Softpedia Review – Is It Safe?

If you’ve ever tried searching for an app or software program on your browser, you’ve probably stumbled on Softpedia.

It’s one of the biggest names in the software download and technology news niche, offering all kinds of files from games to video players, and hardware drivers.

Softpedia is packed with different kinds of software, many of which are available for free or at a cheaper rate than the original license typically costs.

This has led many people to wonder: is it safe? Or is it just another platform operated by scammers looking to fleece people.

In this post, we’ll be putting the website under a microscope to determine whether it should be trusted and considered safe to use.

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What Is Softpedia?

Softpedia is a Romanian-based software distribution platform that provides download links, reviews, and the latest updates and news for different types of technologies from video games to operating systems.

The website houses an enormous collection of commercial software, shareware, and freeware for different platforms such as Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, Xbox, and more.

Softpedia also serves as a technology news and reviews platform. It has a stellar team of writers dedicated to creating value-packed tutorials, articles, reviews, and ratings for users.

The website’s goal is to bring all the information you need to make the best download or purchase decisions and properly utilize your favorite online tools to your fingertips.

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Is Softpedia Safe? Risks of Freeware Sites

Softpedia has been in existence since 2001 and has built a solid reputation as one of the go-to places to find the latest versions of all kinds of downloadable software.

It’s logical to assume that the website cannot possibly have survived this long and still be so popular if it wasn’t serving the need it was created for.

If the platform isn’t legitimate, it’d probably have been taken down by now or faded into the void as a result of people avoiding it. On the contrary, Softpedia is one of the most popular software download sites in existence today.

I, myself have turned to the website several times in the past and I haven’t had any issues with any of the apps I downloaded to date.

Softpedia seems to do a great job of vetting the games, freeware, and drivers it offers, which is why the virus scanners on my home network and computers failed to detect any risks in the files I downloaded from there.

Unlike some other software distribution platforms, Softpedia does not rewrap programs before listing them. It allows you to download through software in its original form as created by the developers.

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Photo by Pok Rie

The platform even goes out of its way to source and list clean setups in cases where the developer has included crapware or adware into the software. If it doesn’t find any clean setups, it adds a notice to the app/installers listing to show that the program contains ads.

Softpedia uses local security software and virus detection software to scan software packages to verify that they don’t contain any harmful components before publishing them on the website.

It also gives users the option to leave reviews and report any cloned apps, scam software, or installers containing shareware and other malicious elements.

Once a report is filed, the compromised software package will be deleted from the website almost immediately to prevent any more people from accessing it.

No other major distribution website in the market currently offers this service or feature.

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That goes to show that Softpedia prioritizes offering quality software above all else and will go the extra mile to ensure that its offerings are safe, secure, and trustworthy.

Although Softpedia makes a great effort to confirm that software packages are clean and free of unwanted components, it is far from perfect.

It’s still possible for things to slip through the cracks, so it’s safe to assume that some apps on the website haven’t been properly vetted.

Additionally, Softpedia has great ratings on multiple scam detection and web security analysis tools. MyWot gives Softpedia an 89% website security score, which means that its algorithms consider the website to be very safe.

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Photo by Anna Pou

Evensight, another platform that specializes in evaluating the safety and security of websites, scored Softpedia 90 out of 100 after inspecting its domain, server, security records, and other factors.

It also reports that Softpedia isn’t listed in any of the popular online scam directories.

This indicates that there hasn’t been enough justification or evidence to label Softpedia a scam, unsafe, or untrustworthy website.

According to ScamAdviser’s independent analysis of the software download website, Softpedia has a high trust rating with a score of 100/100. It arrived at this score by scrutinising indicators like Softpedia’s SSL certificate which it found to be valid.

It also examined reports from other platforms including Flashstart, TrendMicro, DNSFilter, and Maltiverse which say that Softpedia is safe, reliable, and doesn’t contain malware or phishing.

Where Does Softpedia Get Its Software From?

Softpedia acts as an aggregator and index tool bringing you software in its original form sourced from reputable distributors, the main developers, or both.

It does not repackage or bundle files so what you’ll be getting is the app or package as it was intended to be when it was designed and nothing more.

Should You Download From Softpedia?

The answer is that it depends on what you’re looking for.

If all you want is software that is still publicly available and maintained by the developer, then you should check out the developer’s website first before initiating the download via Softpedia.

But even if you do decide to download the file from Softpedia, rather than directly from the developers, there’s no harm in that.

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This is because the files on Softpedia are the same as the ones provided by the developers.

However, there are sometimes when you may not find the app or version of the software you want on the developer’s official website because it’s no longer supported or available.

This is where Softpedia really comes in handy; it hosts many files and app versions so you can always find the one you want no matter how outdated it is.

It’s worth noting that some customers have reported not receiving the products they wanted to download after paying for them.

And when they tried reaching out to Softpedia via their support phone number, email, and contact forms, they didn’t get a response, forcing them to forfeit their money for nothing.

Photo by Kindel Media

There have also been reviews from users claiming that the commercial software they bought from Softpedia turned out to be cracked versions.

Some couldn’t be activated or only worked properly for a couple of weeks, after which they could no longer be used because they were unlicensed.

Then again, there are also hundreds of reviews from customers who have nothing but good things to say about Softpedia, countering the notion that the platform is a scam.

Most customers have confidence in the platform and keep coming back to use it.

It never hurts to read the reviews for the specific files on Softpedia you want to buy or download for free before making your next move.

This will help you confirm the software’s legitimacy and reduce the chances of you ending up with a file that doesn’t work.

Wrapping It Up: Is Softpedia Safe?

From all indications, Softpedia is a safe and secure website to use.

It screens most of the software it lists for downloads to ensure they don’t contain any third-party components that can hinder your experience or cause damage to your devices.

Still, there’s a need to exercise caution and do some research and double-checking of your own before downloading any content from Softpedia.

Consider investing in security software like anti-virus to safeguard your device and screen downloaded files before installing them on your device.