Best Of
The Privacy Starter Kit
Four apps that close the biggest privacy gaps in one afternoon: messaging, email, passwords and media playback.
Signal
Speak freely, message privately
Why it’s here
Move your conversations to end-to-end encryption by default.
Proton Mail
Encrypted email from Switzerland
Why it’s here
An inbox that nobody else can read — including the provider.
Bitwarden
Open source password manager, audited
Why it’s here
One strong password per site, without the memory burden.
VLC Media Player
Plays everything, runs anywhere
Why it’s here
Play anything locally — no streaming account, no tracking.
Questions
How do we pick?
Every app on this shortlist has passed our verification pipeline: we download the build from the developer’s official channel, verify its signature and checksum, count trackers, and read the audit history. Only then do we rank. You can read the full process on our How We Verify page.
How often is this updated?
Shortlists are reviewed on a monthly cycle, and immediately when something material changes — a security incident, a license change, or a pricing shift. The date at the top of the page reflects the last full review.