The listme.name blog
How to choose software, what changed in a category, and the ideas behind the rankings.
Guides
How to choose and use software well.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose a backup strategy: 3-2-1, restores and toolsBuild a backup plan with the 3-2-1 rule, local and cloud copies and restore tests. Compare backup software, from Arq and Kopia to restic and Backblaze.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose a code editor: languages, platform and costChoose a code editor by language depth, platform, license and price. Compare VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA, Zed, Neovim and Xcode, plus a note on terminal tools.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose a digital audio workstation (DAW)Choose a digital audio workstation by MIDI and audio support, plugins, platform and licensing. Compare Ableton Live, Logic Pro, REAPER, FL Studio and notation tools.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose a messaging app: encryption, numbers, groupsCompare messaging apps by encryption by default, phone number requirements, metadata, group features, backups and platforms, with picks from the messaging ranking.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose a note-taking app: storage, sharing and priceChoose a note-taking app by where notes are stored, how sharing works, platform reach and price. Compare Obsidian, Notion, Joplin and other top picks.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readHow to choose a password manager: vaults, free plans, recoveryChoose a password manager by vault type, free plan limits, open-source code, passkeys and recovery. Compare Bitwarden, 1Password, Proton Pass and KeePassXC.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readHow to choose a VPN: what it does and does not doLearn what a VPN does and does not change, when you may not need one, and how to compare company base, open-source apps, audits, payment and platforms.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose a web browser: privacy, engine and syncChoose a web browser by engine, privacy defaults, platforms and open-source licensing. Compare Firefox, Chrome, Brave, Safari and Edge, plus ad blockers.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readHow to choose an email client: IMAP, privacy, platformsClients and providers are separate choices. Learn IMAP and SMTP in plain terms, then compare unified inboxes, privacy, calendars, platforms and price in email apps.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose cloud storage for files and devicesChoose cloud storage by free space, platform support, encryption and self-hosting. Learn why sync is not backup, and compare Google Drive, Dropbox and Proton Drive.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose photo editing software for raw, layers and priceChoose photo editing software by raw support, layers and masks, platform and pricing. Compare Affinity, GIMP, Pixelmator Pro, Photopea, darktable and RawTherapee.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose project management software for your teamChoose project management software by how pricing scales, how much planning you need and whether to self-host. Compare Asana, ClickUp, Jira, Trello and more.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readHow to choose team chat software: channels, hosting, costCompare team chat tools by channels and threads, message retention, self-hosting, guest access, integrations and per-user pricing, with picks from the rankings.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readHow to choose video editing software for your projectsChoose video editing software by timeline depth, hardware needs, export formats and price. Compare DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Shotcut, Kdenlive and CapCut.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readHow to compare AI chatbots without chasing leaderboardsA practical method for comparing AI chatbots by your own tasks, privacy settings, plan pricing, file handling and reliability, with rankings as a starting point.
Roundups
Lists of the best options for a job.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readBest AI coding assistants compared by how they workCompare AI coding assistants by how they work, editor-integrated, terminal agent or open-source, with their pricing models and how much of the source you can read.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readBest AI tools for reading research papersCompare arXiv, Semantic Scholar, Elicit, Hugging Face and Kagi for finding papers, and learn how to check AI-generated citations before you rely on them.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readBest apps for Linux, grouped by the job they doThe strongest apps on Linux, grouped by job: browsers, editors, notes, creative tools, security and chat. Includes where Linux support is thinner or limited.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readBest apps for remote teams: chat, video, whiteboards and tasksPick remote team apps by job: chat, video calls, whiteboards and project tracking. Compare per-seat and flat pricing, self-hosting, and async work habits.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readBest free alternatives to Microsoft OfficeCompare LibreOffice, ONLYOFFICE, Google Docs, WPS Office and Zoho Workplace, and learn where Microsoft file format compatibility can fall short for your documents.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readBest open-source alternatives to paid softwareOpen-source apps that can replace paid tools for notes, office work, backups, analytics, chat and remote access, with the hosting trade-offs of each one.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readPrivacy-focused apps: what the label means and where it stopsA plain definition of privacy-focused software, its limits, and the messaging, browser, search, VPN, email and file encryption apps the rankings cover.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readBest tools for capturing your screen: screenshots and recordingsPick a screen capture tool by screenshot or recording needs, platform, price and cloud privacy. Compare OBS Studio, Loom, ScreenFlow, ShareX, CleanShot X, Flameshot.
Explainers
Concepts behind the products.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readHow to read software rankings: a checklist and listme.name's rulesRead best-software lists critically: affiliate links, paid placement, review bias, scoring and stale data, plus how listme.name scores and discloses its rules.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readLocal LLM runners explained: running models on your computerWhat running an AI model locally means, how hardware limits it, when it makes sense, and how local runners such as Ollama compare with hosted chatbots.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readMonte Carlo bid estimating: what P50, P80 and P90 meanMonte Carlo simulation for bid estimators: model cost ranges, read P50, P80 and P90 and the chance of meeting a price, with a worked example and common mistakes.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readSpaced repetition explained: how review schedules workSpaced repetition reviews material at growing intervals, just before you would forget it. Learn how flashcard apps schedule reviews and how to write good cards.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readTwo-factor authentication explained: factor types and setupTwo-factor authentication adds a second proof of identity to your password. Compare SMS, app codes, security keys and passkeys, and keep recovery codes safe.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 5 min readWhat end-to-end encryption means and what it does not coverEnd-to-end encryption means only the sender and recipient hold the keys. Learn how it differs from in-transit and at-rest encryption, and how to check claims.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readWhat is a headless CMS? APIs, hosting models and when it fitsA headless CMS stores content and serves it through an API, with no built-in website. Learn how it differs from a traditional CMS and when it is overkill.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readLocal-first software explained: data on your own deviceLocal-first software keeps your data on your device, works offline and treats sync as optional. Learn the trade-offs against cloud apps and how to tell them apart.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 6 min readWhat is OPC UA? A plain guide for industrial software beginnersOPC UA explained for beginners: the problem it solves, clients, servers and information models, security modes, and how it differs from OPC Classic and Modbus.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readWhat is open source software? Licenses and what they meanOpen source means a license lets anyone use, study, change and share the code. Compare MIT, Apache, GPL and AGPL, and learn what to check before you adopt one.
- Oct 10, 2026 · 4 min readWhat is SCADA? Parts, uses, and how it differs from DCS and MESSCADA explained: the field devices, controllers, communications, HMI and historian in a system, how it differs from a DCS and an MES, and key security concerns.