Although there is a [new site that exclusively handles software recommendations][1], we have been hosting good software recommendation questions since the beginning of Ask Different. Here is an [adaptation of an excellent thread][2] there on how to ask an excellent quality question for recommended software. Software recommendation questions are best when narrowly scoped. Try not to ask a "wikipedia" of everything that could possibly do X - instead focus on the specific tasks you need to accomplish and any constraints that are objective and clearly explained. --- 1. Straight to the point, succinct title ==== Don't use words like 'best' or 'good' - just tell us what you want. We're not going to recommend the worst, or bad software. For example, a great title could be ___What [editor/utility/program/plugin] does [task] in [manner]?___ 2. Describe your task ==== This is mandatory - Tell us in clear words what you're doing, or intend to do with what we recommend. If you're bulk re-sizing a bunch of pictures while converting them to another format, or looking for a game to waste time in chunks of 15 minutes - let us know with as many specifics as you think might be relevant. 3. Describe what you have, if anything, and what you don't like about it ==== This can sometimes be optional, but let us know what you've got or what you've tried and didn't like, and why. Let us know if you looked at something and decided it wasn't for you. Note - this allows for great answers that may recommend something you dismissed by explaining a feature you overlooked. 4. Give us an enumerated list of constraints, in order of importance ==== Every recommendation question probably needs this list. Tell us the features or operating constraints a good fit would meet, ordered from must-have to nice-to-have. An example: Must run on MacBook Pro (Mid 2013) with 10.8 (and not 10.9) Must be available outside the Mac App Store Ideally takes less than 20MB of initial download Big plus if it does not offer / need in-app-purchase Note: Price is generally a bad requirement. Limiting the question to free or less than $x does two very bad things. First, it doesn't help others as everyone's budgets change based on how important the task is to them. Secondly, prices change and often vary based on where you purchase. Thirdly, once we have collected good software that does X - everyone can easily price them out and select an answer that's best for them when they go to buy. 5. Wrap up your question, if it needs wrapping up. ==== You can probably skip this most of the time if you want, but this is a place to put anything supplemental. Your goal when writing is to narrow the scope enough so that realistically, 10 answers might directly answer it. ---- That's everything someone needs in order to give you a great recommendation. We may not be able to meet all of your requirements, but since you've listed them in the order of importance, we'll be able to recommend something that gets the most important job done. By thinking about asking a great question, you will be helping many other people as well as the potential pool of people that will step up to make an answer to your question. [1]: http://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com [2]: http://meta.softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/197/