50 Great Web Alternatives to Desktop Software – Blancer.com Tutorials and projects

Even without the help of the ground breaking features in HTML5, web apps have come of age. While not all web apps rival their desktop counterparts, some clearly do. One solid example being online To-do apps with invoicing and project management apps also competent enough for a neck to neck fight.

We’ve compiled a list of 50 worthy web app alternatives to standalone desktop apps. Let’s take a look!

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Panda Cloud Protection

Panda Cloud Protection is a cloud based security solution, delivered in a SaaS model that provides complete protection services for the major threat vectors: endpoint, email and web.

Replaces: Conventional AV suites like McAfee, Norton, Kaspersky etc.
Requirements: An Internet Connection
Developer: Panda Security

LastPass

LastPass is an online password manager which, with the help of your master password, remembers and stores all your passwords when you login to websites and facilitates — one click login after first use.

Replaces: KeePass, 1Password (Mac), Roboform etc.
Requirements: A modern web browser.

Google Docs

Google Docs is an online office suite made available for free by Google and is capable of word processing, spreadsheets, presentations & more.

Replaces: Microsoft Office & Open Office
Requirements: A modern web browser & a Google account.
Developer: List developer if you can find him/her

Splashup

Splashup is a cloud based image editing tool with a great set of tools for image manipulation.

Replaces: Adobe Photosop, Gimp etc.
Requirements: Adobe Flash Player
Developer: Faux Labs, Inc.

Google Apps

Google Apps is an affordable enterprise communication suite complete with email, calenders, document editors and more.

Replaces: Microsoft Exchange Server
Requirements: A domain name

Gliffy

Gliffy is a web app that helps us create & share quality flow charts, complex diagrams or technical drawings.

Replaces: Microsoft Vizio

Instacalc

Instacalc is equipped with scientific functions & formulae and is a great replacement for the desktop app.

Replaces: The calculator app

faxZERO

With faxZERO you can send free faxes to USA & Canada and paid faxes across the globe.

Replaces: A fax machine
Developer: Savetz Publishing

Netvibes

Netvibes is the fastest way to keep in touch with your RSS subscriptions and to track your real time web.

Replaces: Feed demon, Net News Wire etc.

Meebo

Meebo is a online multiple protocol chat app that does not need any introductions.

Replaces: Almost all chat clients.

Prezi

Prezi is a great web app to create stunning & professional looking presentation material.

Replaces: Microsoft PowerPoint
Requirements: Adobe Flash Player
Developer: Prezi Inc.

Wufoo

Wufoo makes building forms and survey applications to collect data from users extremely simple.

Replaces: A lot of shareware apps & to an extent IDE’s.
Developer: Infinity Box Inc.

Evernote

Evernote is the popular app of choice to jot down things on the fly.

Replaces: Microsoft OneNote.
Requirements: The dedicated desktop & mobile apps for ease of use.

PDFescape

Read, edit, fill forms and create PDF files with this amazing web app.

Replaces: Adobe Reader
Developer: CT Developing LLC.

Google Voice

After Google opened up international calling, the app has become the powerhouse of voice communication.

Replaces: Skype
Requirements: Google Voice Account which is available only to US residents.

World of Soltaire

World of Solitaire

A windows user never ever gets tired of this good game!

Replaces: Solitaire
Developer: Cosmic Realms

WebFTPer

Upload files, change permissions, manage data all without having to leave the browser.

Replaces: SmartFTP, Transmit etc.

ScreenCastle

Record, share & stream your screenshots without having to download and install anything. ScreenCastle offers 8 different links to watch, embed and share with different image sizes.

Replaces: TechSmith Camtasia Studio
Requirements: Java

Talon

From the stable of the popular web app supermarket Aviary, comes the online screenshot taking app.

Replaces: TechSmith SnagIT
Requirements: A Firefox or Chrome Plugin for enhanced functionality.

SmugMug

Our editor’s favorite photo management app is a great choice for hobbyists & professionals alike.

Replaces: ACD See, Picasa Desktop etc.
Requirements: An account at SmugMug
Developer: SmugMug Inc.

PiratePad

PiratePad is a free online collaborative notepad for group discussion and code editing.

Replaces: WordPad, Tomboy etc
Developer: PiratPartiNet

vixy.net

vixy.net converts your video into FLV format optimized to be played in your portable media player. Preset settings are available for popular portable players.

Replaces: Handbrake
Developer: Farside Inc.

movavi

A great web app to convert multiple video files simultaneously into a variety of popular formats.

Replaces: Videora, Xilisoft Video Converter etc.

Miro Video Converter

In addition to converting videos into a lot of popular video formats, Miro Video Converter can also convert files into the latest WebM format too.

Developer: Participatory Culture Foundation

HootSuite

Right from following your friends to monitoring a social marketing campaign, there is nothing impossible with this web app powered by HTML5.

Replaces: Tweetdeck
Requirements: A modern browser & social network accounts.
Developer: HootSuite Media Inc.

mindmeister

mindmeister is an upgrade to the good old napkin system to capture ideas. It’s also possible to export mind maps, edit with another app (desktop or web) and import the same for further edits.

Replaces: Mindomo, Simple Mind etc.
Developer: Meister Labs

Balsamiq

Balsamiq is a simple & powerful web app to design UI prototypes & wireframes ideal for designers & developers.

Replaces: Denim, OmniGraffle
Developer: Balsamiq Studios LLC.

Kodingen

Kodingen is a web based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that supports coding and version control of apps in a variety of top programming languages.

Replaces: Dreamweaver, Visual Studio.

Dabbleboard

A picture is worth a thousand words, and Dabbleboard lets you draw your ideas as pictures quickly. Others can also contribute to the idea on the board too.

Replaces: NotateIt
Developer: Dabbleboard Inc.

Piwik

Piwik is a self hosted, open source (GPL licensed) real time web analytics software script which has the same set of features of Google Analytics.

Replaces: Woopra
Requirements: A web server

Oprius

Oprius is a sales and contact Management Software web app that lets you can access your contacts from anywhere.

Replaces: Microsoft Outlook
Developer: Oprius Software Inc.

SugarCRM

Available in both commercial and open source flavors, SugarCRM is a competent Customer Relationship Management solution.

Replaces: vTiger, Microsoft Dynamics CRM and more.
Requirements: A web server for the open source version.

OpenBravo

OpenBravo is a web-based integrated Enterprise Management system for managing your business right from the Point of Sales to Warehouse Management.

Replaces: Microsoft Dynamics NAV, SAP
Requirements: A web server
Developer: Openbravo, S.L.U.

Liquid Planner

Liquid Planner is a project management web app known for its ability to make allowances for sliding estimates for tasks with inexact completion dates.

Replaces: Microsoft Project
Developer: Liquid Planner Inc.

Less Accounting

Less Accounting is a great way to keep track of your expenses, income, invoicing and taxing needs. Less time spent on book keeping and more time to focus on your business.

Replaces: Quick Books
Developer: Less Everything

Less TimeSpent

No more sticky notes and no more cluttered spreadsheets. LessTimeSpent tracks your work in real time, so no more over worked & underpaid hours.

Replaces: actiTime, Billings.
Developer: Less Everything

Magna CRM

Magna CRM is a simple & intuitive on demand CRM solution to store business contacts, leads, opportunities in addition to scheduling & managing tasks.

Developer: OnClick Solutions Ltd.

Goplan

Goplan lets you keep track of your projects and collaborate with your colleagues securely through an intuitive user interface & is used by famous companies like Mozilla & Boxee among others.

Replaces: Microsoft Project
Developer: Webreakstuff Lda.

TeuxDeux

TeuxDeux is a visually compelling and highly usable to-do app developed with the aim to reboot how contemporary Getting Things Done apps work.

Replaces: Things
Developer: swissmiss & Fictive Kin

Springpad

Whether on your computer or smart phone, Springpad helps you remember stuff — places, websites, books, recipes, ideas, anything — all in one place so you can make better decisions.

Replaces: Bento
Requirements: List
Developer: Spring Partners

iClippy

iClippy captures all your copy and cut operations & automatically copies them to the iClippy service. The web app can also capture from the screen and the scanner as well.

Replaces: Ditto, Presto.
Developer: iClippy LLC.

Photoshop.com

Edit, organize and share your photos with the Photoshop.com web app which with the familiar interface, is a close enough to be a light weight Photoshop. It’s free and comes with 1 GB free storage.

Replaces: Adobe Photoshop
Requirements: An Adobe ID
Developer: Adobe

Toodledo

For those of us who are procrastinators, Toodledo is a special tool that analyzes dates, priorities, time estimates, and other characteristics to create a customized schedule of the best use of your time.

Requirements: A Toodledo account

Zootool

Zootool is a cool way to collect, organize and share your favourite images, videos, documents and links from all over the web.

Replaces: Desktop & browser based bookmark apps
Developer: OpenWe GmbH

Livemocha

Livemocha is the world’s largest online language learning community and offers intelligently designed learning programs designed by native speakers of the language you are interested in.

Replaces: Rosetta Stone

Cramberry

Cramberry helps you study with online flash cards. Cramberry analyzes your progress during the study and shows only the cards you need to study.

Replaces: Popling
Developer: Lateral Communications Inc.

CliffsNotes

Literature can be pretty boring. CliffsNotes’ guides present and explain literary and other works in a condensed & simple form online.

Developer: Wiley Publishing.

Toggl

With Toggl, you can track time with a single click and switch easily between different tasks and create reports at the same time.

Developer: apprise

Mibbit

For long mIRC has been the chosen client to access the grand daddy of IM, the IRC (Internet Relay Chat). With Mibbit, there is no need to know the complex login and channel commands and even newbies can start using IRC in no time..

Replaces: mIRC
Developer: Mibbit Limited.

put.io

Put.io is a storage service that allows you to upload your medial files & and lets you stream them immediately as and when you please. You can use it to stream video, listen to your music and can also share your library with friends.

Interested in checking out more desktop app alternatives? Check out our earlier list of 15 desktop app alternatives.

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