Latest articles, tutorials, and news about free software and open-source tools
For 15 years CCleaner was the universal Windows cleaning tool. Then Avast bought it, a supply chain attack hit 2.27 million users, and the software started selling data through Jumpshot. Here's the complete timeline of how a beloved free tool became something experienced users now warn against.
By Lounes Hareb
In 2019 my Office 365 subscription renewed and I noticed the charge for the first time in years. Ninety-nine euros. For software I used maybe twice a month. I cancelled that afternoon and figured I'd crawl back within a week. That was six years ago. Here's everything that replaced it.
By Lounes Hareb
Most free VPNs are worse than not using a VPN at all. They log your traffic, inject ads, sell your bandwidth, and in a few documented cases they've been outright malware. After testing roughly 30 providers since 2014, this article covers the handful that are actually worth installing and names the ones you should avoid.
By Lounes Hareb
I've been using password managers daily for over a decade. Started with KeePass in 2012, ran from LastPass after their 2022 breach, and settled on a mix of Bitwarden and KeePassXC. This isn't a chart made from marketing pages. This is what I actually learned using these tools every day.
By Lounes Hareb
Every "best free AI tools" article is wrong in the same way. They list the same five products, all owned by three companies, all feeding your conversations into training data. This is the version that assumes you want to actually use these tools and care a little about where your data ends up.
By Lounes Hareb
In 2022 I was paying Adobe 60 euros a month. Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere, the whole bundle. Eight years times 720 euros is over 5,000 spent on rented software. I cancelled in summer 2023. I'm writing this in 2026. I still haven't gone back. Here's every app I replaced and what actually happened.
By Lounes Hareb
This was a rough year for free software. Several beloved tools got acquired, added telemetry, started showing ads, or quietly broke their privacy promises. This is the honest list of what to uninstall and what to use instead, from someone who's been tracking free software for over a decade.
By Lounes Hareb
Most privacy guides read like a paranoid manifesto. This one doesn't. After eight years of building a private digital life with free software, here's the realistic setup that works for normal people in 2026. No Tails OS, no Monero, no giving up your social life. Just real tools, real trade-offs, and the honest compromises I still make.
By Lounes Hareb
OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer, or Cura in 2026? Here is the blunt breakdown of which free slicer works best for beginners, tinkerers, and power users.
By Lounes Hareb
FreeCAD or Tinkercad in 2026? Here’s the blunt answer: use Tinkercad for fast beginner-friendly 3D designs, and switch to FreeCAD when you need real precision.
By Lounes Hareb
Looking for the best video player for Windows 11? We tested dozens of free media players to find the top 10 that handle every format, from MKV to 4K HDR.
By Lounes Hareb
PearOS is a design-forward Linux distribution built on Arch, combining macOS-inspired aesthetics with rolling-release convenience and the Liquid Gel design language for a premium desktop experience.
By Lounes Hareb
Discover the must-have free tools for web developers in 2026 with style, humor, and culture. From code editors to security, design to deployment,find out which free gems deserve a spot in your dev toolkit this year.
By Lounes Hareb