There are a variety of Linux distributions to give a try but the most widely accepted and known are Ubuntu and Linux Mint. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu and shares the same kernel. Linux Mint comes preinstalled with a variety of applications that you can use for free. However, they may not be the best alternatives for non native Linux users. I’ve came up with a list of some of the best apps to install on Linux Mint in 2025.
Here’s a list of the best apps to install on Linux Mint in 2025:
Wine
There are thousands of free and open source apps to try on Linux Mint but at times you’ll need to work on Windows apps. Do you know Windows apps work just fine on Linux Mint?You just need to install an app called wine on your Linux distribution. I use wine to use Microsoft Office and Tally on Linux Mint.
VLC Media Player
Though we mostly stream movies and entertainment shows these days you will still need a decent media player for playing local videos and movies. There’s no other alternative to all time gem like VLC Media Player! It just works flawlessly for any video or audio. VLC is available on Linux Mint Store & Ubuntu App Store.
Also Read : Best Linux distributions in 2025
Bitwarden
Tired of remembering all those passwords? No worries bitwarden is an open source password manager which stores all your passwords and usernames (encrypted). It’s one of a kind and very useful for nerds like me who have signed up to hundreds of websites.
ClamTK
Though virus and malware don’t usually focus more on power users who use Linux distributions, it’s better to have an antivirus in case if you use external portable drives to store and migrate data. ClamTK or ClamAV is an amazing antivirus software for Linux distributions.
ProtonVPN
Concerned about privacy? ProtonVPN is one best cross platform VPN provider available in 2025. You can easily download ProtonVPN on Linux Mint. One of the best functionalities ProtonVPN provides is the ‘kill switch’ which turns off internet access if the VPN is disconnected for some reason. This helps preventing accidental IP leak.
qBitTorrent
qBitTorrent is an open source cross platform torrent manager. It beats all other torrent downloders in respect of functionality and ease of use. Give a try, you’ll love it.
Chromium Browser
Chromium Browser is another open source cross platform browser that just works! Google’s Chrome browser is based on chromium making it look exactly similar to chromium browser. Not just looks but even the functionalities are same. You can choose between chrome browser or the open source chromium.
Opera Browser
Opera has been one of the leading browsers from a long time. It was available even on Symbian devices. Opera beats competition with functionalities like social connect features and social media always on in left vertical column. Give it a try.
Caffeine
Caffeine keeps me awake for nights before exams just like it keeps my Linux Mint awake. The tiny caffeine app helps you keep your laptop’s screen on even when you aren’t actively working on it. This is specially useful when you’re reading something or jotting down notes from web to your notebook.
GoldenDict
Another helpful app for students is GoldenDict which is tiny in size yet very useful. GoldenDict is a multilingual dictionary app that helps you with wiki-dictionary. Otherwise you’d have to look on web each and every time, with GoldenDict is simple. The app is minimised to system tray for quick and easy access.
FileZilla
FileZilla is the best open source FTP client which helps you access, transfer, edit and delete files from your web-server or web-disk. FileZilla is very popular among windows and mac users too.
GnuCash
GnuCash is an app that helps keep track of your finances. It’s specially helpful for small and medium sized businesses looking for a compact easy to use accounting and invoicing software. GnuCash can also be used to keep track of your personal finances. Many accounting professionals also use this software.
Joplin
Ever used Onenote on a PC or Mac? Joplin is the best alternative to Onenote for Linux users. It’s easy to use and navigate. It’s designed to be used in wide case scenarios. You can use it to take notes and classify them under different notebooks.
Cloudflare Zero Trust VPN
It’s a free app that makes your Internet safer to use with its 1.1.1.1 DNS connection through a VPN and WARP which replaces the connection between your device and the Internet with a modern, optimized, protocol. You can keep to always on Linux Mint. You can visit 1.1.1.1 on your browser to download the Cloudflare Zero Trust VPN client for your Linux device. It’s also available on IOS, Mac, Windows and Android.
BleachBit
You must have used CCleaner on windows devices which helps you clean all junk and save storage space along-with cleaning registry with obsolete entries. BleachBit does the same for Linux devices. It helps you clean disk space, manage privacy and optimise your computer.
Gparted
Gparted is an open source partition manager which helps you create, delete and manage partitions on any Hard Disk or SSD. It also helps you with resizing, merging and cloning partitions.
Telegram
Though telegram needs no introduction it’s good to have it installed on your desktop or laptop. This is specially useful to connect and share almost anything with your friends or colleagues. I love the way telegram works as it lets you send gigs of data, videos or anything for that matter.
Skype
Skype is available to use and download on Linux devices for free. Skype lets you make VoIP-Calls (Audio/Video), attend video conferences, send instant messages and transfer files.
Zoom
Zoom is another app that lets you attend meetings, seminars or classes via video conferencing. The app got popularity during the pandemic period and is used by millions of people around the globe either for work or to make fun calls with friends. Schools across India used this app to take live classes during pandemic.
Anydesk
Anydesk lets you share screen and access remote computers. It’s a tiny app that lets you use your friends computer with a simple numeric code. It’s specially helpful in situations where you need to use someone else’s computer and fix some bug or explain them something. Though it’s not an open source software I love the way it works seamlessly across all kinds of devices including Windows, MacOS, IOS, Android and Linux.
Spotify
As millennials we used to download music earlier but ow with dirt cheap data prices, who cares? Still streaming music on YouTube in a browser? Though Gaana, Prime Music or Jio Saavn apps aren’t available for Linux, Spotify is! Give it a try, it’s soothing.
Simplenote
Simplenote is a very useful app that use on a daily basis to jot down my ideas about the blog. It stores notes in cloud making it easily available on any of your devices may it be Windows PC, Macbook, iPhone or an Android device. You can also access notes on web.
Signal
Signal is an open source cross platform end-to-end encrypted messaging software that lets you stay in touch with friends and family. It’s just another WhatsApp but much more secure and private. I personally use and recommend it. Give it a try!
Cloud Storage Application
You may want to sync your important data to cloud for a backup or multi-platform access to files. Google Drive, Dropbox and Mega are some of the mostly used cloud storage providers across the globe.
Google Drive
Google Drive Backup and Sync App on Windows lets you store and sync google drive files between your Windows PC and Cloud Storage and Android Phones. There’s no official Linux app but we have third party open source apps that let you do the trick! You may use Insync, Drive or overGrive to sync files between Linux Mint and Google Drive.
Dropbox
Dropbox is the first and most widely used cloud storage service provider. Dropbox provides 5 GB free cloud storage on signup.
Mega
Fairly new but ultra secure mega provides 25GB cloud storage to anyone who signs up with a free plan. Mega has an official backup and sync app for linux users.
Atom
Atom is an open source text and source code editor which can used by developers and programmers to code. It is one of the best editors out there.
Sublime
Sublime is a cross-platform source code editor. It natively supports many programming languages and markup languages. You can expand its functionality with plugins, typically community-built and maintained under free-software licenses.
Steam
Steam is an app that has changed gaming for linux users. It’s a one stop shop for any gamer to play and run any of the games on linux distributions and windows as well. Steam is a gateway to intensive gaming on Linux Mint.
These were some of the best apps linux apps I use. If you think I missed something, let me know what you think are some of the best apps to install on Linux in 2025?
