Best 45 Free Online Privacy Tools & Software

Updated on January 16th, 2019 by Quertime Writer in Cyber Security

At a time when even tech giants like Apple and Facebook aren’t safe from hackers, what surety do we have about being completely safe against the most notorious hackers and cybercriminals? Cybercrime has evolved over the past many years. No matter whichever device you use, it can be hacked by any seasonal hacker.

In this scenario, it is necessary that you make use of tools that can help prevent cyber attacks on your devices and keep your data private. For this to happen, you’ll need a series of privacy tools and mobile apps that can help secure you against every threat lurking on the internet.

To help you out with the process, here are some of the best online privacy tools that can help protect you from all kinds of cybercrimes:

Virtual Private Networks VPN

Virtual Private Networks have gained immense popularity in recent years, and rightly so. A VPN is basically a service that changes your IP address from one location to another and hides your traffic by encrypting it. VPNs create a secure tunnel, from which your data passes on the VPN servers and then to the internet. This tunnel hides and encrypts your online traffic, preventing hackers and cybercriminals from accessing it. No one other than you and the VPN server can read the data.

There are dozens of VPN services available in the market providing safety and security on different platforms like VPN for Windows. Not all of these are fit for use. Some provide very few features. Others are even operated by hackers and cybercriminals themselves. In this scenario you need to choose a VPN brand that is trustworthy and full of the most amazing features.

1. ExpressVPN

The VPN service ranks among the premium providers in the industry. It offers a good number of VPN servers in different locations. As far as its features are concerned, it provides all the standard VPN features. However, the VPN provider is considered one of the expensive VPNs in the industry.

2. NordVPN

NordVPN owns one of the most extensive networks of servers in the VPN industry, currently offering over 5,000+ servers. Likewise, it has a good pool of IP address which is what a user would want to ensure maximum privacy on the Internet.

3. Hide.Me

Hide.me has maintained a decent position in the industry for many years. You can find its VPN servers in over 55 locations across the globe. Moreover, it offers a SOCKS5 proxy feature which enables users to anonymize their connection and experience better streaming speeds.

4. CyberGhost VPN

Cyberghost VPN offers 3,000+ VPN servers and up to 7 multi-logins. The VPN service has servers in a good number of locations which allows users to replace their IPs with pseudo IPs from the location of their choice.

5. Hotspot Shield VPN

Hotspot shield is one of the oldest VPN providers in town. Regardless, you can set up and use Hotspot Shield VPN simultaneously on up to 5 devices. It offers military-grade encryption, good IP pool, and 45-day refund guarantee.

6. Tunnel Bear

Tunnel Bear has virtual private network servers in up to 20 countries across the globe. It can work simultaneously on up to 5 devices. Like many other top VPN services, Tunnel Bear also promises no logging policies.

7. OpenVPN

The VPN service provider offers a good number of features which include 40,000+ IPs and 1,000+ VPN servers in over 60 countries. It also provides a SOCKS5 proxy feature, ten simultaneous logins, torrenting and more.

8. PureVPN

PureVPN has a decade-old stellar reputation. The service offers 2,000+ servers in 140+ countries to its users. It is a complete solution that not only secures online activities but also helps bypass geo-blocks.

9. IPVanish

The VPN service provider offers a good number of features which may include 40,000+ IPs and 1000+ VPN servers in over 60 countries. It also provides SOCKS5 proxy feature, 10 simultaneous logins, torrenting and more.

10. ProtonVPN

It is a Swiss-based VPN service and pretty prominent at that. It supports multi-logins on up to 10 devices, torrenting, file-sharing and more. You can check out this VPN and see whether it fits your privacy needs or not.

11. Trust.Zone

It is yet another VPN provider that enables users to unblock services, bypass censorships and confidentially browse the Internet. Although the service offers a lower number of servers and locations, it does offer good compatibility with many devices.

Spyware Removal Tools

12. CCleaner

CCleaner is a computer utility program that is used to clean unwanted files and invalid Windows Registry entries on a computer. It is one of the longest-established system cleaners, and helps you improve the performance of your computer.

13. Malwarebytes

Malwarebytes is an anti-malware software that runs on a host of operating systems including Microsoft Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. It helps you find and remove malware from your system.

14. Bitdefender Antivirus

Bitdefender Antivirus protects your system from viruses, worms and Trojans, as well as ransomware programs, zero-day exploits, rootkits and spyware. It keeps your data safe and private from all outside eyes.

15. Adaware Antivirus

Adaware antivirus keeps you safe from online threats that are lurking outside on the web. It safeguards your computer from online threats so you can connect with friends, and watching videos with ease.

16. SuperAntiSpyware

SuperAntiSpyware is an application that detects and removes spyware, adware, trojan horses, rogue security software, computer worms, rootkits, parasites and any other software application that can be harmful for your system.

17. Emsisoft Emergency Kit

Emsisoft Emergency Kit is the free antivirus and anti-malware tool to scan, detect and remove viruses, keyloggers or malware threats from your system.

Password Managers

Password managers ensure that all your passwords remain in one place so you don’t have to remember them. You don’t risk losing them or accidentally giving them away to someone else. The best password managers encrypt your password files so no one except you can see them. Passwords are always susceptible to attack, so storing them on a cloud is a wise option.

18. LastPass

LastPass is a free password manager tool that stores passwords online in an encrypted format. The standard version of LastPass comes with an interface that includes plugins of various web browsers and apps. It includes support for bookmarklets as well.

19. 1Password

1Password is a password manager tool that provides a place to store passwords, software licenses, and other sensitive information in a vault locked with PBKDF2-guarded master password. This vault is stored on the company’s servers and can be used for a monthly fee.

20. KeePass

KeePass Password Safe is an open-source password manager app. It supports a host of operating systems including Windows, macOS and Linux operating system. It also offers several unofficial ports for Windows Phone, Android, iOS, and BlackBerry devices.

Privacy Browsers & Extensions

Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers. But this browser monitor your online activities without you knowing it. It uses all this tracked data to show you with the right advertisements. Therefore, it is beneficial if you stop using Google Chrome and turn to another privacy browser.

21. Tor Browser

Before VPNs arrived, Tor was the go-to platform for internet privacy. It’s a free software that sends your traffic to the internet via a series of nodes. It also sorts of encrypts your web traffic so no one can access or monitor it. But while using Tor, you’ll need to be careful because Tor can lead you to some risky sites on the dark web.

22. Adblock Plus

Adblock Plus is a content-filtering and ad blocking extension which is available on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Safari, Yandex Browser, and on Android OS.

AdLock is another awesome ad blocker and AdChoices removal for Android.

23. HTTPS Everywhere

HTTPS Everywhere is another way to guarantee online protection. It is a browser extension that automatically switches http sites to https meaning SSL encryption. In this scenario, no one can monitor your web traffic or whatever you do on any particular website. It is an open source tool that provides protection against censorship, as well as online surveillance, and hacking activities on the web.

24. Privacy Badger

Privacy Badger is another open-source browser extension on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera, that is created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

25. Brave

Brave is a free web browser developed by Brave Software Inc. Brave expertly blocks ads and website trackers while you’re browsing online.

26. Ghostery

Ghostery is a browser extension that enhances your online security and privacy. The service is free and can be used by anyone.

Privacy Search Engines

27. DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is an online search engine that emphasizes on protecting the searchers’ privacy and avoiding filter bubble that create personalized search results.

28. Startpage

StartPage Search is another private search engine that lets you search for information in a private and anonymous manner.

29. Qwant

Qwant is an eponymous web search engine launched in July 2013. Not unlike DuckDuckGo, the service operates as a private search engine for the users.

30. Searx

If you are tired of the major search engines selling your data or using it for marketing purposes? If your answer is yes, try Searx. Although it gathers the data from the popular search engines and displays it to the users, it doesn’t track the users’ IP addresses or share the search history with anyone.

DNS Nameservers

31. Google Public DNS

Google Public DNS is a free Domain Name System offered to users world-wide by Google. It functions as a recursive name server.

32. Cloudflare

Cloudflare, Inc. provides content delivery network services, DDoS mitigation, online security and distributed domain name server. Cloudflare’s services operate between the visitor and the Cloudflare user’s hosting provider, and acts as a reverse proxy for websites.

33. OpenDNS

OpenDNS is a service that extends the usual Domain Name System by adding features like phishing protection and optional content filtering in addition to DNS lookup.

34. Comodo Secure DNS

You can’t get or enjoy better privacy and security if you keep using the DNS provided by your ISP. For starters, it is a public DNS, and secondly, it doesn’t always come with good security measures. Luckily, you can find all those goodies (privacy and security) in a DNS with Comodo Secure DNS.

35. Dyn

Dyn provides internet users a great number of monitoring and performance management tools. After all, it is an Internet performance and management company.

Private Emails

36. ProtonMail

ProtonMail is an end-to-end encrypted email service that keeps your communications through email private and secure.

37. Tutanota

Tutanota is an open-source end-to-end encrypted email software that is available for free to all users. The service relies solely on donations, and currently has over 2 million users.

38. Hushmail

Mailing services have also become unreliable these days. In fact, popular email service providers have also being rumored to share users’ data. If you want to keep your emails private and secure, you can check out Hushmail’s encrypted email service.

39. Startmail

Startmail is yet another encrypted email service provider that you can check out if you are not satisfied with Hushmail. The service comes with its unique features and functionalities that might suit your requirements.

40. Mailbox.org

If you are living in Germany and you prefer local services more than non-native services, it is best to opt for Mailbox which is a secure email service provider based in Germany. You can get it for 1 EUR per month.

Firewall and Network Monitors

41. Comodo Firewall

Comodo Firewall is a network security system that has expertise in monitoring and controlling the network traffic based on predetermined security rules.

42. GlassWire

The app doesn’t necessarily aim to offer any privacy, but you can use its features to verify if there is any breach. The app offers data usage monitor feature that lets you know if any suspicious apps are consuming data.

43. Zone Alarm Free Firewall

Unlike the Windows firewall, ZoneAlarm’s free firewall gives you more control and flexibility when it comes to enjoying a customized Internet experience. For instance, users can put restrictions on specific network traffic, control accessibility and more.

Privacy Utilities

44. Google Authenticator

Google Authenticator is a software token that helps to implement two-step verification services using the HMAC-based One-time Password Algorithm, and Time-based One-time Password Algorithm for authenticating users of mobile applications.

45. Backup and Sync

It is important to always have your data backed up safely somewhere, especially a folder which is secure such as Google drive. To securely sync and back up your data, you can check Google’s Backup and Sync application.

Conclusion

There are hundreds of online privacy tools available on the web that you should look into. These include tools for malware protection, backup and sync, and two-factor authentication. Encrypted messaging apps are also gaining immense popularity in recent years. There are even more technologies coming forth that offer better solutions to your online privacy needs.

Protecting yourself should be your utmost priority these days. So protect yourself by using the amazing privacy tools mentioned above.

Author: Patrick J. Burt

An experienced content writer and digital evangelist. Patrick J. Burt has been writing for more than 3 years on various writing platforms all across the internet. He is an avid contributor and a part of the entire digital marketing team.