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How much are you prepared to pay for software? Would you happily pay hundreds of pounds for big-brand audio or video programs, or do you baulk at the cost of expensive software and make do with cheaper, almost as useful alternatives?

Getting your hands on quality software without breaking the bank can be difficult. When it comes to desktop

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publishing, for example, it's almost accepted that you have to pay the better part of £1,000 for the software to produce professional-looking publications, or that to run your business successfully you need expensive, subscription-based financial software.

However, it is possible to get the best of both worlds: quality software that doesn't cost the earth. Over the next few pages we'll list some of the free and low-cost software that's suitable for both professional and home use. Often the programs offer similar functionality to that of their market-leading rival at a fraction of their cost. In other cases they do an individual task better than their better-known equivalents. We'll tell you how easy to use each program is and what its limitations are. In short, everything you need to decide if you really do have to stick with the expensive program, or if you can save cash by opting for the cheaper version, is right here.