Windows 11 is a very complete operating system that includes a lot of features out of the box. Whether you want to look at your photos and videos, edit said videos, or listen to music, Windows 11 likely has you covered without having to install extra apps.

However, all those included apps and tools are rarely the cream of the crop. You can usually improve your experience significantly by using third- party alternatives. So let's take a look at some windows features you're better off replacing.

8 File Explorer

It's still not great

I've covered quite a few potential file Explorer replacements here at XDA, and there's a good reason for it. There's a generalized sense of discontent with File Explorer, even after some of the improvements Microsoft has made, like adding tab support. There are a lot of features people still wish for, such as dual-pane support, and on top of that, File Explorer isn't particularly fast.

If you're looking for a great free alternative, I'd highly recommend One Commander. It does have a premium version, but the free version is already fantastic and a very big improvement. If you have deeper pockets, then the upcoming File Pilot is my highest recommendation. It's extremely fast and lightweight.

• OneCommander

  See at OneCommander

• File Pilot

  See at File Pilot

7 Start menu

It's so restrictive

The Start menu on Windows 11 is another common point of contention, and it too has some great third-party alternatives. While the Start menu is fairly restrictive by itself, free apps like Windhawk and Explorer Patcher can help tweak it for example, you can remove the Recommended section entirely and add the list of all apps like how it was on Windows 10.

If you want the ultimate Start menu, though, I'd have to recommend spending some money on Stardock's Start11. This program unleashes the full potential of the Start menu with tons of features like folders, groups, tabs, and the ability to browse File Explorer folders directly in the Start menu. It's truly another level.

• Windhawk

  See at Windhawk

• Stardock Start11 v2

  OS

  Windows 11/10

  $10 at Stardock

6 Nearby Sharing

Why limit yourself?

One of the cool features in Windows 11 is the option to easily share files with a nearby computer using Bluetooth and a local Wi-Fi network with nearby sharing. Well, it would be a lot cooler if Microsoft was one of the first or the best to do it. Unfortunately, this feature only works with Windows PCs, which makes its appeal a bit more limited.

Thankfully, there's no shortage of solutions that deliver a better experience. LocalSend is a great no-frills solution that works on basically any device, whether it's Windows, Android, macOS, Linux, or iOS. It's fast and simple, just how it should be, without any accounts required. Other options such as Feem also exist. Another option is Quick Share from Google, if you only care about sharing files with an Android phone.

• LocalSend

  See at LocalSend

• Quick Share

  See at Google

5 Notepad

It's not bad, but...

If you're writing down simple notes on your PC, Notepad is probably one of the best ways to do it. It's not a bad app at all, and many would argue its lightweight nature makes it ideal for this purpose. But many others will say Notepad is not an amazing text editor.

It doesn't always handle mixed encoding as well as options like Notepad++ do. Plus, Microsoft keeps forcing unnecessary AI features onto it, bloating the app. Notepad++ is a simple, but extremely effective replacement, and I recommend checking it out. Other options also exist, but this is arguably the most popular option out there, and you can't go wrong with it.

• Notepad++

  See at Notepad++

4 Edge

You knew it was coming

Arguably the part of Windows everyone replaces, Microsoft Edge is not as bad as you might think, and certainly not as bad as its predecessor, but that's not to say it's great, either. Edge suffers from an absolutely terrible home page that makes anyone want to run away, paired with pushy marketing tactics to try and get your data, and a bunch of useless tools that live on its sidebar.

There are a ton of browsers that could easily replace Edge, but if you're looking for my personal favorite, it would have to be Vivaldi. It's a productivity-focused browser packed with features that are actually useful like reliable syncing and a built-in email client.

• Vivaldi Browser

  See at Vivaldi

3 Windows Search

Slow and frustrating

Search might be the worst part about using Windows. I can't tell you how many times I've started typing something, saw the right result, and pressed Enter just in time for Windows to move the search results around, causing me to open the wrong app — or worse, a Bing search in Microsoft Edge.

Replacing Windows Search is a two-step process. If you just want a more reliable way to search for and launch apps, then Flow Launcher is the app for you. It's a snappy and versatile launcher that can be enhanced by a ton of plugins.

If you're looking for better file search too, then Everything is a lightweight and super-fast search engine that can instantly locate any file on your PC. Everything can actually plug into Flow Launcher, so getting both apps may be the way to go.

• Flow Launcher

  See at Flow Launcher

• Everything

  Individual pricing

  Free

  Platforms

  Windows

  See at VoidTools

2 Clipchamp

It's too basic and clunky

In the age of online content creation, having an easy way to edit your videos is very important, and the inclusion of Clipchamp in Windows 11 was long overdue. It's definitely a huge upgrade from what Windows 10 had. But being a web app that's clearly designed for less experienced users, Clipchamp falls short on performance and capabilities.

It's not like free alternatives don't exist. DaVinci Resolve is a terrific video editing program that can be used for free, with much more advanced functionality and support for 4K output. And there are other options, too. There's no reason to reason Clipchamp instead.

• DaVinci Resolve

  See at Blackmagic

1 Media Player

VLC is right there

The modern Windows Media Player is a fine enough app for consuming media. It supports most common formats for audio and video, and it has a modern, clean UI. But why bother with it when VLC is still around and far better than any competition?

VLC is still the king of media players, supporting pretty much every format under the sun, subtitles (including the ability to download them), online videos, and more. It's also a fast lightweight app. Why would you want anything else?

• VLC

  See at VLC

Why not have a better experience?

It's great that Windows 11 provides as many tools as it does out of the box, as it makes it easier for anyone to get started. But it's impossible to ignore the much better alternatives to many of these apps. You can make your Windows experience much better, so why not just do it? I highly recommend checking out the apps above to improve your experience.