6 popular programs that can be abandoned in favor of free counterparts

Many users don’t notice how subscriptions to familiar software gradually turn into a regular expense, with some features going unused. But today there are many free solutions that can replace even flagship paid products. Some of them not only offer the same features, but also more flexibility, independence, and security.

There are six examples where paid programs have given way to powerful free alternatives-without sacrificing convenience or efficiency.

Photopea instead of Adobe

Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are recognized leaders in photo processing. However, a subscription to Adobe Photography Plan can be unreasonably expensive for those who use the editors only occasionally. A great alternative is Photopea Photopea a free web application that visually and functionally resembles Photoshop.

Photopea supports PSD files, layers, masks, adjustment layers, filters and more. The interface is intuitive and you can run it directly in your browser, without installation.

Google Workspace instead of Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 offers powerful office tools, but constant price increases and the integration of extra features like Copilot make a subscription less and less attractive. As a replacement, Google Workspace is a great option: Docs, Sheets, and Slides cover most users’ needs.

Microsoft 365 offers powerful office tools, but constant price increases and the integration of additional features like Copilot make a subscription less and less attractive.

The key benefit is easy real-time collaboration, access from any device, and no document versioning hassles.

Plaky instead of Trello

Trello is one of the most popular tools for task management, especially in a kanban board format. However, as projects grow, a more flexible solution may be needed. That’s what

Plaky offers multiple display modes, activity tracking, customizable fields, and analytics. The free plan includes unlimited workspaces, boards, and tasks.

Bitwarden instead of 1Password

1Password is a strong password manager, but subscribing to it may not be necessary, especially with its open-source counterpart – Bitwarden. It is a free and completely open-source password manager with many features: password generation, record categories, synchronization, cross-platform and self-hosted data.

Bitwarden offers a high level of security and ease of use – without having to pay every month.

Microsoft To Do instead of Todoist

Todoist has long been considered the benchmark among task management apps. However, its paid model is not suitable for everyone. As an alternative, you can use Microsoft To Do -a modern scheduler with list support, Outlook integration, My Day feature, and the ability to create tasks using natural language.

Obsidian instead of Evernote

Evernote has long been the standard in digital note-taking, but as subscription costs rose, many began looking for more independent solutions. One of the best was Obsidian -a powerful knowledge storage tool based on Markdown and local data storage.

Obsidian Obsidian is a powerful knowledge storage tool based on Markdown and local data storage.

Obsidian offers flexibility, privacy, and a rich ecosystem of plugins. You can use it to create personal knowledge bases, keep diaries, design interconnected notes, and more – without being tied to a cloud service or paid subscription.

Savings without compromise

Program subscriptions like Adobe, Microsoft, Todoist, Evernote and others have become a familiar part of the digital environment, but they’re often redundant and expensive choices. Today’s free alternatives offer powerful functionality just as good as their paid counterparts.

And today’s free alternatives offer the same functionality as their paid counterparts.

Moving to these solutions can reduce costs, maintain control of your data, and still maintain productivity. If your digital spend has become too noticeable, it may be time to rethink the software you’re using and explore new possibilities.