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---
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title: Privacy Tools
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icon: material/tools
hide:
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- toc
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---
If you're looking for a specific solution to something, these are the hardware and software tools we recommend in a variety of categories. Our recommended privacy tools are primarily chosen based on security features, with additional emphasis on decentralized and open-source tools. They are applicable to a variety of threat models ranging from protection against global mass surveillance programs and avoiding big tech companies to mitigating attacks, but only you can determine what will work best for your use case.
If you want assistance figuring out the best privacy tools and alternative programs for your workload/use-case, start a discussion in our [Reddit ](https://www.reddit.com/r/privacyguides ) or [Matrix ](https://matrix.to/#/#privacyguides:matrix.org ) communities!
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For your convenience, everything we recommend is listed below with a link to the project's homepage. For more details about each project, why they were chosen, and additional tips or tricks we recommend, click the "Learn more" link in each section.
## Web Browsers
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Tor Browser ](https://www.torproject.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Firefox (Desktop) ](https://firefox.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Bromite (Android) ](https://www.bromite.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Safari (iOS) ](https://www.apple.com/safari/ )
< / div >
**Browser extensions:**
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [uBlock Origin ](https://github.com/gorhill/uBlock )
- { .twemoji } [AdGuard for Safari ](https://adguard.com/en/adguard-safari/overview.html )
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- { .twemoji } [Terms of Service; Didn't Read* ](https://tosdr.org/ )
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< / div >
[Learn more... ](browsers.md )
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\* We do not recommend installing ToS;DR as a browser extension. The same information is provided on their website.
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## Operating Systems
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### Android
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< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [GrapheneOS ](https://grapheneos.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [CalyxOS ](https://calyxos.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [DivestOS ](https://divestos.org/ )
< / div >
**Android Apps:**
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
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- { .twemoji } [Droid-ify (F-Droid Client) ](https://github.com/Iamlooker/Droid-ify )
- { .twemoji } [Orbot (Tor Proxy) ](https://orbot.app/ )
- { .twemoji } [Shelter (Work Profiles) ](https://gitea.angry.im/PeterCxy/Shelter )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Auditor (Supported Devices) ](https://attestation.app/ )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [GrapheneOS ](https://github.com/GrapheneOS/Camera )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Secure PDF Viewer ](https://github.com/GrapheneOS/PdfViewer )
- { .twemoji } [PrivacyBlur ](https://privacyblur.app/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](android.md )
### Linux
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Fedora Workstation ](https://getfedora.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [OpenSUSE Tumbleweed ](https://get.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/ )
- { .twemoji } [Arch Linux ](https://archlinux.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Fedora Silverblue & Kinoite ](https://silverblue.fedoraproject.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [NixOS ](https://nixos.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Whonix (Tor) ](https://www.whonix.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Tails (Live Boot) ](https://tails.boum.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Qubes OS (Xen VM Distribution)* ](https://www.qubes-os.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](linux-desktop.md )
\* Qubes uses Xen to provide strong sandboxing between multiple Linux virtual machine installations, and can run most Linux applications. [Learn more about Qubes... ](qubes.md )
### Router Firmware
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [OpenWrt ](https://openwrt.org/ )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [pfSense ](https://www.pfsense.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](router.md )
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## Service Providers
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### Cloud Storage
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Nextcloud (Self-Hostable) ](https://nextcloud.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Proton Drive ](https://drive.protonmail.com/ )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Cryptee ](https://crypt.ee/ )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Tahoe-LAFS (Advanced) ](https://www.tahoe-lafs.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](cloud.md )
### DNS
We [recommend ](dns.md#why-should-i-use-encrypted-dns ) a number of encrypted DNS servers based on a variety of criteria. Some no-logging choices include [MullvadDNS ](https://mullvad.net/en/help/dns-over-https-and-dns-over-tls ) and [Quad9 ](https://quad9.net/ ), but we recommend you read our full page on DNS before choosing a provider. In many cases using an alternative DNS provider is not recommended. [Learn more... ](dns.md )
### Email
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- [ProtonMail ](https://protonmail.com/ )
- [Mailbox.org ](https://mailbox.org/ )
- [Disroot ](https://disroot.org/ )
- [Tutanota ](https://tutanota.com/ )
- [StartMail ](https://startmail.com/ )
- [CTemplar ](https://ctemplar.com/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](email.md )
### Search Engines
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [DuckDuckGo ](https://duckduckgo.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Startpage ](https://www.startpage.com/ )
- [Mojeek ](https://www.mojeek.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Searx ](https://searx.me/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](search-engines.md )
### Social Media
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Mastodon ](https://joinmastodon.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [diaspora* ](https://diasporafoundation.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Friendica ](https://friendi.ca/ )
- { .twemoji } [PixelFed ](https://pixelfed.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Pleroma ](https://pleroma.social/ )
- { .twemoji } [Movim ](https://github.com/movim )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](social-networks.md )
**News Aggregators:**
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Tildes ](https://tildes.net/ )
- { .twemoji } [Lemmy ](https://lemmy.ml/ )
- { .twemoji } [Postmill ](https://postmill.xyz/ )
- { .twemoji } [Freepost ](https://freepo.st/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](social-news-aggregator.md )
### VPN Providers
??? danger "VPNs do not provide anonymity"
Using a VPN will **not** keep your browsing habits anonymous, nor will it add additional security to non-secure (HTTP) traffic.
If you are looking for **anonymity** , you should use the Tor Browser **instead** of a VPN.
If you're looking for added **security** , you should always ensure you're connecting to websites using [HTTPS ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTPS ). A VPN is not a replacement for good security practices.
[Learn more ](vpn.md )
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- [Mullvad ](https://mullvad.net/ )
- [ProtonVPN ](https://protonvpn.com/ )
- [IVPN ](https://www.ivpn.net/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](vpn.md )
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## Software
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### Calendar/Contacts Sync
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Tutanota (SaaS) ](https://tutanota.com/calendar )
- { .twemoji } [Proton Calendar (SaaS) ](https://calendar.protonmail.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [EteSync ](https://www.etesync.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Nextcloud ](https://nextcloud.com/ )
- [DecSync ](https://github.com/39aldo39/DecSync )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](calendar-contacts.md )
### Notebooks
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Joplin ](https://joplinapp.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Standard Notes ](https://standardnotes.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](notebooks.md )
### Email Clients
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Thunderbird ](https://www.thunderbird.net/ )
- { .twemoji } [GNOME Evolution (Linux) ](https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Evolution )
- { .twemoji } [Kontact (Linux) ](https://kontact.kde.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Mailvelope (PGP in standard webmail) ](https://www.mailvelope.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [K-9 Mail (Android) ](https://k9mail.app/ )
- { .twemoji } [FairEmail (Android) ](https://email.faircode.eu/ )
- { .twemoji } [Canary Mail (iOS) ](https://canarymail.io/ )
- { .twemoji } [NeoMutt (CLI) ](https://neomutt.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](email-clients.md )
### Encryption Tools
??? info "Operating System Disk Encryption"
For encrypting your operating system drive, we typically recommend using whichever encryption tool your operating system provides, whether that is **BitLocker** on Windows, **FileVault** on macOS, or **LUKS** on Linux. These tools are available out of the box and typically utilize hardware encryption elements such as a TPM that other full-disk encryption software like VeraCrypt will not. VeraCrypt is still suitable for non-operating system disks such as external drives, especially drives that may be accessed from multiple operating systems.
[Learn more ](encryption.md##operating-system-included-full-disk-encryption-fde )
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [VeraCrypt (FDE) ](https://veracrypt.fr/ )
- { .twemoji } [Cryptomator ](https://cryptomator.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Picocrypt ](https://evansu.cc/picocrypt )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Hat.sh (Browser-based) ](https://hat.sh/ )
- { .twemoji } [Kryptor ](https://www.kryptor.co.uk/ )
- { .twemoji } [Tomb ](https://www.dyne.org/software/tomb )
< / div >
**OpenPGP Clients:**
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
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- { .twemoji } [GnuPG ](https://gnupg.org )
- { .twemoji } [GPG4Win (Windows) ](https://gpg4win.org )
- { .twemoji } [GPG Suite (macOS) ](https://gpgtools.org )
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- { .twemoji } [OpenKeychain ](https://www.openkeychain.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](encryption.md )
### File Sharing
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Onionshare ](https://onionshare.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Magic Wormhole ](https://magic-wormhole.readthedocs.io/ )
- { .twemoji } [croc ](https://schollz.com/blog/croc6 )
- { .twemoji } [FreedomBox ](https://freedombox.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Syncthing ](https://syncthing.net/ )
- { .twemoji } [git-annex ](https://git-annex.branchable.com/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](file-sharing.md )
### Metadata Removal Tools
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [MAT2 ](https://0xacab.org/jvoisin/mat2 )
- { .twemoji } [ExifCleaner ](https://exifcleaner.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Scrambled Exif (Android) ](https://gitlab.com/juanitobananas/scrambled-exif )
- { .twemoji } [Imagepipe (Android) ](https://codeberg.org/Starfish/Imagepipe )
- { .twemoji } [Metapho (iOS) ](https://zininworks.com/metapho )
- { .twemoji } [Exiftool (CLI) ](https://exiftool.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](metadata-removal-tools.md )
### Password Managers
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [KeepassXC ](https://keepassxc.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [KeepassDX (Android) ](https://www.keepassdx.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Bitwarden ](https://bitwarden.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Psono ](https://psono.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [pass ](https://www.passwordstore.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [gopass ](https://www.gopass.pw/ )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [VaultWarden (Bitwarden Server) ](https://github.com/dani-garcia/vaultwarden )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](passwords.md )
### Productivity Tools
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [LibreOffice ](https://www.libreoffice.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [OnlyOffice ](https://www.onlyoffice.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [Framadate (Appointment Planning) ](https://framadate.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [PrivateBin (Pastebin) ](https://privatebin.info/ )
- { .twemoji } [CryptPad ](https://cryptpad.fr/ )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Write.as (Blogging Platform) ](https://write.as/ )
- { .twemoji } [VSCodium (Source-Code Editor) ](https://vscodium.com/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](productivity.md )
### Real-Time Communication
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Signal ](https://signal.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Element ](https://element.io/ )
- { .twemoji } [Briar (Android) ](https://briarproject.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [Session ](https://getsession.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](real-time-communication.md )
### Self-Contained Networks
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [Tor ](https://www.torproject.org/ )
- { .twemoji } [I2P ](https://geti2p.net/ )
- { .twemoji } [Freenet ](https://freenetproject.org/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](self-contained-networks.md )
### Video Streaming Clients
< div class = "grid cards" markdown >
- { .twemoji } [FreeTube (YouTube, Desktop) ](https://freetubeapp.io/ )
- { .twemoji } [LBRY ](https://lbry.com/ )
- { .twemoji } [NewPipe (YouTube, Android) ](https://newpipe.net/ )
- { .twemoji } [NewPipe x Sponsorblock ](https://github.com/polymorphicshade/NewPipe )
- { .twemoji }{ .twemoji } [Invidious (YouTube, Web) ](https://invidious.io/ )
- { .twemoji } [Piped (YouTube, Web) ](https://piped.kavin.rocks/ )
< / div >
[Learn more... ](video-streaming.md )
