What privacytools.io Is and What It Offers

privacytools.io is a privacy tools and software guide that has been published since 2015. Its stated purpose is to help people "escape Big Tech" by finding private alternatives to the apps they already use. It is a reference and recommendation site, not a downloadable product or a service you sign up for. It is useful if you want to replace a mainstream app with something that tracks you less, or if you want a shortlist of tools that are made in Europe or have been vetted by the site's editors.

How the site is organized

The homepage is built around four entry points, each aimed at a different way of browsing.

Private Alternatives

This is the core of the site. You pick an app you use every day and the site shows a private alternative. The homepage lists replacement categories for:

• Chrome (browsers)
• LastPass (password managers)
• Gmail (email)
• Google Search (search engines)
• ISP snooping (DNS and network-level tools)
• Google Drive (cloud storage)
• WhatsApp (messaging)
• Evernote (notebooks)
• Google Photos (photo storage)
• Windows (operating systems)
• YouTube (video)
• Google Maps (maps)

There is also a "See every app you can replace" link that leads to the full set of categories. The practical workflow is: identify the app you actually use, open that category, and compare the alternatives listed there.

European Alternatives

A separate section for tools that "answer to European law, not a US subpoena." It highlights one top pick per category, for example:

The page notes "+117 more Made in Europe," so this section is a curated slice of a larger list rather than the whole catalog.

Editor's Top Picks (2026)

A short list of twelve tools the editors say they would install on a fresh machine. Each entry includes a rating out of five and a one-line description. Examples from the page:

• LibreWolf (browsers, 4.7) — a modified Firefox built to resist tracking and fingerprinting, with security improvements.
• PrivacyNotes (notebooks, 4.8) — encrypted notes, tasks, calendar, files, passwords and a journal, unlocked by a 12-word recovery phrase; sign-up with no email and no password; open source.
• ProtonMail (email, 4.5) — free and paid plans that include end-to-end encryption, zero-access encryption, anti-phishing, anti-spam and 2FA. Marked as an ad.
• Surfshark (VPN, 3.5) — based in the Netherlands, operating since 2018, obfuscated RAM-only servers, audited by Cure53. Marked as an ad.
• Bitwarden (password managers, 4.7) — the site's top choice; easy import from other password managers; free for personal use.
• NextDNS (ad blocking, 4.7) — configurable via parental controls, website restrictions or blocking whole categories. Marked as an ad.
• Organic Maps (maps, 4.0) — offline Android and iOS maps based on OpenStreetMap data.

Note that some entries are labeled "Ad." The site mixes editorial picks with sponsored placements, so a high rating is not by itself proof of independence. Treat ad-marked entries as paid promotion and check the tool's own documentation before relying on it.

Trending on GitHub and All categories

Two further sections support browsing: a "Trending on GitHub" block for open-source projects and an "All categories" index for navigating the full catalog.

What you can and cannot conclude from the site

You can use it to:

• Find candidate replacements for a specific app you want to drop.
• Get a starting shortlist for European-hosted or open-source tools.
• Compare tools within a category using the site's ratings and descriptions.

You should not assume:

• That every listing is independently tested. Some are ads, and ratings are the editors' own.
• That a tool is free. The page mentions subscription pricing signals and shows free/paid plan language for some tools (ProtonMail, Bitwarden), but pricing and login requirements vary by product and are not fully documented on the homepage. Verify on each vendor's site.
• That a recommendation fits your threat model. A tool that is private by default may still be wrong for your needs; read the vendor's own security documentation.

A practical way to use the site

1. List the two or three apps you most want to replace (for example, your browser and your password manager).
2. Open the matching "Private Alternatives" category and note the candidates.
3. Cross-check any candidate against its own site: who operates it, where it is based, whether it is open source, and what it costs.
4. If you want European jurisdiction specifically, start from the European Alternatives section instead and confirm the vendor's legal home.
5. Ignore ad-marked entries unless they independently meet your criteria.

The site is a discovery and shortlisting tool. The decision still belongs to you, based on each vendor's current documentation.