LiberKey

Description

LiberKey is a free collection of portable apps with automatic online updates and synchronization with its online catalog.

LiberKey offers a few hundred portable apps from various categories such as Audio, Education, Graphics, Internet, System, Video, and more.

Note: It is available in three different software suites: Basic, Standard, and Ultimate. You need to install the LiberKey app and the setup wizard will ask you which suite or custom software you would like to install. The complete list of portable applications for LiberKey can be found in the "Portable applications catalog area."

LiberKey Review

If you like to customize your computers with specialty portable freeware and free and open-source software, then LiberKey might be your new best friend.

Most people have never seen anything like it, unless you’re a Linux user and frequent the Ubuntu Software Center. The most relatable analog might be Google Play. But LiberKey is significantly more severe and doesn’t blatantly pander to mobile game players.

Some of the program’s unique features include portable file associations, online updates of applications, and portable shortcuts. Where it stands out is in the realm of Portable Application Suites.

It’s limited in terms of compatibility. Most of the applications available through LiberKey will run on just about any machine running Windows. If you’re running Linux, then you’ll need to use the Windows emulator, Wine.

The apps are stored as “.ilk” files. These are the same as a 7zip file, which means some unpacking is necessary. Note, if you’re porting these into Linux using Wine, this process can be quite a bit more complicated and may require some heavy use of the Linux Terminal.

LiberKey comes with some significant advantages that you won’t get with any other Portable app service.

These include:

Use the apps in LiberKey management on computers where you do not have admin permissions

Store and use LiberKey portable apps on a USB memory stick or hard disk

No need to install all programs on other machines, copy the LiberKey folder with your apps.

Use apps with all your favorite settings across multiple machines

Another exciting feature of LiberKey is the ability to define file associations. These are used as long as the service remains active and are highly customizable.

In case you’re wondering what apps you can get, you may be pleasantly surprised. Some of the most popular applications are well known, powerful, and massively useful.

GIMP: photo manipulation

CCleaner: system cleaning and optimization

Audacity: multi-track audio recorder and editor

FileZilla: connect to servers and share files

Opera: a fast alternative web browser

Pros & Cons

What makes LiberKey so amazing is the massive portability options you get with all of the apps available through the service. Every program comes in three size options: Basic, Standard, and Ultimate. They can all be installed, carried around in portable storage devices, and used in your preferred manner on any machine, even without admin rights.

Where the service rings a bit dull is in the fact that there are only 294 apps available. That may sound like a lot, but unless you’re sampling everything they have, rather than just trying to fulfill a specific need, it could feel underwhelming.

The other letdown is the fact that it’s only usable through Windows and the Linux Windows emulator, Wine. Most people are primarily Windows users. But if you’re a Mac person, you’re bummed.

That being said, LiberKey is still a great way to add free and open source functionality to your Windows machines. New users will have to pick a suite, but you can build it any way you like from the apps catalog.