Privacy-friendly services

A service that advertises privacy does not automatically minimise data. What matters is which data is technically processed, what is retained, and which provider you ultimately have to trust.

Transparency: If you use a recommendation marked with *, you may support our work. We may receive a commission. Recommendations and assessments are made independently of that.

Rating: 5/5 = exceptionally data-minimising · 4/5 = very data-minimising · 3/5 = data-minimising. The rating covers data minimisation only, not the service’s overall quality.

Email with less tracking

Email privacy is not only about advertising. Relevant issues include tracking pixels, access to message contents, metadata, server location and whether a provider analyses messages for advertising purposes.

Provider	Why it is interesting	Important note
Proton Mail* 5/5 No advertising profile, tracking protection and encrypted storage.	No advertising profile built from email content; tracking-pixel protection; encrypted storage	Email metadata is still technically generated; external unencrypted mail is also processed for purposes such as spam and malware protection
Tuta Mail 5/5 Ad-free, no tracking and strong encryption.	Ad-free, no tracking; servers in Germany; strong encryption	The scope of encryption also depends on whether both parties use Tuta or an encrypted delivery method
mailbox.org 4/5 Ad-free, provider states no tracking, with strong encryption options.	Ad-free; provider states no tracking; German data centres; PGP/S/MIME available	End-to-end encryption has to be configured and used appropriately

Password managers

A password manager helps you use a unique strong password or passkey for every service. From a privacy perspective, the most relevant issues are vault encryption, account protection and metadata handling.

Provider	Documented properties	Important note
NordPass* 4/5 Zero-knowledge architecture and local encryption before synchronisation.	Password and passkey manager; according to the provider, a zero-knowledge architecture with local encryption of vault data before synchronisation	Protection also depends on the master password, account security and the security of the devices used
Proton Pass* 5/5 Zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption including metadata.	Password and passkey manager; zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption including metadata; open-source apps and independent security audits	Vault security also depends on protection of the Proton account and devices used; forwarding email aliases are not technically end-to-end encrypted

VPN: less visibility for your internet provider

What does a VPN do? A VPN encrypts the connection between your device and the VPN server. Your internet provider can therefore normally no longer see directly which websites and services you access. Services you visit usually see the VPN server's IP address instead of your home connection IP. This can also provide additional protection on unfamiliar or public networks.

Important: A VPN does not make you automatically anonymous. Your internet provider can still see that a VPN connection exists and approximately when and how much data is transferred. At the same time, part of the required trust shifts to the VPN provider. We therefore explicitly state whether and for how long IP or connection data is retained.

Provider	Documented properties	IP / connection logging	Link
Proton VPN* 5/5 Documented no-logs policy without permanent activity or connection logs.	According to the provider, a strict no-logs policy without logging visited websites, traffic, IP address, session duration or location; independently audited	According to the provider, no retention of IP address, connection logs, session duration or location	Open provider
NordVPN* 5/5 No-logs policy with repeated independent audits.	According to the provider, a no-logs policy; implementation was again independently examined by Deloitte in an assurance engagement at the end of 2025	According to the no-logs policy, no retention of activity logs or extensive connection logs such as IP address, connection date/duration or VPN server used	Open provider
Surfshark* 4/5 No permanent activity logs; some connection data is processed temporarily.	According to the provider, no retention of visited websites or permanent activity logs	User ID and/or IP address and connection timestamps may be processed temporarily; automatic deletion within 15 minutes after the session ends	Open provider
hide.me* 5/5 No permanent activity or IP logs according to the provider; no-logs infrastructure independently audited.	According to the provider, a no-logs policy; the real IP address is processed only temporarily in memory during an active session and is not persistently written to disk; no-logs infrastructure audited by Securitum in 2024	According to the provider, no permanent retention of the real IP address or VPN activity; aggregated server-load metrics are collected without direct attribution to individual users	Open provider
ExpressVPN 5/5 No activity or connection logs according to its privacy policy.	According to its privacy policy, no activity or connection logs; no retention of browsing history, traffic destinations or DNS queries	According to the provider, no retention of source IP, assigned VPN exit IP, connection timestamp or session duration	Open provider

DNS & tracking blocking

DNS filters can block known advertising, tracking, phishing and malware domains before a connection is established. This does not replace browser-side protection, but it can reduce many unnecessary third-party connections across a device or network.

Service	Data-minimising use	Link
AdGuard DNS* 4/5 Data-minimising use is possible; private DNS logging can be configured.	For its public DNS service, AdGuard describes operation without personal DNS usage data; private DNS can keep query logs, which can be disabled or limited in the account settings	AdGuard DNS
AdGuard* 4/5 Local blocking reduces third-party connections directly on the device.	Local ad and tracker blocker; can reduce unwanted third-party connections directly on the device	Open AdGuard

Cloud storage

With cloud storage, a key question is whether the provider can decrypt stored contents itself or whether sensitive files are encrypted on your device before upload.

Provider	Documented properties	Important note
pCloud* 4/5 Client-side zero-knowledge encryption is available, but not enabled for all files by default.	Cloud storage with selectable EU or US data region; pCloud Encryption offers client-side zero-knowledge encryption	Client-side zero-knowledge encryption applies to the activated Crypto folder; other files are not automatically encrypted client-side in the same way

How we assess providers

Which data is technically required to provide the service?
Which data is retained permanently?
Is there tracking or advertising profiling?
Can logging be disabled or limited?
How transparent are the privacy policy and technical documentation?
Are there independent audits or verifiable security evidence?

Last updated: 30 September 2026. Provider terms and technical properties can change.