Private mode in most web browsers still shows every site your IP address. Tor Browser hides it behind volunteer relays, which matters most on watched networks.
When Chrome starts eating memory, Microsoft Edge is the Chromium browser most people already have. What it costs you now that Copilot ships inside it.
The browser that came with your machine is fine until a site breaks. Google Chrome is what the web gets tested against, and what that costs in blocking and privacy.
Free, open source and funded by donations, Thunderbird is the email client for people who want mail, calendar and contacts kept on their own machine.
Webmail tabs and the built-in Mail app fall short once you're juggling several accounts. Mailspring answers with a native client and unlimited free accounts.
KeePassXC is a free, open source password manager for people who would rather hold their own encrypted file than trust a company's vault. Sync and mobile stay in your hands.
Windows Search makes you wait; Everything answers as you type. A free file search utility from voidtools that reads names, not contents.
Notepad++ is the free, open-source text editor most Windows users install the day plain Notepad stops being enough. Fast, tiny, and endlessly extendable.
7-Zip is a free, open-source file archiver that opens almost everything and compresses tighter than most paid rivals. A plain interface is the only real cost.
CCleaner is a PC cleaner for junk files, browser traces, and uninstall leftovers on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. The free tier still does the real work.
One long read on the week's biggest shift, every Sunday.
