JANUARY 3, 2019
Why You Don't Need To Pay For Creative Tools
Photographs by rawpixel
Do you find yourself unable to pursue your creative endeavours in the digital space due to expensive softwares? Perhaps you are a student or are just seeking an avenue to learn but cannot afford to purchase high-end services? These limitations should no longer prevent you from exploring your creativity in the digital age, as the solution lies in open source softwares and services.
All softwares listed below are FREE and available on all operating systems. (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
I've either used these softwares at one point or continue to use them even to this day. There of course exist other options but these are some of my favourite and best open source softwares and services. (biased)
I hope that helps some of you get the start you're looking for!
SOFTWARES and SERVICES
DaVinci Resolve 15
A powerful and all inclusive video editing suite - just as capable as Final Cut Pro X or Adobe Premiere
Fusion 9
A powerful motion graphics software - like Adobe After Effects but uses nodes rather than layers
GIMP
An alternative to Adobe Photoshop
Krita
A hybrid of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop which is capable of opening .PSD files and working with Vectors
RawTherapee
Takes the place of Adobe Lightroom or Apple's (discontinued) Aperture
Open Office
Just like Microsoft Office - but Free
Microsoft Sway
Like Prezi but a better alternate (in my opinion) - AI Presentation Software
Adobe Spark
Like Canva - easy to use but more updated dimensions for social media
Unsplash
Free to use Photos - no attribution required but is appreciated - community oriented
Pexels Images
Free to use Photos - see individual licenses
Pexels Videos
Free Stock Footage - see individual licenses
WeTransfer
File Transfer service - useful, efficient (Free option limited to 2GB file size)
OBS Studio
Livestream and broadcast control software - Twitch, Facebook Live, YouTube Live
Audacity
Basic alternate to Adobe Audition
Anchor
Free Podcast hosting and distribution - easy to use (beginners to professionals)
Mega
Free 50GB Cloud Storage