100 Freeware Portable Apps for Your USB

This is ultimate list of portable software applications that you can carry around in a USB device, external hard drive, PDA etc so that you have theme when you need them. All of these are freeware and and you can carry them like apps since they do not need to be installed before use.


The best things about portable freeware is that you do not need to worry about your private data and settings when you use a public computer because everything stays in your thumb drive.

Portable Web Browsers

Let us start with the most used software on our computers. If you carry your favourite browser in your flash drive, you do not need to worry about privacy when you use Internet on public places.

• Mozilla Firefox [ Windows, MAC and Linux ]: Get portable FireFox to carry around and use whenever you need it on a Windows or MAC computer.
• Google Chrome[ Windows, MAC and Linux ]: Portable Google Chrome browser for Windows and MAC.
• Internet Explorer [ Windows ]: Carry your own Internet Explorer with you on your flash drive to browse Internet anywhere.
• Safari[ Windows, MAC ]: Apple’s Safari is available as portable version for Windows and Mac.
• Opera[ Windows ]: If you use Opera to browse the web, here is portable app to carry around with you.
• Camino[ Mac ]: A portable web browser that can be used on any Mac system.
• Avant[ Windows ]: Another browser for Windows that you can carry with you in your thumb drive.

Portable Apps for Designers

The collection includes image viewers, photo editing software, graphic design software and other freeware to help designers. Carry your favourite software to view images and photos and work on them as you go.

• GIMP[ Windows ]: GIMP is a free software for photo retouching, image composition and image authoring and is now available as portable version.
• FastStone Photo Resizer[ Windows ]: FastStone is a useful software to convert, rename, re-size, rotate, corp and making changes in a photo or image.
• Riot[ Windows ]: It allows to save images for web, email etc with best quality and compression.
• IrfanView[ Windows ]: Another very light software for viewing, resizing and editing images and photos.
• Cornice[ Windows ]: Cornice is an image viewer with thumbnail previews, full screen mods, rotations, slide shows and many other modes and features.
• FotoSketcher[ Windows ]: FotoSketcher helps to convert digital photos in sketched and art automatically.
• Fotografix [ Windows ]: Fosotgrafix is a software for designers and photographers that provide powerful tools for editing and working on photos and images.
• ArtWeaver[ Windows ]: A free portable graphics editor to simulate natural brush tools. The design and feel is just like Photoshop and works great.
• Diagram Designer[ Windows ]: If you create diagrams, UML class diagrams, slide shows, illustrations etc this freeware is for you and you can carry it as portable app in your usb.
• Photoscape[ Windows ]: Photo editing software. Fix and enhance photos. Viewer, editor, batch editor, splitter. Available as portable freeware.

Portable Media Players

You can come across several media files (video and audio) that can not be played on default media player on a computer. To play all type of file formats, you can carry portable media players that are capable of playing different type of files. Here are some freeware that should help.

• VLC Media Player[ Windows and Mac ]: VLC media player plays a wide range of audio and video files types including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, XviD, WMV, mp3, ogg, DVDs and VCDs.
• Audacity[ Windows and Mac ]: An easy to use audio recorder and editor that records live audio, edits Ogg Vorbis, MP3, and WAV sound files and comes with many other feature for audio stuff.
• VirtualDub Portable[ Windows ]: A desktop video processing and capture application that is free and available as portable app.
• CoolPlayer[ Windows ]: An easy to use audio player that comes with many features like audio play of many formats, mp3 to wav converter, winamp input plugin support, simple UI etc.
• iShout[ Mac ]: A music player for Mac that stream and records your favourite Internet radios.
• media player classic[ Windows ]: A very simple and powerful media player with some powerful features.
• Winamp Lite[ Windows ]: Winamp is most used mp3 player and it is available as portable.
• Xion[ Windows ]: A skinnable high fidelity audio player (Free Music Player) like Winamp is now available as portable app.

Portable File Compressors/ Archivers

Files archivers and data compression utilities are often needed if you receive a file on your email or download it from internet that is compressed. Here are some popular file extractors that you can carry with you and do not need to install on a computer to use them.

• 7-Zip[ Windows ]: A file archiver with high compression ratio that extracts 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR and many other formats.
• PeaZip[ Windows ]: Another easy to use file compressor and archiver.
• WinRAR Unplugged[ Windows ]: Portable version of Winrar that does not require installation.

Portable File Convertors

Sometimes you can not open and use a file simply because it is in a format that your software do not support or you want to convert file in another format to play it on your favourite device or player. Here are some portable file convertors that will convert between different file formats.

• Any Video Convertor[ Windows ]: Converts almost all video formats including DivX, XviD, MOV, rm, rmvb, MPEG, VOB, DVD, WMV, AVI to MPEG-4.
• FLV to MP3 Convertor[ Windows ]: A portable converter to convert FLV files into MP3 files.
• FLV Converter[ Windows ]: Convert flash format files (flv) into many other formats like avi, mpeg, mp4, mov, psp, mp3, iPhone, 3gp etc.
• WMV Converter[ Windows ]: WMV conversion utility to convert wmv into many other media formats.
• iWisoft Free Video Converter[ Windows ]: A very useful tool to convert video formats from one to other and supports a wide range of formats including AVI, MPEG, WMV, DivX, XviD, MP4, H.264/AVC, AVCHD, FLV, MKV, RM, MOV, 3GP, and audio MP3, WMA, WAV, RA, M4A, AAC, AC3, OGG.

Portable FTP Clients

It is always handy to carry an FTP Client with you in case you need to transfer files on your server. Here are some of the portable FTP clients that do not need installations.

• FileZilla[ Windows ]: Portable FTP and SFTP client that includes a site manager and supports uploads/downloads queue, keepalive, timeout detection, SOCKS 4/5 and HTTP 1.1 proxy etc.
• WinSCP[ Windows ]: Another FTP and SFTP client for Windows for safe copying of files between a local and a remote computer.
• FireFTP [ Windows and Mac ]: FireFTP is a simple and secure FireFox extension that integrates a powerful FTP client directly into FireFox. It works with portable FireFox so you can take it with you.
• Cyberduck[ Mac ]: A free open source ftp client for Mac OS X.

Portable Word Processors/ Text Editors

Word processors and text editors are necessary for preparing, editing, formatting and printing a document and you can carry such software so that you can open and read a document that you receive on any computer or prepare one when you need it. Here are some popular freeware that you can carry around.

• Notepad++[ Windows ]: a very handy software and a replacement of Windows Notepad. you can use it as text editor, to write html code or any other code and it highlights syntax.
• Web Design Toy[ Windows ]: Very useful html editor for web developers. It has two windows so that you write the code and see the output on the same screen.
• Windows Live Writer[ Windows ]: A must have software in your USB if you are a blogger. Windows Live Writer has all of your blog settings, ping server settings and FTP settings.
• Open Office[ Windows ]: word processor, spreadsheet, presentations with Microsoft compatibility. A great alternative to Microsoft Office.
• GnuCash[ Windows ]: A financial management software for accounting and financial management.
• AbiWord[ Windows ]: A simple and light weight word processor compatible with Microsoft Word files.
• SoftMaker Office[ Windows ]: An office suit that works like MS Word, Excel etc and is compatible to them.

Portable PDF Tools

PDF files are being used more and more everyday to deliver content in better way. Here are some portable PDF readers, viewers, editors, protectors so that you can always read and work with PDF files even if the computer that you are using does not have a PDF tool in it.

• PDFTK Builder[ Windows ]: A very useful PDF tool to split(allows to separate PDF pages in their own files), collate(reorder, delete and duplicate pages in document), watermark and password protect PDF documents.
• Sumatra PDF[ Windows ]: Sumatra PDF is a slim and light weight PDF viewer that loads PDF files faster than any other PDF tool.
• Foxit Reader[ Windows ]: A small and fast PDF reader and good alternative of Adobe Acrobat.
• PDF-XChange Viewer[ Windows ]: PDF viewer with the ability to display multiple PDF documents within a tabbed interface. Allows to add comments, markup pages with text and objects and much more.

Portable Instant Messengers (IMs)

If you use instant messengers (IMs) to stay in touch with your friends, you may want to carry your favourite messenger with you as portable ap so you can use it on public computers or any other computers where it is not installed already. Here are portable versions of most used IMs.

• MSN Messenger[ Windows ]: A clone of MSN Messenger as portable app.
• Yahoo Messenger 10[ Windows: Hotfile or Uploading ]: Portable Yahoo Messenger 10 that is only 15.6 MB and does not need any installation.
• Pidgin Portable[ Windows ]: Chat with AOL, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ contacts in customized interface.
• Gaim[ Windows ]: Portable instant messenger compatible with MSN, Yahoo, AIM/ICQ, AOL, Jabber etc.

Portable Antivirus

It is always a good idea to carry an antivirus software in your USB if security is your priority. Here are free portable antivirus software for you.

• ClamWin[ Windows ]: A portable antivirus for your flash drive, CD or external hard disk that detects and remove viruses and spyware.
• McAfee AVERT Stinger[ Windows ]: AVERT Stinger portable virus removal tool by Mcafee can easily be run from a portable USB device. Very useful for administrators and other users to help repair infected computers.
• Dr.WEB CureIt[ Windows ]: A Portable antivirus and Portable AntiSpyware utility that scans and cure infected computers.
• Multi Virus Cleaner[ Windows ]: Another portable antivirus that detects and remove over 6,000 common viruses, trojans, worms and dialers, including variations of Bagle, MyDoom and Sober viruses.
• Sophos Anti-Rootkit [ Windows ]: Sophos Anti-Rootkit detects and removes any root-kit that is hidden on your computer using advanced rootkit detection technology.

Portable CD/ DVD Burners

Here is a list of portable CD/ DVD burners that you can use to burn cds and dvds as you go. These software are small in size and comes with handy features for burning your media.

• Infra Recorder[ Windows ]: Popular InfraRecorder CD/DVD burning program is available as portable app. It includes all feature of Infra Recorder like creating custom data, audio and mixed-mode projects and record them to physical discs, support of recording to dual-layer DVDs, Record disc images (ISO and BIN/CUE) and blank (erase) rewritable discs.
• DeepBurner[ Windows ]: An advanced and powerful cd and dvd burning package. It works straight from removable media and does not need installation of any kind.
• AmoK CD/ DVD Burning[ Windows ]: AmoK CD and DVD burner is a small burner that performs basic burning function.
• Totally Free Burner[ Windows ]: A free portable burner that Burns Audio, Video or Data CDs or DVDs quickly and easily.
• PowerLaser Express[ Windows ]: PowerLaser Express is a portable CD and DVD burner with features like recording new cd/dvd, erase RW discs, make ISO image, record ISO image to the disk etc.
• ImgBurn[ Windows ]: A lightweight and portable CD / DVD / HD DVD / Blu-ray burner. A must have burner app for everyone. It has different modes like read, build, write, verify and discovery.

Portable Games

If you like palying games you may want to carry your favorite games with you. Here are some free portable games that do not need installation

• Sudoku[ Windows ]: The addictive games is now available as portable and comes with easy, medium, hard and impossible modes.
• Bricks2000[ Windows ]: Clone of popular Tetris game is now available as portable app.
• GeneRally[ Windows ]: A 2D racing game with one to six players on one computer.
• NagaSkaki[ Windows ]: A portable chess game.
• Jooleem[ Windows ]: Very addictive puzzle game with good graphics and background music.
• LBreakout2[ Windows ]: A breakout-style arcade game, use your paddle to aim a ball at bricks until all bricks are destroyed.
• Torcs[ Windows ]: A free portable car racing game.
• Mega Mario[ Windows ]: A free portable Super Mario Brothers clone. Works and functions just like old school Super Mario Brothers.
• Deluxe Pacman[ Windows ]: Portable Pacman arcade game that works exactly like original Pacman game.
• GLtron[ Windows ]: GLtron is a Free TRON like game inspired by the movie TRON.
• Savage Full Enhancement[ Windows ]: A multi-player online real time strategy game.
• AssaultCube[ Windows ]: A small and multi-player first person shoot base game.
• Bowling Evolution[ Windows ]: A 3D bowling game for Windows that you can carry with you everywhere as portable app.

Other Portable Utilities

Here are some other miscellaneous portable utilities that you may find useful.

• GreatNews – RSS Feed Reader[ Windows ]: A portable RSS feed reader to quickly access and read your favourite RSS feeds.
• Appetizer – Portable Start Menu[ Windows ]: A free portable application launcher that works as start menu dock that can be minimized in system tray.
• Predator[ Windows ]: A freeware PC locking tool that converts your USB drive to work as a key to lock and unlock your computer.
• Hard Disk Analyzer[ Windows ]: A portable hard disk analyzer that displays detailed information about the content on a hard disk.
• HJSplit[ Windows ]: A simple portable file splitter and joiner.
• Sisma[ Windows ]: A free password manager that runs from USB and does not need installation.
• Back4Sure[ Windows ]: A portable and free file backup software. Quickly backup files, directories or full hard drive.
• USB Safeguard[ Windows ]: A free encryption tool for flash drives that password protects any file on your thumb drive.
• Pixie[ Windows ]: A free portable color picker. Displays HEX, HTML, RGB, CMYK, and HSV values of any pixel color presented on your screen
• Defraggler[ Windows ]: A portable file defragmentation tool that can be used to defragment only the files you want to or defragment the entire drive.
• On-Screen Keyboard[ Windows ]: A very useful portable app that brings keyboard on screen to use so that you do not have to worry about keyloggers on computers that record key strokes.
• PStart[ Windows ]: A start menu like program that lets you to organize and run portable software.
• CCleaner Portable[ Windows ]: Very useful utility to clean registery and remove unwanted files from computer.
• Unknown Devices[ Windows ]: This utility helps to find out the unknown devices in device manager.
• Recuva[ Windows ]: A free portable file recovery tool.
• USBDeview[ Windows ]: A USB device information tool. It displays information such as serial number, device name and description, device type, VendorID, ProductID, the date and time the device was connected and much more.
• Lightscreen[ Windows ]: An easy to use screenshot tool with options to save files in different formats.
• Nvu HTML Editor[ Windows and Mac ]: A very good html editor for people who want more than notepad to code html.
• Restoration[ Windows ]: A handy program to recover deleted or formated files.
• Convertor[ Windows ]: A fast and simple unit convertor tool.
• Country Codes[ Windows ]: A small program of country codes and additional information about 250 countries.
• WordWeb[ Windows ]: WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows used by million of people and is now available as portable app.
• EjectUSB[ Windows ]: Closes all running applications on drive and folders and then attempt ejecting the drive.
• ToDoList[ Windows ]: A simple and effective way to keep track of your current programming tasks