7 Private Alternatives to Apple Apps and Services

Apple’s icon to denote privacy.

If you want private alternatives to Apple’s services, or if you don’t want to be locked into the company’s ecosystem, here are seven alternatives to consider.

1: Instead of iCloud Mail, Use ProtonMail

Founded by CERN scientists in 2013 and located in Switzerland, ProtonMail gives you an end-to-end encrypted email service so third parties can’t snoop on your emails. It’s open source, so the company can’t sneak a backdoor into the service without everyone else knowing. App Store: Free

Apple alternatives
ProtonMail

2: Instead of Apple Notes, Use Standard Notes

Standard Notes gives you notes with end-to-end encryption (AES-256). It’s also open source, and you can lock the app with Face ID / Touch ID. A basic plan is free, and you can pay for an account with extra features. App Store: Free

Apple alternatives
Standard Notes

3: Instead of iMessage, FaceTime, and Phone, use Signal

Signal lets you send secure messages with end-to-end encryption, as well as private voice and video calls. It’s open source and free, with no ads, trackers, etc. App Store: Free

Apple alternatives
Signal

4: Use iCloud Drive With Cryptomator

Like the others so far, Cryptomator is free, open source, and gives you proper end-to-end encryption. It stores your files in its own encrypted space in the cloud, so you can use iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive and know that your files are still safe, secure, and private. App Store: US$8.99

Apple alternatives
Cryptomator

5: Instead of iCloud Keychain, Use Bitwarden

The password manager we often talk about at The Mac Observer is 1Password. But lately I’ve been using Bitwarden, and its advantage over 1Password, LastPass, and others is that it’s free and open source. You can purchase an optional premium plan for US$9.99/year with extra features. App Store: Free

Apple alternatives
Bitwarden

6: Instead of Safari, Use DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser

DuckDuckGo isn’t just a private search engine, it also provides a private browser. It has built in tracker blocking, forces websites to use HTTPS encryption, and gives you simplified privacy policies for websites where available. With the Fire button you can quickly get rid of your tabs, data, and browsing history. App Store: Free

Option for macOS: Use Firefox with these about:config tweaks.

Apple alternatives
DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser

7: Instead of Apple Pay, use Privacy

Once you connect your bank account with Privacy.com, it generates unlimited virtual cards for you to use with merchants. You can lock a card to a single merchant, set spend limits for cards, and even create one-time use burner cards. You can even use fake information when you pay. App Store: Free

Apple alternatives
Privacy app

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