PrivacyTools
Opinionated lists of privacy-respecting software sorted by category, with stated reasons rather than affiliate links.
Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.
How to get the most from it
PrivacyTools sits in Privacy & Security under Learn, filed as coffee break.
- Set aside five to fifteen minutes and give it your proper attention.
- It works on a phone or a desktop, so open it on whatever is nearest.
- It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
- No account needed — you can start without signing up.
- Go in expecting something useful.
About this category: Breach checkers, fingerprint tests, throwaway inboxes and plain-English readings of terms of service. Mildly alarming, entirely free.
Good for
- Filling a coffee break properly
- Getting something practical done
- A quiet break at your desk
- Killing time on your phone
- Trying it with zero commitment
PrivacyTools: quick answers
Is PrivacyTools free?
Yes. PrivacyTools is free to use and needs no account.
Do I need an account to use PrivacyTools?
No. You can use PrivacyTools without signing up for anything.
Does PrivacyTools work on a phone?
Yes. PrivacyTools works on phones as well as desktop browsers.
Is PrivacyTools safe for work?
Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.
How long does PrivacyTools take?
We file it as "Coffee break": Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention.
More in Privacy & Security
All 18 in Privacy & SecurityGrades any public HTTPS server from A+ down to F and explains every single deduction. The reference test the whole industry quotes.
- 10 min
- Desktop
Search results passed through without the tracking, plus an option to open any result through a proxy so the site never sees your address.
Graded summaries of the terms you agreed to without reading, with the specific alarming clause quoted. Volunteer-run since 2012.
The onion router straight from the people who maintain it — the browser download plus a plain-English account of how the relays work.
- 10 min
- Desktop
Same mood: useful
All useful sitesA daily leaderboard of new apps, sites and gadgets, upvoted by the people who make and use them. The place to spot a tool before everyone else does.
Seventy thousand public domain books, plain and free, from the oldest digital library on the internet.
- 10 min
The Vedic side of the practice: kundli, dasha periods and panchang, calculated free with the underlying reasoning shown.
- 10 min
Crowd-sourced feed of well-made and gloriously pointless websites, and the closest thing left to a modern stumble button.
Keep exploring
Category
Time and mood
Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.