1.6 Open Source Alternatives to Common Windows Applications
When transitioning to Linux, one common concern is software availability. Fortunately, the open-source ecosystem provides robust alternatives to most popular Windows applications. This section outlines widely used Windows software and their equivalent or similar tools in Linux.
| Category | Windows Application | Linux/Open Source Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Office Suite | Microsoft Office | LibreOffice, OnlyOffice |
| Web Browser | Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge | Firefox, Chromium |
| Image Editing | Adobe Photoshop | GIMP |
| Vector Graphics | Adobe Illustrator | Inkscape |
| Video Editing | Adobe Premiere Pro | Kdenlive, Shotcut |
| Audio Editing | Audacity | Audacity |
| Email Client | Microsoft Outlook | Thunderbird |
| Code Editor | Notepad++, Visual Studio Code | VS Code, Vim, Emacs, GNOME Text Editor |
| PDF Reader | Adobe Acrobat Reader | Evince, Okular |
| Cloud Storage | OneDrive, Google Drive | Nextcloud, rclone, Dropbox (Linux client) |
| Media Player | Windows Media Player, VLC | VLC Media Player |
Additional Notes
- Some commercial applications (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, VS Code) also offer official Linux versions.
- Web-based applications (Google Docs, Figma, Office365) work seamlessly in Linux through modern browsers.
- Tools like Wine or Proton (via Steam) can run certain Windows applications on Linux, though results vary.