WORK STILL TO DO This page is under heavy renovation at the moment - please feel free to join in. The following things need to be completed:

1. Incorporate the appropriate software from https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareEquivalentsInternet

2. Incorporate the appropriate software from https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareEquivalentsMultimedia

3. Verify all the apps in the noted sections below are in the standard/universe/multiverse repositories and remove any that are not easily available.
4. Add more great software to the list that would be useful to a new Ubuntu user from a Microsoft platform.

Software Equivalents for migrating from a Microsoft Windows Operating Systems to Ubuntu Linux

What is the Software Equivalents List?

• This is a list of the best open-source applications available and supported for Ubuntu for new Linux users to explore. Feel free to edit this list and add any programs that meet the criteria below. The purpose of this list is to guide new Ubuntu Linux users to quality software products that will help them accomplish tasks they are familiar with in other operating systems (such as Microsoft Windows). To learn more, read the [#FAQ FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions].

Instructions:

• Tell all your non-Linux friends and family about the SoftwareEquivalents list, and the LoopList. On these lists they will find free, high-quality replacements for the software that they have purchased/pirated. This list will help them make a smooth and productive transition to Ubuntu Linux.

Rules for adding programs to the Software Equivalents list:

1. Must be open-source.
2. Must be available in an Ubuntu repository.
3. Only include the best application for each specific purpose. In rare cases, up to three applications may be listed.
4. Include the names of the top three commercial applications that provide similar functionality, if known.

Desktop Applications

Communication

• Email Client = [http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ Thunderbird]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Outlook

  IRC Client = [http://www.silverex.org/ X-Chat 2]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Universal Instant Messaging Client = [http://gaim.sourceforge.net/ Gaim]

  • Compare to: Trillian

  Web browser = [http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/ FireFox]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Internet Explorer

  Voice Over IP = [http://www.openwengo.com/ OpenWengo]

  • Compare to: Skype

Educational

• Learning Games = [http://childsplay.sourceforge.net/ Childsplay]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Planetarium = [http://www.stellarium.org/ Stellarium]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Space Simulator = [http://www.shatters.net/celestia/ Celestia]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Flight Simulator = [http://www.flightgear.org/ FlightGear]

  • Compare to: MS Flight Simulator

  Typing Tutor = [http://tuxtype.sourceforge.net/ Tux Typing]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Beginner Drawing Program = [http://www.newbreedsoftware.com/tuxpaint/ Tux Paint]

  • Compare to: KidPix

Computer Aided Drafting (CAD)

• General 2D/3D CAD = [http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html QCAD]

  • Compare to: AutoCAD

Electrical Schematics

• General Electronic Design Automation = [http://geda.seul.org/wiki/ gEDA]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Electrical Schematics = [http://cadsoftusa.com/ Eagle]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Circuit Board Design = [http://pcb.sourceforge.net/ PCB], [http://opencircuitdesign.com/xcircuit/ xCircuit]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Transmission Line Calculator = TransCalc

  • Compare to: Unknown

Financial

• Personal Accounting = [http://www.grisbi.org/index.en.html Grisbi]

  • Compare to: Quicken, Microsoft Money
  Accounting =
  • Compare to: Intuit Quickbooks

  Small Business ERP & CRM = [http://www.facturalux.org/ FacturaLUX] (English translation not yet available)

  • Compare to: Concorde C5

Games :Need to be verified in repositories

• 3D Space Simulator = [http://vegastrike.sourceforge.net/ Vega Strike], [http://epiar.net/ Epiar]

  • Compare to: Eve-Online

  3D Tank Battle (Real-time) = [http://www.bzflag.org/ BZFlag]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  3D Tank Battle (Turn-based) = [http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/ Scorched 3D]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  3D Pirate Action/Adventure = [http://crownandcutlass.sourceforge.net/ Crown and Cutlass]

  • Compare to: Pirates!

  Arcade space shooter = [http://www.reptilelabour.com/software/chromium/ Chromium], [http://maxfighter.musgit.com/ Max Fighter], [http://www.olofson.net/kobodl/ Kobo Deluxe]

  • Compare to: Demon Star, Chicken Invaders

  Billiards (Pool) = [http://foobillard.sourceforge.net/ FooBillard]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  First-person Shooter = [http://sauerbraten.org/ Sauerbraten], [http://www.warsow.net/ Warsow], [http://tremulous.sourceforge.net/ Tremulous], [http://cheapy.deathmask.net/ OpenArena], [http://www.nexuiz.com/ Nexiuz]

  • Compare to: Quake, Doom, Unreal

  First-person Shooter (Hexen II clone) = [http://uhexen2.sourceforge.net/ Hexen II: Hammer of Thyrion]

  • Compare to: Hexen II

  Karaoke player = [http://sourceforge.net/projects/plarpebu/ Plarpebu], [http://www.kibosh.org/pykaraoke/ PyKaraoke]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Lemmings-clone = [http://pingus.seul.org/ Pingus]

  • Compare to: Lemmings

  Mario-clone = [http://supertux.berlios.de/ SuperTux], [http://www.secretmaryo.org/ Secret Maryo Chronicles]

  • Compare to: Super Mario Bros

  Missle-Command clone = [http://www.linux-games.com/penguin-command/ Penguin Command]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  MMORPG = [http://www.planeshift.it/ PlaneShift], [http://www.eternal-lands.com/ Eternal Lands]

  • Compare to: Everquest

  Pang clone = [http://pixpang.pixjuegos.com/ PiX Pang]

  • Compare to: Super Pang

  Racing = [http://projects.planetpenguin.de/racer/ PlanetPenguin Racer (f.k.a. TuxRacer)], [http://vdrift.net/ VDrift], [http://supertuxkart.berlios.de/index.html SuperTuxKart]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Real-Time Strategy = [http://www.glest.org/ Glest], [http://dark-oberon.sourceforge.net/ Dark Oberon], [http://globulation2.org/ Globulation]

  • Compare to: Warcraft 2, Starcraft

  Risk clone = [http://javarisk.sourceforge.net/ JavaRisk]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Net Hack clone = [http://www.darkarts.co.za/projects/vultures/ Vulture's Eye/Claw]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Tron clone = [http://armagetronad.net/ Armagetron Advanced]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Turn-based Strategy (Fantasy) = [http://wesnoth.org/ Battle for Wesnoth]

  • Compare to: Age of Wonders, Heroes of Might and Magic, Warlords

  Turn-based Strategy (World Building) = [http://lincity-ng.berlios.de/wiki/index.php/Main_Page LinCity-NG] [http://www.openttd.org/ OpenTTD]

  • Compare to: SimCity, Transport Tycoon Deluxe

  Turn-based Strategy (Sci-Fi) = [http://ufo.myexp.de/ UFO: Alien Invasion], [http://codenautics.com/zombies/ Zombies]

  • Compare to: X-Com

  Unique = [http://www.spicetrade.org/ SpiceTrade]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Unique = [http://icculus.org/neverball/ Neverball]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Unique = [http://xmoto.sf.net/ X-Moto]

  • Compare to: Elasto Mania

Productivity :Need to be verified in repositories

• Database (Desktop) = [http://www.openoffice.org/ OpenOffice (Base)]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Office (Access)

  Desktop Publishing = [http://windows.scribus.net/ Scribus]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Publisher

  Mind Mapping = [http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page FreeMind]

  • Compare to: Mindjet MindManager, Inspiration

  PDF creator = [http://sector7g.wurzel6.de/pdfcreator/index_en.htm PDF Creator]

  • Compare to: Adobe Acrobat

  Presentation = [http://www.openoffice.org/ OpenOffice (Impress)]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Office (Powerpoint)

  Spreadsheet = [http://www.openoffice.org/ OpenOffice (Calc)]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Office (Excel)

  Word Processor = [http://www.openoffice.org/ OpenOffice (Writer)], [http://www.abiword.com/ AbiWord]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Office (Word)

  Scientific Word Processor = [http://www.lyx.org/ Lyx (Latex gui frontend)]

  • Compare to: Scientific Word

  Notepad Replacement = [http://www.flos-freeware.ch/notepad2.html Notepad2], [http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net Notepad++], [http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html SciTE]

  • Compare to: Notepad

Management :Need to be verified in repositories

• Gantt chart = [http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net/ GanttProject]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Project

  Project management = [http://winplanner.sourceforge.net/ Planner], [http://www.openworkbench.org/ OpenWorkbench]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Project

  Report Creator = [http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/ JasperReports]

  • Compare to: Crystal Reports

  Analisi dei processi = [http://apbyas.sourceforge.net/ APbyAS]

  • Compare to Unknown

  Gestione Attività = [http://pmbyas.sourceforge.net/ PMbyAS]

  • Compare to Microsoft Project

Misc :Need to be verified in repositories

• Animal Shelter Manager = [http://sheltermanager.sourceforge.net Animal Shelter Manager]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Virtual PC emulator = [http://bochs.sourceforge.net/ Bochs], [http://www.h7.dion.ne.jp/~qemu-win/ Qemu]

  • Compare to: VMware, Microsoft Virtual PC

  Linux environment = [http://www.cygwin.com/ Cygwin]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Recipe Manager = [http://grecipe-manager.sourceforge.net/ Gourmet Recipe Manager]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Screen Saver = [http://www.reallyslick.com/ Really Slick Screensavers]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Language Translation tool = [http://www.omegat.org OmegaT]

  • Compare to: Unkown

Multimedia :Need to be verified in repositories

3D

• 3D Animation = [http://www.blender.org/ Blender], [http://www.wings3d.com/ Wings 3D]

  • Compare to: Alias Maya

  3D Graphics = [http://www.povray.org/ POV-Ray]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  3D Game Development Kit = [http://crystalspace3d.org Crystal Space], [http://ogre3d.org Ogre3d]

  • Compare to: Unknown

Audio :Need to be verified in repositories

• Audio Editing = [http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ Audacity]

  • Compare to: Adobe Audition

  Audio Player = [http://coolplayer.sourceforge.net/ Coolplayer], [http://zinf.sourceforge.net/ Zinf]

  • Compare to: WinAMP, Windows Media Player

  Drum Machine = [http://www.hydrogen-music.org/ Hydrogen]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  MP3 Ripper = [http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/ CDex]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Volume normalizer = [http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/ MP3Gain]

  • Compare to: Unknown

Drawing :Need to be verified in repositories

• Diagram Editor = [http://dia-installer.sourceforge.net/ Dia]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Visio

  Image Editing = [http://www.gimp.org/ Gimp], [http://www.getpaint.net/ Paint.NET]

  • Compare to: Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop

  Vector Drawing = [http://www.inkscape.org/ Inkscape], [http://www.sodipodi.com/ Sodipodi]

Other :Need to be verified in repositories

• HTPC/PVR Media Centre = [http://www.team-mediaportal.com/ MediaPortal]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Media Centre Edition (MCE), Showshifter, SageTV

  Media Player = [http://www.videolan.org/ VLC media player]

  • Compare to: Windows Media Player, PowerLink PowerDVD, Intervideo WinDVD

  Web Design = [http://www.nvu.com/ Nvu]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Frontpage, Macromedia Dreamweaver

Video :Need to be verified in repositories

• Internet TV platform = [http://www.getdemocracy.com/ Democracy Player]

  • Compare to: iTunes, FireAnt

  Video Capture = [http://www.virtualdub.org/ VirtualDub]

  • Compare to: Sorenson Squeeze

  Video MPEG-4 codec = [http://ffdshow.sourceforge.net/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=Getting%20ffdshow ffdshow], [http://www.xvid.org/ XviD]

  • Compare to: DivX

  Video Editing = [http://www.jahshaka.org/ Jashaka], [http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/ Avidemux],

  • Compare to: Adobe After Effects, Pinnacle Studio, Apple Final Cut

Security :Need to be verified in repositories

• 802.1x client (EAP-TTLS) = [http://www.securew2.com/uk/ SecureW2]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Anti-Spyware = [http://winpooch.free.fr/ Winpooch], [http://www.safer-networking.org Spybot Search&Destroy (not OpenSource, but FreeWare)]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Anti-Virus = [http://www.clamwin.com/ ClamWin]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Encryption = [http://www.truecrypt.com/ Truecrypt]

  • Compare to: Win Zip?

  Network protocol analyzer = [http://www.wireshark.org/ Wireshark]

  • Compare to: Sniffer

  Password strength testing = [http://ophcrack.sourceforge.net/ Ophcrack 2]

  • Compare to: LOphtCrack

  Password safe = [http://keepass.sourceforge.net/ KeePass Password Safe], [http://passwordsafe.sourceforge.net/ Password Safe]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  VPN client = [http://openvpn.se/ OpenVPN client GUI for Windows]

  • Compare to: Cisco VPN client, Nortel VPN client

Software Development :Need to be verified in repositories

• Framework/Platform = [http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page Mono]

  • Compare to: Microsoft .NET Framework, Java

  Integrated Development Environment = [http://www.eclipse.org/ Eclipse], [http://www.icsharpcode.net/opensource/sd/#Develop SharpDevelop], [http://www.codeblocks.org/ Code::Blocks]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Visual Studio, Borland IDE

  Windows Installer = [http://nsis.sourceforge.net/ Nullsoft Scriptable Install System], [http://www.jrsoftware.org/isinfo.php Inno Setup]

  • Compare to: InstallShield, Microsoft Installer

Utilities :Need to be verified in repositories

• BitTorrent client = [http://azureus.sourceforge.net/ Azureus], [http://www.bittorrent.com/ BitTorrent Client]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  File compression = [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7-Zip]

  • Compare to: WinZip

  FTP Client = [http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/ Filezilla FTP client]

  • Compare to: SmartFTP, BulletProof FTP

  Statistics on Disk usage = [http://windirstat.sourceforge.net/ WinDirStat]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  P2P file-sharing = [http://shareaza.sourceforge.net/ Shareaza], [http://aresgalaxy.sourceforge.net/ Ares]

  • Compare to: Napster

  Remote Administration = [http://ultravnc.sourceforge.net/ UltraVNC]

  • Compare to: PCAnywhere, GoToMyPC.com, Windows Remote Desktop

Server Applications :Need to be verified in repositories

Database

• Database server = [http://firebird.sourceforge.net/ Firebird], [http://www.mysql.com/ MySQL], [http://www.postgresql.org/ PostgreSQL]

  • Compare to: Microsoft SQL server, Oracle database

File Server

• FTP server = [http://filezilla.sourceforge.net/ Filezilla FTP server]

  • Compare to: Unknown

Messaging

• Email server = [http://www.hmailserver.com/ hMailServer]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Exchange server, Novell GroupWise server

  Instant messaging server = [http://www.jivesoftware.org/messenger/ Jive Messenger]

  • Compare to: Novell GroupWise Messenger

Security

• Intrusion Detection System (IDS) = [http://www.snort.org/ Snort]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  VPN server = [http://openvpn.net/ OpenVPN]

  • Compare to: Cisco VPN

Web

• Application server = [http://www.jboss.org/ JBoss]

  • Compare to: BEA Weblogic, IBM Websphere

  Rich Internet Application Server = [http://www.openlaszlo.org/ OpenLaszlo]

  • Compare to: Macromedia Flex

  Statistics Generator = [http://awstats.sourceforge.net/ AWStats]

  • Compare to: Unknown

  Web server = [http://httpd.apache.org/ Apache]

  • Compare to: Microsoft Internet Information Services (ISS)

Anchor(FAQ)

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Why did you create a new list? There are other lists out there with similar information.

• This list serves a specific purpose, which is listed at the top of this page. Other lists on the web have good information, but are not as focused on the Ubuntu Linux experience.

[ Insert Insightful Question Here ]

• Instead of copying the excellent work of Tristan Rhodes on the LoopList FAQ I urge you to read the original at LoopList.

The Software Equivalents list was created by Daniel Skov Klejnstrup MailTo(danielklejnstrup@gmail.com).

Edited and generally mucked around with by Jonathan Pruett MailTo(mindlessmax2001-ubuntuwiki@yahoo.com).

Format and wording lean heavily on the excellent work of Tristan Rhodes MailTo(tristan NOSPAM AT witenko DOT com).

Credit the things you like to Daniel, blame Jonathan for any formatting errors, and direct all flames to //dev/null

Peace.