The Official Ubuntu Book: Ubuntu Equivalents to Windows Programs

• By Benjamin Mako Hill, Jono Bacon, Corey Burger, Jonathan Jesse, Ivan Krstic
• Apr 18, 2008

This chapter is from the book

Official Ubuntu Book, The

For those of you who are moving to Ubuntu from Windows, often simply knowing which application to use is half the battle. Here is a table showing common Windows applications and their Ubuntu counterparts. Your Windows-using friends shouldn't be completely shut out, so there are some applications for them to use also.

On the Ubuntu Desktop

Listed below are common Windows applications that already have an equivalent installed on the Ubuntu desktop. There are also some common alternatives listed.

Word Processing

• Windows: Word
• Ubuntu: OpenOffice.org Writer
• Alternatives: Abiword

Spreadsheet

• Windows: Excel
• Ubuntu: OpenOffice.org Calc
• Alternatives: Gnumeric

Presentation

• Windows: PowerPoint
• Ubuntu: OpenOffice.org Impress

Database

• Windows: Access
• Ubuntu: OpenOffice.org Base
• Alternatives: Glom

Web Browser

• Windows: Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox
• Ubuntu: Mozilla Firefox
• Alternatives: Epiphany, Mozilla

E-Mail

• Windows: Outlook Express, Outlook, or Mozilla Thunderbird
• Ubuntu: Evolution
• Alternatives: Mozilla Thunderbird

Media Players

• Windows: Windows Media Player, iTunes, Winamp
• Ubuntu: Rhythmbox, Totem Movie Player
• Alternatives: Banshee, Muine, Beep Media Player

Photo Editor

• Windows: Adobe Photoshop or the GIMP
• Ubuntu: The GIMP

Instant Messaging

• Windows: AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, or Gaim
• Ubuntu: Gaim

Voice Over IP

• Windows: Skype or GizmoProject
• Ubuntu: Ekiga Softphone or Skype