A hand-checked directory of free and open-source software for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. It runs as a desktop and Android app, built with Tauri 2.
There is no telemetry and no advertising, and nothing in the catalog is sponsored. Every app in the catalog is real, popular, actively maintained, and genuinely free.
- Curated, not scraped. Every entry is checked by hand: official links, real descriptions, honest notes about what the app replaces.
- One-click stable downloads. Pick your platform and Fress resolves the app's actual latest STABLE file straight from GitHub Releases or F-Droid. No hunting through release pages, and beta/RC builds are never offered.
- Update check for Fress itself. The button in the footer compares your installed version with the latest release on GitHub and only downloads when there is something newer.
- Download manager built in. Downloads stream inside the app with progress, speed, ETA, cancel, retry, and SHA-256 verification, saved to the folder you choose (your system Downloads folder by default).
- Device-aware downloads. Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android (GitHub APK, F-Droid, Google Play): Fress picks the right file for your architecture.
- Light and dark themes. The light mode uses warm paper tones, the dark mode is easy on the eyes, and both follow your system preference until you pick one yourself.
- Multiple languages. English, Persian (full right-to-left support), Spanish, French, and German from the Settings menu, including the app descriptions, not just the menus.
- Your data stays with you. Favorites, custom entries, and settings live in your own storage. The only servers the app talks to are the ones hosting the apps: GitHub for release and star lookups, F-Droid for Android packages, and the download links you click.
| Feature | Where |
|---|---|
| Add apps: search GitHub or enter them | "Add app" in the header |
| Batch installer scripts (winget / brew / flatpak / scoop) | Select cards, then "Batch" |
| Side-by-side comparison matrix | Select up to 4 cards, then "Compare" |
| Command palette | Ctrl+K |
| Keyboard shortcuts | ? or the More menu |
| Export catalog as Markdown/JSON | More menu |
| Download manager | "Downloads" in the header |
| Update check for Fress | Footer button |
| Language & theme | Settings (gear icon) |
npm install
npm run dev # web preview at http://localhost:3000
npm run lint # type-check
# Desktop app (requires Rust + platform deps, see https://tauri.app)
npm run tauri dev
npm run tauri build
# Android (requires Android SDK + NDK)
npm run tauri android init
npm run tauri android build -- --apkThe web preview works without Rust: download buttons hand off to your browser. Inside the Tauri desktop app, the full download manager activates.
Releases are tagged. Every release ships installers for all platforms, built by GitHub Actions:
| Platform | File |
|---|---|
| Windows (installer) | Fress_*_x64-setup.exe |
| Windows (portable, no install) | Fress_*_x64-portable.zip |
| Windows ARM64 (installer) | Fress_*_arm64-setup.exe |
| Windows ARM64 (portable) | Fress_*_arm64-portable.zip |
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | Fress_*_aarch64.dmg |
| macOS (Intel) | Fress_*_x64.dmg |
| Linux | Fress_*_amd64.AppImage, .deb, .rpm |
| Android | Fress_*_universal.apk, Fress_*_arm64.apk |
Fress is distributed only through this repository's GitHub Releases page, always with SHA256SUMS.txt next to the files. If you found a Fress installer anywhere else — a file host, a mirror, a "download site" — it is not ours.
Every release includes a SHA256SUMS.txt covering all assets. Verify before running:
sha256sum -c SHA256SUMS.txtEach Fress app shows its exact version in the header (for example v1.0.4-beta), right next to the name. If your installed app does not show the version you expect, install the newest installer from this page. Old installers keep working and can silently sit on your machine next to the new one.
Fress picks each operating system's own download location, the same place your browser uses:
| Operating system | Default download folder | Change folder in-app |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Downloads (follows OneDrive redirection if set up) |
Yes |
| macOS | ~/Downloads |
Yes |
| Linux | XDG downloads folder (usually ~/Downloads or ~/Downloads/<locale>) |
Yes |
| Android | The app's private storage (Android does not let apps pick arbitrary folders) | No. Use Open after a download to install or share the file |
The Windows installer is signed with a timestamp, which proves the file is exactly the one CI produced and has not been altered. Windows still shows the blue "Unknown publisher" / "Windows protected your PC" warning because that warning only goes away once the publisher is covered by a certificate Windows already trusts. CODE_SIGNING.md documents the fix, including a free signing route for open-source projects (SignPath Foundation). Until that is set up, you can:
- Click More info → Run anyway after checking the checksum against
SHA256SUMS.txt, or - Build the app yourself from this repository (
npm run tauri build).
See CONTRIBUTING.md. In short: app suggestions must be free, open-source, popular, actively maintained, and link to official pages only.
MIT. The catalog lists software under its own respective licenses; each entry shows its license badge.