lastprojects.com

What It Is

Last Projects is an open-source collection of Windows tools launched by MrDevFX, positioned as “Native, high-performance Windows utilities.” The site emphasizes that it does not use cross-platform wrappers and pushes back against bringing in resource-heavy Electron for simple apps. Instead, it builds lightweight desktop tools with C++, WinUI 3, wxWidgets, and native Windows APIs.

Core Features and Tech Stack

The page currently lists two stable projects: Last Download Manager and Last Rich Presence. The former is a modern download manager with support for multi-segment parallel downloads, yt-dlp integration, browser extensions, and crash recovery, aiming to improve download speed and reliability. The latter generates Discord Rich Presence from desktop and browser media sources, covering use cases such as YouTube, Spotify, and SoundCloud, with an emphasis on accuracy, low resource usage, and real-time updates.

Technically, Last Download Manager is labeled as C++17 / wxWidgets, while Last Rich Presence is labeled as C++20 / WinUI 3 and uses the Discord API. The page repeatedly highlights a native Windows experience, so this is better understood as a toolbox for Windows desktop users and developers rather than a cross-platform development framework.

Open Source, Pricing, and Ecosystem

Open source is one of the project’s main selling points. The site explicitly states that “Every line of code is on GitHub” and emphasizes that there is no hidden telemetry, no premium tiers, and no subscriptions. Ecosystem entry points include GitHub, a Wiki, a Discord community, download links, and browser extension-related capabilities. However, the main page does not show the license, contribution guidelines, release cadence, detailed installation documentation, or commercial support information, so users still need to check GitHub/Wiki to assess the maturity of its documentation and support.

Pros, Cons, and Who It’s For

Its strengths are clear positioning: native, lightweight, open source, and subscription-free, while avoiding the memory overhead associated with Electron. It is attractive for users who need a Windows download manager, a Discord media status display tool, or who prefer software with auditable source code. The drawbacks are also obvious: only Windows support is explicitly stated for now; the project appears to be maintained by an individual, so long-term responsiveness, compatibility fixes, and roadmap stability are uncertain; and the website is more of a showcase page than a complete user manual with a clear support policy.

Access from China and Alternatives

The main page does not provide information about access from mainland China, mirrors, payment, or download availability, so its accessibility from China should be considered unknown. Since the project depends on GitHub, Discord, some media platforms, and the yt-dlp ecosystem, related services may be unstable or restricted in China during real-world use. For alternatives, download management users can look at Free Download Manager, JDownloader, or IDM; for Rich Presence-related needs, users can look for other open-source Discord Rich Presence clients.