Trying to find safest download portal

[Tabeer]

I was used to download software from download.com without any problems but now a days when i download s/w from their website, they put junk in their down-loaders so we get unwanted s/w with s/w we want to download. So i am in search of a website that really don't put any kind of monetized down-loaders on actual software. Please tell me if any of you guys know about such sites.

 

[CMLew]

Always download directly from the original site. You won't go wrong on that. Download.com is only a portal more like a search engine for installer to me.

 

[Rajat]

Softpedia, Softonic, Filepuma, download.cnet, Filehippo(but now they've added some unwanted crap in their Installers).

 

[frogboy]

Could also ad Majorgeeks.com they are very good.

 

[Kantry123]

majorgeeks ,filehorse,fileforum ,snapfiles

regards

 

[DracusNarcrym]

I was used to download software from download.com without any problems but now a days when i download s/w from their website, they put junk in their down-loaders so we get unwanted s/w with s/w we want to download. So i am in search of a website that really don't put any kind of monetized down-loaders on actual software. Please tell me if any of you guys know about such sites.

Most of the times, the safest and most trusted download source for your software is its official website.
I strongly recommend you make a list (a .txt file, for example) with the official websites of the software that you use, so you can download them from there.
Use Google to find out the official website of software you don't have official download links for, and save it in that list.

However, there are indeed some 3rd party software download websites that you can trust almost as much as the official ones:

• Softexia (my personal favorite, it has almost all software that exists and I completely trust them)
• FileHippo (awesome looking website, many and safe downloads, and although it has somewhat less software than Softexia, Filehippo has this nifty software update checker you might like)
• Softpedia (also trusted, but seems to offer trial software and shareware downloads mostly)

Again, I insist that you should make a list of the official websites of the software to download them from.

However, if you still want to download them from a 3rd party website, I'd definitely recommend Softexia.

 

[Azure]

I suggest you read this
Mind the PUP: Top download portals to avoid
Out of all the ones tested there, only Sourceforge was PUP free.

Another you can try is Majorgeeks or the software's original site.

 

[Andrew999]

Softpedia and Filehippo

 

[Deleted member 178]

betanews.com (fileforum section)

 

[Overlord]

filehippo.com
majorgeeks.com
dobreprogramy.pl

 

[Der.Reisende]

I was used to download software from download.com without any problems but now a days when i download s/w from their website, they put junk in their down-loaders so we get unwanted s/w with s/w we want to download. So i am in search of a website that really don't put any kind of monetized down-loaders on actual software. Please tell me if any of you guys know about such sites.

Same problem @Chip.de site in Germany here, but Qihoo 360 TS blocks all of those "Chip Downloader" (red circle) crap at download (Malware HEUR, cloud detection)
Loved to use the page in former times, you can still get the downloads without the downloader, but you have to look carefully for the link (blue circle).

Always download directly from the original site. You won't go wrong on that. Download.com is only a portal more like a search engine for installer to me.

Me2.

 

[Atlas147]

download.com bundles their software with absolutely any PUP willing to partner with them, they have the worst reputation for downloads, I always try to look for an alternative if I have to download software. Unfortunately a lot of other sites also bundle PUP together with their downloads because that's how they get their revenue, however I still feel that CNET's download.com is still the most aggressive of all.

Maybe you could download unchecky which helps you when you do an installation, what it does is basically it unchecks any PUP it can find during the installation process although it cannot get them 100% of the time it's still a layer of protection for you. You can find out more about it here Unchecky - Keeps your checkboxes clear

 

[jamescv7]

As always been mentioned repeatedly throughout the reminders, from original manufacturers' website is the safest at all.

Softpedia, Filehippo, Majorgeeks, Betanews, Filehorse (alternative to Filehippo) and others are namely well reliable 3rd party distributor and contains enough description if its ad-supported, freemium or trialware since that's the important when it comes on description stated.