European privacy for your phone

What if you wan't to support Europe and be private, than you're at the right place! These are all FREE apps based in EUROPE. What my list makes different from all the other is that I focus on privacy for us users, I avoid the use of AI and most of the apps are open-source which means they can prove that they aren't spying on you.

(The last app on this list is the best one...)

European_AlternativeTo
European_AlternativeToList by European_AlternativeTo, last updated 
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  1. App Store

    Before you even start installing apps, think about the store where you're getting it from. On Android you don't need to install an app on the Google Play Store for now :( ---> https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/9/f-droid-warns-google-s-sideloading-rules-will-kill-the-project-and-several-open-source-apps/

  2. F-Droid icon
     Like

    Discover and install FOSS Android apps with ease. Privacy-focused, ad-free, and no registration required, F-Droid offers a lightweight alternative.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    F-Droid screenshot 1
    F-Droid screenshot 2
    F-Droid screenshot 3
  3. Email

  4. It is hard to switch another email address because all your contacts and accounts are linked to it. Luckily Proton Mail has a function called 'easy switch'. With this you can recieve emails from your old email address. This makes the switch easy.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Tor
    Proton Mail screenshot 1
    Proton Mail screenshot 1
    Proton Mail screenshot 2
    +9
    Proton Mail screenshot 3
  5. Tuta Mail icon
     Like

    End-to-end encrypted app for email, calendar, and contacts, requiring no personal data, with open source code and quantum-resistant security.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Tuta Mail screenshot 1
    Tuta Mail screenshot 1
    Tuta Mail screenshot 2
    +1
    Tuta Mail screenshot 3
  6. Aliasing

    This way you don't need to give your real email address when signing up.

  7. From Proton but also usable for other email services, generous free plan of 10 aliases. You can also use Proton Pass which integrates those 10 free aliases.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • F-Droid
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Open source solution to protect your email address.
    Create alias quickly with SimpleLogin Chrome & Firefox extension.
    Alias management dashboard.
    +1
    Visualize all emails sent to or replied from an alias.
  8. addy.io icon
     Like

    Open-source anonymous email forwarding, create unlimited email aliases for free.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • F-Droid
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Manage aliases from the dashboard
    The main interface for the Firefox extension
    Settings for the extension
    +1
    Generate Random Chars alias using the extension.
  9. Guerrilla Mail gives you a disposable email address. You can give your email address to whomever you don't trust. You can read the email using Guerrilla Mail, click on any confirmation link, and even reply.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    Guerrilla Mail screenshot 1
    Guerrilla Mail screenshot 1
  10. Calendar

  11. Organize events with encrypted privacy, zero-knowledge and no tracking. Features include multi-device sync, multiple views, and offline support.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • F-Droid
    Tuta Calendar screenshot 1
    Tuta Calendar screenshot 1
    Tuta Calendar screenshot 2
    +4
    Tuta Calendar screenshot 3
  12. Suspiciously it is not open-source. If that is a concern for you, look for Tuta.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Tor
    • iPad
    Proton Calendar screenshot 1
    Proton Calendar screenshot 1
    Proton Calendar screenshot 2
    +2
    Proton Calendar screenshot 3
  13. Birday icon
     Like

    🎉 A beautiful Kotlin app to remember birthdays and events without having to open Facebook, set alarms or rely on Google Calendar.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Birday screenshot 1
    Birday screenshot 2
    Birday screenshot 3
  14. Document Viewer

  15. LibreOffice is the best free office suite on the desktop, and is now available on Android as a native application. The software is backed by a dynamic community, represented by The Document Foundation, a not for profit entity based in Germany.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    LibreOffice Viewer screenshot 1
    LibreOffice Viewer screenshot 2
  16. Instant messengers

    Fully end-to-end encrypted without ads like Whatsapp ---> Source: https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/6/whatsapp-is-officially-getting-ads-for-the-first-time-starting-with-status-and-channels/

  17. SimpleX - the most private and secure chat and applications platform - now with double ratchet E2E encryption! Built on Haskell with Love and Coffee.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Flatpak
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 1
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 2
    SimpleX Chat screenshot 3
  18. Element icon
     Like

    A secure collaboration app with end-to-end encryption and interoperability across web, desktop, and mobile. Includes chat, voice, and video calls.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Matrix.org
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Cloudron
    Video calls for desktop and mobile
    Collaboration widgets
    Collaboration and screen sharing
    +1
    Connect with other apps
  19. Briar icon
     Like

    Briar is an open source project not legally incorporated in any jurisdiction, although it has received funding from European initiatives like NGI and the NLnet Foundation, and includes many Europeans in their voluntary board and team. Source: privacyguides.org

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Briar screenshot 1
    Briar screenshot 2
    Briar screenshot 3
  20. Mobile games

    It is really hard to find open-source games.

  21. Pixel Wheels is a top-down racing game for PC (Linux, macOS, Windows) and Android.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    Pixel Wheels screenshot 1
    Pixel Wheels screenshot 1
    Pixel Wheels screenshot 2
    +3
    Pixel Wheels screenshot 3
  22. Luanti is a near-infinite-world block sandbox game and a game engine, inspired by InfiniMiner, Minecraft, and the like.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Luanti (formerly Minetest) screenshot 1
    Luanti (formerly Minetest) screenshot 1
    Luanti (formerly Minetest) screenshot 2
    +3
    Luanti (formerly Minetest) screenshot 3
  23. Maps and navigation

  24. OsmAnd icon
     Like

    Navigation app with offline and online OSM maps, turn-by-turn voice guidance, cycling and driving modes, GPX tracking, POI search, and monthly updates.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Android Auto
    • F-Droid
    • Apple Car Play
    OsmAnd screenshot 1
    OsmAnd screenshot 2
    OsmAnd screenshot 3
  25. Privacy-focused GPS app with offline maps and community development, featuring real-time navigation, no location tracking, and open-source software.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • HUAWEI AppGallery
    • iPad
    • OpenStreetMap
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    Organic Maps screenshot 1
    Organic Maps screenshot 2
    Organic Maps screenshot 3
  26. Sport tracking

  27. OpenTracks is a sport tracking application that completely respects your privacy.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    OpenTracks screenshot 1
    OpenTracks screenshot 2
    OpenTracks screenshot 3
  28. Password Manager

    You cannot expect a human to make up 1000 difficult passwords and remember them. With these password managers you can let them remember your password and let them make very difficult passwords.

  29. This one saves your passwords in the cloud so you can access them on all your devices.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Safari
    • F-Droid
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Proton Pass screenshot 1
    Proton Pass screenshot 1
    Proton Pass screenshot 2
    +3
    Proton Pass screenshot 3
  30. KeePassDX icon
     Like

    This one saves your passwords locally as an encrypted database for your Android device. Make sure you back them up! It is more technical than a cloud-based one. This is a fork of KeePass which is free to use, so if you want to export your passwords to another device you have to look for the compatible version of KeePass.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    KeePassDX screenshot 1
    KeePassDX screenshot 2
    KeePassDX screenshot 3
  31. 2FA

    Make your accounts extra secure by adding an extra layer. Again like the password managers their is an option to save the code locally on your device or store them in the cloud.

  32. This one is cloud-based that also works offline. It will work on all of your devices.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • F-Droid
    Proton Authenticator screenshot 1
    Proton Authenticator screenshot 1
    Proton Authenticator screenshot 2
    +3
    Proton Authenticator screenshot 3
  33. This one is locally on your device and is only available for an Android device.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
    Aegis Authenticator screenshot 1
    Aegis Authenticator screenshot 2
    Aegis Authenticator screenshot 3
  34. DNS

    You've come at my favourite part: surfing on the internet the way you want it. With a custom DNS you can choose which (sort of) websites are available for you. This can be sites with malware but also all social media apps if you want to detox.

    This is the best way to set it up on Android:

    1. Open the Settings app.
    2. Go to Network & internet ? Private DNS.
    3. Select the Private DNS provider hostname option.
    4. Enter the name of the DNS (for example kids.dns0.eu) and press Save.
  35. It can block ads, trackers, malware, adult, gambling and social media. You can choose which one of these to block by checking the DNS specifications on their website.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
  36. Quad9 icon
     Like

    It is very good at blocking but isn't customisable. So no ad-blocker for example.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
  37. DNS4EU icon
     Like

    Not the best dns from my experience but the kids version is very suggestable for children to keep them safe on the internet. Before this I very much suggested dns0.eu but they discontinued the project. :(

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    DNS4EU screenshot 1
  38. VPN

    A VPN uses its own DNS but some VPNs have support for a custom DNS.

  39. The best free option from a company that is well trusted. The free version doesn't let you chose the country to proxy and you have to pay for choosing a custom DNS. This VPN is in my opinion meant for hiding your IP-address if needed.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Apple TV
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Flatpak
    • Fire TV
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Proton VPN screenshot 1
    Proton VPN on Fedora
    Proton VPN screenshot 2
    +6
    Proton VPN screenshot 3
  40. Firewall

    Prevent apps from connecting to the internet while they do not need it. Your calculator app doesn't need access to the internet!

  41. NetGuard icon
     Like

    NetGuard provides simple and advanced ways to block access to the internet - no root required.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    NetGuard screenshot 1
    NetGuard screenshot 2
    NetGuard screenshot 3
  42. Web Browser and extensions

    The best European browser is in my opinion the Mullvad Browser but that is only available on desktop.

  43. Waterfox icon
     Like

    This is a browser based on Gecko which means it looks like Firefox. They say that they are privacy focussed. However they are owned by System1 (like Startpage). For the best security and privacy on an Android you should look at a Chromium based browsers which has NO Google implementations. Important: for security, I wouldn't suggest this browser. They are a fork of Firefox which isn't the best on mobile and Waterfox is even later with security updates.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Desktop
    Mobile
  44. AdGuard icon
     Like

    This is a great alternative to uBlock Origin. To get the best out of it you have to pay.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Vivaldi
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • Yandex Browser
    • Opera
    • Mozilla Firefox
    • Snapcraft
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Android TV
    AdGuard screenshot 1
    Very good app for blocking ads. Use it!
    AdGuard screenshot 2
    +4
    AdGuard screenshot 3
  45. NoScript icon
     Like

    The NoScript Firefox extension provides extra protection for Firefox, Seamonkey and other mozilla-based browsers: this free, open source add-on allows JavaScript, Java, Flash and other plugins to be executed only by trusted web sites of your choice (e.g. your online bank).

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Google Chrome
    • SeaMonkey
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Diablog of blocked scripts
    NoScript Anwhere (Firefox Mobile version).
  46. Search engine

    STOP using google!

  47. Ecosia icon
     Like

    Not the most private search enginge but better than google and they plant trees!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Microsoft Edge
    • Google Chrome
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Ecosia screenshot 1
    Ecosia screenshot 1
  48. Startpage icon
     Like

    A complete search engine with a focus on privacy. :-) Note that they are partially owned by an american, advertising company: System1. :-(

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    • Safari
    • Tor
    • Mozilla Firefox
    Dark theme
    Light theme
    Startpage screenshot 2
    +1
    Startpage screenshot 3
  49. Cloud

    First of all, make sure you have offline back-ups. Second, did you know that if you put your data in a cloud without encrypting that data, it is technically not your data but from that cloud company?

  50. Filen icon
     Like

    Filen is a cutting-edge cloud storage provider that offers client-side, end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption. Headquartered and operated entirely in Germany, Filen is at the forefront of combining comprehensive features with uncompromising privacy and security.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Filen screenshot 1
    Filen screenshot 1
    Filen screenshot 2
    +18
    Filen screenshot 3
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I hope you like my list. Let's go Europe!

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