Software & Tools: Your Windows Replacements
Everything you used on Windows has a Linux equivalent — and most of them are completely free. Here's a curated list of the best options for everyday use.
How to Install Any of These
Most of these apps are available in the Software Manager (Menu → Administration → Software Manager). Just search by name and click Install. For anything not in the Software Manager, the table below includes installation notes.
Web Browsers
| App | Windows Equivalent | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox | Firefox | Pre-installed | Already on your system |
| Google Chrome | Google Chrome | See Part 3, Step 5 | Most familiar for Windows users |
| Brave | Edge / Chrome | Software Manager | Privacy-focused, blocks ads by default |
| Chromium | Chrome | Software Manager | Open-source version of Chrome |
Office & Productivity
| App | Windows Equivalent | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice Writer | Microsoft Word | Pre-installed | Opens .docx files |
| LibreOffice Calc | Microsoft Excel | Pre-installed | Opens .xlsx files |
| LibreOffice Impress | Microsoft PowerPoint | Pre-installed | Opens .pptx files |
| OnlyOffice | Microsoft Office | Software Manager | Better .docx compatibility than LibreOffice |
| Thunderbird | Outlook | Software Manager | Full-featured email client |
| Obsidian | OneNote | Download from obsidian.md | Markdown-based notes, very popular |
| GNOME Calendar | Windows Calendar | Software Manager | Simple calendar app |
Still Need Microsoft Office?
Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) runs in your web browser at office.com — no installation needed. If you have a Microsoft 365 subscription, you can use the full web versions of all Office apps from Linux.
Media & Entertainment
| App | Windows Equivalent | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLC | Windows Media Player | Software Manager | Plays virtually every video format |
| Rhythmbox | Windows Media Player (music) | Pre-installed | Music library manager |
| Spotify | Spotify | Software Manager (Flatpak) | Official Linux client available |
| Celluloid | Movies & TV | Software Manager | Clean, simple video player |
| Kdenlive | DaVinci Resolve / Premiere | Software Manager | Free professional video editor |
| Audacity | Audacity | Software Manager | Same app, works identically on Linux |
| OBS Studio | OBS Studio | Software Manager | Same app, works identically on Linux |
Photos & Graphics
| App | Windows Equivalent | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIMP | Photoshop | Software Manager | Powerful free image editor |
| Inkscape | Illustrator | Software Manager | Vector graphics editor |
| Shotwell | Photos app | Pre-installed | Photo library manager |
| Darktable | Lightroom | Software Manager | Professional RAW photo editor |
| Krita | Photoshop / Paint | Software Manager | Great for digital painting |
System & Utilities
| App | Windows Equivalent | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nemo | File Explorer | Pre-installed | Linux Mint's default file manager |
| Timeshift | System Restore | Pre-installed | Snapshot-based system backups |
| BleachBit | CCleaner | Software Manager | System cleaner and privacy tool |
| Gparted | Disk Management | Software Manager | Partition manager with GUI |
| Htop | Task Manager | Terminal: sudo apt install htop | Better than the default system monitor |
| Flameshot | Snipping Tool | Software Manager | Screenshot tool with annotation |
| KeePassXC | No equivalent | Software Manager | Password manager — highly recommended |
Gaming
| App | Purpose | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | Steam | Software Manager | Native Linux client, thousands of Linux games |
| Lutris | Game launcher | Software Manager | Runs Windows games via Wine/Proton |
| Heroic Games Launcher | Epic Games / GOG | Download from heroicgameslauncher.com | Runs Epic and GOG games on Linux |
| ProtonDB | Compatibility checker | protondb.com (website) | Check if your Steam games run on Linux |
Gaming Compatibility Note
Most Steam games work on Linux thanks to Valve's Proton compatibility layer. However, games with aggressive anti-cheat software (like Valorant, some EA titles) do not work on Linux. Check protondb.com before switching if gaming is important to you.
Communication
| App | Windows Equivalent | How to Install | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discord | Discord | Software Manager (Flatpak) | Official Linux client |
| Slack | Slack | Software Manager (Flatpak) | Official Linux client |
| Zoom | Zoom | Download from zoom.us | Official Linux client available |
| Microsoft Teams | Teams | Download from microsoft.com | Official Linux client available |
| Signal | Signal | signal.org/download | Official Linux client available |
💡 Quick Install Command for Common Apps
Copy and paste this into a terminal to install a useful set of apps all at once:
sudo apt install -y vlc gimp inkscape audacity obs-studio \
flameshot keepassxc htop bleachbit thunderbird