Category

The best of security & privacy, ranked

Password managers, VPNs and encrypted everything. We check audits, jurisdictions, free-plan limits and export options before a tool earns a place on these shortlists.

41 Listings Updated Sep 7, 2026
The essentials

This page at a glance

Every listing on this page in one table — click any row to jump to its full breakdown below.

Name Pricing License Built for Founded Best for
1Password $2.99Paid Proprietary Startups Small Business 2006 Individuals, families, and companies rea...
Apptega $0.00Paid Proprietary Startups Small Business 2017 Apptega is a cybersecurity and complianc...
Ars Technica $0.00Freemium Proprietary Enterprise Developers 1998 Technical readers reach for Ars Technica...
Bitwarden $0.83Freemium Open source Small Business Enterprise 2016 Privacy-conscious individuals and teams...
Box $5.00Freemium Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 2005 Box is a cloud content management and fi...
Canary Mail $0.00Freemium Proprietary Startups Small Business 2016 Managing several email accounts gets noi...
Computerworld $0.00Freemium Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 1967 IT leaders and workplace-technology team...
CrowdStrike Falcon $0.00Paid Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 2013 Stopping attacks across large endpoint f...
Darktrace $0.00Paid Proprietary Enterprise Education 2013 Darktrace is an enterprise cybersecurity...
Dashlane $4.99Paid Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 2012 Dashlane is a browser-first password man...
Drata $0.00Paid Proprietary Startups Small Business 2020 Drata automates security compliance work...
Egnyte $0.00Paid Proprietary Small Business Enterprise — IT-led companies with sensitive files re...
ExpressVPN $0.00Paid Proprietary Remote Teams Everyday Users 2009 Everyday users and travelers reach for E...
FileCloud $0.00Paid Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 2012 FileCloud provides managed or self-hoste...
Fossbytes $0.00Free Proprietary Developers Education 2014 Keeping up with technology is difficult...
Hyperproof $0.00Paid Proprietary Startups Small Business 2018 Compliance teams at mid-size and large e...
IT-Tools $0.00Free Open source Small Business Enterprise — Developers and system administrators rea...
Keeper $2.92Freemium Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 2009 Keeping unique credentials synchronized...
Malwarebytes $3.75Freemium Proprietary Small Business Enterprise 2006 Malwarebytes detects and removes malware...
Mullvad VPN $5.50Paid Open source Developers Everyday Users 2009 Privacy-conscious users reach for Mullva...
The shortlist

The full list, ranked picks first

The shortlist leads, followed by everything else in this category — each pick links straight to its alternatives.

Showing 41 listings

1Password

Paid Proprietary

Individuals, families, and companies reach for 1Password when shared credentials and cross-device access become difficult to manage. It combines polished apps with practical controls for organizing sensitive account data.

Shared vaults Watchtower monitoring Passkey management Travel Mode

Apptega

Paid Proprietary

Apptega is a cybersecurity and compliance management platform built for tracking, managing, and simplifying security frameworks across organizations.

Automates compliance tasks Framework crosswalks Role-based dashboards Vendor management

Ars Technica

Freemium Proprietary

Technical readers reach for Ars Technica when they want technology news with engineering detail, informed analysis, and context that survives beyond the headline.

Follow topic streams Technical investigations Join article discussions Reviews and guides

Bitwarden

Freemium Open source

Privacy-conscious individuals and teams reach for Bitwarden when they want an affordable, open-source password manager with capable free syncing and optional self-hosting.

Generate unique credentials Send encrypted links Unlock with biometrics Approve device logins

Box

Freemium Proprietary

Box is a cloud content management and file-sharing service that is particularly strong at policy-heavy document storage and collaboration across large organizations.

Browse with Box Drive Collect e-signatures Automate with Relay Detect risky content

Canary Mail

Freemium Proprietary

Managing several email accounts gets noisy, especially when long threads pile up. Canary Mail puts them in one privacy-minded client and uses an AI copilot to cut down reading and reply work.

Unify account inboxes Draft replies with AI Schedule messages later Monitor message opens

Computerworld

Freemium Proprietary

IT leaders and workplace-technology teams reach for Computerworld when they need a readable enterprise perspective on major platform shifts and everyday computing decisions.

Read IT News Practical How-To Guides Follow Topic Hubs Get Email Briefings

CrowdStrike Falcon

Paid Proprietary

Stopping attacks across large endpoint fleets is where CrowdStrike Falcon excels, combining cloud-managed prevention, EDR, threat hunting, and optional managed response.

Block Behavioral Threats Process Graph Context Isolate Affected Devices Identity Threat Protection

Darktrace

Paid Proprietary

Darktrace is an enterprise cybersecurity platform that models normal activity across an organization to detect unusual behavior and contain active threats.

Detect behavioral anomalies Investigate linked incidents Contain active threats Monitor hybrid estates

Dashlane

Paid Proprietary

Dashlane is a browser-first password manager for storing and using credentials across devices. It is particularly good at guiding people away from weak, reused passwords without making the vault feel technical.

Create unique passwords Fill logins and forms Detect exposed credentials Share vault items

Drata

Paid Proprietary

Drata automates security compliance workflows for companies needing to meet standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA.

Automated Evidence Collection Integration Library Control Mapping Dashboards Audit-Ready Reporting

Egnyte

Paid Proprietary

IT-led companies with sensitive files reach for Egnyte when ordinary cloud drives do not offer enough governance. It combines controlled sharing and desktop access with content classification, audit trails, retention, and threat detection.

Sync desktop folders Control external sharing Classify sensitive data Detect file threats

ExpressVPN

Paid Proprietary

Everyday users and travelers reach for ExpressVPN when they want dependable VPN apps, quick location changes, and little setup work.

Lightway protocol Network Lock Split tunneling Threat Manager

FileCloud

Paid Proprietary

FileCloud provides managed or self-hosted file storage, syncing, and external sharing for organizations that need close control over data and access policies.

Host files privately Enforce sharing policies Sync desktop folders Protect sensitive content

Fossbytes

Free Proprietary

Keeping up with technology is difficult when news, tutorials, and security updates are scattered across specialist sites. Fossbytes brings them into one free publication, with especially useful Linux coverage and approachable how-to articles.

Technology news desk Step-by-step tutorials Linux coverage Security explainers

Hyperproof

Paid Proprietary

Compliance teams at mid-size and large enterprises reach for Hyperproof to manage ongoing audit readiness and complex control frameworks in one place.

Automate evidence requests Map controls across frameworks Assign and track tasks Orchestrate reviews and approvals

IT-Tools

Free Open source

Developers and system administrators reach for IT-Tools when a quick conversion, generator, or network check is faster in the browser. It bundles many everyday utilities into a clean, free toolbox that can also be self-hosted.

Encode and decode data Inspect JWT tokens Calculate network ranges Generate useful values

Keeper

Freemium Proprietary

Keeping unique credentials synchronized across devices is the job. Keeper combines an encrypted password vault with practical sharing, autofill and business controls, making it especially useful for families and managed teams.

Generate strong passwords One-Time Share Store TOTP codes Emergency access

Malwarebytes

Freemium Proprietary

Malwarebytes detects and removes malware, adware, browser hijackers, and other unwanted software, with paid plans adding real-time protection.

Remove persistent malware Block dangerous websites Defend against ransomware Schedule automatic scans

Mullvad VPN

Paid Open source

Privacy-conscious users reach for Mullvad VPN for capable desktop and mobile apps without complicated tiers, long contracts, or a marketing-heavy account system.

Connect with WireGuard Route through multihop Obfuscate VPN traffic Defend against analysis
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