Windows

XDA ran a piece this month arguing that built-in Windows apps have quietly gotten good, and the response was noisy. Most Windows users still reach for third-party downloads for tools that already ship in the box. If your Downloads folder is full of screenshot utilities and PDF editors you paid for, this list is for you. Seven built-in Windows apps that hold their own against the third-party options, plus one Microsoft add-on (PowerToys) that’s technically free and technically first-party.

What to look for in a built-in Windows app

Not every native app deserves a spot. The traits that matter:

Quick comparison

App Best for How to get it Cost Ratings
PowerToys Power-user utilities suite Microsoft Store or GitHub Free 4.6+
Snipping Tool Screenshots and recording Preinstalled Free 4.4+
Clipchamp Video editing basics Preinstalled on Windows 11 Free tier 4.3+
Windows Terminal Modern shell interface Preinstalled on Windows 11 Free 4.5+
Calculator Math, currency, dev calc Preinstalled Free 4.7+
Snap Layouts Window management Preinstalled on Windows 11 Free Built-in
Focus Sessions Timers and Do Not Disturb Preinstalled via Clock app Free 4.2+
Live Captions Real-time transcription Preinstalled on Windows 11 Free Built-in

The picks

1. PowerToys – Best power-user suite

PowerToys is Microsoft’s official first-party suite that packs FancyZones, PowerToys Run (an Alfred-style launcher), Text Extractor (OCR from any screen area), Advanced Paste, Peek (Quick Look for Windows), and about a dozen other utilities into one download. If you’ve been paying for Alfred-alike apps or manual window-managers, PowerToys covers most of the same ground for free.

Where it falls short: Some modules (Video Conference Mute, Environment Variables editor) feel unfinished. Learning curve is real, hidden in submenus.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.

Download: Microsoft Store · GitHub release

Bottom line: Install this before anything else on a new Windows machine.

2. Snipping Tool – Best screenshot utility

Snipping Tool in Windows 11 does everything most people used ShareX or Greenshot for: full-screen capture, window capture, rectangular selection, free-form capture, delayed screenshots, and video screen recording with audio. It also has built-in annotations and text extraction from images.

Where it falls short: No cloud upload workflow. If you were using ShareX to auto-upload to Imgur, that flow is missing.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 11.

Download: Microsoft Store · Snipping Tool guide

Bottom line: Uninstall your third-party screenshot app. This one wins.

3. Clipchamp – Best free video editor

Clipchamp is Microsoft’s Web-based-but-installable video editor, preloaded on Windows 11. Multi-track timeline, transitions, stock media library, auto-caption generation, and export up to 1080p on the free tier. Good enough for social clips, product videos, and screen recordings with cuts.

Where it falls short: 4K export and premium stock media are behind a subscription. Very large projects can chug because it’s Electron-based.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 11 (Windows 10 supported via install).

Download: Microsoft Store · Clipchamp Web app

Bottom line: Not a Premiere replacement, but replaces every “free video editor” tool you’ve tried.

4. Windows Terminal – Best shell interface

Windows Terminal is the modern replacement for cmd and PowerShell’s ancient window chrome. Tabs, panes, GPU-accelerated text rendering, Unicode support, per-profile theming, and native SSH. It’s what Terminal.app on macOS became a decade earlier.

Where it falls short: Not truly a shell itself. It’s a host for cmd, PowerShell, WSL, and any other command-line environment. Some third-party tools (Alacritty, WezTerm) still edge it on latency.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.

Download: Microsoft Store · GitHub release

Bottom line: Default this to Ctrl-C-friendly, and you’ll rarely need a third-party terminal on Windows again.

5. Calculator – Best hidden power tool

Calculator looks like a demo app until you switch modes. It has Standard, Scientific, Programmer, Graphing, Date Calculation, and Converter modes. The Converter alone (currency, volume, energy, pressure, angles, time) means you never need to open a web tab for a unit conversion again. The Graphing mode plots functions like a proper TI-89.

Where it falls short: Currency conversion needs an internet connection to refresh rates.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 10 and 11.

Download: Microsoft Store · GitHub source

Bottom line: Bind it to a hotkey with PowerToys Run. You’ll open it more than you expect.

6. Snap Layouts – Best window management

Snap Layouts is Microsoft’s answer to third-party tiling window managers like DisplayFusion or FancyZones. Hover over any window’s Maximize button to pick a layout, drag windows into slots, and the OS remembers groups. In Windows 11 it also supports multi-monitor state saving.

Where it falls short: Layouts are preset. Custom layouts still need FancyZones from PowerToys.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 11.

Download: Preinstalled with Windows 11. See the Microsoft Snap Layouts guide.

Bottom line: Enable it (Settings > System > Multitasking). Ignore paid alternatives.

7. Focus Sessions – Best focus timer

Focus Sessions in the Clock app pairs a Pomodoro-style timer with automatic Do Not Disturb, Spotify integration, and Microsoft To Do task sync. It’s the built-in Windows answer to Forest, Freedom, and similar paid focus apps.

Where it falls short: The Spotify integration only supports the desktop Spotify client. No web player support.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 11.

Download: Microsoft Store · Focus Sessions guide

Bottom line: Replaces most paid focus timers. Try it for a week.

8. Live Captions – Best accessibility tool

Live Captions transcribes any sound playing through your Windows speakers in real time. Videos without subtitles, meetings, podcasts, other people’s screen-share sessions. Turn it on with Win + Ctrl + L. Works fully offline once the language pack is downloaded.

Where it falls short: English is the strongest language. Other languages vary in accuracy. Speaker diarization isn’t available.

Pricing:

Platforms: Windows 11.

Download: Preinstalled with Windows 11. See the Microsoft Live Captions guide.

Bottom line: One shortcut, endless use. Worth knowing exists.

How to pick the right one

If you install one thing on a new PC: PowerToys.

If you take screenshots regularly: Snipping Tool.

If you want to cut short videos without paying: Clipchamp.

If you spend time in a terminal: Windows Terminal.

If you convert units or math often: Calculator (bind it to a hotkey).

If you use more than one monitor: Snap Layouts.

If you struggle to focus: Focus Sessions.

If you watch a lot of untitled video content: Live Captions.

Uninstall the paid or third-party equivalents you were using before. Windows has caught up on most of the small utilities. Save the money for tools that genuinely add something (a real password manager, a good code editor, a proper video suite).

FAQ

What is the best free Windows productivity app? PowerToys. It’s officially maintained by Microsoft, ships as one installer, and includes about a dozen utilities that would each cost money elsewhere.

Is Clipchamp really free? Yes, up to 1080p export with the free tier. Watermark-free, unlimited exports. Some stock media and 4K export require the Essentials subscription.

Can I use Live Captions offline? Yes. After you download the language pack once, it runs fully offline. Only the initial download requires internet.

Do I need to install anything to get Snap Layouts? No. Snap Layouts ships with Windows 11. If you don’t see the layout picker on Maximize hover, enable it under Settings > System > Multitasking > Snap windows.

Is Windows Terminal replacing PowerShell? No. Windows Terminal is the modern host window; PowerShell (and cmd, WSL, Azure Cloud Shell) still run inside it. Think of Terminal as the tabbed frame, and the shells as the content.