Mewgenics is not out yet, and the deckbuilder itch is real. Seven roguelike deckbuilders on Android that give you the run-loop right now.
Seven 3D platformers that scratch the Psychonauts and Mario itch on Android. Free, paid, and premium. Controller-friendly picks included.
Vision Pro's slowdown made mainstream VR fitness even more of a Meta Quest and PCVR story. These 7 VR fitness apps deliver real workouts on real headsets.
The Polar Darkness lands in Q1 2027. Here are seven Lovecraftian folk horror and investigative mystery games set in isolated communities to play now.
Stable Diffusion is the default local AI image generator, but node graphs and Python setup put beginners off. These 7 Stable Diffusion alternatives are easier to run.
Scribus is the go-to open-source Publisher replacement, but its UI feels dated and its .pub import is nonexistent. These 7 Scribus alternatives cover the gaps.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword hit 2 million wishlists. If you can't wait until launch, these 7 samurai action games on PC scratch the exact same itch.
Patreon keeps rewriting its recommendations, its fees, and its content rules. These 7 Patreon alternatives cover paid memberships, tips, and direct-to-fan sales.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps alternatives for fans still waiting on a sequel: 7 metroidvania platformers with tight movement and real emotional weight.
Neva's wolf companion and four-season journey won over PS Plus players. Seven Neva alternatives with the same painterly, emotional platforming on PC.
ShaderGlass drops 1200+ CRT and retro shaders over any window, but it cannot touch exclusive fullscreen. Seven ShaderGlass alternatives for Windows, tested.
Seven years on, Outer Wilds still has no sequel. These seven Outer Wilds alternatives on PC give you the same knowledge-as-progression loop, spoiler-free.
MK2 is climbing the streaming charts and pushing fans back to the games. Seven Mortal Kombat alternatives on PC for cinematic fighting, deep systems, and active online play.
Tim Schafer says Brutal Legend 2 is not in development. Seven Brutal Legend alternatives on PC that hit the stage battles, the metal, or the open road.
The best apps for generative art on desktop, from Processing and Blender to TouchDesigner and Notch, with honest notes on licences, GPUs, and LED output.
The best apps for desktop publishing in 2026, from free Scribus to pro prepress. What opens .pub files, what exports PDF/X, and what Publisher users give up.
Riot is winding down active development of 2XKO in December. Seven 2XKO alternatives on PC for tag-team, platform-fighter, and anime-style combat that will keep matches alive.
The Duskbloods is Switch 2 exclusive and locked behind a Nintendo release window. These seven PC games carry the same gothic-blood FromSoftware pull right now.
Phantom Blade Zero's parry-heavy Wuxia combat drops October 29 with 300,000 Steam preorders behind it. Seven Phantom Blade Zero alternatives for Windows to play in the meantime.
Mortal Shell is short. If you finished it in a weekend and want the same brittle-combat pull, these seven PC soulslikes carry the same weight.
We tested the best apps for OBD2 car diagnostics on Android, comparing live gauges, DTC clearing, and brand-specific coding across free and paid picks.
Lightroom's assisted selection just cut a thousand-photo session down to minutes. Seven AI photo culling apps for desktop, ranked for accuracy, speed and cost.
Phantom Blade Zero drops October 29 on PC and console. These seven Android games deliver the closest fast-parry, Chinese-mythology combat feel on a phone.
Walking sims trade combat for atmosphere. Here are 8 Android games that let you wander, notice, and breathe.
Luna Abyss is one of Game Pass's best-kept 2026 shooters. Here are 7 indie sci-fi FPS games with the same paranoid vibe.
GTA Chinatown Wars is the best pocket GTA nobody talks about. Here are 7 top-down crime games that keep the vibe alive on Android.
Finished Servant of the Lake and want more dream logic? These seven Rusty Lake alternatives for Android cover surreal, macabre point-and-click puzzles.
Seafile is fast but bare. We tested seven self-hosted file sync tools that handle sharing, sync, and permissions with less friction and more features.
Control Resonant lands on 24 September. If the wait is unbearable, these seven third-person paranormal action games scratch the same itch on desktop right now.
Banishers is on PS Plus and Game Pass this month. When you've finished it, these 7 desktop games scratch the same haunted-couple action-RPG itch.
Eight desktop apps for USB HID protection in 2026 that block BadUSB keyboard injectors and rogue HID monitors across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Windows keeps a hidden compatibility database going, but old games still stall. These seven tools pick up where Windows leaves off, from DOS through Win98.
Turn Obsidian into a project manager without leaving the vault. Seven desktop plugins and companions that add kanban, tasks, and agent-style automation.
High-stakes marketing edits need frame-perfect cuts, colour, and captions. Seven desktop video editors that handle ads, product launches, and social spots.
Meta donated 15,000 Ray-Ban smart glasses to Vision Ireland this month. Here are 7 desktop apps for low-vision users on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Faithful reconstruction or creative reinvention? We tested 7 AI image upscalers for desktop, from free open-source picks to paid pro tools, and ranked them.
Dawn of War 4 is delayed to December, and the wait is going to feel long. Here are seven Warhammer 40K and adjacent RTS games to play on PC while the sequel bakes.
Ubuntu Server is quietly one of the best server Linux distros around, but it is not the only one. Seven Ubuntu Server alternatives ranked for home labs, VPS work, and small production.
Symfonium is a polished paid Android music player with excellent Android Auto and self-hosted server support. These 7 alternatives cover free, open-source, and cheaper paid picks.
The fan-made 3D Pokemon port just added Gold support, and Android is back in the emulation conversation. Seven Pokemon emulator apps we tested across Game Boy, GBA, DS, and 3DS ROMs.
The multiplayer Witcher project is on shaky ground, and the co-op RPG lane on PC is short of new hits. Eight games we tested that let two-to-four friends share an open world.
The Pixel 11 HiLight feature is a nice preview of ambient notifications, but Android has had this for years. Seven at-a-glance notification apps to install on any Android phone.
Spotify and Apple Music are the default in the car, but self-hosted libraries can ride in too. These 8 Android Auto-friendly apps stream Subsonic, Jellyfin, and Plex to the dash.
Magic's Hobbit crossover just landed. Here are 7 of the best trading card game apps on PC, ranked from Magic: The Gathering Arena to Marvel Snap.
Amazon is winding down its MMO investments. Here are 7 Throne and Liberty alternatives on PC that keep the large-scale PvP and open-world MMO loop alive.
The King is Watching sold 500k copies with a gaze-based city builder loop. Here are 7 alternatives on PC that scratch the same roguelike-strategy itch.
The Nemesis System is still patented, but 7 open-world action games on PC come close. Here is what to play after Shadow of War.
Amazon is stepping back from Lost Ark. Here are 7 MMO ARPGs on PC that scratch the same itch, from Path of Exile 2 to Guild Wars 2.
War in the North just shadow-dropped a remaster and reminded us how few three-player Tolkien RPGs exist. Seven desktop alternatives that scratch the same itch.
Sam Barlow's Immortality is one of a kind, but 7 FMV and narrative-detective games on PC come close. Here is what to play after the credits.
Cloverfield-adjacent horror is back on screens. Here are 7 of the best found footage horror games on PC we tested, from MADiSON to Content Warning.
Warner Bros' Coyote vs Acme finally arrives, and cartoon-style games are having a moment. Here are 7 hand-drawn platformers on PC we tested.
We tested 7 Android apps for morning automation, from Tasker's power scripting to Google Home routines. Here is what actually works to start your day.
Star Wars: Zero Company brings the XCOM formula back into the spotlight. Here are seven turn-based tactics games on Windows, Mac, and Linux worth your time.
Apple Arcade keeps adding polished games. Here is the same idea on Android: eight premium mobile games with no ads, no IAP treadmills, one price and done.
Microsoft is retiring Publisher from the 365 subscription. These 7 Publisher alternatives on Windows, macOS, and Linux cover flyers, newsletters, and print-ready layout.
Max Payne 1 and 2 are getting a full Remedy remake. Here are seven Max Payne alternatives on Windows to play while it cooks, from Alan Wake to Sleeping Dogs.
Knytt Classic just got a surprise 20th-anniversary rerelease. Here are 7 atmospheric platformer alternatives for desktop that share its quiet, exploration-first tone.
Halloween: The Game won't ship in Australia thanks to its weed-smoking mechanic. These are the asymmetric horror alternatives to Halloween: The Game on PC in 2026.
Nvidia Smooth Motion, AMD Fluid Motion Frames, and Lossless Scaling all promise more frames. Here are the frame generation tools worth using on Windows.
Finished Black Myth: Wukong and waiting on Game Science's sequel? These 7 action-RPG alternatives on Windows, macOS, and Linux hit the same souls-adjacent notes.
Pixel 11 is set to launch 30x zoom. These are the Android apps that push periscope lenses further, denoise long-zoom shots, and rescue distant subjects.
Marvel Tokon shipped without a real tutorial. These are the fighting games and training apps on desktop that teach the fundamentals before you get bodied online.
YouTube's 2027 YPP thresholds tighten the monetization funnel. These 8 creator monetization platforms give you subscriptions, tips, and newsletters outside YouTube.
AI color grading with skin and face detection is now table stakes. Here are seven desktop apps that get portrait colour right, from PowerDirector to DaVinci Resolve.
ReStory: Chill Electronic Repairs lets you take a Y2K Atari apart, part by part. Seven Steam sims with the same cozy restoration loop, ranked.
Hello Games' fantasy sandbox has no release date yet. Seven Steam games with the same open-world exploration and multiplayer survival, ranked.
With Charlie Cox back in Secret Wars, everyone's re-reading Daredevil. Here are the seven best apps for reading Marvel comics on desktop this year.
Absolute Batman #23 is out and everyone wants to know where to read it. Here are the seven best apps for reading DC Comics on desktop, tested this month.
The Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 5 is too fast for most Play Store apps. Seven Android apps that put a gaming tablet's SoC, screen, and speakers to real work.
The US is hiring gamers to fix ATC. If that piqued your interest, here are the seven best air traffic control simulator games for PC we tested.
About Fishing blends calm angling with quiet horror. Seven Steam games with the same meditative fishing loop and slow-burn mystery, ranked.
Lies of P 2 is in full development and the devs say the pressure is on. Seven Soulslikes on Steam that scratch the same puppet-strings itch while NEOWIZ keeps working.
Signal beats email for private chat, but sometimes you need email. Seven encrypted email desktop apps that get you closer to real end-to-end privacy.
FM synthesis is having a moment on mobile again. Seven best apps for FM synthesizer on Android, from Deep Synth to SynprezFM, ranked for producers and hobbyists.
Big Walk landed as another quiet standout. Seven walking simulator games on desktop we replay when we want a slow, story-first world.
Viture Pro 2 launched at $299 with a lighter, thinner design. Seven Viture Pro 2 alternatives for desktop displays and portable gaming we tested against it.
Community plugins turn Obsidian into a Frankenstein. Seven desktop tools that give Obsidian the second-brain workflow with zero plugin risk.
The PS5 Pro's PSSR shows what upscaling can do at 4K/60. Seven desktop apps we use to hit 4K and 60FPS in PC games without buying a new GPU.
Steam's July 2026 survey confirmed 16GB GPUs and 8-core CPUs are mainstream. We tested 7 desktop benchmarking apps that tell you how your gaming PC actually stacks up.
Star Wars Outlaws just opened a 3-hour free trial on PS5, and the PC crowd wants to know what actually plays like it. Here are 7 Star Wars Outlaws alternatives on desktop worth your time.
Hyper-V is Windows Pro-only, absent on macOS and Linux, and clashes with every other hypervisor. Seven Hyper-V alternatives we would install instead.
EA Sports FC 27's Ultimate Team overhaul divided the community. Here are 7 EA Sports FC 27 alternatives on desktop for players tired of yearly rug pulls.
Big Walk from House House is the cozy co-op adventure of the summer. If it's not for you or you finished it, here are 7 Big Walk alternatives on desktop with the same warmth.
Baba Is You bent our brains, then ended. These 7 puzzle games take the same rule-bending spirit into different shapes, from 4D boxes to sausages.
Adobe Creative Cloud Pro's 50%-off first-year deal makes people ask what happens in year two. Here are 7 Adobe Creative Cloud alternatives on desktop that skip the yearly rug pull.
Seven Android apps that turn a phone into a loop station, backing-band jam pedal, or Boss Katana editor for guitarists who want to practice with themselves.
Microsoft's Xbox app on Windows is where Game Pass lives, but it is not the only launcher worth installing. Seven Xbox app alternatives compared for PC gamers.
Microsoft admits Windows 11 is a memory hog and promised 8GB PC optimization by end of 2026. Seven Windows 11 RAM optimization apps that reclaim memory today, ranked.
Garmin, Zoleo, Somewear and four more. Seven Android satellite messaging apps ranked by coverage, price, and how reliably a text lands off-grid.
We tested seven Android camera apps that go beyond Samsung's built-in pro mode with deeper RAW, manual focus peaking, log profiles, and DSLR-style controls.
Find the one BIOS setting bottlenecking your rig. We tested 7 desktop apps for gaming BIOS tuning covering XMP, EXPO, undervolt, PBO, and thermals.
XDA said buying CDs again beat streaming fatigue. Seven best apps for CD ripping on Windows, macOS, and Linux with AccurateRip and lossless FLAC.
Eight solo board game apps for Android with real single-player modes: Onirim, Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, Race for the Galaxy, Friday, and more.
Blockbuster's virtual stores are back for streaming-weary viewers in 2026. Eight digital movie rental apps for Android for one-off watching without another subscription.
Fly the Viper on PC in 2026: seven combat flight sims that model the F-16 Fighting Falcon well, from study-sim depth to arcade dogfights.
One well-written context file can replace half of Notion. These 7 desktop AI coding tools read your rules files and make agents actually useful.
Combolands put Cities: Skylines into a Balatro-style deck loop. Seven desktop city-builder roguelikes that run the settlement-then-restart cycle.
Polygon called Splatoon Raiders the best solo Splatoon yet, but the series still lives on Switch. Seven colorful arcade shooters on PC that keep the same energy.
After the Raspberry Pi beer-fridge story, self-hosters want pantry tracking without cloud lock-in. Seven desktop and Docker apps for fridge, pantry, and drinks-cabinet inventory.
A soundbar that sounds muddy is usually the room, not the box. Eight desktop apps that measure the room, flatten the response, and fix the four settings that ruin most setups.
AnyUnlock removes iOS lock screens, MDM profiles, and Apple ID locks, but pricing is opaque and iOS 17 support is patchy. Seven AnyUnlock alternatives for Windows and macOS.
Star Wars Zero Company is a 30-40 hour XCOM-style tactical from ex-XCOM devs. Here are 7 alternatives you can play right now while you wait for the August release.
Sanctuary: Shattered Sun revives the Supreme Commander scale for a new generation. If you can't wait for full release, here are 7 large-scale RTS games to play right now.
Le Mans Ultimate's Joker subscription voided race results and split the sim-racing community. Here are 7 sim racing games without pay-to-win systems.
RTX HDR turned older SDR games and video into something worth looking at on a modern HDR display. These seven Windows and macOS apps upscale SDR to HDR without the guesswork.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero delivers Budokai Tenkaichi arena fights on modern PCs. Here are 7 alternatives when you want the same 3D anime fighter energy.
The XDA piece about handing an Obsidian vault to Claude is a good story about a bad workflow. Eight desktop apps that let AI read, search, and connect your notes without the tab-and-paste dance.
Eurogamer called The Incident at Galley House a chillingly brilliant glow-up of one of last year's best adventures. Seven cozy horror adventure games on desktop that pair low-stakes puzzles with genuine dread.
Splatoon Raiders proved salmon-run-style co-op still lands, but Nintendo keeps it locked to Switch. Seven co-op shooter games on desktop that scratch the four-player-team itch.
Anno 117: Pax Romana is dense and the DLC cadence is steep. Seven Anno 117 alternatives across historical city-builders, colony sims and lighter strategy hybrids for desktop.
Forge of the Fae's free Steam demo mixes JRPG combat with Celtic steampunk. Seven steampunk RPGs on PC that hit the same aesthetic and depth.
Ubisoft teased the next Ghost Recon for August. Seven tactical shooter alternatives for PC when Wildlands and Breakpoint have run their course.
Cloning a 2 TB NVMe drive without breaking Windows boot is the whole point. Seven M.2 NVMe cloning apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, from Rescuezilla to Macrium Reflect.
Eight PC apps for tuning your sim racing wheel and cockpit: SimHub, Fanatec Control Center, Simucube True Drive, and more. Force feedback, dashboards, motion, and haptics compared.
Infostealers grab saved passwords, browser cookies, and crypto wallets in seconds. These 8 apps stop that specific attack class on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Marvel's Wolverine is a PS5 exclusive with no PC plans. These seven action-adventure games on Steam scratch the same close-quarters brawler itch on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Final Fantasy X alternatives on Steam, 25 years after Spira. Seven turn-based JRPGs from Dragon Quest XI to Chained Echoes, tested and ranked by fit.
Elder Scrolls 6 slipped again after Xbox's Bethesda layoffs. Seven Elder Scrolls alternatives on desktop that scratch the open-world RPG itch until ES6 ships.
Meta's crawlers alone made 9 billion Q2 requests. Seven desktop and self-hosted tools for stopping AI scrapers before they hit your origin, from Cloudflare's toggle to Anubis and Nepenthes.
After XDA cloned a voice with 5 seconds of audio and no GPU, the panic is warranted. Seven desktop voice cloning apps, ranked by control and quality.
The Fallout 3 remaster is finally real. Seven Fallout 3 alternatives on Steam and GOG for the next post-apocalyptic playthrough.
Ascend to ZERO's time-stopping loop is the freshest thing in the Vampire Survivors genre. Seven Ascend to ZERO alternatives on Steam and Game Pass.
VirtualBox is free and cross-platform, but Apple Silicon support is thin and 3D is limited. We tested 7 VirtualBox alternatives on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
DroidKit repairs Android devices from Windows and Mac, but the paid gate is steep. We tested 7 DroidKit alternatives for recovery, unlocking, and stuck-boot fixes.
Starfield's loading screens and empty planets pushed us to seven space-faring RPGs that actually respect our time on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Fahrenheit's PS+ Premium re-release put David Cage back on our radar. Here are seven cinematic narrative games that pick up where Indigo Prophecy left off.
PlaySide pushed War for Westeros to 2027. Here are seven medieval and fantasy RTS games that give us armies, houses, and a map to conquer right now.
Bethesda confirmed a New Vegas remaster but the wait is real. Here are seven post-apocalyptic RPGs that scratch the same itch on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Belmont's Curse is coming but PC needs a whip fix now. Here are seven metroidvanias that trace back to Symphony of the Night in different ways.
AM4 still has life if we upgrade smart. Here are seven apps that pick the right CPU, GPU, RAM, and SSD before we spend.
Multicolor 3D prints leave a pile of purge filament and failed rafts. Here are seven slicer and workflow apps that cut waste before it hits the bin.
The menu bar is the workflow you never leave. Eight macOS menu bar apps ranked after using them daily for a month.
Denshattack proved 3D mascot platformers still work. Eight 3D platformer games for PC, ranked after playing every one to the end.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles just added New Game+. Seven tactical RPG alternatives on Windows for players who want more Ivalice-style depth.
D-topia's launch day gives cozy puzzle fans a new AI-facility mystery. Seven D-topia alternatives on Windows and macOS if the pace does not fit.
Baldur's Gate 3 asks for a hundred hours you may not have. Seven party-based CRPG alternatives for Windows and macOS that scratch the same itch in less time.
Transport Fever 3 is challenging Cities: Skylines. We tested 7 city-builder alternatives across Windows, Mac, and Linux with pricing, feature, and migration notes.
Digitize cassette tapes on Windows and Mac in 2026: Audacity, Ocenaudio, Reaper, Adobe Audition, GoldWave, WavePad and Roxio Creator NXT compared.
Comparing Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Mistral Le Chat, and Grok as desktop chatbot apps in 2026 with pricing and picks.
Duncan Jones is making a Rogue Trooper movie and Rebellion's 2000AD shooter is back on the radar. Seven Rogue Trooper Redux alternatives worth firing up on PC.
Weak Linux support, thin social features, and the launcher-lock complaint have PC players spreading their libraries. Seven Epic Games Launcher alternatives, compared.
Cyberpunk Edgerunners 2 is coming and the appetite for anime-styled cyberpunk action is back. Seven desktop games for Windows that scratch the Edgerunners itch.
Battlefield 6 pulled Criterion off Burnout to focus on Battlefield. If BF6 is not for you, here are 7 large-scale military FPS alternatives on Steam.
Bastion turned 15 this year and Supergiant's debut still shapes how action RPGs feel. Seven Bastion alternatives on Windows, macOS, and Linux worth queuing up next.
Wireless Android Auto still drops mid-drive on plenty of car and phone combos. Eight Android apps that stabilise, replace, or work around a flaky wireless connection.
Modern iGPUs finally punch at entry-level dGPU weight. Seven apps that squeeze frames, watts, and thermals out of a discrete-GPU-free rig on Windows and Linux.
Thirty years after Sonic's creators shipped NiGHTS Into Dreams, the mainline series still swings between hit and miss. Seven Sonic the Hedgehog alternatives worth the download.
Thirty years on, NiGHTS Into Dreams still has no direct successor. Seven dreamlike, momentum-focused alternatives on Steam that scratch the same itch.
Google Earth VR shipped its last real update in 2018 and it shows. Here are 7 Google Earth VR alternatives for Windows SteamVR headsets, both VR and flat-desktop.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 was announced but has no date. These 7 alternatives on desktop keep the 40K campaign and mass-battle itch scratched right now.
MathType costs $50/year and only 500 free equations. Seven MathType alternatives for Windows, macOS, and Linux — LaTeX, LibreOffice, and modern OCR tools.
G*Power is free but Intel-only on Mac and lacks data import. Seven G*Power alternatives for Windows, macOS, and Linux for power analysis and sample size.
With Obsidian's future uncertain, players are looking for the next Pillars of Eternity. Here are 7 CRPGs with the same tactical combat, deep lore, and party depth.
Ghost of Tsushima on PC is stunning, but its combat and open world are not for everyone. Here are 7 samurai and feudal-Japan action games worth playing instead.
Copilot+ PCs finally have real workloads for the NPU. These are the desktop apps that use it -- for local AI, voice cleanup, and video editing.
Adobe Audition is powerful, but the subscription and Creative Cloud lock-in push a lot of editors to look elsewhere. Here are 7 alternatives that actually replace it.
A portable monitor is one option. Turning the phone or tablet in your bag into an extra display is faster. Eight apps for using Android as a second monitor for PC and Mac.
Elder Scrolls VI is at least two more years away. These seven desktop open-world fantasy RPGs cover the ground Skyrim used to on PC, from Kingdom Come to Enderal to Elden Ring.
Six metroidvania and action-platformer games that actually play offline on Android in 2026. No internet, no ads mid-run, no login gate. Perfect for flights, trains, and dead-zone commutes.
Signature-only scanners miss self-mutating malware. Seven behavior-based antivirus and EDR apps for Windows and macOS that judge processes on what they do.
Autodesk Flex tokens changed how Maya seats are priced in 2026. We tested seven Maya alternatives for Windows, macOS, and Linux that finish a 3D pipeline without the annual bill.
Autodesk Flex sounds cheap until Revit burns through a bundle in a week. We tested 7 CAD tools with predictable pricing for small design teams on Windows and macOS.
A new Suikoden anime trailer sent players back to the JRPG classics. Seven Suikoden alternatives for Windows PC and macOS we tested, from Eiyuden Chronicle to Persona.
Command & Conquer Generals just landed on iPhone and iPad. Seven real-time strategy games on iOS worth playing after you finish Zero Hour.
H3VR finally left Early Access after 10 years. Seven Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades alternatives for VR shooters on Windows PC we tested.
Wolfenstein 3 is reportedly in development with an Amazon TV series to follow. Seven boomer shooters for PC that keep the movement and mood of the 90s originals alive.
One router setting can end mid-game lag when a big download starts. Seven Windows apps that prioritise game traffic and cap the noise for real.
Windows 11 shipped an AI agent framework with broad default permissions. Seven Windows apps that scope, log, or block agent file access on your own terms.
Wallpaper Engine is a great tool, but it's Windows-only and paid. Here are 7 alternatives that cover free, open-source, and cross-platform live wallpapers.
Seedance 2 turned heads, but the Hollywood pushback and limited access send builders looking. Here are 7 alternatives for AI video generation that ship today.
Black Flag Resynced, Persona 4 Revival, Mega Man Dual Override — the remaster wave is loud in 2026. Seven retro game remaster collection apps for PC that curate the good ones.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 is officially in development, but the wait is long. Here are 7 magic-heavy open-world RPGs to fill the gap on PC.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a hard game to follow. Here are 7 alternatives on PC that hit different pieces of what made Night City special.
Claude Science is Anthropic's AI workbench for scientists, launched in June 2026. Here are 7 alternatives that solve different pieces of the research workflow.
A working Windows recovery drive has saved more weekends than we can count. Here are 7 apps that make one right, from Microsoft's own tool to full backup suites.
Sonos is not the only way to run music through every room. These seven multi-room audio apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux cover open-source, hi-fi, and DIY setups.
Desktop apps for driving networked HiFi amplifiers and streamers, covering Roon, JRiver, HQPlayer, and the alternatives worth knowing about.
The pixel-remastered classic JRPGs worth installing on Windows, macOS, and Linux, from Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster to Live A Live and Star Ocean Second Story R.
Seven desktop video editors that recreate VHS glitches, chroma bleed, and analog horror looks. Free open-source and paid picks for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Seven desktop apps for making hand-drawn anime and manga art. Ink line control, watercolor brushes, and traditional workflows on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Alfred is not the only Mac launcher worth binding to a hotkey. These seven alternatives include Raycast, LaunchBar, and free options that beat Spotlight.
Subnautica 2 launched into a 2-to-3 year early access window on Steam. If you want a full underwater or open-world survival game today, here are seven alternatives.
Eight years on, Red Dead Redemption 2 still splits players. If you bounced off it, or finished and want more, here are seven strong PC alternatives worth playing.
Krafton's inZOI PS5 release has slipped to 2027, and Early Access on PC still misses features. Here are seven life-simulator alternatives worth playing today.
EA Sports College Football 27 finally hits PC after 33 years, but performance patches and price have some players hunting elsewhere. Seven alternatives, tested on PC.
Dispatch, AdHoc Studio's superhero workplace comedy, ended after eight episodes. Here are seven similar choice-driven narrative games for PC when you want more.
Relic is turning Company of Heroes into a roguelite, splitting the fanbase. Seven real-time strategy alternatives for anyone who wants the classic RTS loop instead.
Blood Bowl 3's license is changing hands, leaving fans looking for alternatives. Seven turn-based fantasy sports and tabletop-style PC games worth playing right now.
Windows Focus assist helps a little. Seven apps that seriously block distractions on Windows: website filters, timers, hardline blockers, and system-wide DND.
DDR5 prices are up; DDR4 builds are back. Seven RAM stress testing apps that catch a bad DIMM before it corrupts data on Windows and Linux.
Gemini's Library and ChatGPT's Projects nudged the whole AI space toward better history. Here are seven apps that pick up where you left off in your AI chats.
Fireworks are hard on an iPhone camera. Seven apps that give iPhone photographers manual control, long exposure, and RAW capture the stock Camera app skips.
The best beat 'em up games on PC in 2026: Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, River City Girls 2, Fight'N Rage, Final Vendetta, Absolver, and Double Dragon Gaiden.
The best Attack on Titan game alternatives for PC in 2026: God Eater 3, Toukiden 2, NieR: Automata, Devil May Cry 5, Sekiro, Naraka: Bladepoint, and My Hero One's Justice 2.
GameStop is charging 2-3x MSRP for Pokémon's 30th-anniversary TCG set. These Android apps track real Pokémon TCG prices so collectors avoid overpaying.
A year after Apple's Hide My Email flaw went unfixed, we tested 7 desktop email masking tools: SimpleLogin, DuckDuckGo, Firefox Relay, addy.io, and more.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is getting a deckbuilding board game. These seven desktop apps turn board game night into something friends can join from anywhere.
The best 2D animation apps for anime artists on desktop in 2026: Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate, TVPaint, OpenToonz, Krita, Clip Studio Paint, Pencil2D, and Moho.
Tiny Bookshop sold over 300,000 copies with its cozy narrative shop-management loop. Seven Tiny Bookshop alternatives on PC for players who want more.
Super Meat Boy 3D just landed on Switch 2 and PS5 with physical editions. Seven precision platformer alternatives on PC for players who want the same twitch difficulty.
State of Decay 3's studio Undead Labs faces sale or closure. Seven survival and zombie community-sim alternatives on PC while the game's future is uncertain.
Guns of Eschaton is Viktor Antonov's supernatural Western soulslike FPS. Seven Guns of Eschaton alternatives on PC to play while you wait for release.
Modern Warfare 4 skips Xbox Game Pass at launch and lands October 23, 2026. Seven MW4 alternatives on PC for players who want military shooters without the season pass.
Finished SMT V: Vengeance and want more demon-fusing turn-based JRPGs on PC? Seven Vengeance alternatives across Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Finished Oblivion Remastered and want more first-person open-world RPG? Seven Oblivion Remastered alternatives on Steam for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Seven Dead or Alive 6 alternatives on desktop in 2026: Tekken 8, Street Fighter 6, MK1, Guilty Gear Strive, Soulcalibur VI, DNF Duel, Tekken 7.
The desktop apps doing the most useful AI video editing work in 2026: rotoscoping, voice cloning, generative b-roll, and full timeline assistants.
Google Earth quietly brought its flight simulator back to the web. Seven serious civilian flight sims on desktop with real airspace, weather, and aircraft.
Xara Photo & Graphic Designer turns 30 this year, but it stayed Windows-only and the licence pricing keeps shifting. Seven desktop alternatives that cover vector, photo, and page-layout.
Steam Machine, GTA 6, and the Xbox app are pushing PC gaming into more launchers than ever. Eight Windows game launcher apps we tested and how to keep them sane.
Creative Assembly opened the Medieval 3 launch-faction poll, but the wait is months long. Seven desktop strategy games that scratch the Total War itch while we wait.
EVO 2026's indie fighter spotlight covered Skullgirls this week. Seven Skullgirls 2nd Encore alternatives on Steam for players hunting their next indie or tag-team fighter.
Kinetic Games pushed the Phasmophobia 1.0 launch back again. Seven co-op horror games for Windows that already deliver the same investigation chills.
Payday 2's Diesel 3.0 open beta starts June 30 with 64-bit and DX11, but the long-term shape is uncertain. Seven heist-shooter alternatives for Windows that play right now.
NBA 2K26's 2KTV answers page appeared early as a placeholder, but the launch is still weeks out. Seven basketball games for Windows, macOS, and Linux that play right now.
Three monitors at different DPIs is where Windows breaks. Eight multi-monitor management apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux we tested past PowerToys.
XDA's SwarmUI piece pushed us to retest. Seven Midjourney alternatives for Windows, macOS, and Linux that match the look without the $30 subscription.
Polygon confirmed FNAF 3 will not be written by Scott Cawthon. Seven Five Nights at Freddy's alternatives on Steam for fans wondering what to play while the next chapter is in someone else's hands.
Polygon broke down Deltarune Chapter 5's weird-route nightmare scenes this week. Seven Deltarune alternatives on Steam for the wait between chapters.
Brandon Sanderson made the case that fantasy needs to stop copying Tolkien. Eight novel-writing apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux we tested for writers building original worlds.
Wildgate's active development is ending, but the spaceship co-op crew shooter shape is alive on PC. Here are 7 Wildgate alternatives for desktop that keep the crew of friends, the engine room, and the laser cannons.
Wilcom Truesizer is a free viewer with no editing. Seven Wilcom Truesizer alternatives for desktop embroidery file conversion and editing on Windows and macOS.
A Studio Ghibli-styled Sekiro anime trailer reignited interest in the parry-heavy Soulslike. Seven Sekiro alternatives on Windows that scratch the same itch.
Smart notebooks are growing past reMarkable's e-ink design. Seven reMarkable alternatives across e-ink tablets and desktop companion apps that replace the workflow.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection got its first post-launch update, but if the cozy monster-collection RPG is not your fit these 7 desktop alternatives bring the same shape with different flavors.
Kundli Chakra Professional is paid Vedic software with a dated UI. Seven Kundli Chakra alternatives for desktop Vedic astrology on Windows and macOS in 2026.
Folder Lock packs encryption, secure backup, and a wallet into one Windows app, but the UI feels dated and the free build is a trial. Seven Folder Lock alternatives for Windows.
An XDA writer replaced Windows File Explorer with File Pilot and never went back. Seven File Pilot alternatives on Windows that solve the same Explorer problem.
eBay Desktop was retired years ago. Seven eBay Desktop alternatives for buyers and sellers on Windows and macOS that handle bids, listings, and tracking from a PC.
CorelDRAW costs $549 outright or $269/year, and its Mac support remains uneven. These 8 desktop alternatives cover vector design, page layout, and free open-source picks.
Windows ships with backup tools, but third-party software is still where you want your image-level Windows backup. These 7 desktop apps cover free, paid, open-source, and image-based backup workflows.
Affinity is now free under Canva, but the new direction worries some users. These 8 desktop alternatives cover paid one-off, open-source, and subscription picks for vector, photo, and layout work.
Cricket 24 launched rough and the patches couldn't fix every miss. Seven Cricket 24 alternatives for PC cricket sim fans in 2026.
Widgets are the fastest way to get information without unlocking a phone. Seven Android widget apps that go beyond what Pixel and Samsung ship in the box.
Night School Studio is taking the Oxenfree formula to a new Netflix horror game. Seven Oxenfree alternatives for desktop that scratch the same supernatural-narrative itch.
Burnout Paradise turned 17 this year. Here are 7 Android racers that capture the same boost-takedown-crash loop, ranked after a long weekend on a controller.
Lara Croft turns 30 this year. We tested 7 PC alternatives to the Tomb Raider series that hold up — action-adventure for fans of the franchise.
Scrivener pioneered long-form writing software, but newer desktop tools have caught up. We tested 8 Scrivener alternatives for novelists, screenwriters, and academics.
Kagi is great, but the $10/month price is real. We tested 7 Kagi alternatives, from Brave Search Premium to Mojeek and Marginalia, for paid and private search.
Claude Design is Anthropic's UI generation tool, but it is not the only one. We tested 8 Claude Design alternatives, from v0 and Lovable to open-source picks like OpenUI.
Hardware transcoding is great, but Jellyfin and Plex feel right when the metadata is clean. Seven media library metadata managers for desktop, ranked and reviewed.
OpenAI just signed a Getty Images licensing deal. Seven AI image generators trained on cleared, licensed data so your team can publish without legal risk.
AI narration has gone from novelty to professional toolkit. Eight desktop apps for audiobooks, podcasts, and video narration, ranked for voice quality, control, and price.
XDA's Windows 11 hibernation piece showed SSD wear sneaks up on you. Eight Windows power management apps that control sleep, hibernate, and wake without breaking workflows.
Polygon's Pokemon Pokopia underwater piece reignited the monster-collection itch on PC. Eight Pokemon-like monster collection games for desktop ranked and reviewed.
XDA's NAS RAM piece reopened the ZFS-vs-everything-else fight. Eight NAS operating system apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux ranked on storage, apps, and overhead.
XDA's piece on the Excel setting that beat Copilot got us reauditing the stack. Eight Excel automation apps for Windows and macOS that pay back fast.
With Double Fine's future uncertain after the Xbox studio shake-up, players are revisiting Psychonauts 2 and asking what to play next. Seven Psychonauts 2 alternatives for desktop.
Kemuri is a PS5 timed exclusive until 2027, but the genre Ikumi Nakamura is chasing already runs on PC. Seven Kemuri alternatives for desktop while you wait.
Pokémon Tales is coming as a stop-motion series, which has pulled new attention to the format. Eight stop-motion animation apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, tested for real production work.
XDA disabled seven background services to free up Windows performance. Eight Windows services management apps that handle the same job without breaking your system.
Horror deckbuilders are having a moment after Inscryption opened the door. Seven horror-flavored card roguelikes worth installing on PC.
An unshielded PCIe lane can tank a Wi-Fi 7 card's throughput. Seven desktop Wi-Fi analyzer apps for Windows and macOS to confirm what your hardware is actually doing.
Forza Horizon 6's launch reignited the realistic-vs-arcade debate. Eight sim racing games on PC, ranked across GT, endurance, F1, and rallying disciplines.
Pragmata's training simulation 30 nerf shifted the difficulty curve, but the puzzle-shooter itch is real. Seven Pragmata alternatives on PC for the same sci-fi action loop.
Chainsaw Man's surprise video game put stylish action back in the headlines. Eight character action games on PC, ranked across stylish combat, soulslikes, and rhythm hybrids.
The XDA piece on cheap-TV picture modes set off a wave of monitor calibration questions. Eight apps for monitor color calibration on Windows and macOS, free and paid.
DeepL just bought Mixhalo to push into live-event translation. If you want a DeepL alternative for desktop translation work, here are seven we tested in 2026.
Moving to an M.2 SSD doesn't have to mean reinstalling Windows. Seven SSD cloning apps for PC tested across Windows, macOS, and Linux, free and paid.
Tuning DPI, polling rate, and button macros makes a real difference. Seven gaming mouse customization apps for PC, ranked across vendors and open-source picks.
DLSS, FSR, and XeSS changed the rules, but in-game support is uneven. Seven game upscaling apps that add or improve upscaling on PC, ranked across vendors.
Tested side by side: which AI website builder ships production-ready code and which still feels like a demo. Seven AI website builders for desktop in 2026.
Assassin's Creed Shadows just went free. Here are 7 stealth-action games for PC worth playing next, from Hitman to Dishonored to Death Stranding.
We tested seven gamepad mapping apps for Windows. Here's which ones handle DualSense haptics, Xbox layouts, and legacy games without fuss.
Just Press the Button lands on Switch June 18 with a dystopian narrative hook. Seven PC games already deliver the bleak futures, hard choices, and oppressive worlds.
Ubisoft announced a Black Flag remake while Shadows shipped its final DLC. Seven pirate and naval games on PC for players who do not want to wait.
Lovecraftian horror is having another moment, from cult favorites to Steam Next Fest oddities. Seven cosmic horror games for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ranked after long nights with the lights off.
Frame generation is no longer locked to RTX 50 owners. These seven PC apps add LSFG, FSR 3, or AFMF on top of any game, so older GPUs keep up with 144 Hz panels without an upgrade.
Rythm, Groovy and Hydra all died on someone else's hosting. These seven panels and platforms keep your own bot online 24/7 without surrendering control to a third party.
XDA argued Blu-ray still beats streaming on quality. Seven apps for ripping Blu-rays on Windows, macOS, and Linux that hold lossless video and proper audio.
Adobe's subscription pricing keeps climbing and the cloud-only files lock you in. Seven Adobe InDesign alternatives for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ranked after building real magazine and book layouts.
EA wants real-world ad placement inside Madden and FC. These seven PC sports management sims skip the billboards entirely and still ship deeper rosters than any annual release.
Compulsion Games' future looks shaky, but South of Midnight already showed what they do best. Seven games like South of Midnight on PC, ranked on mood, movement, and story.
OneDrive's storage limits, sync quirks, and Microsoft tie-in push people to look elsewhere. Seven OneDrive alternatives for Windows and Mac users, ranked on privacy, sync, and price.
Mortal Shell 2 is in closed beta and most of us can't get in. These seven soulslike alternatives on PC scratch the same brittle-combat itch right now.
EA is leaning harder into in-game ads in Madden 26, and the licensed-monopoly fatigue is real. Seven Madden NFL 26 alternatives on PC, from indie sims to retro classics.
Ninja Theory's future is uncertain, and Hellblade 2 is a short, intense one-and-done. Seven Senua's Saga: Hellblade II alternatives on PC, ranked on mood, combat, and audio.
Enginefall isn't out yet, but the Snowpiercer-meets-Rust pitch is loud. These seven co-op survival alternatives on PC scratch the same itch right now.
Dead by Daylight is ten years old and the meta has calcified. These seven asymmetric horror alternatives on PC offer fresh killer-vs-survivor dynamics.
The Civilization 7 hotseat update fixed one thing but didn't undo the launch hangover. Seven Civilization VII alternatives that scratch the 4X itch while Firaxis keeps patching.
Battlefield Hardline's servers shut down on PS4 and Xbox One this month. These seven multiplayer FPS alternatives on PC keep the cops-and-robbers itch alive.
Order of the Sinking Star is pitched as a 500-hour open-world puzzler in the Witness tradition. While we wait, these seven puzzle-exploration apps on PC scratch the same itch.
Godzilla, Pacific Rim, and the kaiju genre are having a moment. Seven giant-monster games tested on PC including GigaBash, Earth Defense Force, and Dawn of the Monsters.
Play M3U playlists and live TV streams on Android phones and Android TV boxes. Eight tested IPTV apps including TiviMate, IPTV Smarters, OttPlayer, and Kodi.
EVO 2026 entries are down, but the fighting game scene on PC is the deepest in years. Eight tested fighting games on Steam including Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, and more.
33 Immortals fits 33 players into a co-op roguelike raid. These 8 multiplayer roguelike games for desktop deliver the run-die-restart loop with friends.
Crimson Desert added a major pet patch in 2026. These 8 MMORPGs for PC put taming, training, and battling creatures at the heart of the loop.
FromSoftware's future is wrapped up in a Kadokawa investor vote. Seven Elden Ring alternatives for Windows that scratch the open-world Soulslike itch while you wait.
Recuva is a friendly first try for deleted files, but the deep scan misses too much for serious data loss. We tested 7 Recuva alternatives on Windows for stronger recovery on hard drives, SSDs, and SD cards.
3uTools is a free iOS swiss-army knife on Windows, but the install is heavy and Mac users are stuck. We tested 7 3uTools alternatives for backup, transfer, and firmware work on Windows and macOS.
Microsoft's latest changes broke custom folder icons. We tested 7 Windows file manager apps that handle tabs, dual-pane workflows, and modern UI better.
XDA used Codex to test a SaaS like a real user and caught issues it had ignored for weeks. We tested 7 AI-powered end-to-end testing apps for desktop in 2026.
Persona 5 Royal is a 110-hour commitment. We tested 7 alternatives on PC that hit the same JRPG plus social-sim sweet spot.
Polygon called FF16 one of the best Final Fantasy games in years now on PlayStation Plus. We ranked 7 Final Fantasy XVI alternatives for PC if you cannot wait.
Spotify HiFi is still on the way. We tested 8 desktop apps for lossless and high-resolution music streaming in 2026 — Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music and the rest.
Nintendo's $46M Joy-Con drift fine put stick drift back in the news. Seven controller drift calibration apps on PC, Mac, and Linux that actually help.
Nvidia's RTX Video Super Resolution showed how easy upscaling can be inside a player. These 8 desktop apps do it offline, with more control, in real files.
Stardock Fences switched to a subscription that not everyone wants to keep paying. These 7 Stardock Fences alternatives organise the Windows desktop for less, or for free.
An XDA writer turned a Chromebook into Windows 95. The Windows 11 crowd wants the same. Here are 7 Open-Shell alternatives to customise the Windows shell.
Proxmox's new dynamic load balancer made the cluster crowd happy, but most of us run VMs on a single workstation. We tested 7 desktop apps for running virtual machines.
Ultima Online's designer is back with a new sandbox MMO. We tested 7 Ultima Online alternatives on PC for players ready to move on.
The next game from the Alien Isolation team has dinosaurs in it, and we already have a wave of dinosaur survival games on PC. We tested 7 of them.
Pimsleur's audio method still works but the subscription and dated app push many learners to look elsewhere. We compared 7 language apps from free to premium.
We tested 7 desktop code editors to replace Sublime Text. From VS Code to Zed and Neovim, here are the best alternatives for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
The best macOS email clients in 2026: Mimestream, Thunderbird, Spark, Airmail, MailMate, Spike, and Canary Mail, tested for Gmail support, IMAP, and native feel.
Final Fantasy VI hitting Game Pass renewed interest in classic JRPGs. We picked six classics that already play well on Android phones today.
Beatron generates AI tracks from text and hums but locks export, length, and commercial use behind subscription. These seven Beatron alternatives cover Suno-grade AI generation, full DAWs, and free-export options.
Seven Android space simulation games tested for physics accuracy, sandbox depth, mission variety, and how well they handle the real-orbit math the genre depends on.
Red Shield VPN's paid no-logs model is one of the cleanest in Russia. Here are 7 Red Shield VPN alternatives we tested for circumvention, privacy, and speed.
HiroVPN runs on a trial-then-paid model with traffic packages instead of flat pricing. We tested 7 HiroVPN alternatives, including free tiers and audited paid VPNs that work on restrictive networks.
PS Plus added a Warhammer 40K hit for June 2026. These seven Warhammer 40K games on Android cover tactics, on-rails action, card battles, dungeon crawls, and free-to-play strategy.
Stop Motion Studio is the most popular mobile stop motion app, but Pro locks 4K, green screen, and rotoscope. Here are 7 Stop Motion Studio alternatives.
Phones are the most natural place to read a visual novel. Seven Android picks across romance, mystery, sci-fi, and Ace Attorney-style courtroom drama, free and paid.
Running Snapcast or any home server on a Raspberry Pi means controlling it from a phone. Seven Android apps cover SSH, VNC, Home Assistant, OctoPrint, and IoT dashboards.
ZA/UM is back with Zero Parades. Seven Android role-playing games carry the same dialog-heavy, choice-driven DNA, from The Banner Saga to Choice of Games.
The Adventures of Elliot teases a hand-painted fairy adventure. Seven Android games already deliver that gentle, magical feeling, from Sky: Children of the Light to GRIS.
Plex Pass just tripled and the streaming sites keep losing titles. Seven Android apps that catalogue vinyl, CDs, and digital files so the collection you actually own stays usable.
If your NAS is automating chores, your phone should be too. Seven Android picks for triggers, macros, location workflows, and cross-service automation, from MacroDroid to IFTTT.
Xbox Game Pass is losing two must-play RPGs in May, and the tactics shelf at home is the obvious place to refill. Seven turn-based tactics games for Android, from Fire Emblem to Into the Breach and Disgaea.
Plex tripling its lifetime price has more people looking at self-hosted music libraries. Seven Subsonic and Navidrome client apps for Android that stream from your own server.
Polygon's interview with the team behind Let's Go to France pulled board gaming back into the spotlight. Seven digital board game apps on Android, from Catan and Ticket to Ride to Wingspan and Pandemic.
Capture cards are back on alternative.me's radar. These seven Android apps turn a USB capture card into a live stream, a viewer, or a recording rig without a desktop PC in the loop.
Xbox Game Pass losing two RPGs is a good moment to look at the deepest strategy games on phones. Seven 4X and empire-building strategy games for Android, from Civilization VI to Polytopia and Wesnoth.
Compare privacy-friendly Pornhub alternatives for safer adult streaming in 2026, with fewer ads, fewer fake buttons, and better mobile browsing.