Resources
This page recommends services based on
research from several websites and expert recommendations. For a more thorough resource, visit
Privacy Guides.
Techlore Tools
Techlore Guides
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- ★ marks our favorite services. They surely do not represent every threat model and shouldn't be over-analyzed.
- Hover over (or hold on mobile) each service for more details.
Software
Desktop Web Browsers
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Tor Browser ★The Tor Browser is one of the safest browsing experiences by prioritizing anonymity & freedom of information above all else. It's one of the most effective and accessible anonymity tools.
- Open Source
- Firefox Base
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FirefoxFirefox doesn't have the best defaults, reserving maximum privacy & security through hardening the browser. An attractive reason to use Firefox is it's an alternative to the Chromium monopoly.
- Open Source
- Firefox Base
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LibreWolf ★LibreWolf tackles most Firefox hardening out-of-the-box & does a decent job of maintaining security updates. Be aware that using forks of projects come with concerns regarding trusting a new party, in addition to trusting them to maintain security updates.
- Open Source
- Firefox Base
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Brave ★Brave attempts to offer a familiar browser experience with privacy & security by default. Brave does many neat things for users out-of-the-box, but a possible annoyance is the cryptocurrency features. (Can be disabled)
- Open Source
- Chromium Base
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Ung-ChromiumUngoogled-Chromium aims to strip the remaining bits of Google from the open source Chromium browser. Security updates are a bit slower, and it has some (out-of-the-box) usability sacrifices.
- Open Source
- Chromium Base
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SafariApple's Safari offers users in the Apple ecosystem a moderately safe default browser with basic privacy & security precautions out-of-the-box.
- Proprietary
- WebKit Base
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Top 5 Best Browsers
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2022 Firefox Hardening
Android Web Browsers
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Tor Browser ★The Tor Browser is one of the safest browsing experiences by prioritizing anonymity & freedom of information above all else. It's one of the most effective and accessible anonymity tools.
- Open Source
- Firefox Base
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Bromite ★Bromite strikes a comfortable balance between mobile privacy, security, and usability, all with great out-of-the-box practices.
- Open Source
- Chromium Base
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Brave ★Brave attempts to offer a familiar browser experience with privacy & security by default. Brave does many neat things for users out-of-the-box, but a possible annoyance is the cryptocurrency features. (Can be disabled)
- Open Source
- Chromium Base
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FirefoxFirefox doesn't have the best defaults, reserving maximum privacy & security through hardening the browser. (Limited on mobile) An attractive reason to use Firefox is it's an alternative to the Chromium monopoly.
- Open Source
- Firefox Base
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DuckDuckGoDuckDuckGo's mobile browser intends to be a disposable, ephemeral option. It does not offer the best privacy & security, but can serve a purpose for users needing an ephemeral service.
- Open Source
- WebView
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Choosing A Browser
iOS Web Browsers
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Onion Browser ★Onion Browser is an unofficial Tor Browser. Due to iOS limitations, it should not be considered as safe as the Tor Browser Project, though it still offers users a layer of anonymity.
- Open Source
- WebKit
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Brave ★Brave attempts to offer a familiar browser experience with privacy & security by default. Brave does many neat things for users out-of-the-box, but a possible annoyance is the cryptocurrency features. (Can be disabled)
- Open Source
- WebKit
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FirefoxFirefox doesn't have the best defaults, but it's making progress to improve the situation. The privacy & security offered is maximized through hardening. (Significantly limited on iOS)
- Open Source
- Webkit
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DuckDuckGoDuckDuckGo's mobile browser intends to be a disposable, ephemeral option. It does not offer the best privacy & security, but can serve a purpose for users needing an ephemeral service.
- Open Source
- WebKit
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SafariApple's Safari offers users in the Apple ecosystem a moderately safe default browser with basic privacy & security precautions out-of-the-box.
- Proprietary
- WebKit
Password Managers
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KeePass ★KeePass is a secure & customizable password manager, but it requires work to function as conveniently as some users may expect.
- Open Source
- Free
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Bitwarden ★Bitwarden is a trusted, cloud-based option with zero-knowledge encryption to keep you safe. They offer an attractive middle-ground for password management, as well as the option for self-hosting.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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Go Incognito 3.4
Encryption
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Veracrypt ★Veracrypt offers users encrypted volumes, and on some operating systems full disk encryption. It is a great option for those needing maximum security.
- Open Source
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GNU Privacy GuardGnuPG offers flexible encryption options across different mediums for users needing a more versatile option, at the cost of generally being more advanced.
- Open Source
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7-Zip7-Zip is an archiving tool with basic file encryption options. It is not as robust as the other options and should be used with caution for sensitive tasks.
- Open Source
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Go Incognito 3.14
App Stores
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F-Droid ★F-Droid is the go-to FOSS app store for all Android devices.
- Open Source
- Android
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Aurora Store ★Aurora Store allows users to download apps directly from the Google Play Store without a Google Account safely.
- Open Source
- Android
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AltStoreAltStore allows iOS users to install IPA files (apps) to their device without the App Store. Apple's restrictions, however, make this a generally limited experience.
- Open Source
- iOS
Operating Systems
Desktop
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QubesOS ★Qubes separates programs & operating systems into secure environments for maximum safety. It can be slower and may have compatibility issues with certain hardware.
- Open Source
- Xen
- Advanced
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Fedora ★Fedora has strong out-of-the-box privacy & security practices, all backed by a trustworty and commited team.
- Open Source
- Linux
- Moderate
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ArchArch offers bleeding-edge updates with a more configurable option for users. Many looking to harden Linux themselves enjoy the flexibility offered by Arch.
- Open Source
- Linux
- Advanced
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DebianDebian offers stability above all else. While updates are generally slower, Debian still pushes frequent security updates.
- Open Source
- Linux
- Moderate
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MacOS ★MacOS can be a reasonably private & secure OS for many threat models. Despite being proprietary, it offers strong protection and is a great alternative to Windows. Please refer to the device guides at the top of this page for more details.
- Proprietary
- Apple MacOS
- Simple
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Go Incognito 4.2
Expendable/LiveOS
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Whonix ★Whonix offers both a virtual and live environment with a goal of anonymity. All activies are routed through Tor with strong privacy & security precautions.
- Open Source
- Virtual Machine
- LiveOS
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TailsOSTailsOS offers a Tor-routed live environment for privacy & anonymity.
- Open Source
- LiveOS
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Go Incognito 4.4
Android
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CalyxOS ★CalyxOS maintains stock security, while balancing additional privacy & security features with usability.
- Open Source
- Strong Protection
- Limited Devices
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DivestOSDivestOS attempts to fix some security issues with LineageOS (like bringing verified boot to some devices) while maintaing large device compatability.
- Open Source
- Moderate Protection
- Many Devices
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LineageOSLineageOS has lower security than stock, but it does attempt to improve privacy & transparency. Users should consider pros/cons before using LineageOS over stock.
- Open Source
- Low Protection
- Many Devices
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MicroGMicroG is an open source replacement to proprietary Google Play Services. It allows apps & services to work as intended in a more privacy-respecting & transparent fashion on most custom ROMs.
- Open Source
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PlexusWhile MicroG & de-googled ROMs try to maintain the compatability of Google Play Services, they are not perfect. Plexus allows you to check what apps do/don't work.
- Open Source
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Go Incognito 4.3
Online Services
Search Engines
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Searx ★Searx is an open source, configurable, self-hostable, metasearch engine that compiles results from countless search engines in the same place.
- Open Source
- Metasearch
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Brave Search ★Brave Search indexes its own results with Brave's crawlers while respecting user privacy.
- Proprietary
- Crawler
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DuckDuckGoDuckDuckGo is a metasearch engine with mainly Bing results and an emphasis on user privacy.
- Proprietary
- Metasearch
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StartpageStartpage is a metasearch engine with privately proxied Google results.
- Proprietary
- Metasearch
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QwantQwant is a metasearch engine with Bing results and an emphasis on user privacy.
- Proprietary
- Metasearch
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Go Incognito 3.6
VPNs
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IVPN ★IVPN is one of the most transparent providers with some of the most robust measures to keep users safe. Use the VPN Toolkit for more details.
- Open Source
- Paid
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Mullvad ★Mullvad is one of the most transparent providers with some of the most robust measures to keep users safe. Use the VPN Toolkit for more details.
- Open Source
- Paid
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ProtonVPNProtonVPN is one of the most transparent providers with some of the most robust measures to keep users safe. Use the VPN Toolkit for more details.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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WindscribeWindscribe is one of the most transparent providers with some of the most robust measures to keep users safe. Use the VPN Toolkit for more details.
- Partly Open Source
- Free Tier
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Techlore VPN Toolkit
Messengers
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Briar ★Briar is a Tor-routed, E2EE, P2P, anonymity-oriented messenger with some of the most robust protections. It can even be used without internet access.
- Open Source
- Android Only
- Desktop
- Free
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JamiJami is an E2EE, P2P, anonymity-oriented messenger with many strengths for user safety. It can even be used without internet access.
- Open Source
- Android & iOS
- Desktop
- Free
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Signal ★Signal is the gold standard for private & secure messaging, all with a simple interface. Threat modeling is necessary though, as Signal requires a phone number which may be problematic for some.
- Open Source
- Android & iOS
- Desktop
- Free
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Session ★Session strives for a balance between privacy, security, anonymity, & usability.
- Open Source
- Android & iOS
- Desktop
- Free
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MatrixMatrix is a federated protocol with the option for E2EE. There is a degree of trust with each homeserver, especially regarding metadata. Its federation is both a pro & a con that users should be aware of before using.
- Open Source
- Android & iOS
- Desktop
- Free
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ThreemaThreema offers a simple, but private & secure experience. However, switching people to Threema may be challenging considering it's a paid service.
- Open Source
- Android & iOS
- Desktop & Web
- Paid
-
Best Messaging Apps
Cloud Storage
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Nextcloud ★Nextcloud is a self-hostable suite for photos, documents, files, contacts, and more. It's a robust service, with the main drawback being an unpolished E2EE offering.
- Open Source
- Varying Prices
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CryptPadCryptPad is an E2EE, document collaboration platform.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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Cryptomator ★Cryptomator allows users to encrypt their files before uploading them to another cloud provider (Google Drive, Dropbox etc.)
- Open Source
- Free
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MEGA ★MEGA is a traditional cloud provider. They offer source-available clients for all major operating systems, E2EE, and a solid balance between safety & usability.
- Source Available
- Free Tier
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Best Cloud Storage
Email
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ProtonMail ★ProtonMail checks all the right boxes when it comes to adding privacy & security protections over the inherently broken email system, all while seeking a simple experience.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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TutanotaTutanota offers a transparent service with trust, security, and privacy as its focus.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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Mailbox.orgMailbox.org offers privacy & security with an incredibly feature-rich experience. It may be overwhelming and cluttered to some, or a power user's dream.
- Proprietary
- Paid
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Self-HostSelf-hosting is commonly touted as the safest email approach, but this isn't always the case. Self-hosting comes with risks you should read in the referenced link.
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Top 5 Best Emails
Aliasing
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SimpleLogin ★SimpleLogin makes email aliasing easier than ever, all built with privacy & security from the ground up. SimpleLogin can also be self-hosted.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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AnonAddyAnonAddy is a private & secure email aliasing service with a very generous free option.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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MySudo ★MySudo is predominantly a phone number aliasing solution. Like most aliasing solutions, it's a transfer of trust from countless services to one.
- Proprietary
- Paid
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Privacy.com ★Privacy.com is a card aliasing solution for shopping online. Like most aliasing solutions, it's a transfer of trust from countless services to one.
- Proprietary
- Paid
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Guerrilla MailGuerrilla Mail is a disposable email service, allowing users to generate ephemeral emails conveniently.
- Proprietary
- Free
Cryptocurrencies
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Monero ★Monero is one of the strongest, private-by-default cryptocurrencies to ensure the safety of transactions.
- Open Source
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LocalMonero ★LocalMonero is a P2P, KYC-free, decentralized Monero trading platform. Trades can be conducted over virtually any currency, both online and in-person.
- Proprietary
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Bisq NetworkBisq is a P2P, KYC-free, decentralized Bitcoin exchange.
- Open Source
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Samourai Wallet ★Samourai Wallet allows users to more privately transact & store Bitcoin. It does not solve Bitcoin's privacy problems, and only attempts to improve them.
- Open Source
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Cake Wallet ★Cake Wallet is a wallet to store your Bitcoin, Monero, & Litecoin in a trusted place.
- Open Source
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BitBoxBitBox is one of the most secure & easy-to-use cryptocurrency hardware wallets.
- Open Source
Web Hosting/VPS
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OrangeWebsiteOrangeWebsite offers web hosting, VPS, domains, and more with minimal registration requirements & Bitcoin for payment.
- Proprietary
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NjallaNjalla offers domains & servers with privacy at the forefront of their products and cryptocurrency options for payment.
- Proprietary
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1984 Hosting1984 Hosting offers private VPS hosting and other services to keep their users safe.
- Proprietary
Other Tools
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OnionShare ★OnionShare allows users to share files, websites, chats, and more over the Tor network directly from their system with no central parties for absolute safety.
- Open Source
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AlternativeTo ★AlternativeTo allows users to find more privacy-respecting alternatives to the software they use.
- Proprietary
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Abine DeleteMeAbine DeleteMe offers a convenient service for users to wipe their information from people-searching sites.
- Proprietary
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Silent LinkSilent Link gives out real phone numbers & data plans via eSIM, anonymously with no information outside a Bitcoin transaction. The service works well, but proceed with caution as it has no public team behind it.
- Proprietary
External Resources
Digital Rights
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