What's In Our Privacy Toolbox?
Last Updated: 1Β week ago
Just getting started with digital privacy or wondering what privacy-conscious people actually use every day? We created this list back in 2024 to spark conversation. It shows the tools in our current Privacy Toolbox.
There has never been a better time to begin protecting your privacy. So many solid options exist today. Is this list a complete catalog of every possible tool in each category? Not even close. Will every recommendation perfectly match your needs? Maybe not. Do we think everyone will love our exact picks? Definitely not.
Plenty of great alternatives are out there, and even after careful research some may not work out the way you hope. We experienced this ourselves during our switch from Google Keep. Take a look at our story here: "From Google Keep to Notesnook: Our Note-Taking Journey".
This toolbox fits our specific needs and follows the Guiding Principles listed below. If you are new to replacing the default apps on your phone or computer, this page is an excellent starting point.
Want an easy way to begin seeing real privacy improvements right away? Try making just these three swaps:
- Switch your browser to a privacy-focused option such as Brave
- Switch your messaging app to a privacy-focused choice such as Signal
- Switch your email provider to a privacy-focused service such as Proton, Tuta, or StartMail
- Bonus step for extra privacy: Switch your search engine to something like Brave Search
We only recommend tools and services we personally use regularly and have real experience with. Privacy is a journey, not a destination, so this list will keep changing over time as we discover better options.
Next to each tool you will find its website link (when available). If we have written a deeper "π Tool Spotlight" article about it, that link appears too. Tools geared more toward U.S. users are marked with πΊπΈ.
To help you understand how these projects stay sustainable, we use these simple icons:
- π = free to use (or has a free tier)
- π = offers a paid subscription
- π = accepts donations
- π³ = one-time purchase available
A single tool can have multiple icons. If you rely on something that offers both free and paid versions, consider upgrading to paid if you can. If a project accepts donations and you find it valuable, a contribution helps keep it alive.
Guiding Principles
- Privacy Forward Alternatives: Solutions that preserve privacy by blocking trackers, data mining, and/or using end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption.
- Daily Use: We only recommend solutions that we personally use every day on all my devices.
- Support: If we're not paying for it, we're donating to its cause. We're neither employees, spokesmen, nor in any affiliate programs. We don't sell any merch nor accept donations. Just sharing our personal privacy journey.
- Usability: It should be as easy to use as any mainstream software it's replacing, encouraging adoption by all. Even our in-laws and extended families.
- Cross-Platform: It must run across Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android/GrapheneOS where applicable.
- Bonus points: Free and open-source software (FOSS), available on F-Droid, and able to run without Google Play Services.
Keep in mind that...
The best privacy and security results rely on multiple tools working together. Now to our ever-evolving toolbox (with From->To where applicable):
Browser: Google Chrome/Safari β π Brave Browser (https://brave.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Search: Google Search β ππ Brave Search (https://search.brave.com/) and π Startpage (https://www.startpage.com/) (π Tool Spotlight)
- Desktop Browser Extensions: π 1Password
Backup Privacy Browser: π Mullvad Browser (https://mullvad.net/en/browser) - Firefox based privacy browser.
Anonymous Browser: ππ Tor Browser (https://www.torproject.org/) - Defend yourself against tracking and surveillance. Circumvent censorship.
Password Manager: LastPass β π 1Password (https://1password.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
2FA Authenticator: Authy β π Enteio Auth (https://ente.io/auth/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Hardware 2FA: π³ Yubico YubiKey (Be sure to have two! | https://www.yubico.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Messenger: Google Voice (SMS) β ππ Signal Messenger (https://signal.org/ | π Tool Spotlight) and Molly (https://molly.im/) (A secure Signal fork)
Messenger: ππ SimpleX Chat (https://simplex.chat/) A decentralized instant messenger that doesn't depend on any unique identifiers. An effective tool against censorship.
Messenger: π Bitchat (https://bitchat.free/) A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over bluetooth mesh networks.
ππ Proton (https://proton.me/) Family Plan that includes the following:
- VPN: Google One β ProtonVPN (π Tool Spotlight)
- Email: Gmail β ProtonMail (π Tool Spotlight)
- Alias Email Addresses: Proton Pass with SimpleLogin
- Calendar: Google Calendar β Proton Calendar
- Cloud Storage: Google Drive/OneDrive/DropBox β Proton Drive
- Note: Proton does offer a useful free tier available to test each service out
Backup Email: ππ Tuta (https://tuta.com/ | free tier available for testing | primary & backup email should be on secure & private services)
Notes: Google Keep β ππ Notesnook (https://notesnook.com/ | free tier available for testing | π Tool Spotlight)
Photo Storage: Google Photos β ππ Enteio Photos (https://ente.io/ | free tier available for testing |π Tool Spotlight)
Maps: Google Maps β
- ππ OpenStreetMap (https://www.openstreetmap.org/) for desktop
- ππ Organic Maps (https://organicmaps.app/ |π Tool Spotlight) for mobile
Virtual Payments: ππ Privacy.com πΊπΈ (https://www.privacy.com/ | free tier available for testing |π Tool Spotlight)
Virtual Phone Numbers: π Cloaked πΊπΈ (https://www.cloaked.com/)
Personal Data Removal: π Optery πΊπΈ(https://www.optery.com/ | free tier available for testing | π Tool Spotlight)
Entertainment
- Short Form Videos: YouTube β ππ Odysee (https://odysee.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Over the Air Television: TabloTV β π³ HDHomeRun FLEX QUATRO (https://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Streaming: Roku β π³ Apple TV 4K (https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-4k/ | π Tool Spotlight)
For our devices:
Desktop OS: MacOS/MS Windows β ππ Ubuntu Desktop LTS (https://ubuntu.com/desktop) and ππ³ Zorin OS (https://zorin.com/ |π Tool Spotlight)
Note: Any Linux distribution should be hardened following advice like @iAnonymous3000 "Pop! OS Desktop Hardening Guide" (https://github.com/iAnonymous3000/popos-hardening-guide) or @TechloreInc "The COMPLETE Linux Hardening, Privacy & Security Guide!" (https://odysee.com/@techlore:3/the-complete-linux-hardening%2C-privacy:5)Smartphone OS: Google Android β ππ GrapheneOS (https://grapheneos.org/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Privacy Keyboard: Google GBoard β ππ³ Futo Keyboard (https://keyboard.futo.org/ | free tier available for testing)
- App Store: Google Play β ππ F-Droid (https://f-droid.org/ | F-Droid is a free and open-source app store and software repository for Android, but with a focus on free and open-source software (FOSS).)
- App Store: Google Play β ππ Aurora Store (https://auroraoss.com/aurora-store | Aurora Store is a privacy-focused alternative to the official Google Play Store application.)
Office Suite: MS Office 365 β ππ LibreOffice (https://www.libreoffice.org/)
Desktop Privacy Utility: ππ Privacy.sexy - A tool to maximize privacy and security settings on Windows, macOS, and Linux. And nothing else. (https://privacy.sexy/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Encrypted Portable Storage: π³ Aegis Secure Key (https://apricorn.com/flash-keys/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Faraday Phone Sleeve: π³ Mission Darkness Dry Shield Faraday Phone Sleeve. Make your phone invisible to trackers and hackers. (https://mosequipment.com/products/mission-darkness-dry-shield-faraday-phone-sleeve | π Tool Spotlight)
Privacy Screen Protector: π³ Various. As mobile screens get bigger and brighter, the easier they are for others to read at a distance. (π Tool Spotlight)
USB Data Blocker: π³ JSAUX USB Data Blocker & USB C Data Blocker. Goes between your device and any unknown cable and/or power source to prevent direct USB attacks, like the O.M.G cable. (π Tool Spotlight)
Smart Home Automation
- Amazon Echo β π Home Assistant (https://www.home-assistant.io/ | π Tool Spotlight) Open source home automation that puts local control & privacy first.
- Wikipedia β ππ Kiwix Offline (https://kiwix.org/ | π Tool Spotlight)
- Ring camera β π³ Reolink (https://reolink.com/ | π Tool Spotlight)
Remember, we may not have anything to hide, but everything to protect.
