What to use, by category.

2FA

2 apps

Apps that live on your phone for second-factor codes. Pick one that stores secrets locally and lets you back up an encrypted vault — avoid c…

App Store

2 apps

Alternative Android app stores shipping open-source or de-Googled builds — install and update apps without a Google account or Play Services…

Maps

1 app

Offline-first map apps built on OpenStreetMap data — navigate without sending your location to an ad network, and without needing a connecti…

Messaging App

5 apps

End-to-end encrypted chat clients. Look for a published threat model, reproducible builds, and metadata minimisation (no phone-number requir…

Password Manager

3 apps

Encrypted password managers — choose either fully self-hosted (KeePass-family) or end-to-end encrypted hosted (Bitwarden) so the provider ne…

Reddit App

2 apps

Reddit clients that block trackers, third-party ads, and don't resell your usage data. Open-source clients tend to outlive any single API re…

Browser Redirect

1 app

Browser extensions that automatically swap privacy-hostile sites (YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, etc.) for lightweight privacy-respecting front-e…

Browsers

4 apps

Browsers shipped with sane privacy defaults — no telemetry, no built-in ad network, and either fingerprinting protection or simple-mode togg…

Email Client

4 apps

Mail clients with OpenPGP / S/MIME, sane defaults around remote content blocking, and the option to use any IMAP provider you trust.

File Archive

1 app

Local archive tools — compress and extract without uploading your files to a cloud service. Look for open-source options that support modern…

File Sharing

1 app

Tools for sending files directly between people with no middle-man server — anonymous, end-to-end, and nothing left sitting in someone else'…

Games Store

2 apps

PC game stores and launchers compared on privacy footprint — DRM-free catalogues and offline installers versus always-online clients that tr…

Media Server

1 app

Self-hosted media servers that stream your own films and music to any device — no subscription, no viewing history sold to advertisers.

Note-taking

6 apps

Note apps that store your data locally (or end-to-end encrypted), use open formats so you can leave, and keep sync optional rather than requ…

Torrent Client

1 app

Open-source BitTorrent clients with no bundled ads or telemetry — pair with a VPN and a kill-switch for private peer-to-peer transfers.

Mobile OS

2 apps

Phone operating systems that strip Google services, harden the kernel, and ship security updates fast. Compatibility with your hardware is t…

Desktop OS

2 apps

Desktop/laptop operating systems built for privacy and compartmentalisation — amnesic live systems that leave no trace, or VM-isolated syste…

Phones

2 apps

Phones designed around privacy — hardware kill-switches, removable batteries, or shipping an alternative OS by default. Cellular bands and m…

Cloud Storage

1 app

Self-hosted or end-to-end encrypted file sync and storage — keep your files, calendars and contacts on infrastructure you control instead of…

Cryptocurrency

2 apps

Cryptocurrencies designed with on-chain confidentiality — shielded by default, or with strong privacy as the headline feature rather than an…

DNS / Ad-Blocker

1 app

Network-level blockers that sinkhole ads, trackers and malware for every device on your network — self-hosted DNS so the blocklist (and your…

Domain Provider

2 apps

Domain registrars that don't require ID, accept crypto, and respect WHOIS privacy by default.

Email Provider

2 apps

Mailbox services (different from email clients) — pick one based on jurisdiction, end-to-end encryption between users of the same provider, …

Email Redirect

2 apps

Email-alias services let you give every site a different address, so a leak from one vendor never crosses over to another. Open-source and s…

Hosting Provider

1 app

Web hosting that respects user privacy — accepts anonymous payment, doesn't require ID for signup, and operates in jurisdictions with strong…

Search Engine

3 apps

Search engines that don't profile you — no query history tied to an identity, no personalised filter bubble. Self-hostable metasearch option…

Social Network

1 app

Federated, open-source social networks where no single company owns the graph — your account lives on a server you choose and can move betwe…

Translators

2 apps

Translation services span the privacy spectrum. Local / on-device translators leak nothing; popular cloud services do. Pick the right tool f…

Video Platform

4 apps

Decentralised or self-hosted alternatives to YouTube — content lives on blockchains, IPFS or other networks instead of a single corporate da…

VPN

5 apps

VPN services that have completed an independent audit, accept anonymous payment, and don't log connection metadata. Beware free-tier VPNs — …