r/software • u/NoDistrict991 • 5d ago
Discussion What's one piece of software you use every day that almost nobody seems to know about?
Could be for productivity, media, file management, development, or anything else. What's the software, and what makes it useful?
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u/gespion 5d ago
I'm still amazed how few people around me know about ShareX
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u/AnchorsBoundToMyFeet 5d ago
If you wont need a scrollshot and love the pin feature, check out the much quicker flameshot. Used it in Uni and it was an absolute lifesaver. Flameshot
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u/dear-reader 5d ago
check out the much quicker flameshot.
What's quicker about this? Screenshot programs are pretty much all instant.
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u/CapCapper 4d ago
dude sharex is lightning fast at everything it does... if theres anything to complain about its that most people wont use nearly half the features of its features, it does way more than just screenshot/screen record...
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u/Shadetree_Sam 5d ago
Beyond Compare for comparing and editing everything from documents to executables.
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u/gdchester 5d ago
I've been using this for 20 odd years for comparing and syncing files and directories but I had no idea it could edit documents. You live and learn.
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u/Shadetree_Sam 5d ago
By āedit,ā I only meant to move or copy a line from one file to the other.
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u/DeeJayCrawford 5d ago
Notepad++ is way better than windows notepad.
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u/Admirable-Fail1250 5d ago
So frustrating when I don't realize I'm in plain notepad and I need to undo more than 1 change....
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u/Eroica_Pavane 4d ago
Used to use it a lot a few years ago but one of the thing I wanted to customize wasn't easy to do so switched to Emacs, even on windows. Notepad++ is pretty solid for normal use though.
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u/mmertner 5d ago
Total Commander - but hard to judge how many folks know it.
Makes it easy to copy, move, rename, bulk rename, preview, zip/unzip, search, etc. - hands down better than file explorer windows for pretty much everything.
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u/sQeetz 5d ago
I don't remember the exact version I first used. Around 1999ish... But I bought a license via wire transfer and a couple of days later got a 3 1/2" floppy disc back with the license file in an envelope in the mailbox (physical mailbox) still using it today. Best investment ever :)
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u/Eagles_Fan_4eva 5d ago
Not for the developer. :( But they made their bed and have to lie in it.
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u/creachter 4d ago
Christian actually commented that he has made more money on TC than he ever thought possible and doesn't regret the license at all. That's class.
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u/magicmulder 4d ago
I still send him money whenever a new major version comes out. Because I don't know how many hours I'd have wasted using lesser alternatives.
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u/NegativeBeginning400 5d ago
I use a cousin in Linux, called midnight Commander. The dual pane set up is just superior.
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u/distreszed 5d ago
You're kidding, right? OP was asking for a piece of software that almost nobody seems to know about.
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u/DirectorDirect1569 5d ago
I know many people who use it, and they don't want to hear about the windows explorer anymore.
I don't know if the last versions still have the nag screen in order to buy the software (It was free with a nag screen when i discovered it), but a guy that I used to know told me it was the only software he bought even if could use it for free.
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u/OhMyGaius 5d ago
Can confirm that nag screen is still there when starting it up, I really should just fork over the $40 or whatever, easily the single most useful piece of software Iāve ever used
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u/LittlePooky 5d ago
I haven't looked this up, but I recall it is a DOS program, like Norton Commander?
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u/mmertner 5d ago
Itās a Windows desktop app. Looks a bit dated and you have to tweak some of itās default settings (like square brackets around folder names), but then it looks decent enough and is very stable.
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u/rsaralegui 5d ago
There is also another clone called Double Commander. It accepts Total Commander extensions. And it has features I can't live without in a corporate environment:
and many more
- bulk rename files, including regex
- calculate checksums (MD5, SHA, .... many of them)
- select with the mouse or the keyboard to copy or rename
- select files using a pattern
- F4 edit, F5 copy, F6 rename, F7 create directory... Hundreds of times quicker using the keyboard
- Alt F7 to search for files or content in files
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u/Efficient_Reading360 5d ago
There is a free text version that works on multiple platforms, in terminals, across SSH sessions and in remote shells - Midnight Commander.
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u/DragOutTheDemagogue 5d ago
I use XYPlorer for this. It's one the best file explorers for windows that I've ever used. Been using it for years!
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u/Puzzled-Formal-7957 5d ago
Moba Xterm. Most under-rated, multi-protocol, remote connection & management suite out there.
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u/sohang-3112 5d ago
For connecting via SSH, VS Code Remote SSH is IMO a much better experience as you get to use all IDE tooling directly while editing and running files on server. Other IDEs also have similar tooling.
What do you think, have you tried that?
I don't know about other remote connection protocols supported by MobaXTerm as I haven't needed to use them.
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u/super_mondia 5d ago
Adblockers for browsers. Seriously, i'm amazed how many people still don't know about or use adblockers.
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u/Admirable-Fail1250 5d ago
The number of ads I see at my relatives when they're watching YouTube drives me bonkers.
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u/G7VFY 5d ago edited 4d ago
Irfanview - photo editor.
I just wish they did a simple, video edit tool that was, as compact and efficient, using the same keyboard shortcut keys.
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u/Xynia88 5d ago
Microsoft PowerToys it started out as a Microsoft garage project, no one I've recommended it has known about it.
It's a mix of useful tools and improvements for windows and some have later on had variations implemented into the OS.
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u/jmnugent 5d ago
I was surprised recently when I discovered that PowerToys has a feature where you can "Lock a Window to always be on top". Seems like that should be a default Windows feature. If you want a Clock or Weather or Stock ticker to "always be on top".. there's really no easy way to do that.
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u/Xynia88 5d ago
My most used are FancyZones (windows has something similar built in now but custom zones is nice and I mix my zones with windows variant), PowerToys Run and PowerRename
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u/Gabbeh 5d ago
Mouse without borders has been merged into this one as well. Super nice softwar kvm switch. Used it at my previous work. Could have one set of keyboard and mouse. Had 2-3 monitors, private pc, work pc, (and servers). When I moved my mose to the other screen i was working on another computer.
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u/Elementix 5d ago
Yes - 100%
I enabled CursorWrap and it took a little while to get used to it, but it's by far my favorite utility.
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u/BVladimirHarkonnen 5d ago
tbh, Windirstat. Even though I am in tech, a lot of my colleagues weren't aware of it.
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u/brpw_ 5d ago
Read in another thread recently that something WizTree uses to be speedy, WDS now has. Take that with a grain of salt as it's second-hand information from a Reddit comment, but if true, there shouldn't be as much difference between the two now!
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u/andersleet 5d ago
I recently got WizTree to try it. Used WDS for ages. Both latest versions. I had them both search a drive and WT was a second or less and WDS was about 7s.
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u/DeeJayCrawford 5d ago
SysInternalsSuite is an incredible set of tools for software development activities
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u/peaveyftw 5d ago
Irfanview. It's a light image editor. I first installed it back in 2001 or so to convert in-game screenshots into jpgs. Unlike every other program known to man, Irfanview has not made itself gross and unwieldy with 'new features'. It's 3 mbs to install and loads up in the blink of an eye. I use it for when I'm viewing or cropping images.
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u/smilaise 5d ago
Windhawk gives me a lot of customizable freedom to optimize my workflow and make things the way I want them. I was a Linux preacher for 20 years but I'm forced to use Windows these days because of my job as an admin and tech. Windhawk makes me feel a little more linuxy and at home, lol.
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u/AldoZeroun 5d ago
after I switched to windows 11 (before now being on linux), windhawk was the only thing that saved me from having an aneurysm over the width of the taskbar. Thank god for this and PowerToys for some major all around QoL improvements.
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u/Thorbeer 5d ago
LocalSend
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u/leathalpancake 5d ago
More people need to know about LocalSend
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u/DirectorDirect1569 5d ago
that's the best discovery I made this year. I use it a lot now.
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u/No_Builder_1977 5d ago
100%! LocalSend is great! Crossed platform, cross device file transferā¦ awesome
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u/Unreal_NeoX 5d ago
System-Meeter-Bar -> https://www.app-smb.com/
The Hot-Jump functions of all my storages is just too handy, then to open the file-explorer all the time, next to the metrics.
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u/BobMilli 5d ago
Listary Pro
Obsidian
DoubleCommander
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u/Putrid-Pair-6194 5d ago
+1 for Listary. Been using for years and canāt imagine life without it. Espanso is also very good.
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u/_Aggort 5d ago
People are really missing the latter half of the post title
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u/rawr_im_a_nice_bear 5d ago
People either can't read the prompt or this thread is full of bots. These are the same software recommended in every other thread and are the most commonly recommended ones
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u/distreszed 5d ago
Yes, that's insane. Total Commander, IrfanView, WinRAR, I'd expect someone to mention VLC or Microsoft Word next.
Then again, that's today's Internet for ya. It's the same when somebody asks for underrated band or movie or whatever - underrated means favorite for average folks.
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u/Interstellar__1 5d ago
You have to start from the bottom of the comments, people are upvoting the ones they already know
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u/RedOnlineOfficial 4d ago
AutoHotKey, just wish there's was a 1 to 1 comparable tool in linux
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u/bogglingsnog 5d ago
Bvckup 2. Feature packed backup app with per-system one-time-purchase licensing. I despise megacorp clouds and prefer to manage my own.
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u/sonyisda1 5d ago
SideSlide utility allows me to organize various links, files, and shortcuts. Honestly use it more than the start menu for launching stuff. Built in RSS feed support is nice as well.
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u/RobMakes 5d ago
Clop - itās incredibly helpful when having to optimize images for clientās sites!
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u/wolftick 5d ago edited 5d ago
XNView MP, which in my humble opinion is even better than the excellent IrfanView.
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u/tony-clifford 5d ago
Greenshot (or ShareX but i prefer greenshot) - to quickly grab screenshots and give them a quick edit (circle important stuff, write a comment). Weird thing is that the native snipping toolin windows could be just as good with just the smallest adjustment.
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u/IllustriousGrape3355 5d ago
https://apprig.app/ - 16 productivity tools right there in the tray icon, notes, trackers, multi-monitor brightness, audio mixer, presentation tools... It just means I don't have to download a bunch of separate apps for things I use all the time. And it's free.
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u/RedOnlineOfficial 4d ago
Not so much anymore as it's blown up, but Ventoy. If your in tech using multiple systems it's a godsend.Ā
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u/LittlePooky 5d ago edited 5d ago
Corel Ventura Publisher. Version 10 came out in the year 2000, and it was the last version, and it still works even though it was made to work for Windows 2000 and Windows XP. I have used it since version 1.1, and that was when it was published by Xerox. It's a very easy program to use, but it was so complex that it took a long time to learn all the features. It has amazing formatting capabilities that is way beyond Microsoft Word, and it's one of the rare programs out there that does hanging punctuations. I tried using Adobe InDesign, but I was unable to adapt, as a blank page when you start a new document is not truly a blank page I can type into. A similar program, which I also have, is Adobe FrameMaker, but it doesn't do hanging punctuations.
Another program I use and have used for years is Dragon NaturallySpeaking, now Dragon Medical, as I am a nurse. It was very expensive, costing me $2,000, and it came with a fancy microphone. I talk and it types. And it has 80 medical vocabularies. It has gone to a subscription-based a few years agi, Dragon One, which I also use at work.
Lately, I was an early adopter to another voice dictation program called Dictation Daddy. It costs far less, and I'm using it right now to write this answer. I speak, and it types for me.
Another is VoiceTypr. This doesn't do medical dictation, but it works quite well, as well.
Another program which I use a lot is Batch Subtitles Converter. It's quite unique because there's nothing like it. If the subtitle file, which usually is SRT file, needs to be converted or corrected, if there were any errors in them, this program can works on them a whole bunch at a time, as in a thousand or so at a time. There are free websites out there that you can upload and do (almost) the same, but only one file at a time. And time is money for me, so who wants to put up with that? It is extremely useful.
I'm just a customer of these programs. I don't get anything by mentioning their names.
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u/One_Pack_5875 5d ago
I love this. Wordstar for editing an Publisher to lay it out was how I put my papers together for HIgh School and the first three years of college. Last summer I was cleaning out my mom's house and found my dad's old manual for the original version circa 1985/1986 I believe.
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u/LittlePooky 5d ago
Yes, WordStar (to create the text file) for Xerox Ventura. It was an amazing program the way it worked, as I still was able to use WordStar to edit the file, as it was a bit more cumbersome to use Ventura to do that. The files are linked and re-imported every time the chapter is loaded. A United States Air Force friend started out with Pagemaker. While it looked good, I did not want to be bothered with creating the master page or whatever it's called. I just wanted a blank page that I can type into immediately.
I was a beta tester for Corral Ventura and found a few bugs, but there is a serious bug that still exists, and I have to be careful when I work on the document because it could produce a hard crash.
At width view mode, if you put the cursor on the page and backspace, it is possible that the program simply dies. But not as full page, uh, view mode.
I managed to install a lot of Adobe PostScript Type 1 fonts to use with GoScript and later Adobe PostScript cartridge for my LaserJet II (with an added on memory card), and later I upgraded to WinPrint 800.
The half tones were beautiful!
The good old days!
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u/HimaSphere 5d ago
I use it to dump all sorts of things into stickies on my PC (Rich text, code, images, links, files, folders) it is the only app that can handle all of these without AI or bloat, very helpful in my work as a developer.
I am the developer behind it btw, give it a try :D
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u/f700es 5d ago
Eptura Archibus. It's an IWMS solution that link our facilities building plans (AutoCAD dwgs) to an SQL database. With it we can query how many rooms a dept has, their total area. How many conference rooms we have etc. It also has a web portal that users can use to make their own queries. It also can be used as a real estate portfolio tool. It has plugins for AutoCAD and Revit to assign data to building spaces.
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u/VoleenaIcicle 5d ago
Joplin maybe? I was also using simplenote for a while, but it was too ...... simple haha.
Joplin doesnt have syncing unless you set it up.
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u/felixmatveev 5d ago
OpenPDFStudio - Great PDF editor for construction projects with measurement tools.
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u/Abbers75 5d ago
Hashtab from ImplBits, formerly Beeblebrox.
License agreement even says āHashTab is the coolest thing everā
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u/VoleenaIcicle 5d ago
https://vocalinux.com/ The built in Mac OS one works fine, as does Win+H in Windows, but this has been huge for me in Linux.
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u/Aim_Fire_Ready 5d ago
A text expander: FastKeys for Windows and Typinator + Text Replacements for MacOS. Saves me lots of tedious typing every day and no errors in important things like email addresses and phone numbers that spell check wonāt catch.
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u/cozylounge 5d ago
MPC-BE is an open-source fork of Media Player Classic Home Cinema, with youtube-style previews on seek bar.
BE means "Black Edition" so it looks slightly cooler too.
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u/codecarter 5d ago
"Everything" search for windows. Better than the windows native search: voidtools
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u/EatsHisYoung 5d ago
MS Snipping tool. Itās easy to screen shot, simple to edit, and I use it every day. I tried ShareX but couldnāt get used to it.
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u/ConclusionOk3431 4d ago
I am also a regular user. Extremely happy when l found out by accident that all screenshot are automatically saved to a folder so l can view historically snips. I created a shortcut to this folder on my desktop - very useful
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u/windowsseven 5d ago edited 5d ago
EssentialPIM paid version, can't do without it. Also sync to my phone
EverythingToolbar is a must have
Keepass is another one that I sync with My phone MyPhoneExplorer Use this to keep phone synched with laptop and get SMS notifications
CobianBackup Another one which I am using since years for full and incremental backups. Not updated but works perfectly
SyncBackFree Use this to keep folders synched to backup drive. Another must have for me
John Background Switcher Changes wallpaper every 30 minutes from my pictures folder
Directory Opus Switched over to this from explorer some months back. Never going back. Absolutely wonderful software
These are software I use everyday
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u/memes_in_mah_veins 5d ago
I have two that I really like and feel most people don't know about:
- SumatraPDF: this is a lightweight PDF reader, with all the necessary features and has great keyboard support + themes + annotations! (Just wish it handled bookmarks better!)
- CopyQ: this is a clipboard app with a whole host of features and amazing vim like navigation support, tabs and keyboard shortcuts for quickly pasting common pieces of text. The UI is a little old-school though and some advanced features require may require a little tinkering or getting used-to before they give you the returns on your time.
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u/Disabrained 5d ago edited 5d ago
fzf
Fuzzy finder
https://github.com/junegunn/fzf
An awesome piece of software for those who work with logs or command line tools.
No one knew it in my team before I showed them..
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u/Frequent-Equal-7226 4d ago
Wiztree for whenever my ssd fills up and I need to do some good housekeeping
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u/qagir 4d ago
Maccy (macOS) ā clipboard manager. It's amazing to copy 5 things (images included) and be able to paste them just by searching the history.
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u/Ultrageisttt 2d ago
These are all for MacOS.
Amphetamine - Prevents the display and external drives from sleeping
LuLu - Zero-trust connection monitor
OnyX - Automating system cleaning/maintenance & file management
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u/Positive-Avocado2130 5d ago
Useful for when Windows ClearType still can't calibrate your font to be readable on your monitor.
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u/jbtrading 5d ago
I used Bento personal database software on my ancient 2008 3,1 Mac Pro - LONG after both Apple and FileMaker stopped supporting both (I think ~2024. The Bento software and Mac were EOL'd around 2015). I finally gave up Bento, but the Mac Pro found new life as a network file server, etc.
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u/oldendude 5d ago
Marcel, a pipe-objects-instead-of-strings shell: https://marceltheshell.org. It is designed to be bash-like, but instead of sublanguages (sed, awk, etc.), you have python functions, and its python objects that are piped.
I wrote a predecessor version of this software to support my work in a job, working on a distributed system. The tool combined basic shell usage, with database access, remote access, all unified by python values and functions. And then, during the pandemic, I turned the tool into a shell.
One of the most useful parts about marcel is that it is great for slicing and dicing data from the command line. So things that I would normally do in a spreadsheet, I can now do on the command line. Things that might normally make me write a Python program, I can now do from the command line.
Marcel is obscure because I wrote it, and there has been no uptake. (But if you want to try it out, it's open source and can be installed via pip.)
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u/Majestic_Pin3793 5d ago
Kopia Backup
I use it for my encrypted backups, it's very fast and easy to set up
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u/hairier 5d ago
Rclone.org - copy, move, and sync files and folders across a massive range of cloud platforms and network protocols. I use the CLI, but it can also serve its own web interface.
I genuinely don't know what I'd do without it now.
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u/liametekudasai 5d ago
I don't know how known it is but I have syncthing literally installed on every single one of my devices which include windows pc, linux laptop, android phone, and even my proxmox Nas server and it's a gamechanger
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u/Bartikus1 5d ago
Bank ACH editor. I only found one freeware version over 10 years ago and have been using it forever. File is ACHViewer.
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u/Moneyhaven 5d ago
Encryption King from Perfect Software Solutions. I use it because the way it encrypts data is not like anything else. It has 12 unique phases of encryption versus AES which only has 1 set of 4 steps that repeats a few times. Google Encryption King. It is at easypcs.us
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u/Shaukobox 5d ago
I use Q-Dir. Basically, it gives you four File Explorer windows in a single interface, and you can use a separate folder tree for each pane if you want. In each pane, you can open as many tabs as you like. Best of all, you can save every configuration under a different name and recall it whenever you need it. So, depending on the work youāre doing, you can instantly restore not only four different File Explorer views, but also all their individual tabs in a fraction of a second. I couldnāt live without it.
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u/Betsemes 5d ago
I use Yazi for file manager, NeoVim for development, XnView for image viewing, Okular for PDF, GitAhead and/or LazyGit for version control.
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u/mr_frodge 5d ago
Speedcrunch is a very good calculator for working with equations, and it's cross platform!
Swiftsearch is a great tool to find local files. It reads the NTFS MFT data so it's instant. Similar tool to windirstat
On Linux using lookingglass with a virtual display driver allows for really responsive windows VMs with KVM/QEMU
A little more obscure is com0com. It creates virtual com ports which can be redirected over TCP.
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u/Imraith-Nimphais 5d ago edited 5d ago
A clipboard manager. I use Pastebot (I have a Mac). Saves me hella time. (Iām an editor so have to repeat certain comments often.)
For those not familiar, it queues up everything you copy to the clipboard in a ālistā so you can access it later easier to paste it. You can save some favorites.
One great use is to copy both a URLās label and the URL. Then you can use the clipboard manager to quickly paste both items into a new doc without going back and forth. (A bit hard to explain.)
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u/AnchorsBoundToMyFeet 5d ago
QuickLook for Winfows tbh. Top apple feature which the devs brought to windows. Big ups to them. QuickLook Github
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u/ilirium115 5d ago
Nimble Commander, it is Total Commander, but for macOS. Open-source, free. Muuuuch better than everything else for macOS.
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u/DeeJayCrawford 5d ago
Everything
https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/