575 editorial articles on software, AI tools, and buying decisions. Reviewed by Toolradar editors against our published methodology.
Hands-on review of 12 free notes apps across iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Web. Real limits, real pricing, the ones we still use daily in 2026.
575 total articles
Structured is the best daily planner app for most people: a visual timeline that starts free. We ranked 12 apps for planning one day at a time, with platforms, calendar sync, free tiers and prices checked against each vendor's site.
Libby is the best reading app for most people: free ebooks and audiobooks with a library card, plus notes and highlights export. We ranked 13 apps for books and long articles, checked against each vendor's site or app store listing.
Cakewalk Next and GarageBand lead a list of 9 free music making programs, compared on platforms, track caps, plugin formats, included instruments and what each one costs when you outgrow the free tier.
macOS already clears safe caches and can empty the Trash on its own. Here is what 9 free Mac cleaners add, what the free versions of paid cleaners actually do, and which ones run on Apple silicon and macOS 27.
Ten AI text to video generators split into prompt-to-video models and script-to-video tools, compared on clip length, audio, licensing and price, checked against each vendor's own pages on 4 October 2026.
Nine AI image to video generators compared on motion control, clip length, free-tier watermarks and licensing, and what a clip costs in credits, checked against each vendor's own pages on 4 October 2026.
A Chrome VPN extension is a proxy for browser traffic only. Here are 10 free ones, from Proton VPN and Windscribe to Urban VPN, with free allowances, Chrome Web Store users, ratings and update dates, what each publisher says it collects, and which permissions to expect.
A permanent free plan, a website trial, a store trial and a money-back guarantee are four different things. Here is what Proton VPN, Windscribe, PrivadoVPN, Surfshark, NordVPN, CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, PIA, IPVanish and ZoogVPN each offer, what they require and how to avoid being charged.
Apple Notes is the best note-taking app for most Mac users, with Obsidian and Bear as the picks for Markdown. We rank 10 apps on native feel, iCloud sync, offline use, handwriting with an iPad and price.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is the best free PDF reader for most people, but Edge, Apple Preview and Chrome are enough for casual reading. We compare 10 free readers on annotation, forms, signatures, platforms and privacy.
Filen and MEGA are the cheapest per terabyte on yearly plans, and Internxt, pCloud and Icedrive sell lifetime storage. We compare 12 services at 100 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB, with break-even years for lifetime plans.
Ten painting and illustration programs for Windows and Mac ranked for pen-tablet artists, comparing raster and vector tools, animation, one-time versus subscription pricing and hardware needs.
Nine Android drawing apps ranked for stylus tablets, phones and Chromebooks, with what each one costs, what the free version locks and which pens each vendor lists.
Amazon now ships Firesticks on two operating systems, and free VPN plans differ on both support and data caps. Five free and three paid VPNs compared on Fire OS and Vega OS apps, streaming and price.
A VPN rarely lowers ping, but it can hide your IP from DDoS attacks, get around ISP throttling and reach another region. Eight VPNs compared on console setup, split tunneling, price and the terms that apply.
Free plans mostly block P2P, and port forwarding is rarer than it was. Eight VPNs compared on which servers allow torrenting, who still offers forwarded ports, kill switches and published audits.
Microsoft Defender is built into Windows 11 and scores near the top in independent labs. We compare it with six free third-party options, what each free tier leaves out, and what the paid upgrade costs.
macOS already blocks known malware with XProtect, Gatekeeper and notarization. Here is when a third-party app adds value, and how 9 Mac antivirus apps compare on lab results, price and renewal catches.
The best free VPN for a Mac is Proton VPN, with no data cap, no ads and a kill switch on the free plan. We compared 9 free macOS VPNs on data, locations, devices, kill switch, install method and macOS support, using each vendor's own pages.
No VPN can promise to work in mainland China, and free VPNs rarely hold up. We ranked 8 paid and free options on what each vendor publicly states about obfuscation, China-specific guidance and refund terms, and cover what to install before you fly and what the rules say.
Proton VPN is the best free VPN for Android: no data cap, no ads and a kill switch through Android's always-on setting. We ranked 11 free Android VPN apps by data, locations, devices, split tunneling and Google Play labels.
Proton VPN is the best free VPN for iPhone: no data cap, no ads and always-on VPN built in. We ranked 11 free iOS VPNs by data, locations, devices, tunnel-drop protection and App Store privacy label.
Gmail is still the best free email account for most people, and Proton Mail is the best free secure email. Here is how 9 free providers compare on storage, ads, encryption and custom domains.
The best free VPN for a Windows PC is Proton VPN: no data cap, no ads and a kill switch on the free plan. Windscribe is the pick if you need to choose your country.