I have been collecting free resources I come across! Know of one not listed? Please share it for everyone 😊
Note: While I have tried most of these, I have not tried all of them. Please do some research before downloading anything.
📸Photo Editing and Digital Art:
💻 Programs:
- Krita: Open source free program
- Light Brush: a web-based drawing program
- Kolourpaint: a free, easy-to-use paint program for KDE (Added to the list by @ExtravagantEnzyme@lemm.ee ))
- PhotoPea: online (no download) alternative to photoshop
- GIMP: photoshop alternative program
- Blender: pro-level 3D creation software
- OpenToonz: animation
- Inkscape: Free open-sourced program for Vector format files
- Vectr: Create and export vector graphics as SVG or PNG files.
- Polotno Studio: Free Canva alternative
- Free Cad Free version of AutoCAD
- Seamly2D: A program for creating fabric patterns
Character Posers:
- PoseMy.Art: a free character poser
- Referenceangle.com: You can move a head in any angle
- JustSketchMe: Character poser (Free limited version)
Other:
- Wildlife Reference Photos
- Floor Plan Creator: design a floor plan, then view it in 3D
- x6ud.github.io: Skull poser
- Character Design References: it has an overwhelming huge list of references for drawing
- Kibbitzer: Draws references poses and images
- toshi: Draws references poses and images
🎨 Palettes:
💬Fonts:
- FreeTypography: Free fonts for commercial use
- Creative Fabrica: Free fonts for commercial use (sign-up required. Click “Menu,” then “Freebies.”)
- Font Base: Free program made to organize and preview fonts (for graphic design)
📽️Video
- OBS Studio: a free program for livestreamers
- Shotcut: video editor
- VSDC video editor
- DaVinci Resolve: video editor with a generous free version (added by @sylphrin@sh.itjust.works )
🎙️Audio/Recordings/Podcasts:
- Audacity: Audio editor
- Craig: a bot for discord that lets you record audio conversations (not sneakily, publicly) for podcasts. It even splits everyone into separate audio files for easier edits.
📖Documents and Writing
- Okular: Free PDF editor
- LibreOffice: Microsoft office alternative
- OpenOffice: Microsoft office alternative
- yWriter: novel writing software
- NovelWriter: novel writing program (added by @ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net )
- Wavemaker Cards: recipe-card style note taker (added by @ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net )
- Timeline: free visual timeline software
- Highland 2: software for screenwriters
- Slugline: software for screenwriters
- Fantasia Archive: a program made for sorting DnD notes and worldbuilding, but helpful for writers too
- Standard Notes: a free, secure note-taking app with powerful end-to-end encryption, unparalleled privacy features, and seamless cross-platform syncing on unlimited devices. (Added to the list by @ExtravagantEnzyme@lemm.ee ))
- Language Tool: Open-source spelling and grammar checker
- cherrytree A hierarchical note taking application (added by @ProdigalFrog@slrpnk.net )
🖥️Website Building/Coding/Programing
- Kodezi: coding auto-corrector
- Builder - Drag and drop page builder and CMS.
- ColorBox: Create a color pallet, and get the color codes
- Online HTML Editor: Free, online, and basic
- AppInventor: Drag-And-Drop app creator
- Codecademy: Learn code
- SwipeWell: examples of other website designs for inspiration
Misc
- Etymology Dictionary: History and meanings of words
- Marginalia: search engine that focuses on non-commercial content
- Text-To-Speech: Chrome Extension for hearing text spoken and seeing it highlighted
- Dictation: will transcribe audio
- FreeLearningList: several lists of websites where you can learn for free
- TinyWow: A website with several different useful tools; such as converting file types, photo editing, and more.
- Omni Calculator: This website has several different calculators/generators; including a solar setup calculator (tells you how many panels you need), constructions calculators (such as telling you how many sheets of drywall you will need) and more.
- Food Swap Network: share homemade, homegrown, or foraged foods with each other.
- Freegle: A free app for either giving away items you no longer want, or finding ones you need.
- Dimensions: Need to know the average size of something? This website can show you the standard measurements and sizes of many different things.
- Gramps: Free family tree and research program
- Frappe Books: Accounting Software
- iFixit: Look up the repair guides for many different common items
- Repair Clinic: Enter the model or part number, or problem, and it will help walk you through repairing the exact item you have.
DIY Builds:
- Awesome Social Robots: How to build a robot companion
- Open-Sourced DIY prosthetic leg: “With an ever-increasing availability of new technologies, we created an affordable bionic leg that is accessible to everyone.”
- DIY Open electric drive kit for wheelchairs - alpha v “The present page is a follow-up project done by a group of 3rd year students from Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Imperial College where they built a first prototype of an electric wheelchair that will be the basis for future development of an open kit to build electric wheelchairs for cheap. The idea is to keep information open and make the system suitable to use off-the-shelf components.”
- DIY Talking Smart Glass for the Blind “A pair of talking smart glass, intended to help the visually impaired.”
- DIY Solar Powered WiFi Weather Station V3.0 "An Open Source Solar-Powered Weather Station to monitor Temperature, Humidity, Air Pressure, Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Rainfall, UV Index, and Lux Level”
📺Media and Entertainment
- Tubi online streaming platform with ads
- VLC: a media player that can play pretty much anything
- inoreader: RSS reader so you can follow your fav websites without ads.
- Calibre: ebook management
- Playnite: Video game manager
- Kodi: Video media manager
Free Books (Legal):
- Internet Archive
- Project Gutenberg
- Google Books
- Open Library
- Electric Scotland (Scottish books)
- Sacred Texts
- National Library of Scotland: Ossain Collection
- Forgotten Books
- Hathitrust
🖼️Public Domain Art
Once something reaches a certain age, it can fall under public domain. This includes classical art (like the Mona Lisa). If they are public domain, you can use them for commercial use or marketing.
- Wikimedia Commons: check the copyright before using any images. There are some public domain, and some creative commons works.
- Artvee
- National Gallery of Art Open Data Program
- Open Access at The Met
- NASA
- The Public Review
- Rijksstudio
- The Hermitage
🌎 Environmental Protection DIY Plans:
- Senso: “Senso is a device that detects deforestation using sound analysis detecting machines used to cut down trees and warning the authorities”
- Project Eel: “Monitoring river water quality based on open-design multi-parameter sonde, built along with QuickFeather and SensiML service.”
- Stream Research: “Data is power, and with sufficient data we can approach our respective municipalities, and provide them with all the information they need to seek or allocate funding for the preservation and conservation of our natural waterways.”
- Droncoria: Dronecoria develops Open Source biotechnological tools and knowledge. Enabling large-scale, low-cost environmental restorations through sowing drones and seed enhancement.
No problem! I am happy to share them 😊