Staying in touch
3 programsThunderbird
An email program for your computer. Sorts mail from all your accounts into one place.
Why it suits you: big buttons, plain menus, no advertising inside your inbox.
thunderbird.netSignal
Free messaging and voice or video calls on your phone. Messages are private.
Why it suits you: works like ordinary texting, and calls cost nothing, even abroad.
signal.orgJitsi Meet
Video calls with family, right in the web browser. No account and nothing to install.
Why it suits you: share one link, and everyone joins. No password to remember.
meet.jit.siReading and learning
3 programsCalibre
A library for your electronic books on the computer. It reads any book format.
Why it suits you: you can make the letters bigger than in most reading apps.
calibre-ebook.comWikipedia
The free encyclopedia, written by volunteers in hundreds of languages.
Why it suits you: no adverts, and every article is free to read forever.
wikipedia.orgAnki
A memory practice program. It shows you a fact just before you would forget it.
Why it suits you: popular for languages, history, and keeping the mind active.
apps.ankiweb.netPhotos, music and memories
3 programsShotwell
Organise the photos from your camera. Sort by date, place, or the people in them.
Why it suits you: simple one-click fixes for dark or crooked photos.
shotwell-project.orgVLC
Plays music and films of any kind, on the computer or the phone.
Why it suits you: if a file will not open anywhere else, VLC opens it.
videolan.orgJoplin
A private notebook for the computer and phone. Notes, lists, and scanned documents.
Why it suits you: your notes stay yours, and can be searched in plain words.
joplinapp.orgMoney and paperwork
2 programsHomeBank
Keep track of what comes in and what goes out each month, on your own computer.
Why it suits you: clear charts, and nothing is sent to any company.
homebank.free.frKeePassXC
One locked notebook that remembers all your passwords for you.
Why it suits you: you only ever need to remember one strong password.
keepassxc.orgUsing the internet safely
2 programsFirefox
A web browser made by a nonprofit. Zoom in as far as you like and the page stays tidy.
Why it suits you: easy reader mode strips pages down to plain, large text.
mozilla.org/firefoxuBlock Origin
A small add-on for Firefox that removes adverts and pop-ups from web pages.
Why it suits you: fewer scams and fewer flashing boxes to click by mistake.
ublockorigin.comFun and puzzles
2 programsLichess
Play chess against friends or the computer, or watch games, free of charge.
Why it suits you: no account needed, and you can take back a move while practising.
lichess.orgPuzzle Collection (Simon Tatham)
Nearly forty small puzzle games: solitaire tiles, mazes, mines, and more.
Why it suits you: each game is one screen, with nothing to learn beyond the rules.
puzzle collectionWriting and memoirs
2 programsLibreOffice Writer
A full word processor, free of charge. Opens and saves Word documents too.
Why it suits you: no subscription, and letters print exactly as you laid them out.
libreoffice.orgFocusWriter
A quiet screen for writing long pieces, with everything else hidden away.
Why it suits you: good for memoirs and family histories, one chapter at a time.
gottcode.org/focuswriterA note on "free"
Every program here is open source: its instructions are public, so anyone can check what it does. That means no hidden tracking, no adverts, and no price that suddenly goes up. If a program asks you to pay, you are on the wrong website: come back here and use the link above.