Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
50 Incredibly Cool Things That Are Free Online That Everyone Should Take Advantage Of
Interview With Expert
Everyone likes a good deal. And deals don’t get better than free! The internet is one of the best things to happen to humankind, offering access to a wealth of knowledge that goes beyond the wildest dreams. There are a jaw-dropping 5.35 billion (with a ‘b’!) internet users around the world. But you’d be surprised how many people are not aware of the learning resources, archives, tools, and services that can be accessed by paying absolutely nothing online, with just the help of a phone or computer.
Sometimes, it takes a handful of well-intentioned strangers to open your eyes. One internet user sparked an informative thread on r/AskReddit after asking everyone to share their favorite free online things that everyone should know about. Scroll down for their tips, and make sure to take notes!
Bored Panda reached out to Matt Johnson, PhD, a marketing psychology expert specializing in topics such as consumer psychology and serendipity, for his thoughts on why some people view free things with suspicion and the future of (un)paid internet resources. You'll find our full interview with him below. Be sure not to miss it!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Audacity -A powerful audio editor, ideal for music and podcasts.
Autodesk Fusion 360 -CAD/CAM software.
Bit Warden -Open-source password management service.
Blender - Free and open source 3D creation suite.
Cake Walk - music production software
Dark Table - Open-source photography workflow application and raw developer.
Dashlane -Cross-platform subscription-based password manager and digital wallet application.
DaVinci Resolve -Color correction and non-linear video editing application.
FreeCAD -open-source general-purpose parametric 3D computer-aided design modeler.
GIMP -A powerful open source photo and image editing tool.
Godot Engine -a 2D and 3D, cross-platform, free and open-source game engine released under the MIT license.
Glitch - Build fast, full-stack web apps in your browser.
Glimpse Image Editor - A photo editor for everyone.
Greenshot -A free screenshot tool optimized for productivity.
Handbrake -the open source video transcoder
Honey -a browser extension that aggregates and automatically applies online coupons on eCommerce websites.
Hitfilm-Express -Video editing software with professional-grade VFX tools.
Inkscape - Free and open-source vector graphics editor.
KDEnLive -open-source video editing software based on the MLT Framework, KDE and Qt.
Keepass -free and open-source password manager primarily for Windows.
Krita -Free and open-source raster graphics editor designed primarily for digital painting and 2D animation.
Open Broadcaster Software(OBS) - open-source software for video recording and live streaming.
LibreOffice -Open-source office suite.
LMMS -a digital audio workstation application program.
MagicaVoxel -A free lightweight GPU-based voxel art editor and interactive path tracing renderer.
MediBang Paint Pro -FREE digital painting and comic creation software.
Musescore -Create, play and print beautiful sheet music
Ocenaudio - Easy, fast, and powerful audio editor.
Opentoonz - animation production software.
Paint.NET -a freeware raster graphics editor program for Microsoft Windows developed on the .NET Framework
Photopea -Web-based raster and vector graphics editor.
Pixlr - Feature-packed online photo editor.
QGIS -open-source cross-platform desktop geographic information system application
Radio Garden - Explore live radio by rotating the globe.
RawTherapee - free, cross-platform raw image processing program
Reaper -Digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer software
ShareX -Screen capture, file sharing and productivity tool.
Shotcut -A slick open source program for advanced video editing.
SlidesGo -Free Google Slides and PowerPoint templates.
Switch -Convert and encode sound files quickly.
The Noun Project - Icons for everything.
TurboTax Sucks A*s - website that makes it easy to file your taxes.
Unity -cross-platform game engine.
Unreal Engine - the most open and advanced real-time 3D creation tool.
Unsplash - Beautiful free images and pictures.
VLC media player -open-source portable cross-platform media player software and streaming media server
VS Code -free source-code editor.
Waveform - fully featured, completely unlimited free DAW for all music creators.
Wavepad -Audio and music editor for Windows and Mac.
Wcostream - anime and animated Tv-show/movie site with dubs and subs.
7-Zip - file archiver with a high compression ratio
Codecademy - free sessions and exercises for any coding language.
Coursera - Online courses & Certifications.( Not all courses/certifications are free, but worth it)
Cybrary - The Cybersecurity and IT Career Development Platform
FreeCodeCamp - Learn to code at home.
Goal Kicker - Free programming books in any language.
Khan Academy -a non-profit educational organization.
Learn with Google - Courses and certifications from Google.
Learn with Microsoft on Edx (Free) - Courses from Microsoft.
MDN Web Docs - Resources for developers, by developers.
MIT courses -MIT's OpenCourseware.
Octave -software featuring a high-level programming language, primarily intended for numerical computations. Basically free MatLab Alternative
R- programming language -free software environment for statistical computing and graphics
Repl.it - Code and collaborate, without friction.
W3Schools - The world's largest Web Development learning site.
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago (edited)
Whoever wrote this post is a free internet resource of free internet resources!
Ali H M Salehuddin 1 year ago
Autocad Fusion 360 is no longer free. It has been a subscription based app since 3 - 4 years ago. This post is outdated.
Skara Brae 1 year ago
A few years ago the IT department where I work did an emergency removal of 7-zip from everyone's PC due to a hacking vulnerability. It is supposed to be fixed now, but I suggest checking on the web for the reputation of free software before installing it.
Revant Sontakke 10 months ago
Wow, this list is a goldmine! It’s amazing how many top tier tools, courses, and software are available for free yet so many people don’t know about them. Audacity, Blender, and OBS are absolute game changers! Thanks for sharing this; I’m definitely bookmarking it. Which one is your favorite?
GigsList net 10 months ago
To add https://GigsList.net free contacts for entertainment, music and game funding and gigs, as well as industry tips and weird art history :)
Richard Wareham 1 year ago
Apologies! Thought I was at the end of the article when I wrote my previous comment.
Richard Wareham 1 year ago
What happened to the programme that enabled you to bupass paywalls? That was useful!
RELATED:
#2
I think we are forgetting the obvious, and it's the non-political or controversial Wikipedia pages.
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago
Wikipedia is a precious resource - we all use it, and we should all give them a little money when we can.
David 1 year ago
they have over 300 million in bank accounts, enough to run the website for decades. They keep raising money bc they have a contract with a firm that they have to pay regardless if they raise money of not, for fundraising. You are donating to pay the fees of a firm that have a long term contract with. They also get over $30 million a year from Microsoft alone, not to mention millions from other tech companies. They do not need your money, give it to your local food pantry
Load More Replies...
David 1 year ago
Wikipedia is great. People love to rip on "INACCURATE! PEOPLE CAN CHANGE IT!" but it's my go to for quick reference of a lot of things. If it is important you can use the source links to see if they are reliable sources being quoted accurately. But much of the time it is for stuff I don't care too much if it is accurate. How old is some actor now or what movies were they in. Or using it as a spring board to find out key words to use for something and googling more articles.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Has anyone tried to estimate the percentage of errors and inaccuracies on Wikipedia?
Dragons Exist 1 year ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia
Load More Replies...
kansasmagic 1 year ago
As a teacher, I often use Wikipedia for short summaries of historical events. Skip the interpretations, stick to the facts, and follow up on sources - you'll be fine.
Camilla Koutsos 1 year ago
I subscribe for $3 a month, because I never want it to die. It’s not free. It’s just paid for by the minority.
Carl Roberts 1 year ago
Wikipedia is great for non-political and non-historical content. Too much bias in both of the aforementioned topics.
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
Also, non-scientific and non-medical. I only use it for things like finding a particular episode of a tv series or getting some quick background on pop-culture references. Even their own article on whether or not they're reliable says that they aren't.
Load More Replies...
Lyone Fein 1 year ago
You are correct. This is why they are updatable by anyone, including yourself. And why you should include clickable links to your source material when you do update articles.
Load More Replies...
Orysha 1 year ago
Its biggest weakness comes from its biggest strength : everyone can post articles on it.
Michael Largey 1 year ago (edited)
And every article gets fact-checked or at least used to. I was part of a math research team, and we decided to test Wikipedia. We edited an article on an obscure math topic to imply we had had some very minor and indirect role in establishing it. Less than 15 minutes later, we got an email from Wikipedia which started out "Nice try, guys, but ..."
Load More Replies...
#3
Merlin Bird ID by the Ornithology lab at Cornell University is like Shazam for birds. Just tap the microphone button and it’ll identify the sources of the chirping you hear around you.
Leslie 1 year ago
I use this every day. So do thw 6000 Facebook group members of the bird lovers group I started.
Bored Panda was interested to find out why some people are suspicious of free things compared to paid options. Marketing psychology expert Johnson shed some light on this. He explained that this happens due to a cognitive bias that's known as 'price-quality heuristic.'
"We instinctively associate higher prices with better quality. This bias is deeply ingrained in consumer psychology because, in many cases, paying more does lead to better materials, services, or experiences. When something is free, it can trigger doubt about its value or legitimacy. People might wonder, 'If it's free, is it really worth my time?'" he explained to us in an email.
"A second factor is the fear of hidden costs. Many of us have been conditioned by experiences where 'free' comes with strings attached, such as hidden fees, low-quality goods, or invasive advertising. Think of a free app that bombards you with ads or sells your data in exchange for the service. Finally, paying for something can give people a sense of control and confidence. By investing money, they feel they've selected a vetted, higher-quality option," Johnson said.
#4
Project Gutenberg- Free ebooks.
nm (he/him) 1 year ago
I didn't know that. Have you any idea why it was blocked?
Load More Replies...
Marie Clear 1 year ago
Anyone want to weigh in on the irony of this having previously been blocked in Germany? I'll wait. . .
Geoffrey Scott 1 year ago
I use Libbey, free library app(Kindle). Don't need to own them, just read them.
Charlotte Sandoval 1 year ago
I love Libby, but it can be limited to the selection of whatever library you have a card for. It's nice to have Gutenburg for anything Libby might be missing
Load More Replies... #5
The Internet Archive should be regarded as one of the 7 wonders of the information age.
glowworm2 1 year ago
Sadly, this is also the site with the lawsuit on its hands from big name book publishers. So far, it lost the lawsuit and more than 500,000 books in the Internet Archive's collection are no longer available for borrowing. It also recently lost it's appeal to get those books restored.
Marie Lane 1 year ago
Please, please donate if you are able. They are also currently trying to preserve the internet and their wayback machine is a fabulous rabbit hole of now all but vanished websites and pages!
#6
Khan academy! Bless the guy who made it, what a champion.
"For instance, compare a free online course with a paid one from a reputable institution. Even if the free course offers similar content, the paid option feels more trustworthy because it signals investment and value. Thus, people often equate cost with quality, safety, and legitimacy."
Meanwhile, we were curious to get the marketing psychology expert's opinion about what the future of the internet might look like. Namely, whether he sees any currently paid resources becoming free, and vice versa. He noted that both of these scenarios can occur with different services.
"As technology evolves, we may see some paid internet resources and tools become completely free, particularly those driven by economies of scale and open-source development. For example, basic productivity tools—such as document editing, cloud storage, or even video conferencing—might increasingly be offered for free as companies find other ways to monetize, such as through premium features or integrated advertising. Open-source software, like Linux or GIMP, is a model we could see replicated for various paid tools as communities continue to develop robust, free alternatives," Johnson said.
#7
Archive.ph/
It unlocks pay wall articles if you attach it to the beginning of the link.
Carbonel 1 year ago
My concern about this is who it’s affecting. Journalism should be paid for.
SPQRBob 1 year ago (edited)
And as soon as they make a monthly subscription service which allows users to view any/most/a reasonable selection of U.S. media sources and then shares the revenue from the subscriptions to the participating media outlets in proportion to the number of user 'hits' their site(s) received, I'll happily sign up. But what I am not going to do is separately subscribe to The NY Times, WaPo, WSJ, South Podunk Beacon Examiner Times, et al. simply to follow a link to a single article, ad infinitum.
Load More Replies...
Laura Gillette 1 year ago
Why can't they have an option where we can just like... pay a dollar for a specific article.
#8
I built [qrfa.st](https://qrfa.st) which offers free qr codes.
I built it because I heard horror stories about people making qr codes, only to find out later they had a "trial" and now were being forced to pay $30/month to have their codes work.
I am a serial entrepreneur and have the skills so I just got to work building it.
Users get 10 free dynamic codes that they can update even after printing them, and unlimited static codes(which cannot be updated becuase they have fixed data embedded in the code).
Robert T 1 year ago
Ok, let's get one thing straight. QR codes are static. Full stop. Once printed, they cannot be changed. A dynamic QR code is just a static web link that redirects to another and the redirect can be changed at will. They are not nice as like URL shortening services, you can't see where they point before clicking on them. Far better that you do the redirection on your own website so that people can see where the QR code leads. There are plenty of static QR code generators.
M G----no 1 year ago
it's so easy to make free ones. With Chrome, right click on a page and click on Create QR Code for this page. Bam. Why is that so hard?
SirWriteALot 1 year ago
People usually run into problems when they put info directly into the qr code ... like a website URL. What if the URL changes. Nothing can be done about that. By using "dynamic QR-Codes" you basically link to a redirection service. You can use bit.ly for that as well.
Load More Replies... happybabyelephants 1 year ago
This is exactly what I've been looking for...genuinely useful BP link!
#9
Ilovepdf and smallpdf.
Seriously. These two have literally saved my skin _soo many_ times. It takes less than a minute to merge pdf files, compress them, split them, convert to and fro to different formats and much more.
Truly amazing websites.
Vix Spiderthrust 1 year ago (edited)
Yeah these are the business. I've lost count of the times some cretin has sent me an uneditable pdf expecting me to fill it in and return it. Ilovepdf's magic decretinisor enables me to convert it to word, fill it in, convert back to pdf and return it while maintaining the original visual format.
"On the other hand, we may see previously free services moving behind paywalls as consumer expectations shift. Social media platforms or free content websites could begin charging for ad-free experiences or exclusive content. We already see this with platforms like YouTube, which offers a premium service for those wanting to avoid ads or access special features," he said.
The news isn't immune to this either. "News outlets are another example—many previously free sites now offer paid subscriptions as they move away from ad-supported models. As digital advertising becomes less effective and users demand better, more tailored experiences, companies will likely push more essential features or content into the paid category. This shift reflects a broader trend of consumers paying for control and quality in their online experiences."
You can find more of Johnson's expert insights on his branding and human nature blogs. Meanwhile, you can watch his TEDx talk about serendipity in the age of advanced AI on YouTube.
#10
Some museums websites have online walkthroughs so you can simulate seeing at least part of the collection without going there or paying an entry fee.
Mari 1 year ago
It's interesting to do before you go to the museum. You can see the collection, zoom in, search more info about it... So you can enjoy even more your visit: you already know something about it, you know wich details to look at, etc The Prado Museum in Madrid is on FB and they release each week a video in English about an artist or painting and even more videos in Spanish. Very nice!
zovjraar me 1 year ago
I love taking virtual tours of museums. i've explored the Mutter Museum, several art galleries, and one in Mexico... i can't remember the name of it, but it has a lot of mummies.
#11
I guess not for everyone, but for anyone interested in orchestral music & composition:
[IMSLP](https://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page) - International Music Score Library Project
You can find most public domain orchestral compositions (full scores, individual parts, & recordings), with a wide range of search options (composers, time periods, instrumentation, etc.)
Kinda niche, but this was such a crucial tool for my undergrad.
Nimues Child 1 year ago
This brings back memories of browsing the stacks at Briggs & Briggs in Harvard Square to find sheet music...for music students, this sounds like a wonderful resource.
#12
Justin Guitar. If you want to try learning guitar, his lessons are really great and easy to follow, and they're free. Some of the extra stuff costs money, but you don't need any of it to learn.
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago (edited)
This guy is awesome, and he's such an enthusiastic dude. If you've ever even just thought about playing the guitar, check him out!
Why pay for something if you can legally (!) get the same quality of information and services entirely for free? It’s economical. It’s logical. It’s rational. And it’s what’s going to help you budget better and save costs when money gets tight.
For instance, there’s no doubt that education is important. Vital, even. And a good degree from a quality university is well worth the effort. However, if money is tight and you don’t want to go into debt, you have countless alternatives. For one, there are lots of completely free formal college courses you can do from any corner of the world that has internet access.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of tutorials, guides, and how-to’s on YouTube and Google if you want to learn a specific skill or even just brush up on a topic you care about. Libraries chock full of books are also still a thing! All the information you could ever want is there for the taking. The biggest challenge is putting consistent time, effort, and energy into your studies. No money in the world will buy you discipline, willpower, or passion.
#13
[internet archive ](https://archive.org/)
Libby is also a fantastic resource for borrowing digital books from your local library.
Some have mentioned language learning in this thread too and I want to add that Character AI does a decent job with learning through writing. You can listen to the voice speak it with you. You can ask AI any questions you have about anything pertaining to the language to fill in your knowledge gaps.
Megan Curl 1 year ago (edited)
Some libraries in the U.S. also offer Kanopy which has a vast archive of free movies, shows, courses, etc. You only get a certain number per month, but it’s free. Often, older movies that cost on Prime, are free on Kanopy, but they never show up on reelgood or justwatch, you have to search Kanopy.
#14
Definitely Librivox. They host copyright free books which volunteers read out and record.
Most of the time, it's not exactly the same level as an audible production, but free is free and they have alot on there.
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago
I love Librivox. It can be a bit laborious to search their database, but it's worth it. And if you find a reader you like, you can search for all the books they've read.
#15
Temp mail for one, you can make unlimited, free, completely disposable emails just at the click of a button.
Robert T 1 year ago
Perfect tool for spammers! I prefer the Gmail feature of being able to add an extra part to your username that is ignored, but is visible in the email. You can then have a unique email address for any services you sign up to and you will know if it is ever shared or compromised.
Jess Smith 1 year ago
and that is how I learned that Bored Panda generates the link to your user bio based on your email, said the user who Bored Panda logs as 'donab79842' (ie if you click the link to my profile the URL will have 'donab79842' in it)
Generally speaking, people will gladly pay for things they care about, but they also want to save money. For example, if you’re a book lover, you’ll be happy to buy paperbacks and hardcovers and fill up your cozy, little library nook at home. However, if you happen to be a student, college textbooks can be incredibly expensive. Some would argue they’re unfairly overpriced and put students—who usually don’t have much spare cash lying around—in an awkward position. You kind of need them for one semester, but the hefty price tag hurts to look at.
Even the biggest book lover in the world might stop and think about where their money is best spent. They might consider downloading the textbooks they need for such a brief period of time. And though piracy is illegal, there’s the argument to be made that access to knowledge should be easy, free, and universal. (Imagine someone punishing you for reading too much and too widely! ‘1984’ much?)
But even if you don’t download anything, you can still find plenty of guides, summaries, and notes on any topic you’re going to study online. Alternatively, you can always buy pre-loved (i.e. secondhand) textbooks at fairs or get notes from friendly students who took the same classes before.
#16
DaVinci Resolve
Best video editing software that you can get for free
EDIT: capcut is also quite awesome if you are a complete noob and just want some stuff for your socials. Great presets.
WubiDubi 1 year ago
Just remember Capcut is by ByteDance so there are some small privacy concerns and you lose control of your content. AI training likely.
Sven Horlemann 1 year ago
Yep, I agree. Had to move from Adobe for their money grabbing scheme, and DaVinci saved the day.
Ephemera Image 1 year ago
DaVinci is excellent, Full professional editing capabilities with no fees.
#17
[Radio Garden](http://radio.garden) is a global map of active radio stations. You can rotate the globe anywhere and listen in. Want to know what's on the radio in Morocco right now? You can find out here.
[Radiooooo](https://radiooooo.com/) is a similar website. It's a world map that allows you to both click on individual countries and also go back to different decades to see what was popular there at the time.
_-DungeonKeeper-_ 1 year ago (edited)
Oh I know radio garden it's interesting. I have yet to find somewhere that plays my kind of music on the radio.
Immortal Emperor Paradox 1 year ago
Radio Garden is awesome but it felt way too laggy on my PC. Other than that it's very cool. I tried listening to various radio stations, one from Sangli, India, other from Shenzhen, China, and one from Tokyo. I understood nothing but it was fun listening to it. Needless to say I'm going to use it more.
Lee Henderson 1 year ago
Radio Garden is great but the android app is much better than the website
Norm Gilmore 1 year ago
This one is fun. Have just spent a couple of hours jumping around the world and listening in.
#18
If you Google “dog with a hat on” you will be astounded at how many different dogs and different hats you’ll find.
Study.com explains that the primary motivation behind sky-high college textbooks is, of course, profit for the publishers. There’s a lack of competition in this area of publishing, so some companies feel like they can get away with charging more and more for new editions. A lack of competition does, however, hurt the consumer. In this case—the students (and their parents who sometimes finance them).
“In many cases, professors are often unaware of (or indifferent to) the cost of the books they assign. Rather than choosing the most cost-effective books, they simply choose the ones they prefer to use when teaching. In other cases, you might take a course taught by a professor who assigns his or her own book as reading material, either out of vanity or a desire to bump up personal sales,” Study.com warns.
Decent, empathetic professors will provide you with all the study resources you need free of charge. They understand that it’s impractical to spend so much of your hard-earned cash on books when all of that information can be so easily shared and reshared digitally. And if you do genuinely care about the author, you’ll find a way to buy their books or support them in other ways in the future!
#19
I try and post this every time it comes up, but if you're in the USA and you earn less than a certain amount of money -- currently $79,000 -- you can use the same software you might otherwise do to file your federal taxes [for free](https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free).
The system is called [Free File](https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free), and companies that sell you tax software [are trying very hard to make it difficult to find](https://www.propublica.org/article/turbotax-deliberately-hides-its-free-file-page-from-search-engines). Thankfully, it seems to be coming a lot better known, to the extent that the US [is inviting all states to use a similar system in 2025](https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2385).
panther 1 year ago
What a surprise. Intuit has elected not to renew its participation in the IRS Free File Program and will no longer be offering IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax
Me. Just Me. 1 year ago
Not sure if it's still on FreeFile, but I've been using H&R Block for many years. Post the access to the free version because I get paid for one of my jobs via 1099. In the age of side hustles and free lancing, I'm sure this is now a common problem and an easy way to filter out a lot of customers and force them to pay. Personally, I think it's all just another scam because you have to file your taxes and the tax laws and forms are deliberately complex and confusing to the Nth degree.
Panda Pandemic 1 year ago
I highly recommend filing through cash app. It's totally free and you get every dime of your money back.
Erik Biesemeier 1 year ago
It's not as user friendly but the IRS also has freefillableforms.com which let you fill out and submit tax forms for free, and for most people it's not that hard to do your own taxes.
Phoenix 1 year ago
This is not yet available in every state. Only 12 states were part of the 2024 pilot. Also, there are some restrictions that might make you ineligible; for example, itemizing your deductions, certain income sources, certain tax credits, etc. So, I feel like this post is a bit misleading.
#20
Many libraries allow you to borrow eBooks and audiobooks digitally using apps such as Libby. It's a free and simple way to read or listen to books.
zovjraar me 1 year ago
what's strange to me- and maybe this has changed- is that there's a waiting list for digital books. i tried looking for books back in 2010 or so and all the ones i wanted to read were on a waiting a list.
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
Kanopy and Hoopla at my library. I'm listening to a book right now.
Jess Smith 1 year ago
HOWEVER...Libby...uh...is not nice to libraries. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh recently scaled back on Libby and Hoopla limits and explained it quite well, but also made an infographic of how much it costs. Mind you, they don't even own the ebook, they just rent it. Image is from https://www.carnegielibrary.org/libby-hoopla-september2024 library-bo...3d-png.jpg 
Jess Smith 1 year ago
if you're curious as I am it's nothing nefarious I just couldn't get the image to work right
Load More Replies... #21
Millions of books and academic articles. An open database of almost all human knowledge.
https://annas-archive.org
https://libgen.rs or https://gen.lib.rus.ec
/r/scholar for article requests which aren't yet archived.
Use a VPN, use with caution and respect local copyright law. Don't reupload these contents to other sites, or it could cause issues and violate T&Cs.
What are the best free online resources and tools that you personally know and use, dear Pandas? Which of the things mentioned in this list do you think you’d find the most useful?
What paid things do you hope will become completely free in the very near future? We genuinely can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Do you have a spare moment? Let us know what you think in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
#22
Https://asoftmurmur.com
I use it every day to fall asleep.
#23
Linux.
With Windows going apeshit a lot of us are evacuating, but i never expected it to feel like such a big upgrade.
Sure, it's a though transition for a couple days, having to google how to install video codecs on Fedora, and how to auto mount harddrives on boot. But then you see how helpful the community is, and you keep running into all these clever solutions that they've implemented on problems you always assumed you'll have to live with.
We've seen Facebook and Amazon succesfully monopolize and now live in the awkward aftermath with no cheap stores and awkward social structures. But Microsofts "Embrace, extend , extinguish" has not yet won, and this is a piece of paradise we can all keep alive together.
Ephemera Image 1 year ago
This. I use LibreOffice, etc, and I donate yearly to them.
Load More Replies... Guess Undheit 1 year ago
Windoze is now requiring internet access and a microshart account to install it. That ignorantly assumes (a) you HAVE internet access and (b) that being offline only is a "security risk". WTF? Forced internet access and data theft by MS ***IS*** the security risk. Linux doesn't pull that c**p because multiple distros exist - if one tried it, they'd lose all their users.
Mike F 1 year ago
I'm still learning, but I installed Mint on an old desktop and an old laptop to learn the ins and outs of the OS and I really enjoy the experience. The laptop is ~15 years old but it purrs running Mint. All of my peripherals were recognized and enabled without having to search for relevant drivers. It's light and it's fast and I REFUSE to be told that I need to buy a new computer when the old one is perfectly fine. I'm not a gamer but I understand that there's Linux "flavors" specifically for gamers. In short, Linux is a great OS and helps us tell MS to cram it!
WubiDubi 1 year ago
Windows 10 and 11 have restarted in background (so you miss warnings) during fullscreen gaming and video calls, wake my laptops losing hibernated open program data, and once wouldn't let me use it for 2 hours in morning. Close MUcore,windows installers and windows update in services a few times so you can work and put off the updates until later. Or dual boot Linux.
nottheactualphoto 1 year ago
I went from MacOS to FreeBSD about 25 years ago, and have been supporting the project financially. It's my daily driver. I have never owned a Windows machine.
#24
Coursera free courses, khan academy, scishow, CS50 course.
There is alot.
#25
[Abandonware games.](https://www.myabandonware.com)
There is an entire library of absolute gem games you have never played that are not available on online platforms, completely for free. Some of them are not downloadable, but will link you to places where you can buy them, so no piracy is present here.
EDIT: You absolutely have to give a try to **SAW** and **You Are Empty**. **SAW** is a spinoff game that takes place after SAW 1's ending in an alternative universe where detective Tapp had survived. The controls are weird and the gameplay loop is repetitive, but I think that it's still really cool. **You Are Empty** is practically Half-Life clone, and might be too long for some gamers, but it is absolutely fun and really dynamic, as you never stay too long in one place.
#26
Sunny Classroom if you want to learn computer networking. Super bright professor who has some underappreciated tricks for things like memorizing subnets.
Humor is a bit dry but if you want an Asian guy who out of the blue hits you with things like "Thank you for being patient with my strong... CHINGLISH" you'll love him.
Definitely recommend!
#27
If you’re in the US, your state’s “unclaimed property” website.
https://unclaimed.org/
Companies often owe people money but they either have bad address information (or they just get lazy) so instead of sending you a check, they turn it over to the state. You can look up your name, family members’ names, or company name and see if the state is holding cash in your name.
I’ve never found money for me but I *have* found a hundred or so for my parents, 4 figures worth for my in-laws, and *five figures* worth for the company I was working for at the time.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
I took a break from reading this page and went to the site. I found one in a state I used to live in. It doesn't say the amount. I will find out when the check arrives.
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
I just found one for myself! Doesn't say how much it is but, hey, free money!
Traveling Lady Railfan 1 year ago (edited)
Huh, a few Canadian provinces on the list too? Unexpected
Curry on... 1 year ago
I found one over a year ago. It was a decent amount too. I just went back because of this post and found $10 more dollars.
Arlene Harris 1 year ago (edited)
holy cow, found one for a state I lived in 20 years ago. Hope it's still good :-D eta: check every state you've ever lived in.
Zephyr343 1 year ago
Found some for myself but you need to put in a copy of your driver license and social security card
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
Apparently each state has it own requirements for making a claim. I didn't need to do that.
Load More Replies...
#28
There are free harvard courses you can attend.
Zaach 1 year ago
Someone in my friend group slept with am Harvard mguy in his dorm froom - now says she went to Harvard
Load More Replies... Jess Smith 1 year ago
I think my mom was never rejected from Yale. Possibly Harvard. They misspelled her name on the letter.
#29
(For U.S. residents) Informed Delivery at usps.com. Emails you daily images of the mailpieces you should be receiving along with tracking numbers for any packages.
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
Poste Restante Mail (aka General Delivery). Moving to a new place, or living overseas for a few weeks or months but need to receive mail? Post offices in all countries will let to receive mail Post Restante, addressed to you and received at that post office. You don't need to rent a post office, there's no charge. Just ask the PO for the address and show your passport or other government ID to pick it up. You can't do it long term, but that's not what it's most useful for.
DeoManus Argentem 1 year ago
I love using this because it lets me know when I should check my mailbox since 99% of what I get is junk mail.
#30
Duolingo isn't perfect and won't make you fluent in a language without outside practice and study too but It's a great start and encourages you to keep up with vocabulary every day.
Jane Jayne Jain Jeign Jein 1 year ago
I still use this and it is an amazing free resource, but it used to be so much better when you had the discussion pages to talk through any problems you had understanding any question. The people who volunteered their time to build up the information on those pages must have been pissed when it all just got ripped out of Duo. It was like the community was destroyed. Now you've got to earn points, and you lose lives when you make a mistake, so it's like they're rationing how much you can use it. It truly sucks compared to what it was.
Awkward lady 1 year ago
Totally agree! I wanted to learn, not play it like a stupid game!
Load More Replies... 
Kelly H. Wilder 1 year ago
My favorite language app right now is Lingo Legend. It is a farming and rpg blend that makes learning so much fun...and the naalas on the farm are so darn cute! 🦙 I am using it in conjunction with Duolingo and I can definitely tell it makes a difference for me.
Marie Lane 1 year ago
I used both Duolingo and Memrise to learn Dutch (and took two eight week intro courses that my company offered. With daily practice, living in a Dutch neighbourhood in the Netherlands and some self study, within 4 years took the official Dutch language tests and earned a CEFR B2 diploma (eligible for working or university study in Dutch). It takes dedication, but is entirely possible.
#31
For university students: Zotero is a great, no-b******t reference manager. Also, SciHub for accessing paywalled journal articles.
Jess Smith 1 year ago
SciHub is illegal fyi. Not saying I haven't used it or stuff like it but just thought you should be aware
#32
The Organic Chemistry Tutor on YouTube… has amazing videos on almost any math/science videos. There are probably so many degrees that can be thanked to him lol.
Umar Hashim Bakura 1 year ago
I absolutely agree! This guy's teaching methods are simply extraordinary. You'll understand his explanations no matter how dumb you think you are. I really suggest that you check him out.
#33
Free online courses like Websites such as Coursera, edX, and Khan Academy provide a wealth of knowledge for free. It's an excellent approach to acquiring new talents without spending any money.
#34
Free Microsoft office replacements. Screw 365 subscriptions.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago (edited)
Wow, thanks so much for not telling us the names of the free Microsoft Office replacements. 🤔
Vix Spiderthrust 1 year ago (edited)
I use LibreOffice, it's MS Office with the serial numbers filed off. If you can work MS you can work Libre
Load More Replies... Ephemera Image 1 year ago
LibreOffice does everything Microsoft does. Free, but please donate if you can.
#35
Library Genesis.
PDF drive online
Youtube.
keyboardtek 1 year ago
Library Genesis has many books by old obscure authors that I cannot even get through my library system.
#36
Removepaywall. It really helps when you want to read an article from an online publication, but don't want to subscribe to it at all or already reached a limit of free articles.
Serena Myers 1 year ago
Had a look at this and my browser(s) wouldn't allow it, has a trojan attached.
#37
For me, one of the best free things online is educational content from platforms like Khan Academy, Coursera, and edX. You can learn almost anything for free, from coding to art history, at your own pace. Also, check out free audiobooks and eBooks from Project Gutenberg and LibriVox. If you’re into fitness, there are tons of high-quality workout routines on YouTube, like Yoga with Adriene or Fitness Blender. And don’t forget about the endless amount of free entertainment on platforms like Spotify, where you can find podcasts on virtually any topic.
Awkward lady 1 year ago
Spotify only allows a small amount of free content before you have to start paying for it.
#38
Education via YouTube. Seriously, I got into music production to complement my songwriting/guitar playing and it is ridiculous how many top-tier producers are just putting stuff out there.
It's a huge teaching tool. I used it to learn saxophone (slowing down songs to transcribe), how to code in Python and SQL, what to lookout for on a car I'm interested in buying, air crash incidents (as explained by an actual commercial pilot).
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
Check out the "Dad, How Do I...?" Youtube channel. Created by Rob Kenney, whose father left when he was 12, he posts tutorials on basic life skills he never learned growing up. He may be one of the purest people on the internet. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNepEAWZH0TBu7dkxIbluDw/videos
#39
Free cartoons from the late 80s - 90s uploaded on YouTube. Examples - Street Sharks, Mighty Max, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers: Beast Wars... The list of cartoons available for you or your children is huge. YouTube isn't just for Minecraft videos. It has an amazing selection of Saturday Morning Cartoons.
Mariotevez 1 year ago
Absolute masterpiece it was! Right up there with G-Force, knights of the zodiac and Mazzinger Z!
Load More Replies...
#40
UBlock Origin and VLC.
Carl Roberts 1 year ago
Chrome is removing Ublock Origin, because Google sucks, and they don't like that fact that Ublock is the only adblocker that still works with Youtube. That's why I don't use Chrome anymore.
James016 1 year ago
I use Brave browser to watch YouTube as it blocks ads without the need for extensions.
Load More Replies... Jess Smith 1 year ago
UBlock Origin is being removed from Chrome but UBO Lite still works. It's not as good but it works.
#41
Epic Games weekly free games - it's just nice to try out some games you normally wouldn't try, and you discover cool games this way.
Mike Loux 1 year ago
Yup. That, and the gamespot email reminders in case I forget it's Thursday (which, working from home, happens to me a lot). Now in addition to all the s**t in my Steam library that I bought for steep discounts during their various sales, I now have a bunch of free s**t in my Epic games library as well. Will likely never play most of them, but at least they're mine to ignore as I please.
#42
Https://www.desmos.com/calculator
I was never that good with graphing calculators, also they're expensive.
Justin Tyme 1 year ago
I often use desmos scientific calculator (https://www.desmos.com/scientific) even though I have a scientific calculator. I like being able to make a list of calculations. It is very helpful for situations such as when making a financial decision or designing a building project. Every time you press your computer's return key or enter key, the calculator makes another calculation line.
#43
A basic “get started” class with Microsoft excel. Such a useful tool that most people don’t know how to properly use.
#44
Bandcamp
You can listen to music for free. Support your favourite artists.
#45
Not sure if it's been posted, but [Flashpoint Archive](https://flashpointarchive.org) includes thousands of archived flash games from your childhood (if, like me, you grew up in the early 2000s).
#46
/askreddit is a pretty cool place, ran into some smart, some funny and some weird people over here.
David 1 year ago
Reddit is a lot of everything. you don't have to dwell in the cesspool portions. I've gotten a lot of game tips / bug workarounds from reddit where the threads were just straight up helpful without any BS
Load More Replies...
#47
Remove.bg
It has a very simple interface for removing the background of pictures. It does a pretty decent job of identifying the background. It also includes a magic brush so you can restore parts of the background or the picture, or erase just specific parts of the picture. It also has a canva integration so you can edit your picture appropriately and then dump it right into a Canva project.
All the AI tools I have tried, it was not the one I would have picked for one I would use everyday. Amateur photographer and children's book author (also a surprise by the way) here. I literally use this website a few times a week on average and daily sometimes when projects are being put together and finalized.
#48
Kaggle. It's a site with great free data analytics lessons and data sets. It is a great skillset to have.
#49
Ffmpeg
It's a free command-line tool that can cut/merge/re-encode mp3/mp4/any other video/audio format you can think of. Instead of finding some random website to convert .mp3 to .wav, spending an hour uploading a huge a*s file, you can cut out the middle man and just use what they use under the hood on your local machine. Requires a bit of technical knowledge but you can normally google "how to _ ffmpeg" and you'll find a command you can copy paste.
Robert T 1 year ago
I use this EVERY DAY! Well indirectly. My Squeezebox server uses it to transform Apple lossless audio files into a format playable by my Squeezebox Players. I'm listening to it right now. And yes, you can just run it and save the results. I did this to make an mp3 CD to play in my gf's car, as it won't read anything other than mp3.
#51
Free courses and software tools. Example of that is Google Drive and other Google Services.
#52
Learning a new language.
What do you think ?
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
As I posted above: Check out the "Dad, How Do I...?" Youtube channel. Created by Rob Kenney, whose father left when he was 12, he posts tutorials on basic life skills he never learned growing up. He may be one of the purest people on the internet. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNepEAWZH0TBu7dkxIbluDw/videos
Justin Tyme 1 year ago (edited)
BBC micro:bit (https://microbit.org/) A good introduction to computer coding. Has a lot of lessons and a fun and easy-to-use interface. The website was designed to be used by children in classrooms. But it is also good for adults with no previous coding experience. You can do a lot for free on the website. They also sell a very low-cost (about $20) computer that can be used for learning input and output. It can also be used with an adapter to extend the capabilities or make other devices. Some schools use the micro:bit computer as an introduction to robotics.
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
Tiny USB Office, formerly Floppy Office. An entire office of free software that fits on one 16GB stick. (FO fit on one 1.44MB floppy.) WP, spreadsheet, email, web server, PDF reader and maker, among many others. [ https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/tiny_usb_office.html ] ............... Text Tools, free text manipulation functions. [ https://texttools.org/ ] ............... Online Calculator and Calculator.net, both have multiple calculators for conversions, speed, time, date, etc. [ https://www.online-calculator.com/simple-calculator/ ] [ https://www.calculator.net/ ] ............... Time and Date. Customize and print personal calendars as PDFs, plus others like calculating time between dates. [ https://www.timeanddate.com/ ] ............... Incompetech, by Kevin McLeod. Free music, free customizable printable paper. [ https://incompetech.com/ ]
coleman orantez 1 year ago
GET YOUR MAGIC ATM CARD FROM CROWN TECHNOLOGY TODAY We have specially programmed ATM card service, this ATM cards can be used to withdraw cash at the ATM or swipe, stores and outlets. the cards has a daily withdrawal limit of $5000 in ATM and up to $100,000 spending limit in it stores. We also have credit cards for online shopping, we give the credit cards details to our interested clients worldwide including the credit card cvv.if you are in need of any other crown tecnology we are here for you at any time any day. Contact us via email crown_technology@yahoo.com
Vix Spiderthrust 1 year ago
I see from the 1984 reference in the text that Jonas hasn't read 1984.
Pencil McGovern 1 year ago
As I posted above: Check out the "Dad, How Do I...?" Youtube channel. Created by Rob Kenney, whose father left when he was 12, he posts tutorials on basic life skills he never learned growing up. He may be one of the purest people on the internet. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNepEAWZH0TBu7dkxIbluDw/videos
Justin Tyme 1 year ago (edited)
BBC micro:bit (https://microbit.org/) A good introduction to computer coding. Has a lot of lessons and a fun and easy-to-use interface. The website was designed to be used by children in classrooms. But it is also good for adults with no previous coding experience. You can do a lot for free on the website. They also sell a very low-cost (about $20) computer that can be used for learning input and output. It can also be used with an adapter to extend the capabilities or make other devices. Some schools use the micro:bit computer as an introduction to robotics.
Guess Undheit 1 year ago
Tiny USB Office, formerly Floppy Office. An entire office of free software that fits on one 16GB stick. (FO fit on one 1.44MB floppy.) WP, spreadsheet, email, web server, PDF reader and maker, among many others. [ https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/tiny_usb_office.html ] ............... Text Tools, free text manipulation functions. [ https://texttools.org/ ] ............... Online Calculator and Calculator.net, both have multiple calculators for conversions, speed, time, date, etc. [ https://www.online-calculator.com/simple-calculator/ ] [ https://www.calculator.net/ ] ............... Time and Date. Customize and print personal calendars as PDFs, plus others like calculating time between dates. [ https://www.timeanddate.com/ ] ............... Incompetech, by Kevin McLeod. Free music, free customizable printable paper. [ https://incompetech.com/ ]
coleman orantez 1 year ago
GET YOUR MAGIC ATM CARD FROM CROWN TECHNOLOGY TODAY We have specially programmed ATM card service, this ATM cards can be used to withdraw cash at the ATM or swipe, stores and outlets. the cards has a daily withdrawal limit of $5000 in ATM and up to $100,000 spending limit in it stores. We also have credit cards for online shopping, we give the credit cards details to our interested clients worldwide including the credit card cvv.if you are in need of any other crown tecnology we are here for you at any time any day. Contact us via email crown_technology@yahoo.com
Vix Spiderthrust 1 year ago
I see from the 1984 reference in the text that Jonas hasn't read 1984.
Related on Bored Panda
