Are you looking for powerful apps to take your Linux experience to the next level? Do you feel tired of app recommendation lists that start and end with LibreOffice or GIMP? Let’s look at a few hidden gems in the Linux app ecosystem.
The best thing about Linux is access to a vast collection of open-source software—powerful apps that are not only free but respect your privacy. However, because most open-source developers don’t have marketing budgets, very few folks know these tools even exist. Finding them typically requires digging through Linux forums, GitHub pages, and hours of testing.
Luckily for you, I’ve done all that legwork. After years of exploring, testing, and incorporating these tools into my daily workflow, I’ve compiled a list of seven little-known Linux apps that I, personally, can’t live without. I’m confident you’ll find at least a few of these indispensable for your own setup.
1
Syncthing
Syncthing helps you sync files and folders between your different devices. It’s great at what it does and is super reliable, making it one of my favorite apps that I install on all my devices.
Yes, Syncthing is cross-platform, so it works on macOS and Windows too. A fork of the app is also available on Android. Once set up, Syncthing will continually sync a folder (or multiple folders) between two (or more) systems.
It’s important to note that this is peer-to-peer syncing—meaning syncing will only happen when the involved devices are turned on. However, the benefit is that you don’t need to worry about any third-party cloud servers or storage systems. I mainly use Syncthing to sync files between my Linux PC and my Windows PC.
Related
5 of the Best Tools for Syncing Files Between Linux and Windows
Syncing tools to help you live a double OS life.
2
Super Productivity
Super Productivity is a FOSS task management system. It’s packed with features, but it can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be. I discovered it when searching for a good Pomodoro timer—for which this is one of the best tools.
You can set a custom Pomodoro timer and get full-screen reminders so you work and take breaks as you intended. You can also set up a standing desk counter, coffee counter, and stretch counter to help you stay on top of your productivity and fitness goals.
Other than this, you can create tasks, assign sub-tasks, schedule them, attach them to a project, and add tags for better management. You can also set an estimated time of completion and track how long you actually took to finish it to assess your productivity.
By default, you have the Today tab from where you can view all the tasks you have due for today. However, you can also view and sort through your tasks based on the projects and tags. There’s also a Schedule tab which gives you a week-view of all your tasks along with a Planner view which gives a quick way to easily juggle around tasks between different dates and plan your week. Finally, there’s a board view from which you can either set up an Eisenhower Matrix to filter out important tasks visually, and a Kanban Board to get a sense of all tasks that are in progress.
3
Logseq
Logseq is a Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS). I personally have been using Obsidian for the longest time before making the jump to Logseq a few months ago.
It’s very powerful and one of the best tools for building a second brain. It’s beyond the scope of this article to explore all its features. If you have used Obsidian or Roam Research before, you’ll find Logseq’s feature set very familiar.
Related
This Is the Best Markdown and Note-Taking App You’ve Never Heard Of
Great for anyone who writes on their phone.
However, if you haven’t used a PKMS before, Logseq basically helps you capture notes and create bidirectional links between them to eventually build an ever-growing library of connected ideas. It’s excellent for daily journaling and seeing how your ideas evolved by tracing the connections between old and new ideas.
4
CopyQ
Have you ever copied something, then copied something else, and wished you could go back to that first item? CopyQ is here to save you from that ever happening again. It’s a clipboard manager that lets you store copied text and images for later needs.
Every time you copy something, it gets stored inside the clipboard manager. You can search through the clipboard history to find the piece of text or image you need to paste now and use it. For quick access, CopyQ should appear as an icon on the system tray. However, you can also call it using keyboard shortcuts. Simply click on the copied item you want, and that will be in the active clipboard for you to paste.
If you’re using Wayland, you could face some issues. This app works best on x11.
5
Speech Note
Speech Note is a simple application that you can use for both speech-to-text and text-to-speech purposes. While text-to-speech is relatively easy—speech-to-text, especially with proper punctuation and accent detection, can be hard. Thankfully, this app does a marvelous job.
By default, it uses FasterWhisper, which is an open-source model built on top of OpenAI’s Whisper model. You can also head into the settings to download other models, including different language models for translation requirements.
I primarily use it for speech-to-text. Sometimes I hate to write using the keyboard, which is when I use Speech Note to do an audio thought dump. The app gives you an open window where you can press Listen to turn on the mic and start talking. Once you are done, hit Stop, and the system will start processing your voice note and transcribe it.
Everything is happening locally, so you don’t need to worry about your voice notes being stored in the cloud. However, this also means the transcription speeds and performance will depend on your system specs. For reference, I am using a Ryzen 3 2200G CPU with 16GB RAM and no dedicated GPU. With this I’m able to transcribe a 5-min audio clip in under a minute with excellent accuracy.
Related
6
Portmaster
If you’ve picked up on a theme in my app choices, it’s that I prefer keeping things local and maintaining control over my data. Portmaster by Safing extends this philosophy to network connections, giving me granular control over which applications can access the internet.
I know you can get network-level control over your apps via the terminal, but Portmaster makes it possible through an elegant and modern interface. Simply select any app you want to restrict, toggle “Block Connection,” and you’re done. However, Portmaster is far more than just a connection blocker—it’s a comprehensive network activity monitor and firewall application.
Related
How to Monitor Your Internet Bandwidth Usage and Avoid Exceeding Data Caps
Curious what’s using up all your bandwidth? Time to dig in.
At the very least, it gives you a dedicated graphical user interface to set different DNS servers and also activate various filter lists to prevent sites associated with adware, malware, deception, and NSFW content.
7
Stacer
Most Linux distributions come with built-in system optimizers and resource monitors, but Stacer stands out for its comprehensive feature set and modern interface.
The home screen provides a clean dashboard showing real-time stats on CPU, memory, disk, and network usage, along with basic system information. For a more detailed analysis, the Resource tab offers line graphs of resource consumption over time, helping you identify patterns and potential issues. Other than this, the tool comes with a startup application manager, built-in system cleaner, and a dedicated interface for adding and removing third-party repositories from your system.
There you have it—seven FOSS apps that might not make headlines but offer enough value to go toe-to-toe against paid alternatives. They’re practical, respects your privacy, and just work. If you’re looking to enhance your Linux experience beyond the mainstream options, give these overlooked tools a try.
Related
Why Do I Use Linux? It’s the Apps, and Here Are 7 of My Favorites
The best apps for GNU are also the best apps for me.
