Most modern apps often track your activity, location, and even habits. The best way to stop this is to switch to privacy-first alternatives that don’t harvest your data.

User tracking and data collection have become the standard for most modern apps, even if you don’t always agree to it.

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Tor Browser

Tor Browser is one of the most trusted tools for surfing the web anonymously. When you use Tor, it gives you an anonymous identity and hides your IP address from websites by routing your traffic through a series of volunteer-run servers (called nodes), which makes it nearly impossible for anyone to track your activity or location.

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This Is How Tor Works (And What It Really Hides From Your ISP)

Tor secures your data while using its onion routing network, but your ISP isn’t completely oblivious.

Along the way, it encrypts your traffic so no one can snoop on what you’re doing online, including your ISP. It doesn’t collect any data about its users, and it’s built with privacy in mind to shield your activity from invasive trackers. Tor automatically blocks third-party trackers, resists fingerprinting, and automatically clears your cookies when you close the browser.

It also gives you the option to reset your anonymous identity instantly at any time. This privacy-first and secure approach is what makes Tor one of the best dark web browsers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use Tor like a normal browser.

I used Tor for a week, and it was a game-changer. However, it has its downsides and may not be suitable for all tasks, like online banking or streaming. For such cases, use DuckDuckGo’s privacy-focused browser instead.

Download: Tor for Android | iOS | macOS | Windows | Linux (free)

5

Signal

Signal is one of the best instant messaging apps for privacy because it’s owned by an independent, non-profit organization and is fully open-source. It doesn’t track any data and uses end-to-end encryption, so no one—not even Signal—can read your messages or listen to your calls.

Signal supports text, calls, and file sharing. Group chats can support up to 1,000 participants, and group calls can accommodate up to 50 participants. Additionally, you gain access to nearly all the features offered by competing apps, such as WhatsApp, including disappearing stories, text editing, and more, without intrusive tracking.

It boasts an intuitive user interface and is just as easy to use as other alternatives. I wish more people would use Signal because it’s just as robust as the competition, but values user privacy.

Download: Signal for Android | iOS | macOS | Windows | Linux (free)

Quad9 is a free recursive DNS resolver designed from the ground up with privacy and transparency in mind. It’s owned and operated by a Swiss-based, non-profit organization, so you can rest assured that it complies with the country’s internet privacy laws, which are among the strictest in the world. Thanks to this, Quad9 doesn’t log your IP addresses or store user-identifiable data, making it a strong choice for anyone looking to avoid surveillance or data collection.

For encryption, Quad9 supports several modern encrypted DNS protocols, like DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), which prevent your queries from being intercepted or tampered with. Additionally, it validates Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) records by default, helping you avoid being redirected to fake or compromised websites.

Quad9 also stands out from the crowd by offering built-in threat-blocking to defend you against some types of cyberattacks by automatically blocking access to known malicious domains. These built-in protections are why Quad9 ranks among the best DNS servers for online safety.

It has infrastructure spread across the world, in 90 countries, with over 200 locations, ensuring fast and reliable performance. However, Quad9 doesn’t come with a fancy app. It only provides the necessary configuration settings, so you’ll have to configure it manually. However, once set up, it operates quietly in the background, and you don’t need to worry about it.

Mullvad VPN is one of the most trusted names in the privacy space, and for good reason. Unlike most VPNs, which only promise to collect no logs or anonymized user data, Mullvad VPN takes a different approach by allowing its users to be completely anonymous as well.

Creating a Mullvad VPN account doesn’t require your email address or payment details. Instead, you’re assigned a randomly generated account number, and you can pay using cash or cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. This approach eliminates any personal data trail, reinforcing Mullvad’s position as one of the most privacy-focused VPN providers available.

Mullvad is also based in Sweden and thus operates under the country’s strict privacy laws. As such, the service does not track, store, or sell any user activity or connection metadata. Additionally, it undergoes regular independent audits for transparency and has been in operation since 2009.

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I Switched to Mullvad VPN, and It Protects My Privacy Perfectly

It may not be as well known, but this VPN has all of the security and privacy features I need.

It offers a kill switch and DNS leak protection and utilizes modern protocols like WireGuard and OpenVPN for fast and secure connections. Mullvad has over 700 servers, so there are plenty of options to choose from. However, Mullvad isn’t free, but it has a flat monthly fee (about $5.76, depending on the exchange rate) and keeps everything simple, with no upsells or gimmicky features.

Download: Mullvad for Android | iOS | macOS | Windows | Linux (Subscription required)

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Proton Mail

Proton Mail is one of the go-to privacy-focused email providers available today. What makes Proton Mail one of the best privacy-focused Gmail alternatives is its Swiss roots. Additionally, another key aspect of Proton Mail’s privacy focus is its end-to-end encryption, which ensures that no one, including the company itself, can view your conversations.

Emails between Proton Mail users are end-to-end encrypted, and the service provides options to encrypt messages sent outside the platform, such as setting an optional password or sending an email with an expiration date. Additionally, Proton Mail is open source and has undergone multiple independent security audits. It doesn’t track your usage and has no ads either, unlike most mainstream options like Outlook and Gmail.

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More convenience without sacrificing privacy.

It also includes features such as spam filtering and contact management, and is available across various devices. Proton Mail offers a generous free plan, although you can upgrade to access more storage and additional features, such as custom domains.

Download: Proton Mail for Android | iOS | macOS | Windows | Linux (free, premium versions available)

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Proton Drive

If you’re looking for a cloud storage service that prioritizes your privacy, Proton Drive is the ideal choice. Like Proton Mail, it’s based in Switzerland and protected by the country’s strong privacy laws.

It also offers end-to-end encryption for all your files. While prioritizing privacy, it still offers all the bells and whistles similar to Google Drive and Microsoft’s OneDrive, including collaborative editing and secure file sharing with granular access controls.

Proton Drive offers 5GB of free storage when you sign up, but you can upgrade to a paid plan if you need more. Some plans even include access to paid versions of Proton Mail and Proton VPN.

Download: Proton Mail for Android | iOS | macOS | Windows (free, premium version available)

Mainstream apps often prioritize profit over your privacy. But just because they’re popular doesn’t mean you should stick with them. There are many alternatives that offer similar or sometimes superior functionality but are built with privacy in mind. Tor Browser, Signal, Quad9, Mullvad VPN, Proton Mail, and Proton Drive all prove that privacy isn’t dead. You have to choose it.