20+ Best Windows 10 Apps for your PC (2021)

The Microsoft Store on Windows 10 has a huge range of apps. From audio-video apps to productivity apps, all of them are available in one simple store. Of course, you might say, well, I could always make use of apps and software that can easily be downloaded from a particular software webpage. Yes, you can, but, the app integration in Windows 10 for apps from the Store is much better and you’ll always be updated with the latest one automatically if you choose to do so. Here you can check the Best Windows 10 Apps of 2021 you can use on your PC.

Looking at how great Windows 10 is and the adoption of the Universal Windows Platform. UWP apps work great on Windows 8, 8.1, and even Windows 10. There are a great number of apps available on the Microsoft Store be it free or paid. But there are some select master piece apps which you’ll love using on your PC in your daily life. Today we’ll be looking at 20+ such apps that we think are must-haves on your Windows 10 laptop or PC.

Do note that to download from the Microsoft Store, you’ll have to have a Microsoft Account that has already been used to sign in to your system or at least to make use of the Store. So, let’s dive right into the list of best Windows 10 apps to use on PC in 2021.

Best Windows 10 Apps (2021)

1. Spotify

Spotify is a great media player that lets you listen to music for free with ads or by purchasing a subscription to remove ads. You no longer need to use the web version of Spotify on the browser. The app has a really clean UI with all app menus towards your left, your music and playlists at the center, and your social section on to the right that shows the current or last played song by your friends whom you’ve added up on Spotify. The app is free to download from the store and weighs in at 205 MB and was launched on the store in 2017.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Spotify App.

2. FL Studio

If music production and creation is your passion, then look no further away by making use of the UWP FL Studio app. You just have to purchase it one time and it’ll be tied to your account. You don’t have to worry about it when you log in to a new device with your Microsoft account. The app keeps getting updated with new features and bug fixes. Plus, it’s cheaper than the usual one that you would purchase from the FL Studio website. The app weighs in at 700 MB and can be purchased for $14.99.

best windows 10 apps

Download the FL Studio app.

3. Telegram

Here’s a popular messaging platform that’s known for its security, privacy, and encryption. Telegram is a free-to-use messaging platform that lets you send texts, images, videos, and gifs to anyone on your list. You can create and join channels and groups. You don’t have to download the regular telegram client to make use of Telegram web anymore. Thanks to the Windows 10 edition app that you can download from the Store for free. The app is standalone, which means you don’t have to keep your phone always connected to the Internet. The app weighs 85 MB and was launched on the Store in 2017.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Telegram app.

4. VLC Media Player

What do you do when a popular media player has got a Windows 10 Edition app? You download and make use of it. Of course, there is always an option of using standalone software by downloading it from the VLC website. To be fair, the app is quite good and supports all audio formats with no issues whatsoever. However, do keep in mind that the Windows 10 UWP app does not support DVD and BluRay disc playback. Like who makes use of discs in 2021? Not many at all. Though the app might not go along well with everyone, I would suggest giving it a go. It is one of the best Windows 10 apps of 2021.

best windows 10 apps

Download VLC Media Player app.

5. WolframAlpha

WolframAlpha is the next pick in the list of best Windows 10 apps of 2021. It is an educational app that can pull out reports and answers from various subject topics. Topics can range from engineering, Maths, science, and even music. The app has enough domains for you to get results plus algorithms and data to compute all your data simply and easily. Whatever topic you can think of. It will be available in the wide and extensive hub. You can purchase the app for $2.99. The app was launched on the Store in 2014 and weighs in at 6MB.

best windows 10 apps

Download the WolfRamAlpha app.

6. iTunes

Apple’s own media and entertainment suite have a UWP app. Be it movies, music, TV shows, and podcasts, you will be able to easily manage it around without any problems. If you have an Apple Music subscription you can also listen to music while doing other work as well. The UWP app functions the same way as a native desktop app. Also, when it comes to updates, you can simply do that as the Microsoft Store will easily keep your iTunes app updated at all times, inline the desktop version where you will have to manually download it via an update prompt and wait for it to complete its installation process.

best windows 10 apps

Download the iTunes app.

7. Adobe Photoshop Express

Worried about having to pay those monthly fees just to do simple photo edits? Worry no more, as Adobe has its own Photoshop Express app that you can use without worrying about payments of any sort. You will have to keep in mind that this isn’t a full-fledged photoshop app so you might see a few options missing or won’t be available at all. Nonetheless, you can always make image corrections and other features from apps that might require you to pay and unlock them as such. And hey, after all, it’s an Adobe product, so you can make use of it right away. The app was launched in 2013 and weighs 57MB.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Adobe Photoshop Express app.

8. TuneIn Radio

Whether it’s news, music, sports, or even just podcasts, TuneIn Radio is the go-to spot and next app available in the list of best Windows 10 apps. With radio streams and stations from all over the world, you can easily pick your favorite region and station and listen to it absolutely free. You can listen to the vast collection of radio stations about 100,000 live on the go and 24×7. If you wish you could always subscribe to the premium version of TuneIn which brings in fewer ads across the station and listen to news from popular sources as well. The TuneIn app is free to download from the Store.

best windows 10 apps

Download the TuneIn Radio app.

9. Autodesk Sketchbook

If graphical illustration and drawing are something you like to do as a hobby or as a professional, pick the Autodesk Sketchbook? There are no hidden charges, nothing. The app used to be a paid version with a two-week trial. But now the app is completely free. Of course, there are no ads. Why needs to look at ads while designing some creative stuff? Works best with touch screens or with graphical tablets. The app is free to download. It weighs 77MB and has been in the Store since 2016.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Autodesk Sketchbook app.

10. Netflix & Amazon Prime

The list of best Windows 10 apps seems incomplete without mentioning streaming apps. Netflix and Amazon Prime are great and even better with the UWP app. You can watch a large collection of films, series, and documentaries. Of course, you’ll need to have a subscription to watch content on these services.

best windows 10 apps

I’d recommend the app version over the web browser only because the apps have quite good integration with Windows 10 itself. Both apps are free to download and were launched in 2010 and 2020 respectively. The apps weigh in at 10MB and 30MB respectively.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Netflix and Amazon app.

11. Your Phone

The app is all about syncing your notifications, messages, and calls right away to the desktop. It’s a more useful app for owners of Samsung mobile phones since you’ll be able to send and receive messages, as well as being able to install Android apps right onto your PC. The ability to install Android apps is currently available for the flagship and A series devices. The Your Phone is app is free to download and is being developed by Microsoft itself. Make sure to check our step-by-step guide to how to get Android smartphone notifications on PC.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Your Phone app.

12. Microsoft Sticky Notes

Here’s a digital version of the popular post-it sticky notes. These are useful when you’ve got to take down a few notes maybe while on a call or maybe if you’ve got an idea for something, sticky notes are where they should be going. You can change colors and even add images to it. You can also sync your notes across other devices provided you’ve signed into the device with the same Microsoft account. If you’ve got Cortana enabled, you make the assistant save stuff by simply commanding it by voice. And yes, these sticky notes also have a dark mode option. It fits the twelfth position in the list of best Windows 10 apps.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Sticky Notes app.

13. Microsoft Emulator

This one’s for the developers out there who would like to see how their apps might function around and perform in various kinds of devices. You’ll have to get your own images though to run them on the emulator. However, if you want to test out how the emulator performs you have an option of downloading the Windows 10X image files right off the Store to see how it performs and functions, considering that Windows 10X works well for foldable devices such as the Surface Duo. The app is free to download off the Store. It was launched in 2019 and weighs 30MB.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Microsoft Emulator app.

14. Lively Wallpaper

Everyone’s heard of Wallpaper Engine that can be purchased from Steam to set up Live Wallpapers for your system. However, there’s a little gem hidden in the Store called Lively Wallpapers. You get a variety of live wallpapers to choose from and, the app is completely free to use. It’s a great app to personalize your desktop and give it a live feel based on whatever you like. The app has been developed by rocksdanister. The app was launched in 2020 and weighs 470MB. You can read about the app over here.

best windows 10 apps

Download the Lively Wallpaper app.

15. EarTrumpet

The app’s function is to key you adjust the sound levels of various apps or browsers that are active and currently playing audio. Well yes, you could always make use of the native Volume Mixer to adjust levels of various apps, but why would you not try this? Given that the app’s icon sits on your taskbar and has the same fluent UI with all the smoothens and transparency effects. It’s a worthy app that deserves a try. You never you, you might even like it and recommend it to your friends. The app is developed by File-New Project. The app was launched in 2016, weighs 8MB, and is free to download off the Store.

best apps for windows 10

Download the EarTrumpet app.

16. Microsoft Office 365 Apps

Microsoft Office has its own set of Office UWP apps, obviously, it is one of the best Windows 10 app. You’ll be to make use of these premium apps with the help of the Office 365 subscription pack. The subscription can be used between six people or a single individual. You get access to 1TB of cloud storage on Microsoft’s One Drive. You’ll be able to access it on multiple devices and will also work on Android, macOS, and iOS-based devices. The Personal Subscription costs $69.99 and the family subscription costs $99.99.

best apps for windows 10

Download the Microsoft Office 365 app.

17. Adobe Reader Touch

You no longer have to make use of a browser or a separate pdf reader software to open and view PDF files. Thanks to the Adobe Reader app, you’ll be able to view your PDF files in a breeze. Well yes, this particular version is more for the touch screen systems that run Windows 8 and 10, but you can always use it with the Mouse and Keyboard. The app has been developed by Adobe and is free to download. The app was launched in 2012 and weighs 11MB.

best apps for windows 10

Download the Adobe Reader app.

18. Hotspot Shield Free VPN

The next-pick in the list of best Windows 10 apps is Hotspot Shield Free VPN. Having a VPN is always best when you want to access content from another country or maybe even get access to particular websites since they might be blocked in your particular country or region. Hotspot Shield’s Free VPN takes care of you by protecting you from cyber threats. You get access to the fastest servers and don’t require registering an account to make use of the VPN at all. The app is developed by Pango and is free to download from the Store. The was launched in 2015 and weighs 49MB.

best apps for windows 10

Download Hotspot Shield Free VPN app.

19. Alexa

Well, Windows does have its own assistant called Cortana. However, it isn’t as great as the other assistants such as Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa. Well since Alexa is a pretty smart assistant you can now use it on your Windows 10 PC. Like how you would make use of Alexa on various Alexa-enabled devices, the assistant functions the same way on your PC. The app is completely free to download from the Store and has been available since 2018. The download weighs 147MB.

best apps for windows 10

Download the Alexa app.

20. Animotica – Movie Maker.

Remember the good old days when everyone would make random videos with Windows Movie Maker because you probably didn’t have internet access or it was just something you used because it was free to use on your system. Animotica does everything that Windows Movie Maker does, but even better. You get to make use of all the basic functions that are required in a video editor and be able to export in various aspect ratios and if possible, export them out in 4K as well. The app has been developed by Mixilab, launched in 2017, and weighs 116MB.

best apps for windows 10

Download the Animotica- Movie Maker app.

Honorable Mentions – Best Windows 10 Apps

21. ModernFlyouts (Preview)

The volume and brightness flyouts have been the same since Windows 8 and are still the same even on the latest versions of Windows 10. What this app does is replaces the stock flyouts with more modern ones that are found in Windows 10X which gives you a much cleaner look all the way. And yes, it has support for light and dark modes. The app is developed by ModernFlyouts Community and is currently in a preview stage. The app is free to download and was launched in 2020.

best apps for windows 10

Download the ModernFlyouts app.

22. WinZip Microsoft Store Edition

Compressing and extracting files has always been beneficial as you can send multiple files in a compressed folder to save space and send files quickly as well. Thanks to WinZip you can now compress your files easily with the UWP app. With the ability to merge and convert PDF files and high-grade encryption, you can easily trust and use WinZip. The app does come with a trial period of 1 month and then later as you wish you can purchase the app to make use of all the feature’s lifetime. The app has been developed by WinZip Computing and has been launched in 2018. The download weighs 580MB.

best windows 10 apps

Download the WinZip app.

Conclusion

Well, the Windows Store does have a neat collection of apps both paid and free. However, the paid category of apps is more filled with guides and how-to’s for apps and games which I think would be better to check out on YouTube itself. The Store can still be better in terms of approving what should be in the Store and what shouldn’t be there. All of the mentioned apps except Autodesk Sketchbook, Netflix, and Amazon will work fine on the Surface Hub and even on the Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One. That’s it about the list of best Windows 10 apps 2021.

You May Also Like – Best Windows 10 Wallpapers for Desktop 2021

In case we miss your favorite Windows 10 app? Then, make sure to let us know by leaving a comment down in the comment box. Also, share this article with your friends.

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AUTHOR.

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Joshua D'souza

Enjoy games, 90's hip-hop, and tech. Loves exploring the infinite world of laptops and food. Every ready to provide assistance in anything that rocks his boat. Will gladly enjoy capturing memories through various lenses. Worked previously at PiunikaWeb as an author and researcher.

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