Apps that mind their own business
privacyapps.io is a directory of 386 apps and services in 37 categories that respect your data. Each one carries the same privacy passport, so a messenger and a map app can be read the same way in five seconds.
The five checks
No tracking
Does the app show profile-based ads or include third-party trackers and analytics SDKs? Opt-in or anonymous crash reports count as minimal. Ads based only on what you search for, with no profile, don't count as tracking.
Open source
Is the code public? Yes means the apps and the server; partly means the apps are open but the server or some parts are closed.
Only you can read it
Who can read what you store? It passes when your data stays on your device, is end-to-end encrypted, or sits on a server you run. Apps that keep nothing, like a VPN or a search engine, skip this check.
No account
Can you use it without signing up? An account that's only needed for extras such as sync still passes.
Free
Can you use it without paying? A free plan passes; the passport shows the cheapest paid plan when there is one.
How we check
Every fact comes from the maker's own material: their website, privacy policy, documentation, source code and published audit reports. Where a maker says nothing about a check, the passport shows "Not stated" instead of guessing, and it never counts against the app as a no.
An audit is listed only when an independent security firm did the work and the result is public. We name the firm and the year of the most recent one.
GitHub activity is read for open-source projects, and archived projects are left out. Prices are the maker's cheapest paid plan as shown on their own pricing page.
How picks are chosen
Each category has one to three picks, marked with a heart stamp. A pick is the app we'd hand to a friend who isn't a tech person: easy to set up, available where they need it, and strong on the checks that matter for that kind of app. More checks passed doesn't always mean better; a paid email service can be the right choice.
privacyapps.io is independent and isn't affiliated with any app it lists. App names and logos are trademarks of their owners; logos come from the makers and from the dashboard-icons and theSVG libraries.