In today’s world, technology is an essential part of our daily lives. From work to leisure, we rely on various software programs to help us get things done quickly and efficiently. However, not all software programs are created equal, and many of them come with a hefty price tag.
There are a lot of software programs available that can help you with various tasks, but not all of them are free.
In this blog post, I will share some lightweight free utilities and extensions that will help you with a variety of tasks, such as image editing, video playback, screen capturing, and more enhancing your productivity.
Table of Contents
Free Utilities and Extensions
Free Utilities
IrfanView
IrfanView is a free image management and editing program that can be used for tasks such as viewing, editing, and converting images. It supports a wide range of image formats, including JPG, PNG, BMP, WebP, and more.
IrfanView also includes basic image editing tools, such as cropping, resizing, and color adjustments, making it a great option for simple image editing tasks. To open various file formats you have to download and install plugins available on its website.
PotPlayer
PotPlayer is a free video player that supports a wide range of video formats. It has a user-friendly interface and offers advanced features such as an immersive viewing experience, 3D support, support for subtitles, and video playback speed control.
PotPlayer also includes a built-in video converter, making it easy to convert video files to different formats. This feature-rich player with a file manager is quite fast and smooth in its operations.
ShareX
ShareX is an open-source screen capturing and image editing program that you can use to capture screenshots, record videos, record screens, and more. It includes basic image editing tools, such as cropping, resizing, and color adjustments.
ShareX also offers a wide range of customization options like assigning hotkeys, image effects, creating gifs, etc after taking windows screenshot. In fact, I have used ShareX to create this gif.
PDF24
PDF24 is a free program that can be used to create, edit, and convert PDF files. It includes a wide range of features, such as the ability to merge and split PDFs, add and edit text, and more. PDF24 also includes a built-in PDF printer that makes it easy to convert any document to PDF format.
Google Drive for Desktop
Google Drive for Desktop is a backup and sync client from Google that allows you to easily manage and share files and folders across devices and the cloud. It allows you to access your files even if you don’t have an internet connection.
Free Extensions
Google Docs Offline
This free Chrome extension allows you to access and edit Google Docs offline. It’s particularly useful for those who frequently use Google Docs and need to access their documents when they don’t have an internet connection.
Application Launcher For Drive
This Chrome extension allows you to launch apps and files directly from Google Drive. It offers a simple and convenient way to open files, such as documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, without having to download them first.
This extension is particularly useful for those who frequently use Google Drive and want to save time and effort by opening files directly from the cloud.
Dark Reader
Dark Reader is a free Chrome extension that allows you to apply a dark theme to any website you visit. This can be useful for reducing eye strain when working on a computer for long periods of time. Dark Reader also has the option to invert images and videos, which is useful for some users.
Video Resource
Here is a video resource from Brett in Tech who also talks about some of the resources I have mentioned above.
Conclusion
These five free utility programs and three free extensions can be a great addition to your toolkit, helping you with a variety of tasks such as image management and editing, video playback, screen capture, editing pdf, data sync, etc. Also, all of these applications are updated regularly.
Let me know in the comments if you have found them beneficial to accomplish your tasks.
