In that location'due south a lot of free Windows software download sites, but are they safe? Every time y'all download something, there'due south a possibility that you're downloading malware or viruses. Sure, yous've got the best antivirus app, but in that location's no sense making information technology do work that it doesn't have to practise.

In this commodity, nosotros'll talk well-nigh how you tin can bank check whether a download is safe and we'll likewise mention a couple of our favorite sites to download gratis software for Windows.

Are Free Software Download Sites Condom?

In that location are only two ways to know if a download site is condom. You lot can check its reputation and you exam its downloads yourself.

There are businesses that rank how safe sites are. One of the about pop sites for this is WOT or Web of Trust. WOT rates sites based on community ratings, reviews, and their own auto learning algorithms. There are WOT plugins for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera browsers. If you lot take the plugin installed, you tin can check the download site.

You can also check the site earlier you go to it. Go to Virus Total and enter the web accost of the site. Information technology'll check with a bunch of other sites that track reputations and viruses and lets you lot know if the site is prophylactic.

That does non mean that what you download from the site has no malware or viruses. There are a couple of ways to exam the download.

  1. Utilise a sandboxed web browser similar Sandboxie to download it. In the sandboxed spider web browser, become to Virus Full and submit the download for testing.
  2. Download the program inside a virtual machine and test information technology there.

Prophylactic And Free Software Download Sites for Windows

To compile this list, nosotros researched the sites on WOT, VirusTotal, Norton Safe Web, URLVoid, and ScanURL. At the time of writing this, none of the download sites showed any problems on the website checkers.

FileHippo

On the spider web since 2004 and Alexa-ranked at 625, FileHippo is solid. FileHippo states that they manus-pick the software, and examination it for malware and viruses. They also don't permit software that bundles other software into it or browser toolbars. FileHippo currently has over 40,000 program versions listed.

Be careful if you practice a web search for FileHippo. There are a lot of sites out there with similar names and URLs.

Nirsoft

Nirsoft is a freeware utility site that was created and currently run by a guy named Nir Sofer. He'southward single-handedly written all of the software utilities that y'all see on the site.

Each utility is completely free and unremarkably very tiny in size. That'south because each utility is designed to perform one job and i task only. For example, some of the most pop utilities on the site are the password viewers, which will evidence you lot passwords stored on your computer, in your browser, etc.

Ninite

More than just a free software download site, Ninite is besides a package management arrangement. Using it as a package management system, Ninite tin be used to automate the installation of your favorite software and keep it up to date, with just ane click. This is likely the safest site on the list.

The number of gratuitous apps is limited. Information technology does cover most of the software that yous'd install first on a new computer though. Chrome, Firefox, 7-zip, iTunes, VLC, Malwarebytes are amongst the free downloads Ninite can provide and manage.

Softpedia

Even older than FileHippo, Softpedia has been a software download staple since 2001. Softpedia hosts a lot of free downloads on their own concrete servers. That means they have even more to gain from making sure the apps are rubber. That's a lot of piece of work when they take over 1.ii million apps, drivers, and games available.

Download Crew

Offer some of the most well-known Windows freeware in an easy to read, easy to search site, Download Crew should be on your list. Download Crew has been around for over 10 years, boasts almost 300,000 members, and over 33 one thousand thousand downloads.

Its sister site is Download Crew Store, where you can get securely discounted proprietary software. Between the two you'll get all you lot need as cheaply as possible.

File Horse

When it comes to free software download sites, it's hard to tell them apart. They all practice the same affair. They all offer downloads. What might set File Horse apart is that they also go on archives of previous versions of the software.

So if an update to your favorite app makes an unwanted change, you lot could download the older version here and roll it back. File Horse also curates a directory of complimentary cloud apps.

Major Geeks

Don't permit the early-2000's design fool you. Major Geeks is a legitimate free software download site. Founded in 2001, Major Geeks built a reputation by being one of the get-go to test all the software they offer.

First, they cheque the reputation of the visitor and software, then they scan it with several virus scanners, including VirusTotal. If it makes it past that, Major Geeks actually installs the software on their ain VMWare Workstation to exam the functionality. If it meets their standards, and so the software gets listed. This thoroughness warrants their military-mode theme.

Microsoft Shop

Partly a website and partly an app that'southward probably already on your computer, Microsoft Store does have a lot of good freeware. Beingness Microsoft, at that place's already a reputation in place and y'all'd like to think they're hosting prophylactic software.

Some of them are from the big names you already know, similar Netflix, Apple, and, of class, Microsoft. Some are made past smaller development teams but tin can be very useful. Non all apps are free. There are thousands that are and information technology's like shooting fish in a barrel to find them. Merely search on 'gratis'.

Beyond that, you lot should also check out the cracking Sysinternals tools that used to exist a separate site, just Microsoft purchased. The tools are still updated, simply are geared more towards geeks.

Anymore Good Gratuitous Software Sites?

There are a few more proficient safe gratis software sites, simply if you tin can't find what you demand on the sites above, then they're non going to assist much. Over time, you'll become to know the sites you like that have the software you need.

Remember to always check the downloaded file with your antivirus app or through Virus Total. If possible, exam the program installation in a virtual machine or sandboxed surroundings.