23 Free and Open-source Privacy Apps for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
1- Dangerzone (Convert Dangerous PDF files into Safe PDF files)
Take potentially dangerous PDFs, office documents, or images and convert them to safe PDFs.
Dangerzone empowers you to transform potentially harmful PDFs, office documents, and images into secure PDFs across Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms.
It boasts the ability to convert various file formats into PDF, including but not limited to MS Docs, Excel files, PowerPoint files, Open Document Format files for documents (Text: ODT), ODS, ODG, and ODP. Additionally, it allows you to effortlessly convert images into PDF files.
2- MacPass
open-source and free native password manager
There are a lot of iOS KeePass tools around but a distinct lack of a good native macOS version. KeePass can be used via Mono on macOS but lacks vital functionality and feels sluggish and simply out of place.
MacPass is an attempt to create a native macOS port of KeePass on a solid open source foundation with a vibrant community pushing it further to become the best KeePass client for macOS.
Read about MacPass 's features, license, platforms, and more.
3- Aether
Peer-to-peer ephemeral public communities
Open source, self-governing communities with auditable moderation and mod elections
Read about Aether 's features, license, platforms, and more.
4- BeagleIM
XMPP client for macOS based on TigaseSwift XMPP library
Beagle IM by Tigase, Inc. is a lightweight and powerful XMPP client for macOS.
It provides an easy way to start using XMPP protocol (formelly known as Jabber) if you've never used it before.
Veterans of the protocol will find many features with which they are familiar and a few enhancements.
Supports: OMEMO end-to-end encryption
Read about BeagleIM 's features, license, platforms, and more.
5- Block Party
Ad Blocker App for iOS, macOS
Ad Blocker App for iOS, macOS
Read about Block Party 's features, license, platforms, and more.
6- Min
A smarter minima web browser for macOS.
Min is a fast, minimal browser that protects your privacy. It includes an interface designed to minimize distractions, and features such as:
Read about Min 's features, license, platforms, and more.
7- ChitChat
Whatsapp client for macOS
A Mac app wrapper around WhatsApp's web client, WhatsApp Web.
The latest version is available here. Need help? Ask me on Twitter here.
Requires OSX 10.10 Yosemite and a WhatsApp Web compatible device.
Read about ChitChat 's features, license, platforms, and more.
8- Cryptomator
macOS encryption tool
Cryptomator is a free open source client-side file encryption tool. Its dead simple to use does not include ads or backdoors. It also does not require registration or paid subscription.
Unlike many open source solutions, which keep the normal users struggling to install, configure and use, Cryptomator is built for normal users. With very simple work flow, Create , Drag-n-Drop, Lock, and Unlock, added into very easy to use Interface, makes Cryptomator less time consuming and more efficient. There is no struggle with creating accounts, figuring out how to manage your keys , cloud access to unlock your files, or over complicated configuration most of alternatives have.
Read about Cryptomator 's features, license, platforms, and more.
9- Deadbolt
The easiest file encryption tool you'll ever use. macOS-compatible, and open-source so you can trust it.
Deadbolt is a free open-source file/ folder encryption tool.
Read about Deadbolt 's features, license, platforms, and more.
10- Franz
free open-source chat and messaging apps
Franz is your messaging app for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Slack, Telegram and many many more.
Read about Franz 's features, license, platforms, and more.
11- LuLu
free open-source macOS firewall engine
LuLu is the free, open-source firewall that aims to block unknown outgoing connections, protecting your privacy and your Mac!
Read about LuLu 's features, license, platforms, and more.
12- macOS Keylogger
A no-frills keylogger for macOS.
This repository holds the code for a simple and easy to use keylogger for macOS. It is not meant to be malicious, and is written as a proof of concept. There is not a lot of information on keyloggers or implementing them on macOS, and most of the ones I've seen do not work as indicated. This project aims to be a simple implementation on how it can be accomplished on OS X.
Read about macOS Keylogger 's features, license, platforms, and more.
13- ElectronMail
Unofficial open-source ProtonMail Desktop App
ElectronMail is an Electron-based unofficial desktop client for ProtonMail. The app aims to provide enhanced desktop user experience enabling features that are not supported by the official in-browser web clients. It is written in TypeScript and uses Angular.
Read about ElectronMail 's features, license, platforms, and more.
14- Mergen
macOS Audit and Security Check Tool
Mergen is an open-source, native macOS application for auditing and checking the security of your Mac. It scans your system for security issues based on the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmark, and checks various settings and configurations related to security and privacy.
Read about Mergen 's features, license, platforms, and more.
15- Notesnook
fully open source & end-to-end encrypted note taking alternative to Evernote
Notesnook is a free (as in speech) & open source note-taking app focused on user privacy & ease of use. To ensure zero knowledge principles, Notesnook encrypts everything on your device using XChaCha20-Poly1305 & Argon2.
The project is written in JavaScript, TyepScript, React, and React Native for mobile apps.
Read about Notesnook 's features, license, platforms, and more.
16- OnyX
macOS maintenance apps
OnyX is an up-to-date macOS system maintenance app. It contains many system functions like file cleaning, removing old temporary files, cleaning caches and rebuilding database indexes.
Read about OnyX 's features, license, platforms, and more.
17- OpenSesame
Open-source Native Password Manager for iOS and macOS
OpenSesame is a free open-source native password manager for your Apple devices which supports iOS, and macOS, and comes with dozens of native features.
It syncs with iCloud and encrypts your data to make sure only you get access. No more required subscriptions, no more ram hogs, and no more electron versions.
Read about OpenSesame 's features, license, platforms, and more.
18- PeaZip Free Archiver
Free Zip / Unzip software and Rar file extractor
PeaZip is a free file archiver utility and rar extractor for Linux, macOS, and Windows, which works with 200+ archive types and variants (7z, ace, arc, bz2, cab, gz, iso, paq, pea, rar, tar, wim, zip, zipx...), handles spanned archives (001, r01, z01...), supports multiple archive encryption standards, file hashing, exports tasks as console scripts.
The project aims to provide a cross-platform, portable, GUI frontend for multiple Open Source technologies (7-Zip, FreeArc, PAQ/ZPAQ, PEA, UPX, Brotli, Zstd) focused on file and archive management, and security (strong encryption, two factor authentication, encrypted password manager, secure delete).
Read about PeaZip Free Archiver 's features, license, platforms, and more.
19- CalmAV
an open-source antivirus engine for detecting trojans, viruses, malware & other malicious threats
ClamAV is an open source (GPLv2) anti-virus toolkit, designed especially for e-mail scanning on mail gateways. It provides a number of utilities including a flexible and scalable multi-threaded daemon, a command line scanner and advanced tool for automatic database updates. The core of the package is an anti-virus engine available in a form of shared library.
Read about CalmAV 's features, license, platforms, and more.
20- Cloaker
drag-and-drop file protection
Have you ever wanted to protect a file with a password and found it unnecessarily difficult to do so? Cloaker aims to provide the most straightforward file encryption possible. Just drop a file onto the window, set a password, and choose where to save it. To decrypt, drop the encrypted file on the window, enter the password, and choose the output location. No installation required: on Windows it's a single .exe, on Mac an .app bundle, and on Linux an executable .AppImage file.
Read about Cloaker 's features, license, platforms, and more.
21- Mana
Vulnerability management app for individuals.
Mana is a free macOS app that allows you to examine your running apps security vulnerabilities. However, the free version supports only 10 macOS apps.
Read about Mana 's features, license, platforms, and more.
22- Murus Lite
Firewall manager for macOS
Murus macOS Firewall Unchained with rich-feature set and native user macOS user-interface. It's super user-friendly especially for non-technical users.
Murus unleashes the great power of the macOS built-in PF firewall. Protect your network resources using a very simple interface, take advantage of the many pro features available to design and implement your network infrastructure, to monitor performances and proactively filter dangerous traffic at network layer.
Murus is available in three different versions in order to meet everyone’s needs.
And there’s even more: port knocking, adaptive firewall, NAT and many other features including a blazing-fast logging system.
Read about Murus Lite 's features, license, platforms, and more.
23- SelfControl
A free open-source Mac application to help you avoid distracting websites
SelfControl is a free and open-source application for macOS that lets you block your own access to distracting websites, your mail servers, or anything else on the Internet. Just set a period of time to block for, add sites to your blocklist, and click "Start." Until that timer expires, you will be unable to access those sites—even if you restart your computer or delete the application.
Read about SelfControl 's features, license, platforms, and more.