--- title: I replaced Microsoft’s default Windows apps with... description: A personal roundup of open-source apps swapped in for Microsoft's Windows defaults: Files replaces File Explorer with a tabbed, customizable interface; Zen... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: I replaced Microsoft’s default Windows apps with open-source alternatives and never looked back | daily.dev og:description: A personal roundup of open-source apps swapped in for Microsoft's Windows defaults: Files replaces File Explorer with a tabbed, customizable interface; Zen... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/YKtsPbFtV.png og:image:alt: I replaced Microsoft’s default Windows apps with open-source alternatives and never looked back 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. # I replaced Microsoft’s default Windows apps with open-source alternatives and never looked back **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 4 min read · 1 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A personal roundup of open-source apps swapped in for Microsoft's Windows defaults: Files replaces File Explorer with a tabbed, customizable interface; Zen replaces Edge as a non-Chromium browser with workspaces and theming; ImageGlass and VLC cover image and video viewing instead of Photos; OnlyOffice handles documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in place of Microsoft 365, paired with Syncthing for direct device file syncing instead of OneDrive. The author finds these alternatives lighter, more customizable, and no longer a compromise compared to the originals. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### What open-source alternative can I use instead of Windows File Explorer? Files is an open-source file manager for Windows that replaces File Explorer with a more modern interface. It offers a tabbed interface, dual-pane view, customizable sidebar, tags, a compact overlay mode, and file previews without needing extra windows, while remaining lightweight and customizable in layout and appearance. _daily.dev surfaces open-source tool roundups like this for developers customizing their Windows setup._ ### What is a good non-Chromium browser alternative to Microsoft Edge on Windows? Zen is a non-Chromium browser that offers a cleaner experience than Microsoft Edge, which has become loaded with built-in Copilot, shopping tools, and other extras. Zen includes Workspaces for separating projects, a Compact Mode for maximizing screen space, Split view for viewing two pages at once, and extensive theming options. _Developers weighing browser choices track alternatives like this through daily.dev._ ### Can OnlyOffice open and edit Microsoft Office file formats like DOCX and XLSX? Yes, OnlyOffice can open and edit DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files, supports offline work, includes templates, and offers formatting tools familiar to Word and Excel users through its tabbed interface. It covers most everyday document, spreadsheet, and presentation needs, though advanced Excel and PowerPoint workflows still favor Microsoft Office. _Developers evaluating office suite alternatives can follow comparisons like this on 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 - [I replaced my expensive Microsoft 365 subscription with these free alternatives and couldn’t be happier](https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-my-expensive-microsoft-365-subscription-with-these-free-alternatives-and-couldn-t-be-happ-zwjul66rx) · XDA Developers · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [6 tiny, open-source apps that replace Windows bloatware](https://daily.dev/posts/6-tiny-open-source-apps-that-replace-windows-bloatware-gnf1aghbj) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [You don't need Linux to run mostly FOSS](https://daily.dev/posts/you-don-t-need-linux-to-run-mostly-foss-btxknohcm) · The Register · 0 upvotes · 0 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/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv) ```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":"I replaced Microsoft’s default Windows apps with open-source alternatives and never looked back","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv"},"datePublished":"2026-10-01T00:02:31.143Z","dateModified":"2026-10-01T00:02:56.854Z","description":"A personal roundup of open-source apps swapped in for Microsoft's Windows defaults: Files replaces File Explorer with a tabbed, customizable interface; Zen...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/851c58fe89b0606bcda95393eb3ebdcb?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/851c58fe89b0606bcda95393eb3ebdcb?_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/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":1},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"open-source,windows","timeRequired":"PT4M"} {"@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":"I replaced Microsoft’s default Windows apps with open-source alternatives and never looked back"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-replaced-microsoft-s-default-windows-apps-with-open-source-alternatives-and-never-looked-back-yktspbftv#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What open-source alternative can I use instead of Windows File Explorer?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Files is an open-source file manager for Windows that replaces File Explorer with a more modern interface. 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