Windows 11 comes with some good preinstalled apps. Whereas some of the other built-in apps from Microsoft are, let’s say, less impressive. So, over the years, I have replaced built-in apps like Snipping Tool, Windows Search, the clipboard manager, and a few others with better open-source apps.
Some of these open-source apps are so good, I’d happily pay for them—for example, VirtualBox, OBS, Nextcloud, Docker, and Jellyfin. However, there’s another set of open-source apps that solve everyday problems and are so good that Microsoft should build them into Windows.
QuickLook
Quick macOS-like previews
If you’ve ever used a Mac, you know how convenient it is to press the Spacebar on any file and instantly see a preview. On Windows, you have to open files in their associated applications just to check if it’s the right document. I work with documents and images all day long, so it’s more than just a minor annoyance.
QuickLook brings that macOS functionality to Windows. Select any file in File Explorer and tap the Spacebar to see an instant preview without launching any application. It supports images, videos, PDFs, Office documents, and dozens of other file types through plugins.
Now, instead of opening Markdown files in a web browser or VS Code, or launching Photos to preview images, I get an instant look at the contents. QuickLook adds a quality-of-life feature for anyone working with a lot of text and image files throughout the day.
- OS
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Windpows
- Pricing model
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Free
QuickLook is a free, open-source Windows utility that brings macOS-style spacebar previews, letting you instantly view images, videos, documents, and more from File Explorer without opening their full applications.
ShareX
The best screenshot tool for Windows
Windows 11’s Snipping Tool is decent. It can capture screenshots, record your screen, and even extract text from images. For basic needs, it gets the job done. But if you take screenshots regularly and need to edit them, ShareX is the ultimate screenshot tool for Windows.
For my workflow, the two standout features of ShareX are its screenshot history and editor. Every screenshot gets saved to a folder sorted by month, and they all show up in a preview window. So when I need that screenshot from three days ago or a month ago, it’s all there. However, it’s the image editor that makes it such an easy recommendation. It handles annotations, blurring sensitive information, and adding arrows or text. There’s even a smart eraser that matches background colors instead of leaving ugly boxes. ShareX also supports screen recording, GIF creation, and automated workflows.
- OS
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Windows
- Developer
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ShareX
ShareX is a free and open-source screen capture and recording tool for Windows that allows users to capture or record any area of their screen, annotate images, and easily share files to over 80 destinations.
LocalSend
Faster and more reliable than Quick Share
Windows has a built-in Quick Share feature for transferring files between devices. In theory, it’s handy. In practice, it’s unreliable. Devices don’t always discover each other, transfers fail randomly, and sometimes it just doesn’t work at all.
LocalSend is an open-source file transfer app that I use extensively to transfer images from my phone to my PC, and it hasn’t failed me yet. It uses your local network to transfer files between devices instantly, and works across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS. Install the app on both devices, and they find each other automatically.
Ditto
Unlimited clipboard history
Ditto is among the Windows utilities that go on every machine I set up. Windows 11 has a built-in clipboard history (Win + V), but it only stores the last 25 items and clears everything when you restart your PC.
Ditto removes these limitations entirely. It can store thousands of clipboard items that persist across reboots. I have mine set to keep 500 entries, which is more than enough for my workflow. The search feature lets you filter through your history instantly, and you can organize frequently used items into groups.
The keyboard shortcut (Ctrl + Backtick by default) feels more natural than Win + V. You can also edit clips before pasting them, which is useful when you need to slightly tweak the copied text. It’s a simple upgrade that makes the clipboard useful for heavy copy-paste workflows.
- OS
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Windows
- Developer
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Scott Brogden
Ditto is a free, open-source Windows clipboard manager that stores thousands of clipboard items, lets you search and organize them, and keeps your history persistent across reboots for faster copy-paste workflows.
Flow Launcher
Another macOS-inspired feature I always wanted to see Windows implement is Spotlight. Flow Launcher brings that to Windows and then some. Press Alt + Space, and a search bar appears that can launch apps, find files, run calculations, and execute system commands.
The killer feature, however, is its integration with Everything Search, which indexes your entire drive and finds files Windows Search typically ignores. Type a few characters of any filename, and it appears instantly. Flow Launcher also supports plugins for things like controlling Spotify, converting currencies, and searching browser bookmarks.
Once you get used to the keyboard-driven workflow, going back to the Start menu feels painfully slow. Everything happens from one place without touching the mouse.
- OS
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Windows
- Price model
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Free
Flow Launcher is a free, open-source launcher for Windows that replaces the Start menu with a fast, keyboard-driven search bar to launch apps, find files, run commands, and extend functionality with plugins.
Monitorian
Lets you control the brightness of your external monitor
If you use an external monitor with your laptop or desktop, you’ve probably noticed there’s no easy way to adjust its brightness from Windows. Laptop screens have brightness controls, but external monitors? You’re stuck pressing physical buttons on the monitor itself.
Monitorian is a simple tray utility that fixes this problem. It shows brightness sliders for all connected monitors so that you can adjust them individually or all at once. It works with any monitor that supports DDC/CI, which most modern monitors do.
I keep it running at startup so I can quickly dim my screens at night or boost brightness during the day. It’s a small feature that should be part of Windows, but since it isn’t, Monitorian fills the gap perfectly.
Auto Dark Mode
Because Windows still doesn’t have auto dark mode
This might be the silliest reason to need a third-party app on Windows, but here we are. Despite having dark mode support since Windows 10, Microsoft still hasn’t added the option to automatically switch themes based on time of day. My phone has had this feature for years.
Auto Dark Mode adds exactly what Windows is missing. You can set custom times, sync it with sunrise and sunset based on your location, or tie it to Windows Night Light. It can also switch wallpapers along with the theme, so your desktop matches the time of day. The app runs quietly in the background, and I genuinely forget it’s there until I notice my screen shifting from light to dark as the sun sets.
- OS
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Windows
- Developer
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Armin Osaj
Auto Dark Mode is a free Windows utility that automatically switches between light and dark themes on a schedule, using sunrise/sunset or custom times, and can sync wallpapers with your chosen theme.
Do it, Microsoft!
These aren’t complex enterprise tools or niche utilities. They’re simple apps that fix obvious gaps in Windows or improve on what’s already there. QuickLook, ShareX, Ditto, and LocalSend replace or enhance built-in features. Flow Launcher, Monitorian, and Auto Dark Mode add functionality that should have existed in the first place.
