There are plenty of apps usable in the Microsoft Store , but the best Windows apps can stay on tough . Calendar appsare a popular choice for those looking to improve productivity , and there are plenty of free apps you’re able to choose from if you do n’t want to pay for the privilege .
To help you take , we ’ve put together a list of the best Windows 10 and Windows 11 apps for every user to try out , whether you desire better productivity or just seek to be entertained . And if you ’re on the other side of the aisle and want to acknowledge thebest Mac apps , we ’ve got you breed there too .
Best Windows apps in 2025
Best Windows apps for productivity
Duolingo
attempt to brush up on your linguistic process accomplishment ? Need a little bit of assist for a language family ? Planning on a slip to a foreign country ? This free app may be on the button what you take to prepare . It ’s a language find out app with gross ton of gamification , along with plenty of advantage and achievements for a variety of quizzes . The app ’s ultra - chance nature mean you could use it for bit at a meter and still learn something , so why not give it a try ?
Dropbox Cloud Storage
Are you looking for one of the best Windows apps for cloud storage ? Well , not everyone needs or uses OneDrive , which is included in Windows 10 . If your line or shoal prefers Dropbox as the swarm entrepot solution of alternative , well , there ’s an app for that . This pat piece of software system grant you to watch your image or videos using a grid — or as a list when dealing with documents . The free - to - use Basic plan get you 2 GB of free storage , and it ’s only a few dollars to get a lot more than that if you call for it .
Microsoft To Do
If you do n’t already have an app for planning , make lists , and collaborate , then Microsoft To Do is a great option for you , as it can really help better your productiveness and programming . It might even facilitate reduce stress . It add up with a My Day view feature , which has a day-by-day planner with recommended tasks . Other coolheaded features include rig up grocery lists and a dark mode .
Microsoft OneNote
OneNote is a note of hand - take on app designed to integrate completely with the Microsoft 365 arrangement , with excellent support for all level of tone - pickings . Do you want a digital ligature take with different notebooks for specific topics ? No problem . Do you want to sketch out some new excogitation ideas ? Never been unsubdivided . You also can insert web video or tally files .
In addition to content creation , the app patronise fantabulous share-out options for colleagues and full-bodied quislingism feature that let in freeform highlighting and annotating .
Skype for Windows
Skype stay one of the most democratic chat client for foresightful - distance communication , and it ’s another example of an app that integrate very well with Windows 10 . chance are good that , if you ’re already using a video chat service at home or work , you sleep together incisively what to download . But if you have n’t done much video chatting in the past and want to explore this eccentric of communication with champion and family , Skype is a great place to start , and you should give this app a chance .
A variant of Skype is already integrated with Windows , but the prescribed desktop app also allows you to portion out picture , prefer in for translation , and share your screen for troubleshooting intent .
Microsoft Sticky Notes
This app lease you create digital viscid notes as reminders , and then place them on your screen background screen . The latest version comes with a few new tool as well , include the power to add paradigm to your note , use the Surface Pen to create handwritten note and work in dark modality . you’re able to even sync your annotation across apps and devices .
Backiee — Wallpaper Studio 10
Yes , a wallpaper app can be a productivity app , too — peculiarly when you get out how much clip it saves on your 4 K backdrop hunt . This app offers top - notch , mellow - resolution backdrop wallpapers that you may change with a click without bet on sketchy sources online . wallpaper go up to 8 K resolution , and you could apply a mass of different search filters to get hold the wallpaper you desire , stimulate this an easy recommendation for new Windows users .
Rambox
Already have a lot of apps to juggle ? Rambox is here to aid : It ’s an app - direction app , or a “ workspace web internet browser ” that collects all the apps you use in one spot , no matter where they come up from . It support everything from email apps , to natter tools , to calendar , to social media . The splashboard take into account you to immediately search for a specific app , foregather your communication apps in one spot to always see if there are any new message , and favorite or immobilise the apps you expend the most .
However , the existent playfulness begin when you start opening and using apps . The browser app outer space permit you to position multiple apps next to each other so they can be open and active at the same time , just like traditional browser app windows on your computer . You even have the power to make custom apps for the tasks you frequently have .
Slack
quagmire is a communication and collaboration platform designed for teams and organizations . It extend a New World chat - free-base workspace where users can transmit in existent time through channels and direct subject matter . Slack is known for its versatility and is widely used for patronage communicating , projection collaboration , and team coordination . While certain individuals prefer using the web reading of the app , it pee-pee a lot of common sense to just add the app as it works well with Windows 11 ’s notification and Focus Assist modality .
Best Windows creation apps
Fresh Paint
Fresh Paint was popular on Windows 8 , but it ’s even considerably on Windows 10 . The picture app lets you opt from a variety show of palettes and activity packs to distort in designs or work from the footing up , or you’re able to upload your own graphics and apply filters or rouge in the stylus of your choice . The software ca n’t incisively take the place of something like Photoshop — nor should it — but itisfun , and it ’s the effective Windows app for amusement . It is a complimentary app and can be specially fun if you have a Windows tablet with a penitentiary , as you’re able to colour in between lines , draw , and so much more .
Open Live Writer
opt a more background - orient program for sculpting your later blog entry or web page ? Open Live Writer is contrive to do just that . Inside you could create text , exposure , or video post , then publish them to your site whenever you want . The app also works with WordPress , TypePad , Blogger , and other website builder .
Autodesk SketchBook
Autodesk SketchBook is a large app tailored for both creative pro and creative person . It provides an extensive toolkit to endue user in crafting exceptional kit and caboodle of prowess on their PC . The app also offer comprehensive accompaniment for touch stimulation , catering to user with touchscreen devices . It also seamlessly integrates with the Microsoft Surface Dial , making it an of the essence pecker for those who own a Surface Studio .
Fused
require more interesting effect for your photos than the usual apps offer ? Before you upload to Instagram , take a spirit at Fused , which is designed to blend photos into a background signal and foreground to create different gist . Going into all the ways this can be used would take a long time , but it can make your photos lookawesomewith the right work . If you like to make your own backgrounds , or just get a thrill out of posting impressive photos , check out what Fused has to offer .
Adobe Photoshop Express
While you may have to compensate for access to Adobe ’s full rooms , there is a gratuitous adaptation of Photoshop usable for Windows 10 , and it ’s well one of the best apps for photo editing . The aptly titled Express establish you circumscribed memory access to Photoshop ’s photo - editing tools , let for peck of customized work . It ’s a very useful tool if you ’re conversant with Photoshop and want to ferment on some images but do n’t want or need access to the program program ’s full feature exercise set . Keep in mind that you ’ll demand an Adobe ID login to make this app employment .
Best Windows entertainment apps
VLC Media Player
For many exploiter , VLC is an former standby that handles well-nigh any popular video data formatting you’re able to contrive at it . The spiritualist player can play pretty much any picture file ripped from a vulgar source , admit discs and web streaming protocols . If you habituate a lot of media on your estimator , it ’s a bang-up gain to your armory .
Spotify Music
Spotify is readily approachable through the Windows Store , eliminating the motivation to download the desktop version for an prodigious music - listening experience . The app pop the question a comprehensive feature set akin to the Spotify program on any other platform , making it indispensable for music enthusiasts , including those dandy on discovering novel music . The app also comes with an elegantly design substance abuser user interface , ensuring user - friendliness . It also seamlessly synchronizes all your data across various platforms , enable you to transition effortlessly from your background to your mobile equipment without skipping a pulse .
Netflix
If your computer subprogram more as an amusement box than one made for productiveness , we suggest downloading the Netflix app so that you could quickly access it at once from your background . Netflix also synchronise across machine — if you commence keep an eye on something on your figurer , for example , you’re able to polish off on your Xbox One . Of naturally , if you are n’t a Netflix fan , then there are official apps for Hulu and other streaming armed service as well .
Audible
hearable is a popular audiobook and spoken - word amusement inspection and repair offered by Amazon . It allows user to purchase , flow , and download audiobooks , as well as other spoken - word contentedness such as podcasts , radio shows , and original audio content . hearable offers a wide pick of audiobooks across various genres , making it a commodious political platform for people who enjoy heed to book of account or other audio content while on the go .
Pandora
Everyone has their pet medicine service , so experience free to substitute whatever app you favor in here . Pandora has really stepped up with a strong app for both screen background and mobile devices , one that makes it easy to stream your preferred tunes . The app also feature compatibility with the Xbox One and is generally more Windows - friendly than Spotify .
Xbox
Since Microsoft is figure out on converging as much Xbox and Windows gameplay as possible , this app comes with some unique features , like the ability to stream games or picture show from an Xbox One to your PC . The app also fare with social and sharing features , meaning you may quickly divvy up game clips or join guild . It is already work up into your Windows 10 personal computer , and there is no need for an extra download .
Best Windows social media apps
You probably do n’t need a reminder to download social apps like Facebook , but we still like to mention Instagram ’s Windows app , which supply a heap more functionality than a WWW page . The app is n’t always updated by Facebook , but it does provide basic access to most Instagram features on the iOS or Android version of the app . That admit memory access to Instagram Stories and the Instagram Feed , as well as messages and the lookup characteristic . It ’s a nice desktop familiar with warm social media direction instrument .
If you or your friends use WhatsApp , you deserve this clean-living desktop reading that urinate it leisurely to carry on multiple detailed Old World chat at the same time . The app also offers everlasting syncing so you may pick up conversations on any other machine as needed , without worry that the conversation is n’t update the right way .
Twitter is home base to late - let on news and blistering takes . you could scan and write to everyone from celebs to politicians to your favourite source posting their thoughts there , for better or bad . It ’s also one of the best Windows apps because it load fast , runs smoothly , and looks and feels like a aboriginal app .
Discord
Discord has expanded its sensible horizon beyond the play biotic community , although gamers still comprise the largest part of its drug user radical . you may apply Discord to participate in study groups , enjoy live - streaming video content , or enlist in conversations in languages like Latin or ancient Greek right on the platform . Discord host vivacious communities cater to developers , instrumentalist , entertainment enthusiasts , and naturally , fans of both major and niche multiplayer games . The user port is not only silky , but also thoughtfully crafted for an optimal drug user experience .
Best Windows news and feed apps
Flipboard is a tidings aggregator designed for tile - free-base geographic expedition and reading , making it a perfect scene for Windows 10 . The program has you create a “ cartridge holder ” filled with tale you choose , based on the report and generator that best align with your penchant . Then , the app store your personalizations for the next time you want to check the news show . This curation cognitive operation saves you the time and energy of separate through every news story to get to the 1 that interest you , making it one of the good Windows apps for news program .
Microsoft News
stay informed is important , and you may apply Windows 10 ’s Microsoft News app to keep up with all the news you necessitate . After you ’ve download it , you’re able to choose which topics you require to receive casual update about , personalise your stream of data . to boot , the team will see that you get stories that are accurate and exciting . Whichever news you prioritize , Microsoft News supplies a wide kitchen range of issue , reliably sourced , to bring you breaking selective information on the news that matters most to you . you could even sync your orientation across the web . The app works in 20 dissimilar country and collects depicted object from more than 3,000 publication .
MSN Weather
Paul Simon once say the only news he require is the weather account . He belike apply MSN Weather .
Microsoft ’s own weather app normally come put in on Windows , but things happen , and sometimes you end up move out it . It is easy to reinstall , thanks to the revamped Microsoft Store . You ’ll get up - to - the - hour atmospheric condition conditions , long - range prognosis , humidness Reading , and more . All of it comes on a beautiful graphical interface consummate with map , satellite and radiolocation images , and , of course , animated weather .
Best Windows security apps
OneLocker Password Manager
OneLocker is the perfect word managing director if you have a lot of watchword to remember . It do with a jump list , a QR code scanner , guide , and more .
Dashlane
Dashlane remains one of the most democratic password handler apps , thanks to its simple setup and promiscuous - to - use design . As per its job verbal description , Dashlane expects you to store every one of your password . Thesecurity appcan wield any bit of passwords you may have from as many beginning as you want , offering extremely efficient governing body and steadfast protection . Additionally , it works with Windows 10 .
Best free Windows apps
Windows is absolutely overflowing with fantastic free apps . Many of the best are I we ’ve cite above , including WhatsApp , Spotify , Netflix and Instagram . But there are plenty of other swell free Windows apps that do n’t charge you a penny .
One such barren app isChatGPT , which has quickly establish itself as the leading artificial intelligence provider on the planet . Its app gives you access code to its AI brain for innocent , but you may also ante up for a premium membership if you want more credit and extra features .
There are a couple of media apps worth mentioning here , namelyAudacityandDaVinci Resolve . The former is an audio recorder and editor that come with rafts of powerful tools and export options . The latter is a full - fledged video editor that even the professional relish using . you may pay for a more able upgraded edition , but the free edition is more than enough for most people .
Our concluding woof here isNinite , which is an app for other apps . What do we mean by that ? Well , have you ever installed Windows on a fresh simple machine and dreaded the thought process of having to install all your apps one by one ? Ninite solves this problem . Just go to its website , choose the apps you want for your next personal computer , then download the installer . When you run it , it ’ll establish all the apps you select mechanically , without you take to lift a finger . It ’s a monolithic fourth dimension saver .
Best Windows 11 apps
Windows 11 introduced a new Start bill of fare style , and it ’s not for everyone . If you want to go back to the Windows 10 Start menu — or just want more mastery over how the Start menu work — tryStart11from Stardock . With this app installed on your PC , you have a huge regalia of options for the Start menu . you could change its position , add tiles , commute its search capabilities , and adjust its coloring material , among many other lineament .
And while we ’re on the topic of tweaking Windows 11,Rectify11might be up your street . It come with a vast entourage of creature to tailor-make Windows 11 to your liking , and these abilities touch almost every aspect of the operating scheme . Want to improve Windows 11 ’s animations ? It can do that . look to give more big businessman to the right - click carte ? see no further . Need better transparency and color outcome ? This is the app for you .
Here ’s another great app that ’s single to Windows 11 : QuickLook . As the name intimate , this app is inhale by the similarly identify Quick Look feature in macOS . In this app and in macOS , you press the blank legal profession to get a quick trailer of the file cabinet you ’ve click , without needing to open it fully . It ’s a handy way to view file to contain they ’re what you ’re search for when you ’re push for clock time .
Best Windows 10 apps
If you ’re still run Windows 10 , luck are you have a fair old machine — or you will in a few year ’ time . If it ’s a Windows laptop computer , you ’ll require to take care of its battery , and theBattery Modeapp will help you do just that . It give you alright - grained control over your video display ’s backlighting , a customizable scheduled to help manage your sleep and arouse setting , detailed information on your battery wellness , and a wealthiness of other handy tool .
And if you ’ve resolve to stick with a Windows 10 laptop rather than promote to Windows 11 , it ’ll be significant to manage your storage space to control you may keep using your machine as long as potential . Here , WinDirStatcan be invaluable . It scans your drives and uses colored blockage to visualize which apps and file are hire up the most space on your machine . It ’s a brilliantly quick elbow room to identify place hogget and uninstall them in a flash .
Best Windows apps for students
If you ’re a student , you ’re go to need some apps to organise your work and research . Microsoft 365is a bang-up way to do this , as not only is it a everlasting cortege of apps , but you’re able to often get it for free through your education provider , or profoundly disregard if not . It come with popular apps like Word , Excel , PowerPoint and Outlook , plus OneDrive storage , Microsoft Defender for security system , co-pilot for AI , and much more .
We also likeZotero , which works as a menage for all your research notes . you’re able to save papers and articles from the WWW and JSTOR , then organize them all into family or using tags . Once that ’s done , you ’ll be able-bodied to search through your saved enquiry or add citations directly into word of honor processing apps .
Best Windows Android apps
One of the most exciting features of Windows 11 is the fact that itsupports Android appsfrom the Amazon App Store . Initially , there was only a choice of mobile apps and game available for download on Windows 11 but now there are quite a few option to choose from . These let in games likeLords Mobile , June ’s Journey , Coin Master , and kid ’s content like the Kindle app , Khan Academy Kids , andLego Duplo World .
Again , these Android apps can only be installed if your microcomputer is compatible with the feature . you may jibe for more entropy on thisover at Microsoft ’s site . Most modern hardware released in the last two year should run these Android apps just fine .
Best Win32 apps in the Microsoft Store
Alongside the incoming alternative to lead Android apps , another signature feature film of Windows 11 is the power to download traditional Win32 apps forthwith from the Microsoft Store . These are the type of apps that expend a .exe installer .
unremarkably , you ’d have to find oneself these apps on a developer ’s internet site , but Windows 11 makes discovery comfortable by lean quality Win32 apps inside the Microsoft Store . Currently , you’re able to find the screen recorderOBS studio apartment , as well as the popular PDF readerAdobe Acrobat Reader DC . EvenZoomis now listed in the Microsoft Store as a Win32 app .
