MakeUseOf: I replaced Lightroom with this free app and I only miss it a little. “So if you’re tired of spending hundreds of dollars, at the very least, to be able to edit a few photos, you’re using the wrong program. There’s a photo-editing app so good that it can easily replace Lightroom, and you give up only one thing in return.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/27/makeuseof-i-replaced-lightroom-with-this-free-app-and-i-only-miss-it-a-little/

MakeUseOf: I stopped using LM Studio once I found this open-source alternative. “The alternative that eventually ended up replacing LM Studio for me is Jan. It’s a desktop application that lets you run LLMs fully offline — much like LM Studio, but not only is it completely free, it’s also open-source, with all the source code being available on GitHub. There are no licensing surprises, no […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/04/21/makeuseof-i-stopped-using-lm-studio-once-i-found-this-open-source-alternative/

How-To Geek: I replaced Google Keep with this free open-source app (and never looked back). “Keep is one of Google’s better products. It has a great UI, and you can capture notes with just one tap. Despite using it for years, however, I have wanted an alternative. So why bother replacing it? I can give you two reasons and a free, open-source app that does what Keep can’t.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/29/how-to-geek-i-replaced-google-keep-with-this-free-open-source-app-and-never-looked-back/

MakeUseOf: I found a browser-based creative suite and it being open-source is only part of the appeal. “I have a love-hate relationship with creative software. The tools that are good enough to rely on professionally can cost a small fortune, and the free alternatives come with their own learning curve and drawbacks. That said, the fact that open-source alternatives for Adobe programs exist […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/03/26/makeuseof-i-found-a-browser-based-creative-suite-and-it-being-open-source-is-only-part-of-the-appeal/

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/