66 votes

FOSS Alternatives

I got into FOSS recently and have been researching replacements for common proprietary software. Along with reddit (r/privacytoolsio) I have used alternativeto.net & privacytools.io. I would love to make a list on Tildes for anyone that is also interested in this stuff.

Telegram -> Signal: signal.org
Discord -> Riot: riot.im (surprised this isn't as popular)
Google -> FindX: findx.com (there are many others but this is my favorite)
.................searX: searx.me
Reddit -> Tildes: tildes.net (obviously)
Chrome -> Firefox: mozilla.org (there are many others but this is my favorite)
LastPass -> Bitwarden: bitwarden.com (my personal favorite but there are others)
Photoshop -> GIMP: gimp.org
FireAlpaca -> Krita: krita.org
Microsoft Office -> LibreOffice: libreoffice.org
Windows Media Player -> VLC: videolan.org (Best FOSS ever)
uTorrent -> qBittorrent: qbittorrent.org
...................Deluge: deluge-torrent.org
Adobe Illustrator -> Inkscape: inkscape.org
Adobe Premiere Pro -> Blender: blender.org (mainly 3d stuff but can be used as animation)
Windows -> Linux: ubuntu.com (ubuntu is just one distro, there are so many)
Adobe Audition -> Audacity: audacityteam.org
..............................Ardour: ardour.org
Github -> Gitlab: gitlab.com
Trello -> Taiga: taiga.io
Fraps -> OBS: obsproject.com
Gmail -> ProtonMail: protonmail.com
Youtube Client -> NewPipe: newpipe.schabi.org
Outlook -> Thunderbird: thunderbird.net
Adblock+ -> uBlock Origin: (you can get it in your browser's addon store)
Unity -> Godot Engine: godotengine.org
USD -> Bitcoin: bitcoin.org (I would suggest an altcoin like Stellar though)
... anything else? any programs you don't know a FOSS alternative to that I can find?

64 comments

  1. [3]
    sqew
    Link
    All things 3D creation -> Blender

    All things 3D creation -> Blender

    23 votes
    1. [2]
      tilde
      Link Parent
      Blender is the software that does it all really. Incredibly powerful, one of my favourite FOSS projects

      Blender is the software that does it all really. Incredibly powerful, one of my favourite FOSS projects

      3 votes
      1. sqew
        Link Parent
        I've played with it a bit over the years, and I've been meaning to learn it properly. Definitely a great project with an extraordinary range of capabilities.

        I've played with it a bit over the years, and I've been meaning to learn it properly. Definitely a great project with an extraordinary range of capabilities.

        2 votes
  2. [7]
    geosmin
    Link
    On Android I'd definitely recommend NewPipe for YouTube. Lightweight, no ads, gesture controls, background play, picture in picture, video downloading, livestream support, etc.

    On Android I'd definitely recommend NewPipe for YouTube. Lightweight, no ads, gesture controls, background play, picture in picture, video downloading, livestream support, etc.

    18 votes
    1. KehrBehr
      Link Parent
      NewPipe is an amazing piece of software. Another great thing it does that can relate to the whole "FOSS movement", is the ability to cast to Kodi. For someone who is trying to remove Google from...

      NewPipe is an amazing piece of software. Another great thing it does that can relate to the whole "FOSS movement", is the ability to cast to Kodi. For someone who is trying to remove Google from their life, Kodi + NewPipe is a great replacement for Chromecast + YouTube. (e.g. Raspberrypi running Kodi hooked up to a TV via HDMI)

      4 votes
    2. [2]
      Zlyme
      Link Parent
      What would NewPipe be replacing? I thought it was just a client for youtube.

      What would NewPipe be replacing? I thought it was just a client for youtube.

      2 votes
      1. starchturrets
        Link Parent
        Presumably the official Youtube app, like how RedReader replaces the official app.

        Presumably the official Youtube app, like how RedReader replaces the official app.

        7 votes
    3. [3]
      vinod_bansal
      Link Parent
      Does NewPipe allow you to login to your Google account to access your subscriptions? I currently use YouTube Vanced but would switch to NewPipe if this isn't a limitation.

      Does NewPipe allow you to login to your Google account to access your subscriptions? I currently use YouTube Vanced but would switch to NewPipe if this isn't a limitation.

      1 vote
      1. what
        Link Parent
        You can't login, but there are local subscriptions built into the app. You can import and export subscriptions as well.

        You can't login, but there are local subscriptions built into the app. You can import and export subscriptions as well.

        2 votes
      2. teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        If it's possible I haven't found a way to do it. But I use MicroG so maybe it depends on gapps to hook into your Google account.

        If it's possible I haven't found a way to do it. But I use MicroG so maybe it depends on gapps to hook into your Google account.

        1 vote
  3. [3]
    Mumberthrax
    Link
    Android: I use LineageOS on my android tablet as an alternative operating system. F-Droid instead of Google Play Store (or Yalp Store if I must get something that is only on the play store). K-9...

    Android:

    I use LineageOS on my android tablet as an alternative operating system.

    F-Droid instead of Google Play Store (or Yalp Store if I must get something that is only on the play store).

    K-9 Mail

    Lightning for web browsing

    Windows (i have games that do not run on linux):

    I prefer Pale Moon for web browsing since Mozilla has made some design/privacy decisions i can't stand as well as being politically weird lately.

    QuiteRSS for RSS news aggregator.

    HexChat for IRC.

    Deluge for bittorrent.

    KeePassX for password management

    ZeroBrane Studio for Lua programming.

    14 votes
    1. [2]
      whyarentihigh
      Link Parent
      I'd suggest moving to KeepassXC, as it is actively maintained. It looks as though KeePassX hasn't had a release in 2 years

      KeePassX for password management

      I'd suggest moving to KeepassXC, as it is actively maintained. It looks as though KeePassX hasn't had a release in 2 years

      10 votes
      1. Mumberthrax
        Link Parent
        Thanks! Didn't know about that one. :)

        Thanks! Didn't know about that one. :)

  4. [2]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. acr
      Link Parent
      Inkscape is such a good project. It is a must have to create SVGs.

      Inkscape is such a good project. It is a must have to create SVGs.

      6 votes
  5. [5]
    MangoTiger
    Link
    These might not all be completely open source, but here are my additions: -DuckDuckGo instead of Google search -Protonmail instead of Gmail -Deluge instead of Utorrent

    These might not all be completely open source, but here are my additions:
    -DuckDuckGo instead of Google search
    -Protonmail instead of Gmail
    -Deluge instead of Utorrent

    10 votes
    1. [3]
      teaearlgraycold
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      It's weird how people still cling to utorrent even after all of the ways it has screwed over its users. Sure, most people use an old version. But why not look up an alternative?

      It's weird how people still cling to utorrent even after all of the ways it has screwed over its users. Sure, most people use an old version. But why not look up an alternative?

      6 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. gtwillwin
          Link Parent
          Yup, the tracker I'm on just banned it a few weeks ago.

          Yup, the tracker I'm on just banned it a few weeks ago.

          3 votes
      2. YOU
        Link Parent
        qbittorrent is the one

        qbittorrent is the one

        3 votes
    2. Helpful
      Link Parent
      Transmission is the classic bittorrent client on Linux. It's extremely powerful and full-featured.

      Transmission is the classic bittorrent client on Linux. It's extremely powerful and full-featured.

      1 vote
  6. [3]
    root
    Link
    Plex > Emby Esxi > ProxMox Windows > linux

    Plex > Emby
    Esxi > ProxMox
    Windows > linux

    9 votes
    1. [2]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      Plex is partially opensource (the host), it's only the client side software which is closed source... but Kodi (formerly XBMC) is fully opensource.

      Plex is partially opensource (the host), it's only the client side software which is closed source... but Kodi (formerly XBMC) is fully opensource.

      9 votes
      1. Zlyme
        Link Parent
        I so wish plex was fully open source, then it would be a one-stop shop!

        I so wish plex was fully open source, then it would be a one-stop shop!

        8 votes
  7. [4]
    aethicglass
    Link
    Premiere -> Davinci Resolve It has an awesome free version. Really amazing for color, NLE is similar to premiere but I honestly like the layout loads better. And they recently released a beta that...

    Premiere -> Davinci Resolve

    It has an awesome free version. Really amazing for color, NLE is similar to premiere but I honestly like the layout loads better. And they recently released a beta that integrates their node based 3d package, Fusion, as well as updated the audio editing suite, Silverlight, and made it really useable out of box.

    9 votes
    1. YOU
      Link Parent
      That it asks you what you usually use and offers a similar layout is great too. Hardest part about leaving adobe can be learning new interfaces.

      That it asks you what you usually use and offers a similar layout is great too. Hardest part about leaving adobe can be learning new interfaces.

      2 votes
    2. [2]
      roadrunner
      Link Parent
      Resolve (as well as other Black Magic stuff) is a game changer. So much can be done in that software. It’s about as good as you can get in an all-in-one, particularly for something that you can...

      Resolve (as well as other Black Magic stuff) is a game changer. So much can be done in that software. It’s about as good as you can get in an all-in-one, particularly for something that you can get without paying money. I feel like the NL editing side will only get more robust. I love what Black Magic has been up to for the last 5+ years with high quality but inexpensive products for media people.

      1 vote
      1. aethicglass
        Link Parent
        It definitely has some quirks to it, but then so does Adobe. I'm totally new to editing, other than some basic tutorials I did a few years ago. But I've been driving head first into establishing...

        It definitely has some quirks to it, but then so does Adobe. I'm totally new to editing, other than some basic tutorials I did a few years ago. But I've been driving head first into establishing my workflow, and I honestly feel like resolve is better designed around the type of workflow that feels intuitive to me.

        When I was getting started, I first tried premiere (coming from familiarity with sound forge/acid/vegas, but also very comfortable in Photoshop). I couldn't stand the default layout, and too many things were squirreled away and hidden. I spent so much time just figuring out why things weren't working only to discover it was because of some obscure option. It seems like the sort of thing that happens with industry standard type stuff when they continuously pile on features without having to consider usability for first time users. Not the most horrible thing in the world by any means, it just makes the learning curve steeper than necessary.

        Resolve seems to me to have struck a really nice balance in maintaining legacy systems for long time users (which seems to be mostly color graders), adding in new features, and still keeping the interface incredibly intuitive. As a side note, I absolutely love the default layout for dual screen mode with full screen timeline. Only takes a couple minor tweaks to make it ideal for my workflow.

        And their cameras are looking really impressive for the price points! Canon and Sony are going to really have to step up their video in response. But for my purposes, Canon's dpaf is a dream come true. I use an 80d and love most things about it, but Blackmagic's dynamic range in log is looking pretty damn sweet. I don't remember, do they also use a raw codec? I could definitely think of some uses I would have for that, even without any autofocus.

        1 vote
  8. [2]
    godssyntaxerror
    Link
    Adblock/Adblock+ -> uBlock Origin

    Adblock/Adblock+ -> uBlock Origin

    8 votes
    1. Zlyme
      Link Parent
      Oh I never knew uBlock Origin was FOSS

      Oh I never knew uBlock Origin was FOSS

      8 votes
  9. [3]
    starchturrets
    Link
    Have you tried privacytools.io? Lot’s of alternatives to services. r/privacy also has an ongoing Google Cleanse megathread for Google alternatives. Chrome—> Brave Browser, which is technically...

    Have you tried privacytools.io? Lot’s of alternatives to services.

    r/privacy also has an ongoing Google Cleanse megathread for Google alternatives.

    Chrome—> Brave Browser, which is technically Chrome, but still FOSS.

    7 votes
    1. Zlyme
      Link Parent
      Thank you for reminding me! yes I have been there and also have been r/privacytoolsio

      Thank you for reminding me! yes I have been there and also have been r/privacytoolsio

      3 votes
  10. qwonifer
    Link
    Has anyone had much experience with taiga.io? What are the pros/cons vs other similar offerings such as Trello?

    Has anyone had much experience with taiga.io? What are the pros/cons vs other similar offerings such as Trello?

    5 votes
  11. [2]
    crius
    Link
    Oh these are the kind of topics that really shows the need for that "bookmark" feature. Awesome list, thank you!

    Oh these are the kind of topics that really shows the need for that "bookmark" feature.

    Awesome list, thank you!

    5 votes
    1. Zlyme
      Link Parent
      No problem! and sorry it isn't formatted in a fancy way, I don't know how to do that

      No problem! and sorry it isn't formatted in a fancy way, I don't know how to do that

      2 votes
  12. [4]
    KehrBehr
    Link
    I don't think I've heard of Findx yet. How would you rate your experience? It seems like it creates its own index instead of using Google or another search engine? I haven't done much research yet...

    I don't think I've heard of Findx yet. How would you rate your experience? It seems like it creates its own index instead of using Google or another search engine? I haven't done much research yet on the types of search engines and how they function and what not, but I'm planning on reading up after this post! I've been using StartPage for a while since it uses Google. It was an easy transition. But I'm always open to switching! I'm ok with a small loss of quality if I'll be supporting a decent FOSS application.

    4 votes
    1. [3]
      Zlyme
      Link Parent
      Yes it does create its own index! I have to admit it isn't great because it is such an early stage of development, but I really like how transparent they are and that they don't rely on google or...

      Yes it does create its own index! I have to admit it isn't great because it is such an early stage of development, but I really like how transparent they are and that they don't rely on google or yahoo or bing.

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        KehrBehr
        Link Parent
        It does look very nice and simple, which I like. I think I might give it a shot. Is it similar to SearX at all? Do you prefer Findx for any particular reason?

        It does look very nice and simple, which I like. I think I might give it a shot.
        Is it similar to SearX at all? Do you prefer Findx for any particular reason?

        3 votes
        1. Zlyme
          Link Parent
          Well I think it also has to do with the fact that the creator is on reddit and replies to most people, kinda like tildes

          Well I think it also has to do with the fact that the creator is on reddit and replies to most people, kinda like tildes

          3 votes
  13. [4]
    Axm2
    Link
    Discord or teamspeak -> mumble It's lighter and and has less latency

    Discord or teamspeak -> mumble

    It's lighter and and has less latency

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      Grapevine
      Link Parent
      The less latency thing has largely been debunked, it's only 1ms faster than Discord now. Not to say I don't love Mumble, just Discord has really caught up to it. Mumble uses significantly less RAM...

      The less latency thing has largely been debunked, it's only 1ms faster than Discord now. Not to say I don't love Mumble, just Discord has really caught up to it. Mumble uses significantly less RAM though, that's more the angle to go for with it.

      1 vote
      1. teaearlgraycold
        Link Parent
        Well for me the angle is that it's FOSS :P I'd still use it even if Discord somehow made their electron client more lightweight than it.

        that's more the angle to go for with it.

        Well for me the angle is that it's FOSS :P I'd still use it even if Discord somehow made their electron client more lightweight than it.

        1 vote
    2. jerbear64
      Link Parent
      Like mentioned in the OP, Matrix is more comparable to Discord IMO. The official client, Riot, looks sort of similar to Discord, and it's getting a redesign very soon which looks much closer to...

      Like mentioned in the OP, Matrix is more comparable to Discord IMO. The official client, Riot, looks sort of similar to Discord, and it's getting a redesign very soon which looks much closer to Discord. Matrix is fully federated, and the protocol supports end to end encryption across instances as well as voice over VoIP.

      Mumble is quite good, though.

      1 vote
  14. [6]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      Zlyme
      Link Parent
      Yes I've heard great things about it.

      Yes I've heard great things about it.

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. Zlyme
          Link Parent
          The UI for bitwarden is more friendly but some say that keepass feels more secure. I personally fell that bitwarden is very secure and I feel happy with it

          The UI for bitwarden is more friendly but some say that keepass feels more secure. I personally fell that bitwarden is very secure and I feel happy with it

          3 votes
    2. [3]
      whyarentihigh
      Link Parent
      Go with KeepassXC, as it is actively maintained. Keepass itself has been abandoned AFAIK, and KeepassX hasn't had a release in 2 years. Last KeepassXC release was a couple weeks ago.

      Go with KeepassXC, as it is actively maintained. Keepass itself has been abandoned AFAIK, and KeepassX hasn't had a release in 2 years. Last KeepassXC release was a couple weeks ago.

      1. [3]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. [2]
          whyarentihigh
          Link Parent
          Oh, you're right. Keepass2's last release was about a month and a half ago

          Oh, you're right. Keepass2's last release was about a month and a half ago

          2 votes
          1. space_cowboy
            Link Parent
            You were thinking of KeePassX, the GNU/Linux C++ version of KeePass. If you're using ubuntu, I would recommend using their ppa, as the latest version has some nice features like the ability to...

            You were thinking of KeePassX, the GNU/Linux C++ version of KeePass. If you're using ubuntu, I would recommend using their ppa, as the latest version has some nice features like the ability to import csv files.

            1 vote
  15. [3]
    YOU
    Link
    ungoogled chromium is another nice alternative to chrome, some sites seem to be optimized for chrome over Firefox. Unfortunately you have to jump through some hoops to install extensions.

    ungoogled chromium is another nice alternative to chrome, some sites seem to be optimized for chrome over Firefox. Unfortunately you have to jump through some hoops to install extensions.

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      dodger
      Link Parent
      Brave has also been pleasant on both mobile and desktop for me.

      Brave has also been pleasant on both mobile and desktop for me.

      1 vote
      1. jerbear64
        Link Parent
        I'm holding out for Brave 1.0, which moves the browser to Chromium instead of Muon, before giving it another shot. I tried it a few months ago and I quite liked the browser, but extensions are a...

        I'm holding out for Brave 1.0, which moves the browser to Chromium instead of Muon, before giving it another shot. I tried it a few months ago and I quite liked the browser, but extensions are a must for me.

        Falkon is another neat browser that has the same problem (lack of extensions), but it does have GreaseMonkey built in which helps quite a bit.

        1 vote
  16. [3]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      Zlyme
      Link Parent
      Woohoo another riot lover!

      Woohoo another riot lover!

      2 votes
  17. [3]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. [2]
      Zlyme
      Link Parent
      The reason I put signal is because there are some privacy concerns with wire

      The reason I put signal is because there are some privacy concerns with wire

      2 votes
      1. [2]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. Zlyme
          Link Parent
          I'm sorry I couldn't find what I was talking about but it is still no problem for you to use it :D

          I'm sorry I couldn't find what I was talking about but it is still no problem for you to use it :D

          2 votes
  18. [7]
    Comment deleted by author
    Link
    1. Grapevine
      Link Parent
      Pixelfed is in alpha right now, basically trying its best to act as an open source alternative to Instagram. I would assume they'll be bringing in all the Snapchat-like features of Instagram soon,...

      Pixelfed is in alpha right now, basically trying its best to act as an open source alternative to Instagram. I would assume they'll be bringing in all the Snapchat-like features of Instagram soon, but I can't confirm that.

      3 votes
    2. [5]
      Zlyme
      Link Parent
      Sadly, snapchat is unique in that aspect.

      Sadly, snapchat is unique in that aspect.

      1 vote
      1. [5]
        Comment deleted by author
        Link Parent
        1. [3]
          burntcookie90
          Link Parent
          Signal could easily do it with their disappearing messages function. Maybe one day.

          Signal could easily do it with their disappearing messages function. Maybe one day.

          2 votes
          1. [2]
            SpineEyE
            Link Parent
            I don't know how Snapchat works exactly, but in Signal you can set a timer to 5 seconds if you want and the message will get deleted also on the receiver's phone 5 seconds after they opened it.

            I don't know how Snapchat works exactly, but in Signal you can set a timer to 5 seconds if you want and the message will get deleted also on the receiver's phone 5 seconds after they opened it.

            2 votes
            1. jerbear64
              Link Parent
              That's pretty close to how Snapchat does it, although it also lets you replay sent Snaps a second time. Snaps sent to your Story can be viewed an infinite amount of times for 24 hours.

              That's pretty close to how Snapchat does it, although it also lets you replay sent Snaps a second time.

              Snaps sent to your Story can be viewed an infinite amount of times for 24 hours.

              2 votes
        2. Zlyme
          Link Parent
          Thats what I was thinking

          Thats what I was thinking

          1 vote
  19. [2]
    whyarentihigh
    Link
    I prefer searx. It is self-hostable, and its main principle is privacy. There's a list of public searx instances here

    Google -> FindX: findx.com (there are many others but this is my favorite)

    I prefer searx. It is self-hostable, and its main principle is privacy. There's a list of public searx instances here

    1 vote
  20. muirthemne
    Link
    I switched to Waterfox when Firefox went to Quantum. Quantum's performance is great, but I personally haven't liked the direction that Mozilla is taking Firefox in general for a while; nor some of...

    I switched to Waterfox when Firefox went to Quantum. Quantum's performance is great, but I personally haven't liked the direction that Mozilla is taking Firefox in general for a while; nor some of the newer features like Pocket and the cluttered about:home page. Waterfox is a drop-in replacement for pre-Quantum Firefox, and is compatible with all of the addons that Quantum ended support for.

    1 vote
  21. Tenar
    Link
    there's switching.social for a partial list as well, which might interest you. consider making this part of the wiki that's being built?

    there's switching.social for a partial list as well, which might interest you. consider making this part of the wiki that's being built?