9 Free Windows Apps Reviewed: Cross-Platform Support, Free Plan Limits and Key Caveats

This piece goes through each app and says what the vendors' own documentation backs up. It also flags a few places where the list needs a footnote. Bott's workflow preferences and his comparisons with competing products are his opinions. They aren't benchmarks.

The short version​

1. UniGetUI: one window for many package managers​

Bott describes UniGetUI as a point-and-click layer over WinGet and other package managers. He says it has changed how he installs, updates and removes software.

The project's README describes it as a Windows-first GUI. It has cross-platform builds for macOS and Linux. It also lists a long set of supported managers, including WinGet, Scoop, Chocolatey, Homebrew, APT, DNF, Pacman, Flatpak, Snap, pip and npm. The project says it is free, open source and MIT-licensed, and that Devolutions now maintains it after acquiring it in March 2026.

One caveat matters. The roundup suggests you don't have to worry about tampered downloads. The project's own disclaimer is more cautious. Packages come from third parties and can in theory be compromised, whichever manager supplies them. The README advises reviewing sources and publishers before you install.

A GUI makes installs convenient. It does not vouch for every package. Stick to well-known publishers, and use the project's official site and repository only. The README warns that other sites should be treated as unofficial.

The README also lists features beyond installing. These include scheduled update checks, backups of your package list, and export and import for setting up a new PC. That makes it a reasonable new-PC tool.

2. Proton Pass: a generous free tier, with limits​

Bott switched to Proton Pass this year after years with 1Password, and he says the move was painless. He says the free tier supports unlimited credentials and syncable passkeys.

Proton's support documentation confirms the headline numbers. The free plan includes unlimited logins and notes, unlimited devices, 2 vaults and 10 hide-my-email aliases. The paid plans (Pass Plus, Unlimited or Business) raise the vault count to 50 and offer unlimited aliases. They also add an integrated 2FA authenticator and the Pass Monitor tool. Pass Monitor flags exposed credentials, weak or reused passwords, and missing two-factor authentication.

So "free is good enough" is fair for most people. If you lean on many separate vaults or email aliases, you will hit the ceiling. The encryption claims are Proton's own. The sources checked here don't include an independent audit.

Proton's guide also covers the browser extension. It works on Chromium-based browsers such as Edge, though Edge users have to allow extensions from other stores first.

3. Obsidian: Markdown first, Word when needed​

Bott now does most of his writing in Obsidian and has moved his research notes there from OneNote. He still uses Word for big projects like books.

Obsidian is not open source, and he says so. He describes a plugin ecosystem with thousands of community plugins. He also says the app itself is free with no limits, and that he pays $8 a month, billed annually, for optional sync. He says that covers up to 10 vaults and 10 GB across devices, with encryption and 12 months of revision history. Those figures come from his own account. Check Obsidian's pricing page before you budget, because plans change.

Markdown notes are plain text files. That makes them easy to back up, search and move between tools, and it is a practical argument for the approach. Whether it beats Word depends on your work.

4. Microsoft Edge: Tracking Prevention and Workspaces​

Bott prefers Edge to Chrome for three reasons: Tracking Prevention, vertical tabs and Workspaces. He says Tracking Prevention blocks a fair amount of tracking and works as an effective ad blocker. He cites the EFF's Cover Your Tracks test as confirmation.

Treat that as one writer's test result, not proof that Edge blocks all ads or tracking. His comparisons with Chrome, such as vertical tabs being easier to use in Edge, are also his judgment. A dedicated content blocker may still do more.

As a practical point, Edge runs Chromium extensions. Proton's guide says Chrome Web Store extensions can be installed on Edge, which helps if you want to pair Edge with Proton Pass.

5. Tailscale: your own exit node​

Bott uses Tailscale on his home machines, laptop and phones. He also runs it on an always-on Apple TV set up as an exit node. Turning that on routes all his traffic through home, which he likens to a VPN without a third-party provider.

Tailscale's pricing page shows the Personal plan at $0, free forever, and the roundup puts it at up to six users with unlimited devices. The page says Personal is meant for non-commercial use. It also says a tailnet created with a public-domain account (Gmail, Apple, a personal GitHub account) is treated as personal use and put on the free plan. A custom domain counts as business use and starts a 14-day Enterprise trial.

Caveats:

• If you use it for work, check which plan you're on.
• An exit node only helps while the device hosting it is on, online and configured.
• Whether a streaming or banking site accepts traffic from your home connection is that site's decision, not Tailscale's.

6. PowerToys: a growing toolbox​

Bott calls PowerToys a full-fledged open-source project. His favorites are Keyboard Manager (he turns off Caps Lock), Awake, Advanced Paste and PowerRename.

Microsoft Learn describes PowerToys as a set of free, open-source utilities for power users and developers. The page was last updated on 2026-10-14. It lists a long set of tools, including FancyZones, File Locksmith, Mouse Without Borders, Registry Preview, Text Extractor, ZoomIt, Workspaces and Command Palette. It also lists a "Command Not Found" module for PowerShell 7 that suggests WinGet packages when a command fails.

Bott says the current version has more than 30 tools. Microsoft's list is long enough to be consistent with that, but the set keeps changing, so treat any exact count as temporary. His four examples match tools Microsoft documents.

7. PowerShell 7: install it, but don't delete the old one​

Bott says anyone serious about managing Windows 11 should install PowerShell 7. He says that outside enterprises with old script libraries you'll never use Windows PowerShell again.

Microsoft's migration guide agrees on the basics. PowerShell 7 installs and runs side by side with Windows PowerShell 5.1, so it doesn't replace it. The new shell:

• uses a separate install path, $Env:ProgramFiles\PowerShell\7
• is launched as pwsh.exe, while the old one remains powershell.exe
• keeps separate profiles and event logs
• adds language features such as ternary operators and ForEach-Object -Parallel
• supports SSH-based remoting
• is built on .NET 8.0 in version 7.4, while 5.1 uses .NET Framework 4.x

Microsoft also says most Windows PowerShell 5.1 modules already work in PowerShell 7, including Azure PowerShell and Active Directory. It says work continues on others such as Microsoft Graph and Office 365. For incompatible modules, Import-Module has a UseWindowsPowerShell switch.

That makes "you'll never use the old one" too strong for admins. Test your scripts and modules in 7 first. The documentation says .NET differences can change script behavior, especially if you call .NET methods directly. The ZIP package is the easiest way to test without a full install. The MSI package needs administrator permission.

Microsoft also notes that the PowerShell ISE only supports Windows PowerShell. For PowerShell 7 it recommends Visual Studio Code with the PowerShell extension, which includes an ISE-style layout.

8. Windows App: confusing name, changing status​

Bott likes the Windows App for RDP sessions. He says it saves each connection as a tile and feels fast. He also says it can pass local WebAuthn credentials such as a hardware key or Windows Hello into a remote session. I could not confirm the latency and WebAuthn claims, so they are his experience.

The remote-PC status is where the story gets interesting, because the sources disagree and the picture has changed:

• Microsoft's Learn documentation still described remote-PC connections on Windows as a preview. It recommended the built-in Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc) for a generally available option.
• Neowin reports that Remote PC connections, earlier in preview, have now hit general availability (GA) status. Windows Central reports the same change.
• 4sysops notes the Learn footnote seems out of date. Its author thinks the footnote is probably outdated, though Microsoft hasn't corrected it.
• WindowsForum's own coverage says RDS-heavy organizations should keep mstsc or the Remote Desktop client until Windows App supports Remote Desktop Services.

So Bott's recommendation fits the latest reporting. If you need a GA label for compliance, check Microsoft's current documentation before you commit.

To add a remote PC, per Windows Central's summary of Microsoft's steps:

1. Make sure Remote Desktop is enabled on the PC you want to reach.
2. Install or update Windows App from the Microsoft Store.
3. Open the app and select Add a Remote PC, or the Add button.
4. Enter the PC name or IP address.
5. Select Add or Add and Connect.

A third-party guide adds that the target PC must run Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education, or a supported Windows Server edition. Windows Home can act as the client but can't host ordinary incoming Remote Desktop sessions. That guide also says to use a VPN or Remote Desktop Gateway rather than exposing port 3389 to the internet. Tailscale, covered above, is one way to reach a home PC without opening that port.

Other points from Microsoft's documentation:

• Windows App can't sign in with a personal Microsoft account for the Azure Virtual Desktop, Windows 365 and Dev Box scenarios.
• The older Store Remote Desktop app is retired. Microsoft's earlier notice said connections to Windows 365, Azure Virtual Desktop and Dev Box through it would be blocked from September 30, 2025. Remote Desktop Services and direct PC connections weren't covered by that block.

9. VLC: still the safe default​

VLC needs little explaining. VideoLAN describes it as a free, open-source, cross-platform player. Its official Windows page lists version 3.0.24 and offers installers for 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64, plus MSI and archive packages. VideoLAN says it runs on Windows XP SP3 through Windows 11. The wording on the page is "plays most multimedia files". That is safer than Bott's claim that it plays nearly any file.

Bott advises installing the full Windows package rather than the limited UWP version from the Store. I couldn't verify the Store details independently, so treat that as his advice. His WinGet one-liner is winget install videolan.vlc. It is also a handy way to test UniGetUI's package view, since apps installed that way appear there.

What readers should take away​

• Cross-platform count: Bott says six of the nine are cross-platform. The headline says eight work on Mac and Linux. By the platform lists in the entries, only PowerToys is Windows-only. Windows App skips Linux, and Edge is listed for Linux but not iOS-only. Check the platform you need before you rely on the headline number.
• Free has limits: Proton Pass caps vaults and aliases on the free tier. Obsidian charges for sync and publish. Tailscale's free plan is for personal use.
• Convenience isn't verification: UniGetUI makes installs simple, but the maintainers still tell you to check publishers.
• Don't uninstall the old tools: PowerShell 5.1 and mstsc both still have jobs.

The list is Bott's own, and the items are mainstream, well-documented tools. What I can't check is whether his workflow suits yours. For a new PC, UniGetUI, PowerToys and PowerShell 7 are a sensible starting kit, and it's worth confirming the details above for the rest.