Google Chrome
Chrome 157 for Windows: free 156.5 MB build from Google's own server
Top PC software for Windows in 2026
The Windows catalog on TopDown APK lists 273 apps, and the 2026 selection of top PC software falls into a few clear groups. Web browsers fill most of the first ten entries: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Brave, Opera GX and Opera Stable. Behind them come a media player, VLC, two code editors, Notepad++ and Visual Studio Code, and the music service Spotify.
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All ten are free. Every one sits in tier B, and no app in the catalog currently reaches tier A, so this page groups apps by category fit rather than by a top grade. Each pick below stands for one sub-type, with its version and update date. Choose the type first, then compare within it.
Apps in this category
Microsoft Edge
Free Chromium browser from Microsoft, 205.5 MB, official download link
Mozilla Firefox (en-US)
Free Gecko-based browser from Mozilla, version 159.0, 90.2 MB for Windows
Brave
Free Chromium 156 browser for Windows with built-in ad and tracker blocking
Opera GX Stable
Free Opera browser variant for Windows with gaming extras, build 138.0.6044.65
Opera Stable
Free Chromium browser from Opera Software, build 139.0.6053.22 for Windows
VLC media player
Free GPL-2.0 player from VideoLAN that plays discs and streams without codec packs
Notepad++
Free, open-source Windows code editor and Notepad replacement, only 6.6 MB
Microsoft Visual Studio Code
Free Microsoft code editor for web and cloud work, version 1.143.1
Spotify
Spotify for Windows streams music and podcasts, build 1.3.6.1921, 149.9 MB
OBS Studio
Free, open source recorder and live streamer for Windows, version 33.0.0
Python 3.13
Python 3.13.17 for Windows: free 28.6 MB runtime with a pip security bump
Audacity
Free GPL audio recorder and editor, 4.0.2 patch fixes project corruption
GIMP
Free GPLv3 image editor for Windows, version 3.2.6, from download.gimp.org
BlueStacks
Free Windows Android emulator from now.gg with a 3563.4 MB installer
Malwarebytes
Windows anti-malware tool, 411.1 MB, served from the official Malwarebytes host
qBittorrent
Free GPL-3.0 BitTorrent client for Windows, built on libtorrent and Qt
Cloudflare One Client
Free Cloudflare WARP VPN client for Windows, version 26.8.2115.0
WireGuard
Free, MIT-licensed 3.1 MB VPN tunnel client from WireGuard LLC
OpenVPN
Free GPL-2.0 VPN client for Windows, 5.6 MB, with fixes in 2.7.701
OpenVPN Connect
Free Windows VPN client from OpenVPN Inc. with Pre-Logon Connect in 3.9.0
Windscribe
Free GPL-2.0 Windows VPN with ad blocking, 40.1 MB, from github.com
Surfshark
Surfshark 6.21.0.999 for Windows: VPN plus antivirus, 104.1 MB official download
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN 14.3.1 for Windows, a 53.3 MB VPN client via the official host
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Top 5 picks
Google Chrome
Google Chrome represents the mainstream browser. Version 157.0.8103.39 was updated on November 3, 2026, and the installer is 156.5 MB. It is freeware from Google LLC. Google calls it fast, secure and customizable; there are no benchmark results or extension counts here, so those claims rest on the developer's wording.
Mozilla Firefox (en-US)
Mozilla Firefox is the open-source option among browsers. Version 159.0 is licensed under MPL-2.0 and, at 90.2 MB, is the smallest browser download in this group with a stated size. It renders pages with the Gecko engine and began adopting Quantum technology in 2017. The last listed update is October 27, 2026.
VLC media player
VLC media player covers the playback category. Version 3.0.24, updated September 21, 2026, weighs 44.1 MB and uses the GPL-2.0 license. The developer says it plays files, discs, webcams and streams without codec packs, naming formats such as MKV, WebM and H.264. It is the only dedicated media player among the top ten.
Notepad++
Notepad++ is the lightweight code editor of the set. Version 8.9.8.1 is only 6.6 MB, the smallest download on this page, and it is licensed GPL-3.0-or-later. It replaces the stock Notepad and supports several languages. Microsoft Visual Studio Code, at 237.3 MB, is the heavier alternative for web and cloud work.
Spotify
Spotify stands in for music streaming. The Windows version 1.3.6.1921.g7086c071a617 was updated on October 21, 2026 and is 149.9 MB. It is proprietary and free. The developer mentions millions of tracks and episodes, plus podcasts.
Questions and answers
How many apps are in the Windows catalog?
The catalog lists 273 Windows apps. This page features the top ten of them. None is in tier A and none is flagged as having no ads, so all ten sit in tier B.
Which browser has the smallest download?
Among browsers with a listed size, Mozilla Firefox is smallest at 90.2 MB. Google Chrome is 156.5 MB, Brave is 160.1 MB and Microsoft Edge is 205.5 MB. No size is listed for Opera GX or Opera Stable.
Are these programs free?
Each of the ten is free. Licenses differ: Chrome and the two Opera browsers are freeware, Firefox and Brave use MPL-2.0, VLC uses GPL-2.0, and Edge and Spotify are proprietary.
Related categories
Best-of lists
Disk space is a simple filter. Notepad++ at 6.6 MB and VLC at 44.1 MB are small, while Visual Studio Code at 237.3 MB and Edge at 205.5 MB are the largest on the list. Check the Opera GX and Opera Stable installers for their size before downloading.
Updates are recent. Most entries were refreshed between September 21 and November 3, 2026, so compare version numbers if you already have one installed.