Privacy Resources π΅οΈ
Techlore's Privacy & Security recommendations based on our strict criteria. For further assistance, we suggest our Go Incognito course and our coaching. There are external resources at the bottom for more recommendations.
Techlore Tools βοΈ
Techlore Guides π
β marks a favorite. They don't represent every threat model and shouldn't be over-analyzed.
Software πΎ
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Tor Browser βThe 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
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Mullvad Browser βMullvad Browser offers a fantastic middle-ground between the strong protections of a hardened Firefox, and the advantages of Tor Browser in a central place.
- Open Source
- Firefox
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Brave βBrave 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
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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
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LibreWolfLibreWolf 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
- Firefox Hardening
- PrivacyTests
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Tor Browser βThe 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
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Brave βBrave 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
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Firefox/Focus βFirefox 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
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MullMull is the closest thing to a pre-hardened Firefox on Android. It brings many features from the Tor Uplift Project, the arkenfox project, & more! It is recommended to install 'uBlock Origin'.
- Open Source
- Firefox
- Choosing A Browser
- PrivacyTests
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Onion Browser βOnion 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 βBrave 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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Firefox/Focus βFirefox 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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SafariApple's Safari offers users in the Apple ecosystem a moderately safe default browser with basic privacy & security precautions out-of-the-box. Consider using AdGuard for further protections.
- Proprietary
- WebKit
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AdGuardFor those using Safari, AdGuard is a great option to block ads, trackers, phishing, custom DNS, and more.
- Open Source
- Choosing A Browser
- PrivacyTests
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KeePass βKeePass 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 βBitwarden 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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Proton Pass βProton Pass is a password manager integrated with the Proton ecosystem. While currently limited in functionality, it's a decent option for those who need a secure option within an already existing ecosystem. Its built-in Email aliasing is an attracting feature.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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1Password1Password is an option for users who aren't happy with other offerings. It is similar to most 'mainstream' cloud-based managers, while having an excellent privacy & security record.
- Proprietary
- Paid
- Go Incognito 3.4
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KeePassXC βKeePassXC is a modern, secure, & customizable KeePass client available on all major desktop operating systems with active development.
- Open Source
- Free
- Windows & MacOS & Linux
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KeePassDX βKeePassDX is a KeePass client for Android available on F-Droid and the Google Play Store with a modern interface, active development, and strong trust in the community.
- Open Source
- Free
- Android
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Strongbox βStrongbox is a beautiful KeePass client that integrates well with iOS & MacOS devices, even offering the option for E2EE syncing via iCloud for those using ADP.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
- iOS & MacOS
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Veracrypt βVeracrypt 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
- Go Incognito 3.14
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Portmaster βPowerful (& beautiful) firewall program for Windows & Linux to give you finer control over what your device connects to.
- Open Source
- Windows & Linux
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LuLu βFirewall program for MacOS to give you finer control over what your device connects to.
- Open Source
- MacOS
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NetGuardFirewall program for Android (no root required) to give you finer control over what your device connects to. Warning: NetGuard by default takes the place of a VPN on Android.
- Open Source
- Android
- Portmaster Review
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F-Droid βF-Droid is the go-to FOSS app store for all Android devices.
- Open Source
- Android
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Aurora Store βAurora Store allows users to download apps directly from the Google Play Store without a Google Account safely.
- Open Source
- Android
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Exodus Privacy βAnalyzes privacy concerns in Android applications. Many iOS applications will use similar trackers, so this is a useful tool to check trackers for applications before downloading.
- 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 π»
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QubesOS βQubes 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 βFedora 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 βMacOS 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
- Go Incognito 4.2
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Whonix βWhonix 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
- Go Incognito 4.4
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CalyxOS βCalyxOS maintains stock security, while balancing additional privacy & security features with usability.
- Open Source
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Go Incognito 4.3
Other Services π‘οΈ
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SearXNG βSearXNG 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 βBrave 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 and Bing results.
- Proprietary
- Metasearch
- Go Incognito 3.6
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IVPN βIVPN 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 βMullvad 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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Proton VPNProton VPN 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
- My VPN Tier List
- Techlore VPN Toolkit
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NextDNS βNextDNS offers a highly customizable DNS solution for the upmost control across your devices.
- Free & Paid
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Quad9 βQuad9 offers a private & secure DNS service.
- Free
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Mullvad DNS βMullvad offers a private & secure DNS service.
- Free
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CONTROL DCONTROL D offers a highly customizable DNS solution for the upmost control across your devices
- Paid
- VPN or DNS?
- PG DNS Guide
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Briar βBriar 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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Signal βSignal 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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SimpleXSimpleX prides itself on requiring no identifiers, is decentralized, and is audited with fairly competitive features. Your data is your own with no central servers.
- Open Source
- Android & iOS
- Desktop
- Free
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SessionSession 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
- Best Messaging Apps
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Proton Mail βProton Mail 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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Tuta βTuta 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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StartMailStartMail offers a polished web client with a feature-rich experience.
- 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.
- Top 5 Best Emails
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Proton Pass βProton's password manager includes its own integraiton with email aliasing. These aliases are viewable through SimpleLogin as well. We recommend Proton Pass for people already using it for passwords, and SimpleLogin for people not using Proton Pass.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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SimpleLogin βSimpleLogin 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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addy.ioaddy.io (previously AnonAddy) is a private & secure email aliasing service with a very generous free option.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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MySudo βMySudo 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 βPrivacy.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
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Nextcloud βNextcloud 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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Proton Drive βProton's drive offering within the Proton ecosystem with security in mind. It's still not a complete suite for every operating system, but it has basic functionality for many use-cases.
- Open Source
- Free & Paid
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MEGAMEGA is a more traditional cloud provider with E2EE and usable, source-available clients.
- Source-Available
- Free & Paid
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CryptomatorCryptomator allows users to encrypt their files before uploading them to another cloud provider (Google Drive, Dropbox etc.)
- Open Source
- Free
- Best Cloud Storage
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Cryptee βCryptee offers E2EE notes, documents, & photos with a modern theme as a PWA. It is not collaborative nor designed for external sharing.
- Open Source
- Free & Paid
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Notesnook βNotesnook offers E2EE notes & documents for people looking for a feature-filled experience in their workflow.
- Open Source
- Free & Paid
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Ente Photos βEnte offers an E2EE photos suite for people looking for a feature-filled alternative to platforms like Google Photos
- Open Source
- Free & Paid
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CryptPadCryptPad is an E2EE, document collaboration platform.
- Open Source
- Free Tier
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Monero βMonero is one of the strongest, private-by-default cryptocurrencies to ensure the safety of transactions.
- Open Source
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Bisq NetworkBisq is a P2P, KYC-free, decentralized Bitcoin exchange.
- Open Source
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Cake Wallet βCake Wallet is a wallet to store your Bitcoin, Monero, & Litecoin in a trusted place.
- Open Source
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CoincardsCoincards has a vast selection of Gift Cards from America's top merchants. They allow you to buy these gift cards with numerous cryptocurrenciesβincluding Bitcoin and Monero.
- 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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OrangeWebsiteOrangeWebsite offers web hosting, VPS, domains, and more with minimal registration requirements & Bitcoin for payment.
- Proprietary
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1984 Hosting1984 Hosting offers private VPS hosting and other services to keep their users safe.
- Proprietary
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OnionShare βOnionShare 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
- Desktop
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Syncthing βSyncthing allows users to easily sync files between devices without needing to upload them to the internet.
- Open Source
- All Devices
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OrbotOrbot allows users to connect to the Tor network on mobile devices.
- Open Source
- iOS & Android
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BleachBit βBleachBit is a file shredding and data removal tool.
- Open Source
- Desktop
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Dangerzone βDangerzone is a program to safely open potentially suspicious attachments.
- Open Source
- Desktop
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AlternativeTo βAlternativeTo allows users to find more privacy-respecting alternatives to the software they use.
- Proprietary
- Web
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Objective-See βObjective-See offers a suite of open source security & privacy tools for MacOS.
- Open Source
- MacOS