MakeUseOf: 7 creative tools that are completely free (and professionals actually use). “When you need some capable design suites, development tools, and editing software, it’s easy to assume that serious work requires some serious spending. Many beginners and enthusiasts end up spending hundreds of dollars, without even knowing that even professionals rely on completely free tools for their […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/06/makeuseof-7-creative-tools-that-are-completely-free-and-professionals-actually-use/

TechSpot: Discord’s age-check crackdown is already pushing users elsewhere. “In the week following Discord’s announcement, public sentiment turned sharply against the policy. Search interest in ‘Discord alternatives’ surged by roughly 10,000% in the US, eclipsing typical volume from the past month. Queries for ‘Delete Discord’ doubled in the same period, signaling that the company’s privacy […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/16/techspot-discords-age-check-crackdown-is-already-pushing-users-elsewhere/

MakeUseOf: This free app does what Photoshop does for most people. “If you are like me, you probably pay for Photoshop but only use between 40 and 50 percent of its features. It’s a powerful tool, but if it’s not the center of your professional life, the price tag may not justify how much you are actually getting out of it. So, I went on the hunt for a Photoshop alternative that would not […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/15/makeuseof-this-free-app-does-what-photoshop-does-for-most-people/

ZDNet: I tried a Claude Code alternative that’s local, open source, and completely free – how it works. “This is the first of three articles that will discuss the integration of Goose (the agent framework), Ollama (an LLM server), and Qwen3-coder (the LLM). In this article, I’ll show you how to get everything working. In the next article, I’ll give you a more in-depth understanding of the roles […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/03/zdnet-i-tried-a-claude-code-alternative-thats-local-open-source-and-completely-free-how-it-works/

Tubefilter: UpScrolled wants to be a more open version of TikTok. Can it sustain its current momentum?. “The app hit #1 on the U.S. download charts while taking its user base above one million. Only a few weeks prior, UpScrolled had been sitting at about 40,000 users. The sudden increase in activity has been big enough to temporarily take down UpScrolled’s servers, though the app has pledged […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/02/tubefilter-upscrolled-wants-to-be-a-more-open-version-of-tiktok-can-it-sustain-its-current-momentum/

Android Authority: Here are 5 privacy-focused alternatives to popular Google apps. “Google has a vast array of apps available, and I don’t want to make this post too long by listing an alternative for every single one of them. Instead, I’ll focus on alternatives to five popular Google apps most people are familiar with and serve as the perfect starting point for those trying to move away […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/01/android-authority-here-are-5-privacy-focused-alternatives-to-popular-google-apps/

Mashable: TikTok users flock to UpScrolled in response to new U.S. owners. “TikTok competitor UpScrolled has surged up Apple’s App Store rankings after users began turning to the new platform en masse. According to social media sentiment, many are on the hunt for alternatives to TikTok after new U.S. owners were officially instated this week, with expected algorithm changes raising questions […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/01/31/mashable-tiktok-users-flock-to-upscrolled-in-response-to-new-u-s-owners/

MakeUseOf: I rebuilt my Windows setup using only free open-source apps. “I decided to rebuild my Windows setup using only free open-source apps. The goal wasn’t simply to find Microsoft 365 alternatives. I was building a different system and trying to break free from the Microsoft ecosystem to whatever extent possible, while still using Windows 11.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/01/23/makeuseof-i-rebuilt-my-windows-setup-using-only-free-open-source-apps/

Lifehacker: Microsoft Is Finally Retiring Its Free Scanner App (but There Are Alternatives). “Keen observers have known about this since August, when Microsoft first announced that Lens would be retired in September and removed from app stores in November. That obviously didn’t happen, as the company adjusted the deadline to Dec. 15, which also came and went. Microsoft kicked the retirement can […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/01/15/lifehacker-microsoft-is-finally-retiring-its-free-scanner-app-but-there-are-alternatives/

MakeUseOf: I tested 5 major Google Maps alternatives — this is the one I’m keeping. “Over several months, I relied entirely on five popular navigation apps—Sygic, Magic Earth, OsmAnd, HERE WeGo, and Waze [Waze?] —for everything from urban navigation to foreign city breaks and far-flung motorcycle trips off the beaten track. After plenty of traffic jams, reroutes, and signal drops, some […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/12/26/makeuseof-i-tested-5-major-google-maps-alternatives-this-is-the-one-im-keeping/