My Software Of Choice (With Links)
Here’s a list of almost every piece of software I use on a daily basis. Hopefully it serves as some help to you!
Contents
PC Operating System
First, some background: I’ve been using Windows ever since I first touched a computer. I switched between MacOS and Windows briefly during my college years, and even gave Ubuntu a try, but ultimately I’ve come back to Windows.
”Fixing” Windows: If nothing else - make sure you install WinAeroTweaker or something like it. It’s the only way to make Windows functional these days. I use it to remove the intrusive ads, bloatware, and lift the arbitrary restrictions to configure the operating system the way I like. It’s got a lot of great tools to customize your experience and is updated pretty frequently, I totally recommend it.
Word processing + notetaking: I’m using Obsidian for knowledge management. It’s handy to quickly and easily format notes in markdown. I also use it to write the blog posts on my website like this one. I keep everything synced with git (even on my phone) and host it in GitHub. I used to use Microsoft Word and will still turn to it on occasion, but have switched completely from OneNote. Sometimes I use Google Docs if I need to collaborate with others online.
Bulk-software installs: I use Ninite for this. For anyone installing Windows 11 afresh, here’s a guide I’ve put together of some recommendations for new installs, that includes which software I use and what settings I adjust. Perhaps you can make use of it as well!
Phone-PC connectivity: I use Phone Link between my Android phone and Windows PCs to make responding to text messages a little less tedious and even more for copying and pasting between devices seamlessly. It’s particularly useful for quickly copying 2FA/MFA codes quickly to login to services.
Web Browser
I returned to using Firefox in 2019 after ditching it for Chrome in the late 2000s on my Windows XP machine. It’s definitely my recommended browser for anyone. Except in the occasional case where Chromium-based browsers are for some reason required for compatibility, Firefox offers a fantastic web browsing experience with way less bloat and privacy concerns.
That being said, if you absolutely have to use a Chromium browser, Brave and Ungoogled Chromium are good options.
Addons/Extensions
Must-have extensions include:
- uBlock Origin - an open source and lightweight ad blocker with lots of customization.
- Bitwarden - an open source and secure password manager.
- Multi-Account Containers - lets you open multiple instances of a session at once with container tabs. Really helpful for logging in on the same site with multiple accounts simultaneously.
- Sponsorblock - automatically skip sponsored segments in YouTube videos.
- Return YouTube Dislike - see dislike counts again on videos.
- Unwanted Twitch - remove categories, channels, or tags you don’t want to see.
- TWP - Translate Web Pages - instantly translate web pages in your browser.
- Video DownloadHeper - helpful for extracting any type of media from a webpage.
- MGit - an open source Android Git client.
- F-Droid - FOSS “app store” for Android, featuring lots of applications not available on the Google Play Store.
Mobile
I use Android as of 2017, and before that I used Windows Phone for 7 years. As such, I am partial to the Metro UI design and interface the former platform featured, so I found an Android launcher that mimics it extremely well.
Launcher and Home Setup
Square Home is a distinctive Android launcher inspired by the Windows Phone interface of a home screen with live tiles. I find the Whicons icon pack pairs with it very nicely, and the Meteored weather widget fits perfectly as well. I use Widgetshare to send photos to my wife to appear on her phone’s home screen, and she sends me photos that appear on mine.
When I want to switch things up, I use Niagara Launcher, another excellent Android Launcher.
Favorite Applications
ReVanced is a popular modified version of YouTube that removes ads and adds features. Use it with Micro-G for it to work.
Literal Word is my favorite Bible app out there. Completely free, no-frills, just the word of God in NASB, LSB, KJV, and (my preferred) ESV translations. It has dark mode and an intuitive interface that keeps me reading daily.
X, formerly known as Twitter, remains my favorite social network for connecting with anyone.
Discord - my go-to communication application. Seamless across desktop and mobile with high quality video and audio chat. I also have a Discord server where I spent a decent amount of time engaging in great conversations.
ProtonMail - I’ve fully migrated from Gmail and Outlook to ProtonMail. I can use my own domain name and it’s got some great privacy features.
Beeper - a messaging app that nicely consolidates redundant messaging services. I combined WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal into one app that keeps things tidy and convenient for me to manage. I wrote a bit about my experience with Beeper last year.
Swarm, formerly Foursquare, is a geolocation social network that helps me keep track of places I’ve visited. As a user since 2010, I have a good amount of data there and love fighting for mayorships even in 2025.
ChatGPT offers an incredibly handy mobile app experience, especially when activating the voice assistant.
Venmo is my go-to money moving application. It’s wildly convenient. I even use a Venmo debit card from time-to-time.
Monarch Money is my favorite budgeting app since Mint. In many ways, it’s actually superior to the ill-fated budgeting app by Intuit. A key component to Monarch’s success was the seamless migration features offered from Mint - all of my historical data transferred from 2015 forward, meaning I have spending, earning, and investment data spanning over a decade. It’s incredibly helpful for handling my family’s personal finances.
Lovewick: Relationship Tracker - nice for keeping track of important anniversaries and notes about my wife. You can can automatic reminders and there’s a section called “Forget-me-nots” where you can list your spouse’s favorite food, gift, or anything else and either share it between you or keep it private for only you.
Video Production Software
Live Streaming
OBS Studio is the gold standard - as well it should be. It’s widely regarded as the best free, open source software for live streaming and screen recording.
SE.Live is StreamElements’ plugin for OBS that helps me manage my SE overlays, alerts, and other interactive elements. It also enables my custom davidvBot chatbot user account while I’m live.
MixItUp not only powers my chatbot further with features like a custom game queue and automated channel point rewards, but it’s packed with even more features for streaming. It’s extremely versatile and can be pseudo-programmed to handle really anything you can think of.
Video Editing
For now I use Adobe Premiere Pro, but I’m not against ditching it and relearning an entirely new video editing program someday.
4K Video Downloader is my go-to YouTube video downloading application. I have a license for a Pro version that just expired this month, but it allows full quality bulk-downloads from playlists.
Web Development
VS Code is my source code editor of choice.
SourceTree is my GUI for Git. I host on GitHub and deploy my sites with Netlify.
If you’re interested in this workflow and want to create a website of your own, I wrote a blog post to help you with that!