Free software for students that rivals the premium stuff

If you don't need Microsoft Office but want a lot of the same features and a similar experience, then take a look at open-source project LibreOffice. It's completely free and works with most of Microsoft's file formats. There are diferent programs to choose from, for maths, writing and more – basically everything you'd get from Microsoft Office.

Although dedicated editing software like Photoshop is essential if you're studying on a design or art course, if you only need simple editing features now and again for presentations, then rely on a free service like Pixlr instead. This web-based photo editor lets you do all of the basics for free and has some cool features, like an AI background remover tool.

This is a fairly advanced audio editing tool, but if that's your jam and you want a free option, it comes highly recommended. It's another open-source tool and works across a range of operating systems. It supports 6-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit formats with a bunch of advanced editing features.

Google Docs is our top pick of the best free software generally, not just for students. It's a simple and straightforward way to create a range of documents online, whether that's a spreadsheet, presentation or just text. You can easily access it online wherever you are, collaborate with others and then share everything you create to Google Drive. The best part? It's completely free. You will have to pay for extra storage if you create a lot of new documents and don't clear them out regularly, but even then it's absolutely worth every penny.

If you enjoy using Microsoft Office but can't justify the price tag, then it's worth trying the free, online versions of Word, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams. All you need to get started is a Microsoft account and then you can them all from your browser. These online versions are much more basic than the real deal, but if you don't want to spend a small fortune this is the best alternative.

Do we really need to introduce you to Zoom after the pandemic lockdowns? This simple and totally free app allows you to easily setup video calls with other students to practice presentations or friends and family back home if you're away at university. You'll have to pay more for additional features and for calls to last more than 50 minutes, but you get an excellent service for free.

Zotero is an open-source platform that enables you to better manage your references. It's an easy-to-use database filled with citations and great search functionality that creates bibilographies and references for you. It's free and it also works with every device.

There are all sorts of free apps available for note-taking – we even like the super simple Notes app on our iPhones – but Evernote is a great option with different note templates, solid sharing features and search functionality that works across all of your notes. There are paid-for tiers, but for free you can get 60MB of data per month and note syncing across two devices.

This free edition of BitDefender isn't the most secure or private option out there, but if you can't justify paying for a service then we highly recommend it. What you'll get is an easy-to-use and fast service that helps you with the basics, like bringing you ways to keep tabs on anti-phishing and anti-fraud tools.