As an experienced user, you surely want to get the most useful applications for your machine that can improve productivity, enhance the workflow and help you to easily perform any task needed. On Linux, there are plenty of alternatives to nearly any software within any category, so you can find the best ones from a wide range of different applications.
However, different Linux apps target different things: when some of them focus on minimalism, others can offer lots of features. To save up your research time and help you to find the best option on your first try, we’ve made a comprehensive list of the most popular apps among Linux users today.
Table of Contents
Essential Applications for Linux OS
In fact, an average Linux user needs multiple types of software for daily use. They’re usually targeted on remote communication, task management, system optimization, work with documentation and files, and many more.
Let’s now review the essential software categories and software solutions that will help you to effectively perform any task you need on Linux!
#1 Email Clients
Evolution
The open-source email client supports emails, calendars, address books, contacts, and GPG encryption. You can find it installed by default on the GNOME desktop, or else download it from the GNOME wiki page.
Great features of an Evolution mail client:
- Connects to MS Exchange servers
- Virtual folders for enhanced email management
- Better support for IMAP
- SpamAssassin
Thunderbird
A free, feature-rich email management client by Mozilla that assists you in various mailing processes. As a rule, it is pre-installed on some Linux machines but can also иу downloaded via Software Center or App Center.
Major features of a Thunderbird app:
- Assistance in the app navigation
- Email backup
- Multiple calendars support
- RSS reader
#2 Screenshot & Recording Software
OBS Studio
A convenient recording tool for home and office that can effectively record any material displayed on your screen. Screen capturer by OBS Studio is more affordable if compared to other premium options on the market, features a huge set of tools for quick recording and editing, which makes it one of the most popular recorders for macOS, Windows, and, of course, it’s one of the best screen recorders for Linux.
Basic features included in OBS Studio:
- Recording of Full HD 1080p up to 60 frames per second
- Compact tool panel
- Multiple export options
- Quick screenshot editing & scheduled capturing
Kazam
A simple software solution for recording on Linux that captures any content of your screen and records videos in standard VP8 / WebM formatting. Also, it enables selecting the area/window, hiding/showing the cursor, and recording the sound from your mic/speaker as well.
The best features of the Kazam recorder include:
- Variable screen recording
- Exporting in popular formats
- Screenshot capturing
- Keyboard shortcuts for recording management
#3 Editing Software
OpenShot
An open-source video editing software that features a simple, easy-to-use interface and tons of different tools for professional video editing. It is compatible with the major audio and video formats and enables creating the videos in a quality range from 360p to 4K.
Some of the best qualities of the OpenShot app are:
- No watermarks on export
- 100% free of charge, supports 70+ languages
- Easy to use at any editing skill level
- Cross-platform project files
Lightworks
One of the most popular Linux applications for professional video editing is available in paid and free versions – an excellent option to get started in the world of video editing. This app is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux operating systems and features excellent easy-to-use editing tools for videos of different formats.
Great features of Lightworks video editor include:
- Second monitor output
- Cloud storage access
- Powerful editing timeline
- Professional filmmaking tools
#4 Communication & Teamwork
Microsoft Teams
If you’re looking for powerful software for remote work, this app can be a thing. Teams became available on Linux in Dec 2019, and so far provide the chat, video meetings, calling, and collaboration on Office 365 docs within one efficient technical hub for cooperation.
The best features of Microsoft Teams for Linux cover:
- Ability to work with documents, including preview and file exchange
- Audio/video conferencing and chats
- Screen sharing
- Integration with third-party tools and many more
Signal
In case you need more personal communication and are fed up with the video calls, good software to try is Signal – a popular open-source instant messaging app that works similarly to WhatsApp. Along with effective communication, this tool provides lots of personalization features and management tools.
The most useful features of Signal are:
- Proxy support
- In-app payments
- Chat archiving/unarchiving, disappearing messages option
- Chat colors, wallpaper and themes change
#5 Media Players
VLC Media Player
A simple, free, open-source media player that supports any type of file format and provides all the essential tools for working with media files. Moreover, it can also work as a video converter and even download videos from YouTube!
Great features that VLC covers:
- Audio normalization for ear protection
- Playing Internet radio and podcasts
- Tons of add-on features like webcam recorder, file conversion & compression, and more
- Customizable interface
Banshee Media Player
Developed in 2005, this MIT licensed app can not only play and import audio CDs but also supports many portable media players, including many Android devices. Also, it was the default music player for a year in Ubuntu and for some time in Linux Mint.
Basic features of Banshee include:
- Album artwork fetching
- Smart playlists and podcast support
- Stable interface
- The ability to enhance its functions with the use of plugins
Conclusion
We’ve tried to cover the software from different categories that might come in handy for an average Linux user: communication tools, media, and music players, screen recording, video editing software, and many others. Once you’ve defined which of the best apps for Linux fit your needs, feel free to give these a shot and get ready to make the most of your machine today!