Best Portable Apps for a USB Drive (Free, 2026)
Portable apps run straight from a USB drive without installing anything on the computer. That means you can carry your favourite browser, media player and tools in your pocket and use them on any Windows PC, without leaving your personal data behind. We first listed five must-have portable apps for a USB drive in 2009. Here are the best portable apps for a USB drive in 2026, and how to set them up.
Quick answer: The best free portable apps for a USB drive in 2026 include Firefox Portable, VLC Portable, GIMP Portable, 7-Zip Portable, LibreOffice Portable, KeePassXC, Notepad++ Portable and SumatraPDF. The easiest way to install and update them is the free PortableApps.com Platform, which works like an app store for your USB drive.
Table of Contents
Best portable apps for a USB drive
- Firefox Portable: your browser with bookmarks, extensions and saved sessions, on any PC. Use private windows on shared computers.
- VLC Media Player Portable: plays almost any audio or video format, from MP4 and MKV to DVDs, with no codecs to install.
- GIMP Portable: a full photo editor for quick edits while travelling.
- 7-Zip Portable: open and create ZIP, 7z, RAR, TAR and other archives.
- LibreOffice Portable: a complete office suite for documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
- KeePassXC: an encrypted password manager that can run from a USB drive, so your passwords travel with you.
- Notepad++ Portable: a fast text and code editor.
- SumatraPDF Portable: a tiny, fast PDF and ebook reader.
- Thunderbird Portable: carry your email client, accounts and address book, with a built-in calendar (it replaced the old Sunbird calendar app).
What is the PortableApps.com Platform?
PortableApps.com is the most popular portable software collection. It works on a USB flash drive, memory card, external hard drive or SSD, or a cloud-synced folder, and needs no special hardware or extra software. Plug the drive into any Windows PC and you get your own apps and personal data; unplug it and nothing personal is left behind. The catalogue has hundreds of free and open-source apps across browsers, email, office, graphics, music, games, security and utilities.
When we first covered it in March 2009, PortableApps came as a 1 MB Platform-only download or ready-made suites (a 46 MB Light suite with AbiWord and a 124 MB Standard suite with OpenOffice.org), and Platform 1.5 had just added themes, app renaming and hiding, and a run-as-admin option. Today you install the small Platform once and pick only the apps you want from its built-in app store.
How to set up portable apps on a USB drive
- Download the free PortableApps.com Platform.
- Run the installer and choose your USB drive as the location.
- Open the Platform menu from the drive and use Apps > Get More Apps to pick apps by category.
- Use Apps > Check for Updates regularly to keep apps secure.
If the installer can’t write to the drive, here’s how to fix a write-protected USB drive.
Tips for using portable apps safely
- Use a fast USB drive: a USB 3.x drive or a small external SSD makes apps start much faster than an old pen drive.
- Encrypt the drive: use BitLocker To Go on Windows, or keep sensitive files in an encrypted password manager.
- Eject safely: close apps and eject the drive before unplugging to avoid corruption.
- Be careful on public PCs: a computer you do not trust can still record keystrokes, so avoid logging in to banking or important accounts on them.
- Keep a backup: USB drives get lost, so back up your portable settings regularly.
What changed since 2009?
Our 2009 list had Firefox Portable, VLC Portable, GIMP Portable, 7-Zip Portable and Pidgin Portable for chatting. The first four are still excellent. Pidgin is far less useful now that most chat happens in WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack and similar apps that run in a browser. Cloud apps also replace some portable apps, but portable apps still win when you are offline or cannot sign in on a shared computer.
FAQ
What is a portable app?
An app that runs from a folder, such as on a USB drive, without being installed, and keeps its settings in that folder.
Is PortableApps.com free?
Yes. The Platform and most apps in its catalogue are free and open source; a few freeware apps have their own licences.
Do portable apps work on Mac?
PortableApps.com apps are for Windows. On a Mac, many apps can run from an external drive, but there is no equivalent platform.
Are portable apps safe?
Yes, if you download them from the official developer or PortableApps.com and keep them updated.
Do portable apps leave traces on the computer?
Good portable apps store settings on the USB drive, but Windows may still keep some temporary files or recent-file lists.
Originally written by guest author Srikanth, who blogged at Tech Inspiration (ekoob.com) about web applications, tech tips and software reviews. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.
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These are some good tips to follow i will download these apps and keep them in my pen drive forever.
Great list of essential portable apps.
I personally include the first four in my list of essentials, but as I do not IM, I include the portable version of OpenOffice.org, so that I can access Microsoft Office files wherever I go.
Quite interesting sharing. I think i will bring my laptop along with me if possible. However, sometimes we really need the USB drive to lighten the burden of luggage. Thanks for sharing!
I think you nailed it with this list. The only thing I would add is a text editor for jotting down notes or drafting blog posts on the fly (especially when there is no Internet). But for most people the built-in Notepad would probably suffice.