The beauty of most Linux distributions is their minimalist approach; they often come with as little pre-installed software as possible to prevent bloat, offering a clean, blank slate. While this is a massive advantage for many seasoned users, it can be challenging for newcomers transitioning from operating systems like Windows or macOS. Users accustomed to having applications ready-to-go, or easily found, might struggle a bit when navigating the world of essential Linux applications.
Finding the right tools is the other half of the battle after successfully installing a Linux distribution. It takes time to set up your operating system and install and configure applications to make it truly ready for daily use.
To help both new and existing Linux users, we’ve compiled a list of the best Linux applications and software that are successful on the platform. These are the tools that can significantly ease your daily tasks, streamline your workflow, and are widely considered essential for everyone.
These recommended applications will ensure you get the most out of your Linux distribution, whether for internet browsing, media consumption, or general productivity. While some specialized, work-focused software might be proprietary or paid, the vast majority of tools required by home users are free and open-source.
🌐 Web Browsing: Firefox and Chromium Alternatives
Most Linux distributions include Firefox as the default web browser. And rightly so—Firefox is an excellent, private, and highly capable browser. However, it’s not universally loved, and some users encounter issues or simply prefer other options.
As a great alternative, you can install Google Chrome, which is also one of the most popular browsers on Windows. Additionally, you can try Chromium, the open-source base on which Google Chrome is built.
You can also explore other Chromium-based browsers on your Linux system, such as Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi. These are all fully compatible with the vast library of Chrome extensions, meaning you won’t struggle for choice when it comes to browsers. The great news is that most of the browsers you use on Windows or macOS are also available on the Linux platform.
📝 Office Suites: LibreOffice and OnlyOffice
LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a full-featured, free office suite that stands nearly shoulder-to-shoulder with Microsoft Office. It allows you to do almost everything you can with the globally popular proprietary suite. This completely free alternative is highly mature and boasts advanced features. It has a massive user base not just on Linux, but also on Windows.
LibreOffice uses the Open Document Format (ODF) by default, but you can effortlessly open and save Microsoft Office-compatible files. You’ll notice different names for the applications: Writer replaces Word for word processing, and Calc replaces Excel for spreadsheets. As open-source software, it’s constantly being developed with new features. If the default installation doesn’t meet your needs, there’s likely an extension that will fill the gap.
In short, LibreOffice is an indispensable package for office productivity, excelling in versatility, compatibility with various file formats, and a wide array of applications. It contains powerful tools for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and more, making it a fantastic alternative to proprietary office software. The included tools are:
- Writer: A powerful word processor for creating written documents.
- Calc: A spreadsheet application for data analysis and statistical calculations.
- Impress: A presentation tool complete with animations and effects.
- Draw: A capable application for creating vector graphics and diagrams.
- Base: A database management application for creating and managing databases.
- Math: A formula editor that allows users to create complex mathematical equations.
OnlyOffice
While LibreOffice is the primary office suite used across almost all Linux distributions, you might find OnlyOffice to be a great alternative, especially if you’re accustomed to working with Microsoft Office and need to collaborate with people who primarily use Word and Excel.
OnlyOffice offers a sleek, modern interface similar to Microsoft Office, making it more intuitive and enjoyable to navigate. While LibreOffice is a powerhouse, its design can feel a bit dated, requiring a period of adjustment for daily use.
Furthermore, many users report that OnlyOffice provides better compatibility when opening files created with Microsoft Office. You are less likely to encounter formatting issues when opening common file extensions like DOCX and XLSX.
🎬 Best for Media Playback: VLC
Your current distribution might come with a different default player, but VLC is arguably the best video player on the market. It’s lightweight, offers tons of customization, and, most importantly, can play almost every video file format, including a wide array of audio files.
VLC also allows you to add subtitles, fix subtitle timing, and adjust audio dynamics. This application, which has been around for years, is compatible with almost all platforms and can play both local and remote files. It’s available in standard repositories, so you can install it for free via your GUI app store.
Simply put, if you want to play media files locally outside of online platforms, VLC is the best choice. As Windows and macOS users know, VLC can play anything, regardless of the video format. Its availability on Linux is a huge advantage.
📧 Essential for Email Management: Thunderbird
If you need a versatile email client, look no further than Thunderbird, which is the best option for the Linux operating system. This long-standing software not only provides access to all your email servers (including Outlook and Gmail) but also includes many other features like tasks and a calendar. The user interface hasn’t changed much over the years, so it feels familiar.
Thunderbird makes it easy to use GPG encryption for your more sensitive emails. It also includes many filters and features to keep your inbox organized. Thunderbird’s internal database has email settings for all common providers, and you can add as many email accounts as you need.
You can enhance the application with add-ons like themes or better sorting for your mail folders. For instance, the Lightning add-on adds a fully functional calendar to the email client. There is also a substantial add-on library that greatly expands the application’s functionality. Since all your emails and contacts are stored locally, Thunderbird can be a great help when you need to work without an internet connection. You can install it for free from the standard repositories.
🖼️ Image Editing: GIMP
GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a completely free, open-source image editor often compared to Adobe Photoshop. It’s a feature-rich tool, making it an excellent choice for graphic design, photo retouching, and creating stunning visuals.
In the realm of open-source software, GIMP stands out as a versatile and powerful image editor. Available for Linux and other platforms, it has earned a reputation as a reliable alternative to proprietary image editing software. You can resize images, add layers, apply special effects—in short, you’ll find all the basic functions for editing visuals. You can access features directly from the handy toolbox or pop-up menus. The developer’s website also features numerous GIMP tutorials.
In summary, if you work with visuals, GIMP might be the software you’re looking for. It’s like the Linux counterpart to Photoshop, packed with features, and the interface is quite intuitive. It can do almost everything professional image editors can. What’s more, you can even add specific Photoshop plugins to GIMP. Its active developer community ensures the program remains current, cementing its position as a serious competitor to popular commercial programs. A quick note: if you’re used to Adobe Photoshop, adjusting to GIMP’s interface might take a little time.
🎥 Video Editing: Shotcut and DaVinci Resolve
Shotcut
Shotcut is a free, open-source video editor available for GNU/Linux, as well as macOS and Microsoft Windows. It supports the latest video and audio formats, including 4K, and contains a wide range of video and editing effects. If your Linux system has multiple monitors, Shotcut is a perfect fit.
Unlike some free video editors, Shotcut allows you to work with multiple video and audio tracks simultaneously. You can combine visuals and audio to create popular effects and transitions. Shotcut comes with a set of built-in transitions, allowing you to create professional-looking content with just a few mouse clicks.
Shotcut is a serious contender even when compared to applications like Adobe Premiere Pro. It will give you what you want if you don’t require hyper-professional features. Its user interface, functionality, relative simplicity, clear workflow, and various aspects are highly successful. On a less positive note, some users report that Shotcut sometimes crashes.
DaVinci Resolve
DaVinci Resolve might be the best option, but it can feel quite complex for simple edits. Simply put, it’s more comprehensive, more complex, and more professional. It’s not for nothing that it’s used for editing and color grading well-known films.
You can download it for free for Linux, and it runs smoothly. It offers powerful tools for video editing, color correction, audio post-production, and visual effects. These functions are presented in a generally streamlined workflow. With a single click, you can instantly switch between editing, color, effects, and audio.
🎶 Music and Audio Editing: Audacity
Audacity is a music editing program that allows you to record and manipulate audio. It can record audio from various inputs (like a USB microphone or an electric guitar) simultaneously, and has capabilities such as trimming and editing clips. The software, also available on Windows, supports multiple layers. This means you can, for instance, record lyrics and background music separately but at the same time.
The software supports a range of audio effects, such as noise reduction, which are detailed in the extremely comprehensive Audacity manual that comes with the program and is also accessible online. Furthermore, VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugins are supported. You can export your creations in a range of popular audio formats, including WAV, OGG, and MP3. Audacity is simple to use and feature-rich, even when compared to much more expensive digital audio workstation software. It’s a great Linux application for musicians and podcasters.
🖥️ Virtualization: VirtualBox
You can also use VirtualBox, which you are all familiar with, on Linux. VirtualBox is a powerful, open-source virtualization tool that allows you to run multiple operating systems on a single system. You can confidently use it for various purposes, such as conducting tests and experiments, developing software, and running legacy software. Such tools can even be very useful for running software that only works on Windows.
It’s worth noting that virtualization software consumes a lot of resources. In this context, ensure your system has sufficient hardware to support a second operating system. VB runs a very wide range of operating systems, including older ones like DOS and Windows 3. It can even be used on Apple Mac.
In short, VirtualBox is one of the leading software packages for running programs supported on other operating systems on Linux. You can download the VirtualBox package for your Linux distribution directly from the VirtualBox website and install it manually.
🔒 Password Management: Bitwarden
Bitwarden stands out as a reliable, open-source password manager that allows you to securely store and manage your passwords and other sensitive information. It is available on various platforms, including Linux, and offers both a web-based interface and desktop applications.
In this software, you will find robust encryption, a random password generator, folders, TOTP authentication keys, master password re-prompt, notes, custom fields, the “Send” feature for securely transmitting files and texts, identities, secure notes, and much more. You can use it both online and offline. As we mentioned, it works on different popular platforms outside of Linux, so you can synchronize your data seamlessly.
Finally, Bitwarden also offers a passwordless authentication feature. Thanks to the “Log in with device” option, you can verify your login identity with a second device, such as your mobile phone. You can download the Linux application from the official Bitwarden download page. To use the application more easily, you can also install the browser extension. It is completely free to use, though you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you want access to extra features.
💬 Communication: Element and Signal
Element
Element, which can be an alternative to Discord, is a secure, open-source collaboration platform built on the Matrix network. It may not be the most popular option, but it offers many features that can replace many other proprietary options for personal or business communication. It is available on Mac and Windows platforms, in addition to Linux.
Signal
Signal is a popular open-source instant messaging application used as an alternative to WhatsApp.
📦 Package Managers: Flatpak and Snap
These are not applications in the traditional sense. Flatpak and Snap are universal package managers that allow you to install even more applications on your system. These two package managers enable the installation of applications you normally wouldn’t be able to install; they bundle everything needed to run an application into a single container that runs in a virtual environment on your system. This prevents conflicts with other applications.
With Flatpak and Snap, you can easily install applications like Slack and Spotify on any Linux distribution. Both are available from standard repositories.
📄 PDF Reader: Evince
Adobe Acrobat Reader is the global standard for viewing, printing, annotating, and signing PDF documents. However, according to many Linux users, Evince is the best alternative for such functions. With Evince, you can view not only PDF files but also documents in PostScript (PS), Multi-Page TIFF, DVI, and DjVu formats.
It also features a user-friendly interface. It can handle form-based documents, and filled-out forms can be saved as a new PDF document.
📝 Note-Taking: Joplin and Simple Note
Joplin
Joplin is perhaps the best open-source, cross-platform, subscription-free, and free note-taking tool. It is natively available for Linux. It also supports synchronization with various cloud services, including Nextcloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV, or a local file system, on all mobile devices.
You will appreciate the powerful features and flexibility offered by Joplin. You can visit the official website for downloads and more details.
Simple Note
While there are many different options, the Simple Note application is one of the best note-taking apps available on the Linux platform. It features a clean interface, note sharing and collaboration, real-time synchronization between devices, and note tagging. It may not be the most capable application in this category, but it is one of the most useful for quick note-taking.
You won’t find Simple Note in standard repositories. Instead, you can install it via Flatpak or Snap. It’s easy to use, has a nice interface, and is completely free.
⚙️ System Management: Stacer
Stacer is a fantastic application that gives you real-time information about your system, allows you to manage startup applications, lets you clean various caches, reports, and logs, enables searching for files and directories, helps you manage services and processes, uninstall applications, add or remove repositories, manage your hostname, and much more. This tool might be a bit overwhelming for those new to Linux, but you might want to use some of the many benefits it offers. You can install Stacer from standard repositories (for free).
📥 Torrent Application: Transmission
Transmission, which comes pre-installed on some Linux distributions, is an ad-free torrent client with a simple interface and settings. It allows you to limit download and upload speeds, change the download location, set seeding rules, change privacy levels, set up remote communication, and more.
The main interface is very easy to use, with large play and pause buttons next to the open and open URL options. Right-clicking on a torrent also displays more settings, such as removing the torrent from Transmission or removing the torrent and deleting the files. If you are engaged in “distro hopping,” where you frequently try new Linux distributions, downloading ISO images using Transmission is very simple. Unlike some other torrent clients, Transmission is completely ad-free and contains no unnecessary features. The long and short of it is, if you are downloading over torrents, this application will do everything you need.
💾 Backup and System Restore: Timeshift
If you want something similar to System Restore in Windows or Time Machine in macOS, the equivalent in Linux is Timeshift. This was previously an independent project, but it became part of the Linux Mint family after being installed by default in that distribution. Timeshift’s purpose is to keep your system files and settings safe. Like the System Restore tool, it periodically creates backups so you can easily restore your system if something goes wrong.
You don’t have to be running Linux Mint to use Timeshift; you can use it on other distributions as well. The software is designed to back up your system and keep it secure, not your personal files. The RSYNC option shares common files between backups to minimize the amount of space used by your backups.
🎨 Artistic Drawing: Krita
If you are looking for a versatile and user-friendly application to unleash your creative potential, Krita is the right place. As an exceptional open-source digital painting, editing, and animation software, Krita stands out as an indispensable option for artists and designers. Developed by KDE, the application boasts an impressive set of features and an intuitive user interface.
Both amateur and professional concept artists, illustrators, matte artists, cartoonists, and texture artists should check out this open-source drawing and painting tool. Krita was developed by real artists. In other words, the experiences of masters played an important role in the development process. Artists included things they thought others would need.
Krita offers an intuitive user interface. Furthermore, it includes various ways to smooth and stabilize brush strokes. There is even a special dynamic brush to which you can add drag and mass. Docks and panels can be moved and adapted to suit everyone’s unique workflow.
🧑💻 Code Editor: Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular open-source code editor developed by Microsoft. You can use it with various Linux distributions. There are other development environments that offer many similar features. You can choose one according to your needs and tastes, but Visual Studio Code is quite ideal. There are also many extensions available to fully tailor it to your specific requirements. You can download the Visual Studio Code package directly from the official website and install it manually.
✨ Image Upscaling: Upscayl
AI tools are on everyone’s lips right now. Artificial intelligence technologies have reached a very good point, but you might want to leave some tasks in the hands of software that has been focused on that topic for years. Some AI tools can effectively upscale image quality. Upscayl is an application that does this natively for Linux.
