Seven or eight years ago, back when I was looking for free graphics and sound programs, I did exhaustive searches on google and other engines for freeware or at the very least shareware that wasn't crippled. I found many websites for downloads, including CNET and The Sonic Spot, but I wanted to find the best programs on a site that had ratings and reviews, and separate sections for freeware and shareware. Soon I found the site known back then as 'Webattack'. It had several clearly-marked sections for different software categories.
Later on, Webattack's name was changed to Snapfiles, possibly to prevent it from being confused with malware. Despite the change of name and to some extent the cosmetic appearance of the site, Snapfiles has remained much the same in terms of quality and user-friendliness.
Snapfiles has a white blue and green colour scheme and a very intuitive interface. The Shareware, Freeware and Features tabs are displayed in the upper right-hand corner where the user can easily find them. There are also several links to the highest rated programs and reviews, highlights and popular downloads. The freeware and shareware sections both have extensive lists showing every section and all the subsections, so you can find what you are looking for very easily just by browsing the types of software.
The lists include Browser Tools, Communication, Download Tools, Email Tools, Graphics and Photo, Multimedia, Server Tools, Networking, Web Authoring, Antivirus, and more. There are very few, if any, games listed on Snapfiles as it is mostly a site for business and creative software. There are some hobby programs however, including a few typing tutors. Each program has three ratings which can be used to determine usefulness: the Snapfiles staff-rating, popularity and user ratings. All programs have summaries of their functions, and quite a few have reviews written by other users to rate their overall satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Some great programs which are still hosted there include Artrage, GIMP, Pixia and DeKnop. There are others which used to be hosted on Snapfiles but have since been removed - Buttonz & Tilez, Project Dogwaffle, Inkscape, Photoplus, Drawplus and a few others which in my opinion should have been kept there. For those who miss Buttonz & Tilez, however, there is Wood Workshop, a program which can be used to create some cool textures for buttons, backgrounds and more.
Here is where to find the programs:
Freeware Graphics Editors
Shareware Graphics Editors
There are also plenty of websites to search for the programs you missed, including Project Dogwaffle and the last free version of OpenCanvas. I would also recommend going to the Free Serif Software website because they offer older versions of their programs for discount prices or even for free, and their latest programs often only sell for around $100. They also offer great discounts for upgrades and combos, and their programs are comparable with Industrial Standard software including Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
So if you want to find a great deal on free or cheap software, go to the website that will give you a great list of useful programs - Snapfiles.com.
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