Private and open-source alternatives to FileVault
10 file encryption rated against the same public privacy criteria as FileVault, with our picks first.
Why look for an alternative?
- Open source: no. Closed source.
- No trackers or telemetry: partial. No third-party trackers in the app, and sharing device analytics with Apple is opt-in. Apple web pages load Apple's own analytics (ac-analytics, sent to metrics.apple.com) by default.
- Independent audit: partial. FileVault is Common Criteria certified against the Full Drive Encryption protection profiles, with certification and validation reports published, but no full security audit report is public.
See the full FileVault rating.
The alternatives
Picocrypt Grade A
Small open source file encryption tool for desktop that uses XChaCha20 and Argon2id, with optional keyfiles, Reed-Solomon error correction and plausible deniability. The original project is archived and no longer developed.
Picocrypt scores 100 out of 100 (grade A) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 4 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales and independent audit..
gocryptfs Grade A
Open source encrypted overlay filesystem that runs as a FUSE mount and stores each file as a separate encrypted file, suited to cloud-synced folders. Also has a reverse mode for encrypted backups.
gocryptfs scores 90 out of 100 (grade A) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
VeraCrypt Grade A
Open source disk encryption for Windows, macOS and Linux. Creates encrypted file containers or encrypts whole partitions and system drives, and supports hidden volumes.
Based in Japan. VeraCrypt scores 90 out of 100 (grade A) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
7-Zip Grade B
Open source file archiver with its own 7z format that can encrypt 7z and ZIP archives with AES-256, including file names in 7z archives. The full graphical app is for Windows, with a command-line version for Linux and macOS.
7-Zip scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
AES Crypt Grade B
Cross-platform file encryption tool that encrypts individual files with AES-256 using a password or key file. Available as a desktop app, command-line tool and Android app.
AES Crypt scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
age Grade B
Command-line file encryption tool and Go library that uses small explicit keys, has no config options and works with standard Unix pipes.
age scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
CryptSetup Grade B
Command-line utility for setting up Linux disk encryption with the dm-crypt kernel module. Supports LUKS, plain dm-crypt, TrueCrypt, VeraCrypt, BitLocker and FileVault2 volumes.
CryptSetup scores 80 out of 100 (grade B) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 3 of 4 criteria: open source, no trackers or telemetry and no ads or data sales.
Cryptomator Grade B
Client-side encryption for files stored in cloud services. Encrypts each file separately inside a vault so the files can sync individually. Available for desktop, Android and iOS.
Based in Germany (Fourteen Eyes). Cryptomator scores 75 out of 100 (grade B) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
Kryptor Grade C
Open source command-line tool for encrypting and signing files with a passphrase, symmetric key or public keys, using modern primitives with no configuration options.
Kryptor scores 65 out of 100 (grade C) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 2 of 4 criteria: open source and no ads or data sales.
DiskCryptor Grade F
Open source partition and full-disk encryption for Windows, including system drives on UEFI/GPT machines.
DiskCryptor scores 30 out of 100 (grade F) on the file encryption criteria. It meets 1 of 4 criteria: open source.