Save on Software
In this day and age of technology, computer applications are a dime a dozen. There are apps available for the various different desktop operating systems and even more for the varying mobile platforms. This makes it important for the user to get one that suits his or her needs perfectly. One may only know about which commercial apps are popular amongst organizations, while remaining ignorant to the numerous apps produced by niche communities. One may spend money on a program when he or she could have gotten a better one for cheaper, if not free. That said, there is a strong need for parties to consider all of their options before deciding on which software to use for what purpose.
AlternativeTo.net is a European website that aims to inform users of the various different software available. If one is in need of a PDF viewer but only knows about Adobe Reader, he/she searches for “Adobe Reader” on the site, and it lists numerous other PDF viewers from which the user can choose. The list can then be filtered by platform (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, online, etc) and license (Commercial, Free, Open Source, etc). All the software that is listed therein is ranked and rated by a community of users. If one registers for an account on AlternativeTo.net, he/she can “like” a software title by navigating to its profile page and clicking a button that says “Like This.” Registered users can also write detailed reviews of the software titles. Additionally, if a registered user knows of a title that is not listed on the site, he/she can add it. This allows others, when browsing for software alternatives, to make more educated decisions based on community feedback.
This is a wonderful tool because it increases the likelihood that a user will get a software title that best meets his/her needs, budget and principles. While different titles may have the same basic function, they may have different features, and it is important for one to get the features desired. The knowledge of alternatives also enables the user to save money; why would he/she pay money for a commercial program when there is a free alternative that works just as well?
if you are a Linux user, you should only pull software from your distribution repositories, examples show below.
I advise you to visit AlternativeTo.net and browse the inventory. Your first visit may mean valuable software savings for the rest of your computing career!
