Essential Apps for Windows 10 Users

Even with Windows 11 making headlines in the enterprise and private user spaces, many Microsoft fans still do not want to deal with early adopter kinks. Poor resource optimization and old games and apps that might not work well with a new operating system are legitimate concerns for many people.

In this article, our tech experts will outline some of the apps you should get if you have a Windows 10 OS. We’ll discuss whether you would benefit from online gaming programs such as 918kiss or productivity boosters like Excel to make your Windows experience more likable.

We will prioritize free and open-source apps with no subscription models as most Windows users avoid the Apple ecosystem due to its higher costs.

VLC Media Player

VLC media player is free to download and has been a mainstay for many streamers, media professionals, and people who love enjoying their media offline. VLC is one of the first video, music, and content playback programs to rival the Windows Media Player, a pre-installed program that has come standard with the Windows OS starting in the XP era.

The makers of VLC are still providing periodic updates to their program, allowing it to keep up with ever-evolving media file formats that take up less disk space while requiring more computing power to run. VLC is one of the most popular playback programs worldwide, with over 4 billion free downloads from its inception in 1996 to the present day.

Spotify

Spotify is the most dominant music streaming platform worldwide, leaving rivals like Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube. The app has over 180 million active premium subscribers and more on its free plan. Spotify uses the freemium model, enabling people to stream music without paying a subscription fee.

Spotify turns the music listening experience into a social activity, allowing people to share their playlists and the tracks they like with friends, family, and even strangers on the internet.

Many listeners say they would not have found their favorite musical genre were it not for the app. Content creators use it to grow political, scientific, and entertainment-focused podcasts with short clips on the free plan. You can run Spotify on Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome or download the Windows version for a more personalized experience.

Netflix

Netflix was a video rental store in its early days, and most people did not think it would grow into the most widely used video streaming website it is today. Netflix has over 200 million subscribers and is one of the most profitable companies out of Silicon Valley. You can run it off a browser or download the app off the Windows store, which will allow you to enjoy a broad range of films and music videos without an internet connection.

Microsoft Office

According to research analysts, 70% of all employees from companies in the Fortune 500 list use at least one Microsoft Office program. PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and Publisher are responsible for bringing Microsoft to its market value of over $2 trillion. They are productivity-focused programs that allow you to create documents, flyers, spreadsheets, and business cards with only a few clicks and keystrokes.