For me personally the best solution is to run an open source operating system like GNU/Linux or *BSD, and use that operating system's package manager or else bu

For me personally the best solution is to run an open source operating system like GNU/Linux or *BSD, and use that operating system's package manager or else build from source. But I'm aware that doesn't work for everyone, since most people (especially Joe User) are using either Windows or Mac OS. For Windows, Ninite covers a decent range of basic freeware and open source software, and Chocolatey covers a lot more but is less user-friendly. For Macs (and I shouldn't have to tell anyone here about this) there is the excellent Homebrew project. Back to the Windows arena, maybe Microsoft's new package management system will be a boon for power users and those seeking good freeware for their computer without having to worry about tagalong malware.