Aegis Authenticator★★★★★A well-designed 2FA app for Android that lets you organize accounts into groups, can use a password or fingerprint to add another layer of security to your codes, and can easily import from several apps including Google Authenticator.
Brave (Web Browser)★★☆☆☆A privacy-focused browser, but for every cool privacy feature there’s something else that makes me want to firewall the application away from my system.
DuckDuckGo★★★★☆A private-ish search engine that’s also serving less slop than Google. Disposable email aliases are convenient. The browser extension and standalone browser block known trackers, and the Android app can block trackers in other apps too.
Ecosia (Search)★★★☆☆Non-profit search provider that uses renewable energy and partners with environmental organizations. AKA “the search engine that plants trees.”
Firefox★★★★☆I still have a soft spot for Firefox. At times it’s been the best web browser on Windows and Linux. It’s still good, has a solid extension ecosystem, and serves as an important bulwark against one company dominating browser tech.
Firefox Sync★★★★☆Works on nearly every Firefox-based browser and can mix and match. Even IronFox and LibreWolf recommend using it, as it’s encrypted end-to-end.
Floccus Bookmarks Sync★★★★★Very flexible, syncs across many different desktop browsers and mobile devices, and for privacy it can run on your own server or encrypted on another cloud service.
Fossify Calculator★★★★☆Basic calculator, like the cheap 16-key models. No fancy scientific functions, but also no ads, no data mining, and no subscription. And it’s already in your pocket.
Fossify Calendar★★★★☆Basic calendar app that works with your phone’s local calendars. You can do all the usual things you want to use a calendar for on your phone. Doesn’t clutter up your schedule with ads or vacuum up your personal data.
Fossify Camera★★★☆☆Basic camera app with support for flash, timer and video, optional EXIF. Lacks advanced processing like night sight. Images are slightly noisier than Google’s camera.
Fossify Contacts★★★★☆Basic, privacy-respecting contacts app for Android that works with all contacts accounts on your phone.
Fossify Gallery★★★★☆Basic on-device gallery that lets you manage your photos without sending them to a cloud service just to deal with what’s on your phone.
Fossify Keyboard★★★☆☆I wanted to like this keyboard, but I can’t seem to type reliably with it just by tapping on my phone, and there’s no swipe gesture or autosuggest support. It works better at tablet size.
Fossify Launcher★★★☆☆Works fine for launching apps. Widget support needs more work. Does not auto-rotate.
Fossify Messages★★★☆☆Minimalist SMS/MMS app with custom alerts, archives and actions on the pull-down notifications. No RCS support or swipe actions, but does the job without sending a copy of all your messages to Google.
Fossify Phone★★★☆☆Minimalist dialer app for the actual phone part of your smartphone, with basic call blocking. Doesn’t provide all the transcription and screening that Google’s app does, but it’s also not sending your call activity to the cloud.
Fossify Voice Recorder★★★★☆A simple mono recording app where the audio stays on your phone. No ads, no subscriptions, no remotely-generated transcripts, just basic recording.
FreeOTP (Authenticator)★★★☆☆Extremely bare-bones 2FA app for iOS and Android, sponsored by Red Hat. It’s secure, works offline, and doesn’t depend on Google. A decent choice if you start with it, but a lack of import features means switching from another app is tedious.
Geary★★★★☆Really lightweight but still modern, so it’s a good choice on lower-end hardware. Basic IMAP features, good for most day-to-day email use. Needs GNOME for setup.
GNOME Web (aka Epiphany)★★★☆☆A rare WebKit browser for Linux. Handles the basics, but it’s specifically designed for GNOME, and it’s limited in what it can do around websites. Well-suited for PWAs, though!
GNU IceCat★★★☆☆Firefox minus all branding and connections to Mozilla services, plus add-ons to block non-FSF-approved JavaScript.
iCab★★★☆☆This macOS-only WebKit browser is just OK, but with so many other browsers trying to grab your attention and data, sometimes ‘just OK’ is what you want.
Image Toolbox★★★★☆An extremely powerful image editor for Android. And not just the usual features like crop, adjust contrast or brightness, maybe apply a filter, but you can do batch edits, format conversion, scaling the actual pixel image, editing metadata…all the things that mobile apps tend to hide behind the curtain. And it can preserve EXIF data when you want it to.
IronFox★★★★☆A privacy-hardened Firefox variation for Android, comparable to LibreWolf on desktops. Removes Mozilla tracking and services like Pocket. Locks down features that can leak data, but those changes can break some sites.
K-9 Email★★★★☆Classic email app for Android: No frills, no ads, no tracking. Supports multiple accounts, phone-to-tablet layouts, and dark mode.
LibreWolf★★★★☆Customized Firefox, with an eye toward security and privacy. Follows the stable release channel. Works well most of the time, but privacy features can break some sites.
Mobile Apps and Preserving Photo MetadataYou’d think that ‘don’t change the stuff that the user isn’t changing’ would be a low bar, but most image editors I’ve used on Android tend to mess up the EXIF metadata one way or another.
Nextcloud Bookmarks★★★★☆Online web app for managing bookmarks using your own Nextcloud server. I usually use it indirectly as the storage for syncing via Floccus.
Nextcloud Calendar★★★★★Self-hosted, web-based calendar that syncs easily with other apps and has completely replaced Google Calendar for me.
Nextcloud Notes★★★★★Simpler than Google Keep, more private, with human-readable data that syncs quickly and cleanly with your devices.
OpenTasks★★★★☆Simple to-do list that works great with a Nextcloud server or local storage on your phone.
Sly (Image Editor)★★★☆☆Simple, friendly, privacy-respecting image editor for Android and Linux. Convenient for most basic photo adjustments, but metadata handling is currently broken, so I can’t use it to just crop photos for iNaturalist. Once that’s fixed, though…
Thunderbird (Email and Calendar)★★★★★Stable, capable desktop email application, works well with multiple accounts including Gmail, Nextcloud, easy to set up and use but with advanced settings when you need them. FLOSS.
Tor Browser★★★★☆When you really want (or need) to stay private while using the web, Tor is the way to go. Just keep the drawbacks in mind when you do.
Ungoogled Chromium★★★☆☆This takes Chromium and removes everything that connects to Google services…including things like safe browsing and the extension store.
Vivaldi (Web Browser)★★★★★Spiritual successor to the original Opera browser, this ultra-customizable web browser can open into a full suite for email, calendar, feeds and more – but only if you want it to.
Waterfox★★★★☆A Firefox fork aimed at improved performance and privacy, without sacrificing usability. Also available on Android.
Web Browser RecommendationsVivaldi, Orion, Waterfox and Zen are my current favorites. I want to like Firefox, but I’m not so sure about Mozilla these days. Safari’s OK. LibreWolf and IronFox are good for everyday privacy, Tor for advanced scenarios. Falkon and Dillo are good for slow hardware.
Zen Browser★★★★☆Similar to Arc, Zen has a non-cluttered design that stays out of your way. Unlike Arc, it’s built on Firefox, runs on more platforms, and doesn’t require you to log in just to use it!