--- title: 6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware description: A curated list of six small, open-source Windows apps that serve as alternatives to built-in Microsoft tools. ShareX replaces Snipping Tool with more... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: 6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware | daily.dev og:description: A curated list of six small, open-source Windows apps that serve as alternatives to built-in Microsoft tools. ShareX replaces Snipping Tool with more... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/GnF1aGhBj.png og:image:alt: 6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # 6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A curated list of six small, open-source Windows apps that serve as alternatives to built-in Microsoft tools. ShareX replaces Snipping Tool with more configuration and reliability, Notepad++ replaces a bloated Notepad, Flow Launcher offers a faster alternative to Windows Search, KDE Connect replaces Phone Link without requiring a Microsoft account, LocalSend handles cross-platform local file sharing better than Nearby Sharing, and VLC handles virtually any video format where Windows Media Player falls short. Each app is noted for its small install footprint and open-source transparency. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What is a good open-source alternative to Windows Snipping Tool for screenshots and screen recording? ShareX is a strong replacement for Snipping Tool, offering more configurable keybindings, advanced screen recording options including encoding format and quality control, and the ability to record directly to GIF. Version 17.1.0 is about 50MB to download and uses roughly 181MB once installed, and it captures screenshots in situations, like context menus, where Snipping Tool sometimes fails. _Comparing lightweight screenshot tools before switching is easier with roundups like this on daily.dev._ ### How can I connect my phone to my Windows PC without using a Microsoft account? KDE Connect lets you sync notifications, share clipboard content, transfer files, and even use your phone as a mouse, keyboard, or presentation remote without any Microsoft account requirement. Originally built for Linux, it also runs on Windows as a roughly 81MB installer, offering some features Phone Link lacks, though not full parity with it. _Developers weighing cross-device tools against Microsoft's defaults can track picks like this on daily.dev._ ### Is there a better alternative to Windows Search for launching apps and files quickly? Flow Launcher is a faster alternative to the Windows Start menu search, avoiding the lag and delayed result updates that cause people to open the wrong item. It's an 81.1MB download, taking up around 200MB installed, with the option to add plug-ins that can grow that footprint slightly over time. _Anyone frustrated by slow built-in search can compare launcher alternatives via daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [I replaced my core Windows 11 apps with open-source alternatives — and I don't regret it](https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-my-core-windows-11-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-i-don-t-regret-it-5excm2bgz) · XDA Developers · 1 upvotes · 1 comments - [5 free Windows apps made me stop using the built-in ones](https://daily.dev/posts/5-free-windows-apps-made-me-stop-using-the-built-in-ones-f5zr9scgd) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [13 Open-Source Apps I Use from a Web Browser \(And You Can Too\)](https://daily.dev/posts/13-open-source-apps-i-use-from-a-web-browser-and-you-can-too--usp4zh9li) · It's Foss · 44 upvotes · 4 comments --- Tags: [#open-source](https://daily.dev/tags/open-source), [#windows](https://daily.dev/tags/windows) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj"},"datePublished":"2026-08-03T13:33:12.297Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T09:30:39.832Z","description":"A curated list of six small, open-source Windows apps that serve as alternatives to built-in Microsoft tools. ShareX replaces Snipping Tool with more...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/375d082a0d041d3264f6248e1a3cacd5?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/375d082a0d041d3264f6248e1a3cacd5?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"XDA Developers","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"XDA Developers","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--kCg6yyAP--/f_auto,q_auto/v1774964407/logos/xda-developers?_a=BAMAMiWQ0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"open-source,windows","timeRequired":"PT5M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"XDA Developers","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is a good open-source alternative to Windows Snipping Tool for screenshots and screen recording?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"ShareX is a strong replacement for Snipping Tool, offering more configurable keybindings, advanced screen recording options including encoding format and quality control, and the ability to record directly to GIF. Version 17.1.0 is about 50MB to download and uses roughly 181MB once installed, and it captures screenshots in situations, like context menus, where Snipping Tool sometimes fails. Comparing lightweight screenshot tools before switching is easier with roundups like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How can I connect my phone to my Windows PC without using a Microsoft account?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"KDE Connect lets you sync notifications, share clipboard content, transfer files, and even use your phone as a mouse, keyboard, or presentation remote without any Microsoft account requirement. Originally built for Linux, it also runs on Windows as a roughly 81MB installer, offering some features Phone Link lacks, though not full parity with it. Developers weighing cross-device tools against Microsoft's defaults can track picks like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is there a better alternative to Windows Search for launching apps and files quickly?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Flow Launcher is a faster alternative to the Windows Start menu search, avoiding the lag and delayed result updates that cause people to open the wrong item. It's an 81.1MB download, taking up around 200MB installed, with the option to add plug-ins that can grow that footprint slightly over time. Anyone frustrated by slow built-in search can compare launcher alternatives via daily.dev."}}]} ```