Microsoft PowerToys
A free suite of power-user utilities from Microsoft that make Windows work the way you want.
What is it?
PowerToys is a collection of free utilities from Microsoft that add power-user features to Windows. It bundles more than a dozen tools into one app: FancyZones for snapping windows into custom layouts, PowerToys Run for launching anything with a keystroke, PowerRename for bulk-renaming files, a Color Picker, an always-on-top toggle, Text Extractor (OCR from images) and more. It's open source and made by Microsoft itself.
Who should use it?
Anyone who wants more control over Windows without hunting down separate apps — from casual users who just want better window snapping to developers who live on the keyboard.
Main features
- FancyZones — snap windows into custom multi-zone layouts
- PowerToys Run — instant keyboard launcher (Alt+Space)
- PowerRename — bulk-rename files with search/replace and regex
- Color Picker — grab any colour on screen
- Text Extractor — copy text out of images with OCR
- Keyboard Manager, Always on Top, Image Resizer and more
Pros & cons
Pros
- Free, open source, and made by Microsoft
- Replaces several separate utilities at once
- Actively developed with frequent new tools
Cons
- Windows 10 and 11 only
- The sheer number of tools can feel overwhelming at first
- A few utilities overlap with features power users may already have
At a glance
- Platforms
- Windows
- License
- Open source
- Works offline
- Yes
- Internet required
- No
Alternatives
Screenshots
Video tutorial
Frequently asked questions
Related software
External resources
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