system doesn’t require.

Bid those extra bits and bobs goodbye, and work with a fast functioning computer.

6. File & Photo Recovery Software

“An essential app for Windows 10 to recover lost or deleted data”

It happens a lot of times that we delete some important files obliviously and then regret this action for quite a long time.

But we might just have something that would ensure that this doesn’t happen again.

Whenever you delete a file, even from the Recycle Bin, the file isn’t actually wiped off the face of the earth. Its sector is still on the hard drive, and you can use that to recover your file (Yay!).

Now, let’s take a look at some of the file/ data recovery software & programs that you must have in Windows 10.

Stellar Data Recovery

The next on our list of PC software list for most essential apps os Stellar Data Recovery. It is one of the most capable and popular software used by Windows users to recover lost or deleted data. With the help of the free version of this program, you can easily retrieve up to 1 GB of lost or deleted files from Windows PC, laptop, USB stick, hard drive, etc.

Recuva

Image source: Cloudwards

Recuva, a file recovery tool, assists the user to recover and restore her/his deleted files in the system.

After loading the software, the user just needs to choose which file she/he wishes to recover and from which location. Once the search is configured, the software will start a scan process and find the files matching the entered criterion. The user can, subsequently then, select the desired files to be recovered. There is one another file recovery software named EaseUS which also works fine.

7. Utility Software

“Must-have Windows app for managing and improving the performance”

Another one on the list of best programs for Windows 10 is a Utility software. It is a one-stop solution for maintaining your PC. The software offers many tools which can help you in managing, optimizing, and analyzing the performance of the PC. The list of tools includes a disk defragmenter, backup utilities, disk cleaners, disk compression, network utilities, virus scanner, and many others.

By reviewing Utility software we have shortlisted the best must-have software for Windows 10 and an older version which you can install for maintaining your PC.

Revo Uninstaller Pro

Revo Uninstaller is a great software that can help you in various aspects of protecting and maintaining your PC. The best part about this software is that it can be used on mobile devices as well. It moreover offers some of the best tools like Windows app remover, force uninstaller, installation monitor, advanced scanning for residuals, logs database, and many others. We would recommend you to try this software for better performance and improve the life of the PC. All these features make Revo Uninstaller as best software for personal computer to improve the performance of your device.

8. Multimedia software

In the present day world, having multimedia software installed on your computer is quite a necessity. You need these programs for a variety of purposes, such as playing, downloading, and converting videos from one form to another.

Hence, if you wish to have a multimedia program on the PC, you can pick one from our top recommendations shared below.

ByClick Downloader

For all those who want top-notch software to download videos from a variety of platforms, like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc., ByClick Downloader is among the great picks.

In addition to downloading videos in multiple resolutions (for example, 720p, 1080p, 4K, and 8K), it also lets you convert them into formats, like MP3, MP4, AVI, FLV, WMV, etc.

Moreover, the best thing about this software is that it not only lets you download YouTube playlists/channels but also Instagram pages with a single click.

4K Video Downloader

If you are looking for the must-have multimedia software to watch videos offline and download private YouTube videos (accessible to you), the 4K Video Downloader can be a perfect choice for you.

It offers some incredible features, such as downloading videos (in various resolutions, such as HD 1080p, HD 720p, 4K, and 8K) from YouTube or other websites (like Facebook),

Moreover, you are surely going to like it for its other features, like 3D and 360º video downloads.

Furthermore, it also boasts a unique Smart Mode that saves and applies your preferred settings to all future downloads.

9. Security Suite

“A must-have software to protect your computer from virus and malware attacks”

Your system’s security should be the foremost crucial thing that you should take any step towards. Always remember, prevention is cheaper (sometimes free) than cure in the case of computer damage by various threats. So it is always better to opt for a strong ‘Anti-virus Software’ that would cater to all your needs.

Our pick for the security suite is McAfee Antivirus. This software is one of the most popular and most successful antiviruses. The antivirus is one of the best software programs and has been used by more than 600 million device owners. This Antivirus protects financial information, data extraction, and threat entry on your device. You can choose the plan depending on your usage, it offers Individual, Family, and Multi-Device plans.

10. Internet Browser

“An essential app for Windows 10 for fast and secure web surfing experience”

What are we without the Internet in our lives? Just a shell of a 21st-century human being. And nobody can’t change this fact.

Browsing is a necessary daily activity for more than half of the computer users in the world. So logically, there has to be a perfect browser to resonate with these needs and tasks. It should be fast, secure, and obviously easy to use.

Is there a perfect browser out there? We think there is.

Here are some of the must-have apps for Windows 10, designed exclusively for all Internet users to experience the web in a much faster and safer environment.

Google Chrome

Image Source: Google Chrome

Google Chrome tops the position in the list of Windows software must-haves. All hail the king of the browsing world. It’s not just a favorite; it has become a part of people’s lives. It’s free, fast, and efficient — and comes with an abundance of add-ons so you can customize it to your liking. And the option of incognito windows helps to keep the data and history private. What more does anyone want?

Brave Browser

Image Source: Brave Browser

Brave is another famous name in the world of web browsers. It’s completely free to use and offers support for every major operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS) out there.

It comes with a plethora of privacy and security features that focuses on blocking online trackers and harmful ads to provide you a top-notch Internet experience.

The interface is intuitive and elegant allowing you to track your every move on the Internet and surf the web more privately. If you’re tired of using Chrome, you can give Brave browser a try and it surely won’t disappoint you.

Another popular alternative to Google Chrome and Brave browser which offers similar features is Firefox. It has tons of incredible plugins and makes the browsing experience very personalized.

So, if you no longer desire to use the Microsoft Edge web browser, then these are amongst the best Windows 10 apps you should use in 2024.

11. Media & Entertainment Software

“Must-Have software for Windows 10 to satisfy entertainment cravings”

Image Source: Dreamstel

Media and entertainment are an integral part of our lives. We seek out some fun and recreation everywhere we go. Then why not incorporate this fun on our Windows system?

In addition to this, we have below-mentioned some of the essential programs for Windows 10, especially for people who love to listen to the hottest music videos and binge watch Netflix shows anytime, anywhere.

VLC Media Player

A media player like VLC is a must have app for your Windows 10 PC. Its ability to play all sorts of files without installing any third-party codecs makes it a favorite all over the globe and indeed a useful software for PC and laptops.

Spotify

One of the major issues that people have while working on their computers is the lack of good music. Long gone are the days when an individual had to download songs and play them on her/his computer for a joyful ride.

But it isn’t the same now. You have flooded with an array of music streaming apps for literally each and every one of your devices.

And our, as well as many others’, the favorite is ‘Spotify’. One of the most recommended apps for Windows 10, Spotify is a music streaming application that works wonders and is updated with all the new and the old songs quite rapidly as compared to their counterparts.

Netflix

How can you watch popular web series (like Stranger Things, Dark) on your PC? With an app like Netflix, obviously. Netflix is a one-place destination for all the most talked about movies and TV shows, all of which you can either watch online or stream right to your Windows 10 laptop, smart TV, mobile, etc. No need to say anything more. Its power and user base speak for itself.

In a nutshell, all we can say is that Netflix currently ranks among the top Windows 10 apps for binge watching your popular TV shows and movies.

12. Social and Communication Apps

“The most popular, essential apps for Windows 10 to communicate with others”

Image Source: Better Internet Kids

It is a given that you can’t stop socializing ever. And by socializing, I don’t mean actually meeting people and talking to them. I am referring to our constant social media and online connectivity. And who says we can’t continue with it even when we are on our PCs. You can install some of the best Windows 10 applications through the Microsoft store and have fun networking.

Skype

Everyone’s go-to choice for chatting, video calling, and long-distance communication.

Everyone’s one-stop application to be connected with their loved ones all around the world.

Instagram

Everyone’s favorite social media application.

13. Office Suite

“Must-Have software for Windows 10 to carry out everyday computing tasks”

Image Source: Play Store

Most likely, you will need to work on documents, files, presentations, spreadsheets, and other work-related things at some point in time. And you can’t do all these without having a tool that adheres to all your needs.

This is where an office suite comes for your rescue, just like a knight in shining office features.

LibreOffice is the best knight of this kingdom. One of the essential apps for Windows 10, LibreOffice includes alternatives to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and other more applications.

It includes a few little aesthetic differences from MS Office, but there’s just that. Every Windows and ex-MS Office users will love it and work through its interface smoothly.

14. Reading Application

“Must-Have Windows 10 apps for all the book lovers out there”

With the advancement of technology, eBooks have now taken over the traditional reading style for several good reasons.

In addition to this, below we have mentioned some of the must-have apps for Windows 10 that you should install right away for reading books of your favorite authors.

Adobe Reader (PDF)

Image Source: You Tube

If you don’t have this installed, then my friend, what are you even doing? Most of the files, or books we find online, are available in PDF format. This software has different reading modes, features like highlighting text, adding notes, digital signatures, etc.

It also supports a tabbed view.

EPUB Reader

If you find yourself as an EPUB files aficionado (because of their super small size and great availability), then getting an EPUB reader should be on top of your priority list.

Some other great reading applications for Windows 10 users are:

• Icecream eBook Reader Pro

• Kobo

• Caliber

• FBReader

• Bibliovore

• MOBI Reader

• DjVu Reader (for viewing DjVu files and documents)

15. PC Optimizer Software

“An essential program for Windows 10 to make it run faster than ever before”

Image Source: Your Story

Is your computer system lagging behind in its tasks and actions? Do you feel like it needs an optimum boost?

Then a PC optimizer is your best bet to treat it. They are one of the best PC software as they remove various kinds of junk from the hard drive and make the computer more efficient.

If you want to know which is perfect for you, then you can take the help of our write-up on best PC optimizing software for Windows 10.

16. Video Conferencing Software

“One-stop solution for businesses to host virtual meetings”

Image Source: Computer World

Since working remotely is becoming a common workplace trend, having a dedicated video conferencing app installed on your Windows 10 PC is need of the hour.

It comes with a wide array of video conferencing and collaboration tools that you can use for face to face interactions, host live webinars, chat with colleagues, and what not.

With an app of such caliber at your disposal, you don’t have to worry about wasting your time and money on soul crushing commute. And that’s what makes it one of the must-have programs for Windows 10 PC.

Having trouble finding a perfect one for your Windows 10 computer? Check out the list of Best Video Conferencing Software.

17. Email Client Software

“Must have apps for Windows 10 users to manage multiple accounts effortlessly”

If you’re not already using a webmail client on your desktop PC, we would like to recommend Mailbird as the best Windows 10 application to manage all of your email accounts with great ease and hence manages to retain its place in the list of must have apps for Windows.

Something that makes it stand out from the crowd is that it allows you to access all of major apps (Such as Twitter, WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook, etc.) from one screen.

If you want to see a complete list of the world’s leading email clients, you can then take the help of our write-up on best email clients for Windows 10 PC.

18. PDF Creation and Editing Software

“A must-have Windows 10 software to create and edit PDFs”

Portable Document Format, commonly shortened to PDF, is one of the most widely-used document formats in the business world. Like many large and mid-size businesses, if you’re also striving towards a paperless office, then having a dedicated PDF editing software installed on your system is a must for you.

Nitro PDF

If you wish to create, edit, or protect PDF documents, then it may be the right time to move beyond a plain PDF reader to a more feature-rich PDF editor. However, if you’re not sure which one is right for you, then you can use our favorite – Nitro PDF. It is one of the best Free PDF Editing Software available on the marketplace currently. With this software, you can create, edit, convert, sign, and protect PDF files and digital documents.

19. Educational Software

“Must-have software for Windows 10 users for teaching or self-learning”

Educational programs are a must in the list of essential programs to have in 2024. Whether you are young or old learning never stops, and to make learning more interesting. The developers have created programs that can help everyone learn new things easily with the help of new programs and different interfaces.

Below we have listed some of the programs which can help in making learning easy, check them out.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a very essential program for Windows that can help you in learning new languages without any tutor. You can easily pick the language that you wish to learn and start learning them at home. The program includes languages like Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and many more. The best part about the software is that it is available for free.

WeDo 2.0 LEGO Education

The next essential educational software is WeDo 2.0 LEGO Education. This can be the ideal program for kids who wish to learn coding. The unique interface of the software helps kids in learning the basics of coding easily using LEGO bricks.

Other than this the program also has crucial science and engineering practices that can help them in real life. This software can teach your kids every essential skill that can help them in the future which is why we have kept this software on the list of best essential programs to have in 2024.

20. Cloud Storage

“A must-have program for Windows 10, and 11 to back up and securely access all your files from any device.”

File storage should not be something we often think about, but with the pictures & videos we all capture with our friends & family, and of course, those funny memes we save, our device’s storage capacity can get full pretty quickly.

And, here comes Cloud Storage as a savior. It can certainly make your life much easier by keeping your precious and important files safe and also, saving storage space on your smartphone, computer, or tablet.

The most interesting thing about cloud storage is that even if you forget to back up your files before upgrading or just lose your phone in an accident, all your files or data are still in the cloud and you can easily access them.

Cloud Storage is especially useful for people working from home who have to frequently share files with their colleagues.

Google Drive

Talking about the best cloud storage, then Google Drive is a safe palace to back up files and securely access them from any device. It offers rich features and affordable backup and sync services. Google Drive comes with the collaboration of apps like Google Docs, Sheets, Photos & Slides (which together are known as Google Workspace).

Using this platform, you can seamlessly create, store, edit, view, and sync files, without any hassles. Google Drive gives you a free storage space of up to 15GB when you create a new account. And, the paid plans start at $1.99 (monthly) for 100GB. In addition to this, one can also upgrade their storage to a maximum of 30TB which costs $299.99 monthly. Google Drive can be used on iOS and Android, as well as on macOS and Windows.

21. Image Editor Software: Paint.NET

Images have become a great source of keeping memories intact. Capturing screenshots, enhancing them, or trying basic image editing is needed by almost all the tech users. And here comes the need for Image Editor Software. Photoshop is a common tool but is not available for free. But there are plenty of alternatives for image editing software. Paint.NET is one such reliable software to edit images on your Windows devices.

The tool is powerful enough to meet the basic needs of editing. Blur out the extra sections of the image, level images to make the appearance better, and edit them by adding text. Also, you can add numerous plugins to expand the core functionality of the tool.

22. Screenshot Software

“A must-have program for Windows 10 to capture the contents of the visible screen”

A few years ago, screenshots or snapshots were not that vastly popular among PC users. At that time, it was only utilized for sharing the error codes on the screen.

But, nowadays, screenshots are widely & routinely used in our day-to-day life. For example, capturing a screenshot of a particular post available on any social media platform or a funny message. Students also capture a screenshot for education purposes. Now, if you are wondering how to do that with ease, then you can use our top recommendation mentioned below.

Greenshot

Greenshot is one of the popular and best screenshot software for Windows that you can use to take snapshots or screenshots. With the help of this utility tool, you can easily and quickly take screenshots of a particular area, window, or full screen. Not only that, but you can also capture entire web pages from Internet Explorer.

In addition to this, you can even highlight or annotate parts of the screenshots. It is an easy-to-use and configurable tool for software developers, testers, project managers, technical writers, or anyone else who wants to take screenshots.

23. File Compression and Extraction Software

“A must-have tool for Windows to easily compress files to save space”

With limited Storage availability on systems, it is important to manage data. And to do so you can use the best compression tools. Compression tools help in compressing and decompressing files to make more space in the system. It is basically a data reduction technique that reduces the file size. Now, let’s proceed with the best file compression and extraction software available in the market.

WinRar

WinRar is one of the most popular file compression and management software. This utility tool is great for file compression, encryption, sharing, and backup. Using this windows program, you can archive and compress files so that you can save or distribute them more effectively. The tool lets you easily and quickly zip or unzip files, saving time and space.

WinRar is an easy-to-use and powerful tool that one must have installed on their Windows PC. The program offers a free trial and enables you to access all the features of WinRar free for 21 days. However, once the trial period is over, you will have to buy a license to continue using the tool.

24. Professional Messaging Tool

“A must-have software for Windows to control all the messaging platforms and apps.”

To connect with any individual or user in this world of technology, you can take the help of a messaging app. A messaging tool is surely part of the Must-Have Software For Windows 10. Especially if you are working with the corporate sector, then a messaging app becomes a must to manage all the messaging platforms in a single palace. Let’s have a look at one such tool.

RamBox

RamBox is one of the most reliable and trusted messaging apps of the decade. With the help of this tool, you can easily control all the messaging apps and platforms in a single space. This tool is generally used by businessmen and working professionals who want an entire control of the messaging platforms at their fingertips.

The platform is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux-based devies and operating systems. You can use this tool for free. However, you may need to pay some money to get the ability to add unlimited messaging apps after a certain period. This workspace simplify is just the thing you need if you have multiple social media and messaging platforms to control your DMs.

25. Backup Utility Programs

“Must-have Windows app to protect your PC from physical threats by creating smart and easy backups.”

The last category on this list of the best programs for Windows 10 is a backup utility. The personal or physical computer is vulnerable and exposed to a lot of different threats. These include attacks from hackers, physical damages, system failures, etc. All these threats can very well affect the important files or data present on the PC’s storage. Hence, to stay ahead and protect yourself from such threats, you should install reliable backup utility software.

To help you with the same, we have shortlisted the best must-have software for Windows 10 for backup purposes. Check these out.

AOMEI Backupper

Whenever it comes to creating or taking a backup of the Windows OS or its files, the name of AOMEI Backupper shines the brightest. This is the best free backup software for Windows that allows you to back up everything and anything from your Windows device. You can also use this software on Mac. The strong backup capabilities of the software make it one of the best ones ever. With the tool, you can also avail yourself of free cloud storage of up to 1 TB. Using the AOMEI Backupper, you can back up data on SSD, HDD, and various other internal and external devices.

26. Storage Management Tools

“Must-have Windows apps to efficiently manage the storage of your Windows device.”

At the end of this list of the best programs for Windows 10, we have Storage Management tools. As there is always a limited storage capacity on any Window device, it becomes tough at times to manage the space effectively. With the help of storage management tools, you can do the same. These tools allow you to analyze the storage used in any device and free up the same with ease.

Below, you will find the shortlisted best must-have software for Windows 10 for ease of software management. Try them out.

TreeSize Free

TreeSize Free is one of the most amazing and easiest tools to control the storage of the device. With the help of this tool, you can analyze where most of your storage space is spent. Additionally, you can clean your disk space with the tool. To do the same, the tool will help you get rid of temporary files with a single click. The tool divided the storage usage into color-coded structures. You can use the color codes to determine the threat levels of the tool. You can try the free version of this must-have Windows app and then proceed to get the professional version if satisfied.

27. Some Bonus Must-Have Apps for Windows 10

Below are a few additional useful programs for Windows 10 that every user should install in 2024:

A. F.lux

We are all guilty of embedding our eyes onto our computer screens till the late hours of the night. But there’s one app that will help in reducing eye strain and improving the sleep patterns.

f.lux, a multi-platform application, adjusts the brightness and screen light automatically depending upon the color of the room one’s in, time of the day, and the light sources around.

B. LastPass

Don’t tell me that you don’t feel flustered and overwhelmed about the sheer amount of accounts you have and the passwords that you have to remember? I am so sure that you do.

A password manager will ease all your troubles indefinitely. LastPass is an apt choice.

You require only a ‘master password’, for the password manager and all the other passwords will be uniquely generated for every website being used.

All the information and data are stored in the cloud with AES-256 bit encryption.

C. Unchecky

You know how when you are installing software in your system, and suddenly you realize that there has been a lot of junk downloaded as well? Super annoying, right?

Unchecky is an application that dynamically watches check-boxes while you are installing software and keeps checking to see that you don’t install any third-party junk.

D. ClipClip- Clipboard Manager

Another best free and must-have software for Windows 10 or 11 devices in 2024 is ClipClip. With the help of the software, you can copy multiple texts, images, or other files on the clipboard. These multiple files can be browsed and Saved under specific names. To view the list of files copied on your clipboard use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + V.

Manage your Clipboard and use it as a screen-capturing tool. Additionally, you can perform multiple actions through in-built editor; such as transforming images, formatting text, and so much more with just a few clicks.

E. Microsoft To Do

The next best free and must-have software for Windows 10/11 is Microsoft To Do. Just like the name of this tool suggests, Microsoft To Do is a versatile tool that allows you to track and manage your respective and miscellaneous tasks with ease. With the help of the software, you can generate your planner and follow it as necessary.

The tool allows other software, platforms, and accounts to integrate with TO DO so that all the tasks are housed by one software.

F. Rufus

If you want a tool to boot your flash drive, then Rufus is the best choice. This is a must-have software for Windows 10 that allows you to boot any type of operating system to your memory sticks and devices. You can even select the GPT or MBR partition to boot the OS.

This is a completely free must-have app for Windows 11 that you should keep on your device.

And these were the must-have software for Windows 10. If you don’t have them in your system, then man you are surely doing something wrong. If we missed out on any, do let us know in the comments.

Now go and install them!

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Featured

Best Live Wallpaper Apps for Windows 2024

By admin February 9, 2024

Are you in search of the best live wallpaper apps to enhance the visual appeal of your Windows 11/10 PC screen? This article will introduce you to some of the finest choices available.

It’s no news that Windows has enhanced its Windows 10 experience even further with the introduction of Windows 11, notably with its stunning interface design.

However, customizing your Windows PC is another avenue to elevate the operating system’s aesthetic appeal. This entails various options, such as applying a new skin pack or theme, customizing your mouse cursor, and utilizing live wallpapers to adorn your Windows computer.

Unlike the stunning static wallpapers available for Windows 11/10 PCs, live wallpapers offer a dynamic touch, bringing nature scenes, particle effects, abstract and geometric designs, as well as animal and wildlife effects to your screen. This dynamic element adds an immersive quality to your desktop.

If you’re eager to explore the delightful world of live wallpapers on your PC, this article will delve into the top 11 live wallpaper apps for Windows 11/10, offering you options to enhance the aesthetics of your PC screen.

Is Live Wallpaper Available on Windows 11/10?

No, unlike MacOS, Windows 11/10 does not come with native live wallpaper. However, you can still easily add custom live wallpaper to your computer with the aid of a third-party live wallpaper app.

The best live wallpaper apps for Windows 11/10 are listed in the following section of this post.

Best Live Wallpaper Apps for Windows 11/10

After assessing numerous live wallpaper applications for Windows 11/10, the following are considered the most worthwhile choices for your Windows computer, taking into account their designs, lightweight nature, and functionality:

1. Desktop Live Wallpapers

Desktop Live Wallpapers is an application that offers a myriad of options for personalizing your Windows 11/10 computer with dynamic wallpapers.

The app includes a selection of beautifully animated wallpapers that can be easily applied to your desktop with just a single click. However, to unlock access to a vast collection of wallpapers within the app, opting for the subscription-based plan is necessary.

To compensate for the limited built-in live wallpapers, the application allows users to upload their own video files or utilize downloaded videos as live wallpapers on their desktops.

Additionally, Desktop Live Wallpaper provides links to sites like DeviantArt, where users can freely download additional live wallpapers.

This application excels not only in applying live wallpapers to your desktop but also offers notable features such as support for multiple monitors and DPI adjustments. Furthermore, it intelligently manages PC resource usage by pausing playback during periods of limited resources.

Noteworthy Features

• It is easy to use

• It supports multiple monitors and DPI adjustment.

• It allows you to use live wallpaper from Android and iPhone

Minor Drawbacks

• Limited number of live wallpapers in the free version

Read Also : Best Windows 11 Themes, Backgrounds And Skins 2024

2. WinDynamicDesktop

WinDynamicDesktop doesn’t function as a traditional live wallpaper, but it imparts a dynamic feel to your Windows 10/11 desktop background.

This free application mirrors the Dynamic Desktop feature found in MacOS, including both the Mojave and Monterey versions, enhancing the visual appeal of your Windows PC.

For those unacquainted with the Dynamic Desktop feature, it utilizes your location and time zone to generate a transitioning desktop wallpaper that corresponds to different times of the day—shifting between sunrise, daytime, sunset, and night, by altering the tone of the selected wallpaper.

It is a very handy way to customize your desktop experience and using it is a breeze based on our testing.

Noteworthy Features

• It’s a lightweight app

• It brings a time-based dynamic wallpaper to your Windows PC.

Minor Drawbacks

• It has limited wallpaper

3. Desktophut

Covering the best wallpaper apps for Windows 11/10 would be incomplete without mentioning Desktophut. Desktophut is a website that hosts an extensive collection of free, high-quality, and artistically crafted live wallpapers.

The platform neatly organizes its vast array of wallpapers into categories such as Anime, Sci-fi, Cars, Technology, Abstract, Aesthetic, and more. This diverse categorization ensures that the available live wallpapers span across various themes, providing users with a wide array of options.

Desktophut goes beyond being a mere site for downloading live wallpapers; it also features a search function within its extensive library of hundreds of thousands of live wallpapers. Additionally, the platform offers software that seamlessly enables users to set downloaded videos as live wallpapers on their PCs.

The Desktophut Live Wallpaper app stands out for its lightweight nature, user-friendly interface, and dual monitor support. To make the most of the Desktop Live Wallpaper app:

• Download your preferred live wallpaper video from Desktophut.

• Next, download the Live Wallpaper app.

• After the download, right-click the downloaded file and select Extract All.

• In the extracted DesktopHut App subfolder run the DesktopHut.exe file to launch the live wallpaper app.

• On the app page, click Select Live Wallpaper and choose the live wallpaper video you want to use.

• After that, click Play to apply it on your computer.

Noteworthy Features

• It’s totally free

• It is simply a site that hosts thousands of live wallpapers

• It has a standalone app for applying wallpaper on your desktop.

• It has high-resolution live wallpapers

Minor Drawbacks

• The live wallpaper app is only available as a portable app – it can’t be installed.

4. Wallpaper Engine

Wallpaper Engine stands out as a comprehensive and feature-rich live wallpaper app designed for Windows 11/10.

While it requires a subscription, the investment is well worth it, considering the captivating live wallpapers and extensive features it offers.

The application boasts an extensive collection of high-definition live wallpapers with appealing effects, enabling users to craft a personalized experience on their Windows 11/10 PCs.

Moreover, Wallpaper Engine includes a built-in workshop that empowers users to create unique live wallpapers by animating videos and images.

Additionally, it provides the flexibility to edit the pre-existing live wallpapers using its integrated live wallpaper editor.

Furthermore, Wallpaper Engine offers customization options, allowing users to adjust the quality of live wallpapers and manage the application’s performance on their computers.

Noteworthy Features

• It is a power live wallpaper app

• Allows you to personalize your desktop background with live wallpapers

• Supports multi-monitor environment

• Supports a lot of media formats to use as live wallpaper

Minor Drawback

• It is a paid app

5. Lively Wallpaper

Lively Wallpaper is a live wallpaper app that is both free and open source. The program allows users to add custom live wallpapers such as GIFs and downloaded videos as their desktop background directly on it.

Besides that, it includes some live wallpaper. While it does not feature a large number of live wallpapers, it does include some great live wallpaper with effects that will enhance the look of your desktop background.

These live wallpaper effects include fluids, protein powder, rain, triangular light, and others.

Lively Wallpaper app is simple to use; simply click the live wallpaper you want and it will be loaded to your PC immediately.

Despite the fact that it appears to take a lot of CPU power for low-end PC users, it is still a good choice for Windows PCs as it has a lot of functions in place to manage its resource usage.

Noteworthy Features

• It’s free and open source

• It adjusts to your system usage

Minor Drawback

• It is not recommended for low-end PCs

• It has limited wallpapers

6. X Live Wallpaper

X Live Wallpaper stands out as a well-liked app, catering to Windows 11/10 users seeking to their desktop experience alive and colorful. Acting as a modified clone of Lively Wallpaper, X Live Wallpaper offers a diverse array of live wallpaper designs, all accessible without any cost.

This user-friendly application streamlines the process of integrating live wallpapers into your Windows computer.

It provides a selection of pre-existing live wallpaper options and allows you to personalize your desktop by choosing media such as videos, GIFs, webpages, and more. This flexibility ensures that you can effortlessly craft a customized and lively wallpaper for your computer.

Noteworthy Features

• It has a lot of colorful live wallpapers

• It is easy to use.

• It supports GIFs, videos, and more.

Minor drawbacks

• It doesn’t allow you to edit

7. Deskscapes 11

Deskscapes 11 serves as a desktop background management tool, offering users access to animated images and videos for use as live wallpapers.

Beyond simply providing a collection of live wallpapers, it enables users to extend this functionality to their Windows 11/10 desktop background outside the application itself.

Additionally, Deskscapes 11 presents the option to enhance static images with a variety of animated effects from its extensive list. This feature adds flair and vibrant elements to images, contributing to a more dynamic visual experience.

During our testing, we found the application to be user-friendly. However, it’s worth noting that it can be resource-intensive, making it ideal for users with powerful PC resources.

Noteworthy Features

• It has a lot of customization options for live wallpapers.

• It supports media outside it.

• It allows you to enhance static wallpaper with effects

Minor Drawbacks

• It can be resource-intensive on low-end PCs

• It is a paid app

8. Waifu Wallpaper

Waifu is another free live wallpaper site that gives users the ability to download from a variety of live wallpapers and use them to spice up their desktop background experience.

The site has a lot of live wallpaper with nice effects so you can choose the ones that best fit your preference.

Also, it allows you to select from its categories of live wallpapers which include Anime, Games, Abstract, Sci-Fi, Landscape, Pixel Art, Animals, and Vehicles. Each of these categories has a large number of live wallpaper videos available for download.

Live wallpaper download on this site is very straightforward and doesn’t require signup or anything. So you can make it your go-to site to explore nice live wallpaper and download it for your desktop.

Noteworthy Features

• It has live wallpapers with nice effects

• It is very straightforward to use

• The categories of wallpaper it provides include Anime, Sci-Fi, Nature, Art, and many more.

Minor Drawbacks

• You will need a live wallpaper app to apply live wallpaper from the site.

9. RainWallpaper

The RainWallpaper app stands as a powerful live wallpaper engine for Windows 11/10 PCs, offering users the capability to create live wallpapers using videos, webpages, clocks, and text through its integrated visual designer.

This comprehensive application ensures minimal CPU and RAM usage. RainWallpaper is a paid app. However, the investment is justified by its standout visual design features compared to other live wallpaper apps for Windows 11/10.

Notably, the application is very user-friendly and gives you limitless possibilities for customizing your Windows 11/10 desktop with colorful and personalized live wallpapers.

Noteworthy Features

• It is very user-friendly

• It has a comprehensive tool for creating live wallpaper for desktop

• It supports multi-monitor, mouse interaction, and many more.

• It pauses itself when the system is not being used.

Minor Drawbacks

• No longer get updated.

10. MyLiveWallpapers

MyLiveWallpapers stands out as a live wallpaper platform featuring an array of stunning designs, injecting life and vibrant hues into your desktop.

With categories mirroring those on Waifu, such as Anime, Games, Nature, Sci-Fi, Abstract, and more, it caters to diverse tastes.

The site tailors live wallpapers to your display resolution, ensuring high quality with options like FHD (1920 × 1080p), QHD (2560 × 1440p), and 4K (3840 × 2160p).

Downloading these live wallpapers is a breeze, although you will need one of the recommended apps to apply them to your PC.

Noteworthy Features

• It comes with a great number of live wallpaper

• Downlaoding live wallpaper from the site is a breeze

• It tailors live wallpaper to your display

Minor Drawbacks

• It doesn’t have an app to add live wallpapers to the desktop.

11. Live Wallpaper 2

Live Wallpaper 2 integrates animated wallpapers into your Windows PC, providing access to a vast array of live wallpaper options. With a generous assortment of appealing wallpapers, it infuses vitality into your desktop.

Moreover, similar to the other Windows 11 or 10 live wallpaper apps discussed in this post, it enables you to set personal or downloaded videos as your live wallpaper, an exclusive feature in its ProVersion.

The application is straightforward, boasting user-friendly features, including adaptive adjustments based on your PC’s resources. It seamlessly supports multiple displays and various DPI settings.

Noteworthy Features

• It allows you to set personal and download videos as live wallpaper.

• It is used for friendly

Minor Drawbacks

• Some of its features are limited to the paid version

Set custom video clips as animated wallpaper

It is simple to set personalized video clips as animated wallpaper on the Windows 11/10 background. You may always utilize the live wallpaper apps mentioned in this post because they not only provide live wallpapers but also allow you to add unique videos as live wallpaper. For a user-friendly and lightweight experience, we suggest trying out the DesktopHut Live Wallpaper App.

Do live wallpapers drain battery?

Yes, live wallpapers consume more battery as they demand increased processing and rendering compared to static wallpapers. Implementing measures such as allowing your screen to shut off when inactive helps mitigate this impact, keeping the effect on battery life minimal.

Do live wallpapers make PC slow?

The impact of live wallpapers on PC performance varies based on your computer’s capabilities. High-powered PCs generally handle live wallpapers well with minimal impact, while low-end PCs may experience slowdowns due to resource limitations.

Wrap Up

Due to the absence of built-in support for animated wallpapers in the latest Windows versions (Windows 11/10), the live wallpaper apps in this article serve as practical solutions for obtaining and applying dynamic wallpapers on your PC.

It’s important to note that for the live wallpaper to remain active, the wallpaper app must run in the background, contributing to increased power consumption.

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11. KDE Neon

12. Nobara

Best Live Wallpaper Apps for Windows 2024

Is Live Wallpaper Available on Windows 11/10?

Best Live Wallpaper Apps for Windows 11/10

1. Desktop Live Wallpapers

Read Also : Best Windows 11 Themes, Backgrounds And Skins 2024

2. WinDynamicDesktop

3. Desktophut

4. Wallpaper Engine

5. Lively Wallpaper

6. X Live Wallpaper

7. Deskscapes 11

8. Waifu Wallpaper

9. RainWallpaper

10. MyLiveWallpapers

11. Live Wallpaper 2

Set custom video clips as animated wallpaper

Do live wallpapers drain battery?

Do live wallpapers make PC slow?

Wrap Up

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