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!
#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.
Image source: JackBurtongr, Andrea Piacquadio
#2
I think we are forgetting the obvious, and it’s the non-political or controversial Wikipedia pages.
Image source: Space_obsessed_Cat, en.wikipedia.org
#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.
Image source: agentp2319, daniyal ghanavati
#4
Project Gutenberg- Free ebooks.
Image source: MoeTheCentaur, Perfecto Capucine
#5
The Internet Archive should be regarded as one of the 7 wonders of the information age.
Image source: 1Estel1, proyectoidis.org
#6
Khan academy! Bless the guy who made it, what a champion.
Image source: giddy_up3, Pixabay
#7
Archive.ph/
It unlocks pay wall articles if you attach it to the beginning of the link.
Image source: Fernandov2
#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).
Image source: buymeaburritoese, Kampus Production
#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.
#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.
Image source: BookLuvr7, Una Laurencic
#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.
Image source: Maverrick89, cottonbro studio
#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.
Image source: B3ximus, 42 North
#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.
Image source: Beareatsgooeyhoney, Adil
#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.
Image source: FlorianGeyer1524, Thought Catalog
#15
Temp mail for one, you can make unlimited, free, completely disposable emails just at the click of a button.
Image source: IPeekedAt9YearsOld, Torsten Dettlaff
#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.
Image source: nepheelim, Ron Lach
#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.
Image source: NYArtFan1, Jakub Zerdzicki
#18
If you Google “dog with a hat on” you will be astounded at how many different dogs and different hats you’ll find.
Image source: vongolezio, Samson Katt
#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).
Image source: Portarossa, Nataliya Vaitkevich
#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.
Image source: Intelligent711, Karolina Kaboompics
#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.
Image source: Aerothermal, Armin Rimoldi
#22
Https://asoftmurmur.com
I use it every day to fall asleep.
Image source: ilikepix, Ketut Subiyanto
#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.
Image source: LordPoopyIV, Vojtech Okenka
#24
Coursera free courses, khan academy, scishow, CS50 course.
There is alot.
Image source: justfak446, Polina Tankilevitch
#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.
Image source: BandicootSVK, Mateusz Dach
#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!
Image source: Dreadphaze, cottonbro studio
#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.
Image source: hibryd, WASSIM AHMED
#28
There are free harvard courses you can attend.
Image source: beepbop-I-am-a-bot, cottonbro studio
#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.
Image source: esherm99, Artem Podrez
#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.
Image source: leonprimrose, logolook.net
#31
For university students: Zotero is a great, no-b******t reference manager. Also, SciHub for accessing paywalled journal articles.
Image source: XxDiCaprioxX, Anete Lusina
#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.
Image source: Miserable_Physics_80, greenwish _
#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.
Image source: Daniblond, RDNE Stock project
#34
Free Microsoft office replacements. Screw 365 subscriptions.
Image source: MadOliveGaming, support.microsoft.com
#35
Library Genesis.
PDF drive online
Youtube.
Image source: A_Baudelaire_fan, citationsy.com
#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.
Image source: Upbeat_Tension_8077, rawpixel.com
#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.
Image source: Correct-Bar9930, Mikael Blomkvist
#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).
Image source: FloggingTheHorses, freestocks.org
#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.
Image source: peacefighter, Antoni Shkraba
#40
UBlock Origin and VLC.
Image source: _i-o, Karolina Kaboompics
#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.
Image source: andreasbeer1981, Matilda Wormwood
#42
Https://www.desmos.com/calculator
I was never that good with graphing calculators, also they’re expensive.
Image source: PenguinBallZ, freepik.com
#43
A basic “get started” class with Microsoft excel. Such a useful tool that most people don’t know how to properly use.
Image source: corgihandler, atulhost.com
#44
Bandcamp
You can listen to music for free. Support your favourite artists.
Image source: ambernewt, Karolina Grabowska
#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).
Image source: promking2005, Stas Knop
#46
/askreddit is a pretty cool place, ran into some smart, some funny and some weird people over here.
Image source: Jetro177, Brett Jordan
#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.
Image source: RemoteWorkWarrior, George Milton
#48
Kaggle. It’s a site with great free data analytics lessons and data sets. It is a great skillset to have.
Image source: PropunKla, Tima Miroshnichenko
#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.
Image source: CorneliusClay, Gustavo Fring
#50
Education, there are plenty of videos on YouTube about different topics.
Image source: JulianMcC, cottonbro studio
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