Remember when you could purchase a program and own it, and you knew the price? Like the printed newspaper, this option is slowly disappearing. The trend of most software companies today is to have you rent your software on a monthly or yearly subscription basis. It is amazing and baffling how many programs or apps are out there today that do the same thing. Not ready to get on the monthly subscription bus for applications?
Here are some no-cost apps that really work!
- PDF24– I was struggling with the use of Adobe Acrobat DC in trying to combine .pdfs for company reports and to complete .pdf forms. The cost, at over $16 a month, was prohibitive for use. PDF24 has the same functions as Adobe Acrobat DC and there is no-cost! It is also intuitive and easy to use.
- Word processors, Spreadsheets, etc. – There are many bundled applications available, both on at monthly subscriptionrates and free. Thetwo no-cost apps that stand out in the crowd are: Google Docs/ Google G-Sheets and Apache Open Office. Both are entirely free and offer easy-to-use alternatives to paid programs of a similar nature.
- Task Management – There are many free task management programs, from simple to complex. In my businesses, I find them useful for tracking both my personal to do lists and projects where I have delegated tasks to other individuals. Two that stand out are: Asana and Meistertask. These two programs offer basic packages at no-cost, but also have paid versions which are more complex. They are intuitive and easy-to-use.
