Portable software is a class of software that is suitable for use on portable drives such as a USB (thumb) drive or digital audio player or PDA with "drive mode", although any external hard drive can be used. The concept of carrying one's favored applications, utilities, and files on a portable drive for use on any computer is one which has evolved considerably in recent years.

Programs in this category (also known as portable applications ) are typically 'lite' versions of their parent software, but there are many exceptions.

To be considered portable, for purpose of this list, a software program must:

  1. Not require any kind of formal installation onto a computer's permanent storage device to be executed, and can be stored on a removable storage device such as USB flash drive, enabling it to be used on multiple computers.
  2. Settings are stored with, and can be carried around with, the software (i.e., they are written to the USB drive). If the registry is used to store settings, the application's configuration isn't portable, and must be set up on every PC it is used on
  3. Leaves a zero (or near-zero) "footprint" on any PC it's run on after being used. i.e., All temporary files/registry settings should be removed once the program has exited, and files created by the user can be saved directly to the same removable media as the application is stored on.

Generally, smaller utility/toolkit software is inherently fairly portable; though larger applications are sometimes changed in order to allow a portable versions to be released (e.g., Opera@USB and OperaTor).

Application launchers

See also: Comparison of application launchers
  • Appetizer (Dock application)
  • ASuite
  • Ceedo Easy Access Menu
  • Launchy
  • OpenDisc
  • PortableApps.com Menu
  • PStart
  • RocketDock
  • SyMenu
  • U3 Launchpad (only included on U3 drives)

Development

Scripting Languages

  • Portable Python
  • Portable NSIS Version

Compilers

  • MinGW
  • Tiny C Compiler

IDEs

  • Alice (software)
  • Portable Code::Blocks (needs MinGW installed, which is portable too)
  • Portable Dev-C++
  • Hackety Hack, which is an educational version of ruby, can be installed on pendrive.
  • JCreator Not entirely portable, because it leaves some settings on the host computer.

Visual mapping tool/Productivity tool

  • XMIND

Graphics

3D Modeling And Rendering

  • Anim8or - Free 3D modeling and animating software.
  • Blender:
    • BlenderPortable
    • Blender Pocket
    • XBlender

Graphic Editors

  • ArtRage
  • Artweaver
  • EVE
  • GIMP:
    • GIMP Portable VS 2008 is the Gimp portable version of Gimp on Microsoft Windows platforms (Windows XP,Vista,NT Server 2003,NT Server 2008)
    • Portable Gimp - for Mac OS X
    • X-Gimp
    • X-GimpShop
  • Inkscape:
    • X-Inkscape
    • Portable Inkscape - for Mac OS X
  • IrfanView
  • Pixia
  • XTuxPaint

Viewers

  • FastStone Image Viewer
  • Irfanview
  • XnView

Document Based

Office and Publishing

  • Abiword
  • Atlantis Word Processor
  • Jarte
  • OpenOffice.org
  • Qjot
  • RagTime
  • Scribus
  • StarOffice

Editors

  • AkelPad - for portability, select Save Settings to INI File from Registry Tab in Settings dialog
  • EmEditor Professional - for portability, select Import and Export on Tools menu
  • Geany
  • gVim - for advanced users
  • Notepad++
  • Notepad2
  • NoteTab Light
  • Programmer's Notepad
  • PSPad - for portable use choose CAB archive
  • Q10
  • SciTE - for portability, set SciTE_HOME environment variable
  • TED Notepad - for portability, create tednpad.ini file
  • Textpad
  • UltraEdit (UE3)
  • VEDIT - for portability, check "Install onto removable USB drive" checkbox on the first setup dialog

Personal Notes

  • NotesHolder - desktop notes, for portability install it in Portable mode.
  • Personal Knowbase - note organizer. For portability, select the removable drive letter as "Destination" during installation.

Educational

  • Celestia
  • GCompris
  • Maxima
  • Stellarium

Games

See List of portable computer games

Internet

Web browsers

  • Avant
  • Firefox Portable
  • Google Chrome Portable
  • Maxthon Browser
  • Opera
  • OperaTor, includes Opera, Tor and Polipo packaged together.
  • Pocket K-Meleon
  • XeroBank Browser
  • SRWare Iron Portable
  • Sleipnir

Email clients

  • Mail - for Mac OS X
  • Mozilla Thunderbird Portable
  • Pegasus Mail
  • Pine
  • Opera (Integrated Email client)
  • The Bat! Voyager

Instant messaging

  • Adium - for Mac OS X
  • Brosix
  • Coccinella
  • Google Talk
  • Miniaim
  • yahoo! Messenger
  • Miranda IM
  • Pidgin Portable (formerly Gaim Portable)
  • Portable PSI
  • TerraIM
  • Trillian Anywhere
  • Portable iChat - for Mac OS X
  • Digsby

FTP clients

  • WinSCP
  • FileZilla
  • Portable Cyberduck
  • SmartFTP
  • FlashFXP

Download managers

  • Wget
  • HTTrack
  • WxDownload Fast
  • Orbit Downloader
  • Free Download Manager - Note: installation required to create portable version.
  • Opera (Integrated Download Manager)

P2P file sharing

  • BitComet - Note: needs msxml.
  • BitTornado - Note: needs msxml.
  • Emule
  • Opera (integrated torrent client)
  • μTorrent - Latest version runs independently
  • FrostWire
  • Limewire Portable
  • Vuze Portable

IRC

  • ChatZilla Note: Requires a Mozilla based browser, e.g. SeaMonkey, or Firefox.
  • HydraIRC
  • Miranda IM
  • mIRC Note: There is a U3 version of mIRC that can be installed on U3 drives. The original application is portable, leaving behind only the license key in the registry. (This may not be true with the newer versions that are vista-compatible, as their default user data area was changed to the user's application data folder.) Since v3.1, it can be started from a command line using the -portable switch to use settings, DLLs, and license keys that are stored in the same folder as mirc.exe.
  • Nettalk
  • Pidgin (formerly Gaim)
  • Opera (Integrated Irc client)
  • XChat
  • Portable X-Chat Aqua - for Mac OS X
  • KVIrc
  • Digsby

RSS, Atom readers

  • RSSOwl Note: needs Java runtime environment.
  • Opera (Integrated RSS/Atom client)

Telnet, SSH clients

  • portaPuTTY
  • WinSCP Portable Edition - SFTP/SCP/FTP client, remote file manager, GUI—see WinSCP.

Bookmark managers

  • Portable Bookmarks

Search engines

Podcast managers

  • Juice

Proxy server/clients and Routing Networks

  • Portable Tor

Wiki-like (Note: These are not web-based)

  • EverNote (freeware & commercial versions)
  • StoneNotes (commercial/proprietary)
  • Wikidpad
  • TiddlyWiki (Use a web browser on a local file. No network required.)

Miscellaneous

  • Moka5 LivePC Engine (Portable VMware). Note: Dynamically loads and unloads network drivers and requires administrator rights.
  • Mojopac portable chopped down copy of windows. Requires administrator rights.

Multimedia

File converters

  • Audiograbber
  • BonkEnc
  • CDex
  • MediaCoder
  • SUPER - has problems with portability
  • TMPGEnc
  • Total video converter
  • FormatFactory
  • AVS Video Converter

CD/DVD burning

  • DeepBurner Portable Edition
  • InfraRecorder

Editors

  • Portable Audacity - for Windows and Mac OS X
  • Audiobook Cutter Free Edition
  • mp3DirectCut

Audio/Midi Sequencer

  • Reaper has a .bat file for a USB stick installation

Players

  • FLV player
  • Media Player Classic
  • foobar2000 - only supports xp and forward
  • MPlayer
  • K-M

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