TOP 30 Free Windows Tools 2024 for More Privacy

You don’t need mainstream tools?

You want to use high-performance and free software without spying?

This is the TOP 30 tools list. I’ll explain why it’s better than the well-known mainstream software.

Let’s get started!

Browser – Fast, Expandable, Robust

Why should you worry about your browser and plug-ins? I spend 50 – 95 % of my time in the browser. Many apps only run online in the browser.

• Firefox: This browser is open source, fast and reliable. The browser is easy to expand with plug-ins. Why not Chrome? Firefox has a smaller market share and is therefore less likely to be targeted by criminals.
• If you want to use the Chrome Web Engine, use Ungoogled Chromium, Vivaldi or Brave.

Search engine – your vein to the internet

• Gruble.de or Startpage.com are good search engines with many setting options. The focus is on your privacy.
• Good alternative: The search engine DuckDuckGo offers the same protection.

Browser plug-ins – good is not enough

• Data protection and security
  • uBlock Origin: The universal blocker blocks more adverts than Ad-Blocker Plus. The developers of Ad-Blocker Plus are on the take and sometimes allow adverts in return for payment.
• • I STILL don’t care about cookies: If you’re tired of annoying cookie warnings, get this extension.
  • Cookies AutoDelete: For some websites, you want to keep cookies in your browser after a restart. You don’t need to keep the tracking cookies from Amazon and Meta. Cookies AutoDelete whitelists websites with cookies before cleaning.
• Performance
  • Dustman: The Dustman plug-in does the dirty work for you – the plug-in closes the tabs if you have not opened the tab for more than X minutes and have exceeded a maximum number of tabs.
  • Clear Browsing Data: When developing, you want to make sure that the browser data and all caches are cleared. The plug-in makes developing in the browser even more fun.
• Productivity
  • Mind the Time: The plug-in analyses how long and how often you access websites for your purposes. This allows you to visualise time wasters.
  • LeechBlock: If you are trying to reduce the time spent on your entertainment and shopping websites, block these websites locally. Set up an automatic redirect with LeechBlock. When you open Amazon, the browser will show an image with “Shopping doesn’t make you happy” instead.

Smartphone – security updates? Stable!

“Many users don’t use smartphones, smartphones use users!” – To prevent you from becoming a transparent Android user, I would like to recommend software that you can keep control of:

• Android: This operating system is developed by the open source community together with Google. You can modify the most in this open smartphone OS. Make sure that the smartphone manufacturer provides 4 to 5 years of security updates. If the device has already been on the market for 1 year, you will receive fewer security updates.
• Why not iOS? In Android, I have more options for customising the user interface and can deploy apps more easily.

Smartphone apps – battery-friendly Helpful

• Nextcloud: The cool online platform offers a cloud solution for all your files, notes, calendars and contacts. Nextcloud is easy to expand and easy to host yourself (even for simple PHP web hosting).
• OpenSync: If you use Nextcloud, you can use OpenSync to transfer and synchronise your calendar and contacts quickly and easily.
• Gadgetbridge: This open source app is very battery efficient. I often refer to the well-known fitness apps as full-time monitoring tools and brutal battery hogs.
• Signal chat programme: I prefer to use the Signal messaging app. The open source software prioritises data protection and enables secure communication. The organisation is financed by donations and does not need to sell user data.
• F-Droid: The must-have app store for open source apps without adverts – Google Play is not a must for everyone.
• Maps.Me: … is the best map app with detailed offline maps. Unlike OsmAnd, you can download as many maps as you want.
• AdguardDNS: Stop adverts in all apps immediately.
• VLC: The video and music player processes almost every file format. The app offers many features that make watching videos a pleasure.
• Lithium: My No.1 e-book reader shines with its simple design and many practical reading features. There are no annoying adverts.

Desktop – the crucial question, or not?

In addition to the smartphone apps, I wouldn’t want to do without a real computer:

• Linux: read this post, and I’ll explain how you can set up the perfect Linux computer for computer scientists.
• Windows: WSL (Subsystem Linux Ubuntu) is the best option if you want to develop with Windows. Exclusive programmes like Adobe and games are the reason for many to use Windows. Use AdGuard DNS to get your privacy back.
• macOS: Anyone who uses Mac for programming will love Homebrew immediately. The software installs programmes and tools in seconds. Switching to macOS requires a Hackintosh or the expensive Apple device. Many compare their old €700 Windows laptop to a €2300 MacBook because it’s Apple’s and SSD / RAM is studded with invisible diamonds. For €2300 you can buy a top high-end laptop or even better desktop computer that tops the MacBook performance and compatibility.

Desktop software – productivity to the power of 10

• Xodo Reader: If you have an active stylus, I recommend using Xodo Reader. The software works much more efficiently than Adobe Reader and offers many free features. A few features are chargeable (which in my opinion are not essential or replaceable)
• Inkscape: The vector graphics programme creates graphics without a resolution. You can render the images in any size.
• Ubuntu WSL: With Windows WSL you can quickly set up a complete emulated Linux environment. This is suitable for development in conjunction with VS Code.
• PowerToys and Windows Terminal: Windows has packed cool stack features into the PowerToys since Windows 95 e.g. mass renaming of files, shrinking of images. The Windows Terminal is a terminal with GPU acceleration.
• Visual Studio Code: Instead of buying the paid overpriced development environments that end with *storm, I prefer to use VS Code. Good design, slimness, simple conditions and simple expandability make the IDE my favourite program
• AutoHotkey: The AutoHotkey software turns your keyboard into a real control centre with which you can create global shortcuts for your Windows. Open folders with a single keystroke or execute a key macro with a single tap. AutoHotkey is really great.

Better alternative

Mainstream sucks and you pay with your data. Here are serious alternatives:

• Todoist –> Select20: Like Todoist, only private and even faster.
• OneNote –> Joplin Xournal : I’m looking for a note-taking app with offline use, stylus support, OneNote migration and self-hosting
• Microsoft Office –> LibreOffice: Word and Excel programme without formatting problems with the Office files docx and xlsx

Overview of the programmes