Free tools for trainers
List of tools
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this list does not imply a recommendation.
Each situation is different and so you may need to experiment or get personal advice.
Name
Categories
Notes
Zoom
Virtual meeting
Free for meetings of up to 40 minutes
Google forms
Surveys & polls
Requires a Google account
Typeform
Surveys & polls
Beautiful interface
Pixabay
Stock photos
Great source of photos and other images for your materials
Qsnap
Screen capture & recording
Chrome extension
Iris
Screen capture & recording
MacOS only
Skitch
Screen capture & recording
MacOS only - great for annotating images
Zamzar
File convertor
Convert all sorts of files from one format to another
OBS Studio
Screen capture & recording
Open source - a bit complex initially
Flashback Express
Screen capture & recording
Windows only
Screencast-o-matic
Screen capture & recording
Simple but effective
Pixlr
Photo & image editing
Browser-based tool
The GIMP
Photo & image editing
Powerful image editor
Canva
Photo & image editing
Comprehensive design tool
LibreOffice draw
Diagramming
Part of the excellent LibreOffice suite
Openshot
Video editing & publishing
Powerful & open source editing tool
Shotcut
Video editing & publishing
Powerful & open source editing tool
Vimeo
Video editing & publishing
Video streaming platform
Youtube
Video editing & publishing
Video streaming platform
Wordpress
Website creation
Popular tool for publishing articles
Google sites
Website creation
Requires a Google account
Dropbox
File sharing
Popular amongst trainers
PCloud
File sharing
Based in Switzerland
WeTransfer
File sharing
Great for sending large files
GoToMeeting
Virtual meeting
Free for up to 3 people for 40 minutes
Note.ly
Collaboration
Add sticky notes to a shared board
Pinup
Collaboration
Add sticky notes to a shared board
Stormboard
Collaboration
Shared sticky notes and whiteboard. Free for teams of up to 5 people
Keynote
Presentations
Only for MacOS
LibreOffice Impress
Presentations
Part of the open-source LibreOffice suite
Prezi
Presentations
A different way of doing presentations
Freemind
Mind mapping
Open source tool
CmapTools
Mind mapping
Designed to build sophisticated concept maps
The Brain
Mind mapping
Personal knowledge management tool
VUE
Mind mapping
Open source tool
Coggle
Mind mapping
Online tool
Audacity
Audio & podcast
Powerful & popular open source tool
Garageband
Audio & podcast
MacOS only
Ardour
Audio & podcast
Open source digital audio workstation
Podomatic
Audio & podcast
Audio recording and podcast hosting
Spreaker
Audio & podcast
Create and distribute your podcast
Free music archive
Music & sound effects
Remember to follow the license conditions
Youtube audiolibrary
Music & sound effects
Great source of professional quality music and sound effects
PacDV free sound effects
Music & sound effects
Royalty free sound effects and music
Audionautix
Music & sound effects
Remember to credit the source
Pinterest
Curating
Great if you're wanting to share collections of images
Pocket
Curating
Best for personal knowledge management
Diigo
Curating
Great for sharing collections of bookmarks
eLink
Curating
Create beautiful pages of content to share
Wakelet
Curating
Organise and share content from across the web
Trello
Organising
Perfect for planning and organising lists of things - for yourself or your group
Miro
Whiteboard
Free for up to 3 boards
Conceptboard
Whiteboard
Free for unlimited boards of up to 50 objects per board
Explain Everything
Whiteboard
Free for up to 3 projects
Whiteboard Fox
Whiteboard
Good for one-off whiteboard sessions
AWW
Whiteboard
Good for one-off whiteboard sessions
Web Whiteboard
Whiteboard
Good for one-off whiteboard sessions
Ziteboard
Whiteboard
Free for up to 3 boards
Stormboard
Whiteboard
Free for teams of up to 5 people
Whatsapp
Group communication
Secure and commonly used
Google Groups
Group communication
Email-based group communication
Facebook Groups
Group communication
Public or private communication
Groups.io
Group communication
Powerful email-based group communication
Jitsi
Group communication
Fully encrypted open-source video conferencing
Google Keep
Curating
Great for keeping notes and checklists - even includes a tool to convert images to text
Da Vinci
Video editing & publishing
High-powered video and audio editing suite
Palleton
Graphics
Fantastic tool to help you choose a good set of colours
Traktion Waveform Free
Audio & podcast
Established provider of solid digital audio workstation software - with many professional features
Disclaimer: Inclusion in this list does not imply a recommendation.
Each situation is different and so you may need to experiment or get personal advice.
| Name | Categories | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom | Virtual meeting | Free for meetings of up to 40 minutes |
| Google forms | Surveys & polls | Requires a Google account |
| Typeform | Surveys & polls | Beautiful interface |
| Pixabay | Stock photos | Great source of photos and other images for your materials |
| Qsnap | Screen capture & recording | Chrome extension |
| Iris | Screen capture & recording | MacOS only |
| Skitch | Screen capture & recording | MacOS only - great for annotating images |
| Zamzar | File convertor | Convert all sorts of files from one format to another |
| OBS Studio | Screen capture & recording | Open source - a bit complex initially |
| Flashback Express | Screen capture & recording | Windows only |
| Screencast-o-matic | Screen capture & recording | Simple but effective |
| Pixlr | Photo & image editing | Browser-based tool |
| The GIMP | Photo & image editing | Powerful image editor |
| Canva | Photo & image editing | Comprehensive design tool |
| LibreOffice draw | Diagramming | Part of the excellent LibreOffice suite |
| Openshot | Video editing & publishing | Powerful & open source editing tool |
| Shotcut | Video editing & publishing | Powerful & open source editing tool |
| Vimeo | Video editing & publishing | Video streaming platform |
| Youtube | Video editing & publishing | Video streaming platform |
| Wordpress | Website creation | Popular tool for publishing articles |
| Google sites | Website creation | Requires a Google account |
| Dropbox | File sharing | Popular amongst trainers |
| PCloud | File sharing | Based in Switzerland |
| WeTransfer | File sharing | Great for sending large files |
| GoToMeeting | Virtual meeting | Free for up to 3 people for 40 minutes |
| Note.ly | Collaboration | Add sticky notes to a shared board |
| Pinup | Collaboration | Add sticky notes to a shared board |
| Stormboard | Collaboration | Shared sticky notes and whiteboard. Free for teams of up to 5 people |
| Keynote | Presentations | Only for MacOS |
| LibreOffice Impress | Presentations | Part of the open-source LibreOffice suite |
| Prezi | Presentations | A different way of doing presentations |
| Freemind | Mind mapping | Open source tool |
| CmapTools | Mind mapping | Designed to build sophisticated concept maps |
| The Brain | Mind mapping | Personal knowledge management tool |
| VUE | Mind mapping | Open source tool |
| Coggle | Mind mapping | Online tool |
| Audacity | Audio & podcast | Powerful & popular open source tool |
| Garageband | Audio & podcast | MacOS only |
| Ardour | Audio & podcast | Open source digital audio workstation |
| Podomatic | Audio & podcast | Audio recording and podcast hosting |
| Spreaker | Audio & podcast | Create and distribute your podcast |
| Free music archive | Music & sound effects | Remember to follow the license conditions |
| Youtube audiolibrary | Music & sound effects | Great source of professional quality music and sound effects |
| PacDV free sound effects | Music & sound effects | Royalty free sound effects and music |
| Audionautix | Music & sound effects | Remember to credit the source |
| Curating | Great if you're wanting to share collections of images | |
| Curating | Best for personal knowledge management | |
| Diigo | Curating | Great for sharing collections of bookmarks |
| eLink | Curating | Create beautiful pages of content to share |
| Wakelet | Curating | Organise and share content from across the web |
| Trello | Organising | Perfect for planning and organising lists of things - for yourself or your group |
| Miro | Whiteboard | Free for up to 3 boards |
| Conceptboard | Whiteboard | Free for unlimited boards of up to 50 objects per board |
| Explain Everything | Whiteboard | Free for up to 3 projects |
| Whiteboard Fox | Whiteboard | Good for one-off whiteboard sessions |
| AWW | Whiteboard | Good for one-off whiteboard sessions |
| Web Whiteboard | Whiteboard | Good for one-off whiteboard sessions |
| Ziteboard | Whiteboard | Free for up to 3 boards |
| Stormboard | Whiteboard | Free for teams of up to 5 people |
| Group communication | Secure and commonly used | |
| Google Groups | Group communication | Email-based group communication |
| Facebook Groups | Group communication | Public or private communication |
| Groups.io | Group communication | Powerful email-based group communication |
| Jitsi | Group communication | Fully encrypted open-source video conferencing |
| Google Keep | Curating | Great for keeping notes and checklists - even includes a tool to convert images to text |
| Da Vinci | Video editing & publishing | High-powered video and audio editing suite |
| Palleton | Graphics | Fantastic tool to help you choose a good set of colours |
| Traktion Waveform Free | Audio & podcast | Established provider of solid digital audio workstation software - with many professional features |