List of portable software facts for kids
A portable application is a special kind of software that you can carry and use from a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, or even some digital audio players. Imagine having your favorite programs with you wherever you go, without needing to install them on every computer you use! These apps don't leave any files or settings behind on the computer's main storage, making them super handy and neat.
Contents
Portable App Collections
Sometimes, you can find many portable apps grouped together in a special collection. These collections often come with a menu that helps you find and open the apps easily. It's like having a mini-computer on your USB stick!
- Ceedo
- MojoPac
- LiberKey
- PortableApps.com
- U3
- WinPenPack
App Launchers
Launchers are programs that help you organize and start your portable applications. They make it simple to find the app you want to use from your USB drive.
- Appetizer (a Dock style launcher)
- ASuite
- Launchy
- OpenDisc
- RocketDock
Tools for Developers
Even if you're just starting to learn about coding, there are portable tools that can help you create your own software!
Coding Languages
These are tools for writing computer programs.
- Portable Python
- Portable AutoIt
- Portable AutoHotkey
- Portable Perl (Strawberry Perl Portable Version)
Coding Environments
An IDE is like a special workshop for programmers. It has all the tools you need to write, test, and fix your code.
- Alice IDE
- Portable Eclipse
- Portable Code::Blocks (works with MinGW)
- Portable Dev-C++
- Hackety Hack (an educational version of Ruby)
- SharpDevelop Portable
Creative Tools
3D Art and Animation
These programs let you create amazing 3D models and animations, like characters for games or short films.
- Anim8or – Free software for 3D modeling and animation.
- Blender:
- BlenderPortable
- Blender Pocket
- XBlender
Drawing and Photo Editing
Want to draw, paint, or edit your photos? These portable graphic editors are perfect for artistic projects.
- ArtRage
- Artweaver
- Dia
- Fotografix
- GIMP:
- GIMP Portable VS 2008 (for Microsoft Windows)
- Portable Gimp (for Mac OS X)
- Inkscape:
- X-Inkscape
- Portable Inkscape (for Mac OS X)
- IrfanView
- Pixia
- Tux Paint
Image Viewers
These programs help you look at your pictures and sometimes do quick edits.
- FastStone Image Viewer (can capture screens and turn pictures into PDFs)
- Irfanview
- XnView
Document Tools
Office Programs
These are like the apps you use for schoolwork, such as writing essays or making presentations.
- Abiword
- AllMyNotes Organizer
- Atlantis Word Processor
- Jarte
- LibreOffice
- OpenOffice.org
- Scribus
Text Editors
These are simple programs for writing and editing plain text, useful for notes or coding.
- EmEditor Professional
- Geany
- Notepad++
- Notepad2
- PSPad
- SciTE
- Sublime Text
- Vim
Learning and Fun
Educational Software
Explore the stars, learn math, or read e-books with these portable learning tools.
- Celestia (explore space)
- GCompris (educational games)
- Maxima (math software)
- Stellarium (virtual planetarium)
- Calibre (e-book manager)
Games
Yes, you can even play games from your USB drive! Here are some popular portable games.
- AssaultCube
- Cave Story
- Dwarf Fortress
- Doom I / II
- Frets on Fire
- Kerbal Space Program
- Minecraft
- PokerTH
- Quake
- Secret Maryo Chronicles
- Tile World
- Warzone 2100
- Xonotic
Game Emulators
Emulators let you play games from older game consoles on your computer.
- DOSBox (plays old MS-DOS games)
- FCE Ultra (Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator)
- MAME (plays many arcade games)
- VisualBoyAdvance (Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance emulator)
- ZSNES (Super NES emulator)
Internet Tools
Web Browsers
Take your favorite internet browser with you, including all your bookmarks and settings.
- Brave
- Chromium
- Firefox Portable
- Google Chrome Portable
- Opera
- Pale Moon
- SeaMonkey
- SRWare Iron Portable
- Waterfox
Email Programs
Manage your emails on the go with these portable email clients.
- Mozilla Thunderbird Portable
- Pegasus Mail
- Opera (has an email client built-in)
- SeaMonkey
Chat and Messaging
Stay in touch with friends using portable messaging apps.
- Google Talk
- Miranda NG
- Pidgin Portable
- Skype
- Trillian Anywhere
- Yahoo! Messenger
File Transfer (FTP)
These tools help you upload or download files from websites.
- WinSCP
- FileZilla
- Portable Cyberduck
File Sharing (P2P)
These programs let you share files with other people directly.
Multimedia Tools
File Converters
Change video or audio files from one format to another.
- Any Video Converter
- Audiograbber
- CDex
- FormatFactory
- fre:ac
- MediaCoder
CD/DVD Burning
Create your own CDs or DVDs with these portable burning programs.
- CDBurnerXP
- DVDStyler
- DeepBurner Portable Edition
- InfraRecorder
- Portable ImgBurn
Audio and Video Editors
Edit your music or videos with these portable tools.
- Portable Audacity (for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X)
- mp3DirectCut
- VirtualDub
Media Players
Watch videos and listen to music from your portable drive.
- RealPlayer
- FLV player
- Media Player Classic
- foobar2000
- MPlayer
- SMPlayer
- VLC Media Player
- Winamp
Other Handy Tools
File Management
These programs help you organize and move files on your computer or portable drive.
- Directory Opus
- Total Commander
- XYplorer
File Compressors
Shrink files to save space or combine them into one package.
PDF Readers
Open and view PDF documents easily.
- Foxit Reader
- STDU Viewer
- Sumatra PDF
- PDF-XChange Viewer
Security and Privacy
Password Managers
Keep all your passwords safe and organized in one place.
- KeePass Portable
- Password Safe
Antivirus and Anti-Spyware
Protect your computer from harmful software, even when using portable apps.
- Combofix
- HijackThis
- Spybot – Search & Destroy
- ClamWin Portable
System Helpers
Cleaning Tools
Keep your computer running smoothly by cleaning up junk files.
- CCleaner
File Recovery
Accidentally deleted something important? These tools might help you get it back.
- PhotoRec
- Recuva
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Aplicaciones portátiles para niños
- Portable Application
- Live USB
- Portable application creators