THE BEST FREE APPS for Mac, iPhone and iPad

We take a look at some of the best downloadable software that won't cost you a penny

- IAN OSBORNE

There are some great free apps available for all your Apple gear. They're not just handy utilities or simple games either. There are some surprisingly powerful software suites available at no cost, with a quality that rivals - or even surpasses their professional equivalents.

These apps are often produced by programmers in their spare time, people who put in many hours of work. They're a labor of love, intended for everyone to get more out of their Apple kit for zero outlay.

Whether you're looking for an office suite, a picture editor, a video converter, a game or just about anything else, there'll be a free app for you to try out.

Let's take a look at some of the best free software available on the Mac, iPhone and iPad.

Must-have freebies for Mac

Boost your Mac's toolset without busting your bank account

Apache OpenOffice 

FROM openoffice.org

NEEDS OS X 10.7 or later

If you're having compatibility problems when passing on files or need a feature that no other free option offers, it's worth taking a look at OpenOffice. It offers a range of apps, namely Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheet), Impress (presentation app), Draw (vector graphics), Math (equation editor) and Base (database management).

Cross-platform and inter-app operability is strong, making it a good option for sharing files or if you use different computers and software. Admittedly, if you're looking more for free productivity tools, Apache OpenOffice isn't the best of the bunch.