Directory
Privacy and Security covers tools and guides for keeping personal data out of the wrong hands. Ad blocking and tracking protection covers blockers, DNS filters, and browser privacy settings. Email privacy lists encrypted mail providers and clients, and VPN clients and self-hosting covers tunnels and the software to run your own. Linux and macOS privacy collects hardening guides and tools for those systems, and mobile privacy and security does the same for phones. Privacy guides and resources gathers explainers, comparison tables, and checklists from established projects. The category sits next to Cybersecurity in this directory, and the two overlap in places. The split here is that this one is about personal data and everyday devices, and no listing is independently audited by us.
Awesome Privacy is a curated open source directory of privacy-respecting alternatives to everyday apps and services, organized into categories such as essentials, communication, security tools, networking, productivity, operating systems and development. It also offers saved items stored on-device and a changelog of new entries.
cs.email is a disposable temporary email service. It requires no registration: visitors receive a random address and may also choose their own. Received emails stay in the inbox for one hour. The site is also available as a Tor hidden service. A Scrambled Address feature adds protection for inboxes.
Geph is a privacy tool for blocking ads, trackers, popups, proxies, or unwanted web behavior.
gocryptfs is a free file-based encryption tool implemented as a mountable FUSE filesystem, storing each file as one corresponding encrypted file on disk. Encrypted files can be kept in any folder, a USB stick or Dropbox, and file-based encryption allows efficient synchronisation with tools like rsync. Linux is fully supported and macOS support is beta quality.
LibreDNS is a public encrypted DNS service run by LibreOps, offering DNS over HTTPS and DNS over TLS to maintain secrecy of DNS traffic and circumvent censorship it also offers a separate endpoint that blocks a crowdsourced list of known advertisement and tracking domains.
Onion Browser is a free, open-source web browser for iOS that connects to the Tor network. It encrypts traffic through Tor, which the project describes as providing a high standard of privacy and security. Tabs close when done, and security settings can be adjusted per website. No personal data is saved or used for targeted ads.
receive-sms is a storage, design, or frontend resource for mockups, assets, UI tools, or web search.
Tox is a free, open-source instant messaging application that connects users without anyone else listening in. It offers instant messaging, voice and video calls, screen sharing, file sharing and group chats. The network is distributed with no central servers, made up of its users, and everything is encrypted using open-source libraries. Tox is free software and comes without advertising.
Brave Browser is a free, fast, private and secure web browser available for PC, Mac and mobile devices. It blocks ads, tracking software and other intrusive content to improve browsing speed, save data and extend battery life. The browser includes features such as an adblocking Shields tool, VPN, privacy protections, premium services, AI-powered private search and Brave Origin Browser AI.
Cwtch is a decentralized, privacy-preserving, metadata resistant messaging app. Communication is end-to-end encrypted and takes place over Tor v3 onion services. Participants can host their own safe spaces or lend infrastructure to others. The protocol is open, and anyone is free to build bots, services and user interfaces.
DisposableMail is a temporary email service that generates disposable addresses intended to keep a primary mailbox free of spam and advertisements. Addresses last from 10 minutes to two weeks and each carries an expiration date. The service offers up to three inboxes, an avatar and a passcode.
Hiddify Manager is a privacy tool for blocking ads, trackers, popups, proxies, or unwanted web behavior.
LinkLiar is an open-source status menu application written in Swift that helps users spoof the MAC addresses of Wi-Fi and Ethernet interfaces. A MAC address is sent out by a MacBook's Wi-Fi and can be collected by others nearby to track movement. The developer notes the address can be modified despite being hardwired into the network card, and that building from scratch with Xcode is an option for those concerned about administrator privileges.
NextDNS is a DNS-based firewall that protects against security threats, blocks ads and trackers, and provides parental controls across devices and networks. It offers encrypted DNS protocols, multiple threat intelligence feeds, and configurable logging with data residency options. Plans include a free tier limited to 300,000 queries per month and paid tiers for personal, business, and education use.
A website offering free temporary phone numbers from over 40 countries for receiving SMS and verification codes online. Users select a number, use it during service registration, and read incoming messages to obtain codes. The site lists supported services and presents privacy and spam-reduction among its stated benefits.
RethinkDNS is a DNS resolver that encrypts queries using DNS over HTTPS or DNS over TLS, with custom rules, blocklists and analytics. It supports over 190 blocklists and servers in more than 300 locations. A companion Android app bundles a firewall for monitoring and controlling app internet access.
Strongbox is a password manager for iPhone, iPad and Mac built on KeePass-compatible formats. Data can be stored locally, synced through cloud storage providers, or kept on a personal server via WebDAV or SFTP. Features include Face ID and Touch ID unlock, YubiKey support, password auditing, automated backups, TOTP codes, and Markdown notes. A free tier exists, with yearly, monthly and lifetime purchase options.
Breach Detective is a data breach search engine for checking whether personal data has been exposed in data leaks. It searches billions of records to show compromised credentials, including leaked passwords. Free, Pro and Ultimate plans differ in daily search allowances. Breach notifications are listed as coming soon.
Driftz Mail is an email utility for inbox management, privacy, aliases, extraction, or temporary mail.
HideIP is a free SSL-secured web proxy powered by the 4everproxy Network that hides a user's real IP address and browsing history. It generates a different URL for every site visited that is viewable only in the browser for one session. Servers in different locations let users appear to browse from another region, and it can unblock sites such as YouTube, Imgur, Twitch, Gmail and adult video sites.
InviZible Pro is an Android application that combines Tor, DNSCrypt and Purple I2P for online privacy and security. It also includes a firewall for filtering incoming and outgoing network traffic and blocking or allowing internet connection for individual apps. The application is open source.
Linux Hardening is a Linux, macOS, BSD, or Unix resource for tools, documentation, communities, or system workflows.
NxFilter helps block ads, trackers, sponsored segments, popups, or unwanted web content.
Receive-SMS-Free.Cc offers more than 200 free temporary phone numbers from countries including China, the US, India, Russia and the UK for receiving SMS verification codes online. Numbers are available from several days to a month, and use requires only a web browser, with no registration or mobile phone. The site asks users to avoid automated spamming of numbers.
