As a freelancer you want to cu as many costs as possible. Every single penny counts and especially so when you’re just starting out. One great way to keep costs as low as possible is by using free alternatives to the software you use. There is no cost plus these programs are often better, if not just as good, as their counterparts. Here’s a look at a few that are of the most help to freelancers.
Linux
Well technically Linux is actually an operating system and not software, but it still deserves a mention on this list. Linux actually replaces what OS you have on your computer although you can keep both on there if you wish. You should spend a little time thinking about whether Linux is for you or not. It is better to have a fairly decent understanding of computers and coding. It isn’t essential due to the huge amount of tutorials and help available online, but it will make the entire experience much easier.
Linux is very handy for security which is something you should take very seriously. There are very few viruses around that affect Linux so you can browse the web with confidence. The reason for this is that not many people have switched to Linux and so it is pointless for creators of viruses to spend ages on something with such a low impact.
Linux is also constantly updated by its team of developers and assessed to ensure people get the best out of their technology. It is also a very simple matter to update and doing it regularly will mean you always have the best available version. Finally, Linux helps you to learn to. In a world where computers continuously grow in importance, it is certainly and help to know as much about them as possible.
LibreOffice
This is a superb alternative to Microsoft Word. It has all the features you need and is set-up in a similar way to Word so there’s no need to worry about having to learn how to use it. LibreOffice can also work with more file types than Word can, but it still let’s you save in whatever format you want to too.
One of the best features of LibreOffice is that of extensions. These allow you to add extra functionality to the program and in a very simple way. It is just a matter of adding it to LibreOffice and then it’s available to use. Some extensions available are the PDF Importer which allows you to edit PDFs within LibreOffice and ReportBuilder which helps you to create good looking database reports.
GIMP
Photoshop is an incredibly expensive product to buy, but also one of the most useful. Even if you aren’t a designer it is still very handy to have this program at your disposal for creating flyers, logos or anything else you might need for your business. Obviously you don’t want to pay such a huge price for something non-essential so luckily GIMP exists.
The GNU Image Manipulation Program is absolutely fantastic. Although it may not have all the tools or power that Photoshop does, it certainly gets close and you really can’t complain when it’s free. If you’re not sure if it has everything you think you’ll need just give it a go. You’ll be very surprised to see how many features are on offer and there’s always a chance you can save yourself a large chunk of money by switching.
