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| Ad-Free Privacy Tool/Service Recommendations - Privacy Guides | Privacy Tools | material/tools |
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A complete list of the privacy tools, services, software, and hardware recommended by the Privacy Guides community. |
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 needs.
Technology Essentials{ .md-button .md-button--primary } Internet Browsing Tools{ .md-button .md-button--primary } VPN Providers{ .md-button } DNS Servers{ .md-button } Email Providers{ .md-button } Email Aliasing Services{ .md-button } Photo Organization Tools{ .md-button }
If you want assistance figuring out the best privacy tools and alternative programs for your needs, start a discussion on our forum or our Matrix community!
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, or click on the recommendation itself to be taken to that specific section of the page.
Top 3 Private VPN Providers
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.
If you're looking for added security, you should always ensure you're connecting to websites using HTTPS. A VPN is not a replacement for good security practices.
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{ .lg .middle .twemoji } Proton VPN
- 112+ Countries
- WireGuard Support
- Cash Payments
- Partial Port Forwarding Support
- No IPv6
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{ .lg .middle .twemoji } IVPN
- 37+ Countries
- WireGuard Support
- Monero & Cash Payments
- No Port Forwarding
- No IPv6
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{ .lg .middle .twemoji } Mullvad
- 49+ Countries
- WireGuard Support
- Monero & Cash Payments
- No Port Forwarding
- IPv6 Support
Top 3 Private Email Providers
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{ .lg .middle .twemoji } Proton Mail
Proton Mail is an email service with a focus on privacy, encryption, security, and ease of use. They have been in operation since 2013. Proton AG is based in Geneva, Switzerland. The Proton Mail Free plan comes with 500 MB of Mail storage, which you can increase up to 1 GB for free.
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{ .lg .middle .twemoji } Mailbox.org
Mailbox.org is an email service with a focus on being secure, ad-free, and privately powered by 100% eco-friendly energy. They have been in operation since 2014. Mailbox.org is based in Berlin, Germany. Accounts start with up to 2 GB storage, which can be upgraded as needed.
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{ .lg .middle .twemoji } Tuta
Tuta (formerly Tutanota) is an email service with a focus on security and privacy through the use of encryption. Tuta has been in operation since 2011 and is based in Hanover, Germany. Free accounts start with 1 GB of storage.
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } addy.io
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } SimpleLogin
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Stalwart
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Mailcow
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Mail-in-a-Box
More Private Service Providers
Cloud Storage
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Proton Drive
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Tresorit
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Peergos
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Data Removal Services
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } EasyOptOuts
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Google Results about you
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
DNS
DNS Providers
We recommend a number of encrypted DNS servers based on a variety of criteria, such as Mullvad and Quad9 amongst others. We recommend for you to read our pages on DNS before choosing a provider. In many cases, using an alternative DNS provider is not recommended.
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Encrypted DNS Proxies
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } RethinkDNS
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } dnscrypt-proxy
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Self-hosted Solutions
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } AdGuard Home
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Pi-hole
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Financial Services
Payment Masking Services
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Privacy.com
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } MySudo
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Online Gift Card Marketplaces
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Coincards
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Photo Management
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Ente Photos
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Stingle
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } PhotoPrism
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Search Engines
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Brave Search
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } DuckDuckGo
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } SearXNG
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Startpage
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Hardware
Security Keys
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Yubico Security Key- { .twemoji loading=lazy } YubiKey
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Nitrokey
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Mobile Phones
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Google Pixel
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Operating Systems
Mobile
Custom Android Operating Systems
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } GrapheneOS
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Android Apps
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Shelter (Work Profiles)
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Secure Camera
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Secure PDF Viewer
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Ways to Obtain Android Apps
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Obtainium (App Manager)
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Aurora Store (Google Play Client)
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Desktop/PC
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Qubes OS (Xen VM Distribution)
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Fedora Workstation
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } openSUSE Tumbleweed
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Arch Linux- { .twemoji loading=lazy } Fedora Atomic Desktops
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } NixOS
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Whonix (Tor)
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Tails (Live Boot)
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Kicksecure
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Router Firmware
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Advanced Tools
These tools may provide utility for certain individuals. They provide functionality which most people do not need to worry about, and often require more in-depth technical knowledge to utilize effectively.
Alternative Networks
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } I2P
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Tor
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Orbot (Mobile Tor Proxy)
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Snowflake
Learn more :material-arrow-right-drop-circle:
Device Integrity Verification
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Mobile Verification Toolkit
{ .twemoji loading=lazy } iMazing (iOS)
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{ .twemoji loading=lazy } Auditor (Android)