Infostealer malware continues to be in the news these days. Those headlines about millions of compromised passwords, some of which are linked to major services like Gmail? Just a year or so ago, such large information dumps were mostly full of less important data—weak or reused passwords for sites not critical to your digital life.
But when an infostealer lurks on a PC, it can intercept a variety of sensitive data, including login information for bank accounts, email, and cryptocurrency accounts. Victims are often unaware of this until their account shows signs of strange or fraudulent activity, as data stealers perform their stated function to evade detection.
So, how to avoid this kind of malware? Use reliable apps and browser extensions that have a good reputation and many downloads. Many of them are free (or very affordable), and some don't even require installation. Just point your browser to the website and off you go.
For example, here are some reliable alternatives to popular apps like Photoshop and Acrobat, as well as some of the best options for a popular type of browser extension.
- Photo peas (Adobe Photoshop) – If you're not a power user, this web-based image editor is quite robust on its own. You can use the ad-based version for free, but ad removal and AI features cost $5 per month. (Read about our practical experience with Photopea.)
- PDF candy (Adobe Acrobat DC) – This web-based PDF editor offers an advanced set of features and is free to use, although with a strict limit of just one task per hour. For unlimited access, you can pay $6 per month or $48 per year for a subscription, or a flat rate of $99 for a lifetime license. (Read our review of PDF Candy.)
- OnlyOffice (Microsoft Office 365) – This document editing suite is a sleeker, more familiar alternative to Microsoft Office applications compared to the better-known LibreOffice. Applications are available for PC and mobile devices. (Read our review from OnlyOffice.)
- uBlock Origin Lite — If you're looking for a good ad-blocking extension, this long-standing extension has withstood both the years and Chrome's transition to Manifest V3. Want to consider another option? My colleague Michael Crider swears AdGuard.
Michael Ansaldo/Foundry
(If you're most interested in image editing, I recommend trying sites like Canvas And Adobe Express Also. Their free versions are suitable for simple projects while making them easier to complete – the tools significantly reduce manual labor.)
Want more great free software deals? You can check out some reviews of free software recommendations on PCWorld, such as best free software for your PC, free Photoshop alternatives that actually work, best free PDF editors, best free password managersAnd Chrome extensions we always install.
Apart from choosing well-known and reliable alternative apps and extensions, another smart step is to optimize your PC and browser experience. Think of it this way: the fewer pieces of code you install on your computer, the less you have to monitor or worry about.
