You should access this site, and most websites, through a trusted VPN or Tor Browser.
See our recommendations for no-log VPNs hereRecommendations
Tools we strongly recommend over the rest. We recommend you read our guides before you start using any tools, unless you know what you're looking for.
Featured Recommendation
A privacy-focused phone carrier worth paying attention to. Cape is especially interesting because private mobile service is one of the most overlooked parts of a serious privacy setup. They are the only phone carrier that exists like them. Referral code: ARDBJWMX for $20 a month off for life.
Full review coming soon on them!
No-Log
A strong default VPN recommendation for most privacy-focused users. Mullvad uses anonymous account numbers instead of email-based accounts, supports privacy-preserving payment options, and has a long track record of building around minimal account data. Good when you want a standalone VPN that is not tied to a larger email/cloud ecosystem.
A privacy-focused VPN that fits well if you already use Proton Mail, Proton Pass, Proton Drive, or Proton Unlimited. It is polished, broadly available, and has a usable free tier, but using it alongside Proton’s other services concentrates more of your privacy stack in one ecosystem.
A mature privacy-focused VPN provider with no-email account creation, open-source apps, WireGuard, multi-hop, anti-tracker options, and a long audit history. Useful when you want a serious VPN provider with less ecosystem lock-in than Proton and a longer operating track record than newer experimental options.
A newer VPN built around a two-party relay model: Obscura handles the entry side while Mullvad provides the exit hop. This adds a meaningful privacy layer over a normal single-provider VPN because no one provider should see both who you are and what you access. Promising, but newer and less battle-tested than our other recommendations.
We would not use a closed-source VPN. Every VPN listed here has open-source apps; the differences are account model, payment options, ecosystem concentration, maturity, and trust model.
Messaging
The default recommendation for most people who need secure private messaging that is easy to use and widely adopted. You should get all of your friends and family on this.
A serious option for people who want private messaging without user identifiers. Very strong anonymity model. Partially decentralized.
A peer-to-peer encrypted messenger with no central server and support for syncing over Tor, local Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or memory cards. Useful when you want private communication that can keep working across different network conditions and does not depend on a central messaging service.
A long-standing messenger with strong privacy defaults and optional phone/email linking. Its pay-once model keeps development sustainable and avoids ad-driven incentives.
Browsers
A collaboration between Tor and Mullvad, creating a beautifully hardened browser with the strongest default recommendations for most desktop users who want a hardened browser without using the Tor network. Use it when you want Tor Browser-style privacy hardening without routing traffic through Tor. History and cookies are cleared by default on closure.
The best choice when anonymity matters more than speed. Tor Browser routes traffic through the Tor network, one of the safest browsing experiences, prioritizing anonymity. Used in high-risk situations.
A newer Chromium-based privacy browser focused on clean defaults, solid ad-blocking, and less browser bloat. It is still young, so it should be treated as promising rather than battle-tested. A team favorite for day to day so far though.
A hardened Firefox-based browser for users who want stronger privacy defaults without manually configuring Firefox from scratch. LibreWolf removes telemetry, includes uBlock Origin, uses stricter tracking protection, deletes cookies and site data on close, and strips common tracking elements from URLs. We compare it to Brave, but Firefox-based vs Chromium-based.
A great daily use browser for users who want better privacy defaults without sacrificing usability. Brave blocks many ads, trackers, third-party cookies, and fingerprinting techniques out of the box, making it a reasonable option for normal daily browsing. Comes with some bloatware that we have guides on to minimize.
A simple mobile browser for quick searches and disposable browsing sessions. Firefox Focus blocks trackers by default and is designed around clearing browsing history when you are done, which makes it useful for low-friction mobile compartmentalization.
Passwords
A clean password manager from the Proton ecosystem. Good for users who already use Proton Mail, Proton VPN, or Proton Unlimited and want password management, aliases, and passkeys in one place.
A widely trusted open-source password manager with strong cross-platform support, good usability, and a generous free tier. A strong default recommendation for most people.
A local-first open-source password manager for users who want direct control over their password vault. Best for people who are comfortable managing their own database, backups, and sync strategy.
A polished KeePass-compatible password manager for iPhone and iPad, useful if you want local vault control with iOS autofill.
Mailboxes
A privacy-focused remote mailbox service for cases where provider handling matters as much as the address itself. PrivacyPost is aimed at sensitive mail workflows, with more restrictive handling around scans, IDs, Form 1583 records, communications, retention, and shredding. It is higher-cost and more specialized than a normal virtual mailbox. Not anonymous; identity verification is still required.
A long-running South Dakota mail forwarding provider with services around mail scanning, forwarding, vehicle registration, and residency-style use cases. Useful when you need a practical non-home mailing address, online mail access, package forwarding, or South Dakota logistics. More of a broad mail-forwarding provider than a privacy-specialized document-handling service.
A South Dakota virtual mailbox and mail forwarding service from the same general ecosystem as PrivacyPost, but closer to a standard remote mailbox provider in practice. Useful for travel, expats, location independence, business mail, residency-related logistics, and separating routine mail from your home address. Better for practical address separation than extreme privacy handling.
A local independent mailbox or shipping store can be the simplest option when you need package pickup, a nearby receiving address, or a basic way to avoid using your home address for routine mail. Privacy depends heavily on the specific shop. Ask about ID requirements, staff access, scan handling, forwarding rules, package storage, retention, shredding, and whether the address works for your intended use.
Address privacy reduces unnecessary home-address exposure. It does not make you anonymous. Mailbox providers still require identity verification, staff may handle physical mail, and some banks, government agencies, carriers, or platforms may reject commercial mailbox addresses.
Systems
A powerful compartmentalized desktop setup for users with serious security needs. QubesOS isolates work into separate virtual machines, while Whonix routes selected environments through Tor. Strong option for advanced users, but it requires discipline and compatible hardware.
A practical mainstream desktop operating system for users who want strong hardware security, long software support, and good usability. It is not anonymous or fully user-controlled, but with careful settings, compartmentalization, and good app choices, it can be a solid privacy-respecting daily system.
A portable operating system designed for privacy, anonymity, and leaving minimal traces on the computer you use. Tails routes traffic through Tor and is useful for temporary, high-risk, or compartmentalized sessions where persistence is not desired.
The strongest recommendation for a hardened mobile operating system. GrapheneOS improves Android security and privacy with extensive exploit mitigations, strong app sandboxing, permission controls, and a clean Google-free baseline while still allowing sandboxed Google Play when needed.
A strong private email provider with end-to-end encryption between Proton users, encrypted storage, good usability, and a large privacy-focused ecosystem around it.
A privacy-focused encrypted email provider with encrypted mailbox storage, calendar support, and a strong no-ad business model. A good Proton alternative for users who want a separate ecosystem.
Aliases
A very useful service for phone number aliasing. Several paid tiers allowing different quantities of VOIP numbers. Very useful to compartmentalize your phone numbers. One for random services, one for accounts that still do not allow authenticator apps or 2FA keys, one for handing out at one-off meetings, etc.
Lets you create virtual cards for different merchants, set spending limits, pause cards, and reduce exposure of your real debit card details. Useful for subscriptions, trials, one-off purchases, and compartmentalizing payment relationships.
One of the best email-aliasing services for most users, it lets you create unique email aliases for different websites, forward them to your real inbox, and disable or delete aliases when they get spammed or exposed. Comes with Proton Unlimited.
A disposable temporary email service for quick verifications. Guerrilla Mail is useful when you need a throwaway address fast, but it should not be used for important accounts because temporary inboxes are not meant for long-term security, recovery, or private communications.
