The Best Tails AlternativesTop Linux Distros & Operating Systems like Tails

Tails is described as 'The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails) is a Debian 9 based live CD/USB with the goal of providing complete Internet anonymity for the user. The product ships with several Internet applications, including web browser, IRC client, mail client' and is a very popular Linux Distro in the security & privacy category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Tails for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Windows, Self-Hosted, BSD and GNOME apps. The best Tails alternative is Qubes OS, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Tails are Whonix, Kali Linux, Parrot Security OS and Nobara Linux.

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Tails alternatives are mainly Operating Systems, but if you're looking for Linux Distros or Penetration Testing Tools you can filter on that. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Tails.
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The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails) is a Debian 9 based live CD/USB with the goal of providing complete Internet anonymity for the user. The product ships with several Internet applications,...

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Tails alternatives page was last updated Apr 28, 2025
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  1. Qubes OS icon
     112 likes
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    Qubes is an open source operating system designed to provide strong security for desktop computing.

    188 Qubes OS alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Fedora
    • Xen

    Properties

    1.  Security-focused
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Virtualization
    2.  Software Compartmentalization
    3.  Container Virtualization
    4.  Domain isolation
    5.  Tor
    6.  No registration required
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Command line interface
    10.  Rolling Release
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Based on Fedora

    Qubes OS VS Tails

     
    Comments about Qubes OS as an Alternative to Tails
    Top Positive Comment
    John Fastman
    Jan 1, 2017
    11

    Tails is a Debian-based distro you might install on a USB stick and run live. It funnels traffic through TOR to protect anonymity and wipes its behind on the way out. Qubes can do the same through its Whonix VM, but it also offers much more. It's offers security, by building ephemeral VMs in which apps can run. Thsese can be Debian, Fedora or Whonix based. Anonymity+security with Qubes.

    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Dec 22, 2020
    -1

    Runs everything in Virtual Machines.

    Privacy Pirate
    Positive Dec 8, 2020
    2

    Like Tails, Qubes OS routes all traffic over Tor. It also has advanced virtualization and hardened security settings that would be desirable to anyone who uses tails for its security upgrades.

    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    Tails Icon
    Qubes OS icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Qubes OS is a great Tails alternative.

    • Qubes OS is the most popular Linux alternative to Tails.

    • Qubes OS is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Tails.

    • Qubes OS is Free and Open SourceTails is also Free and Open Source
    • Qubes OS is Security-focused, Privacy focused and LightweightTails is not according to our users
  2. Whonix icon
     50 likes
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    Whonix is a desktop operating system designed for advanced security and privacy. Whonix mitigates the threat of common attack vectors while maintaining usability. Online anonymity is realized via fail-safe, automatic, and desktop-wide use of the Tor network.

    42 Whonix alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Security-focused

    Features

    1.  Command line interface
    2.  Tor

    Whonix VS Tails

     
    Comments about Whonix as an Alternative to Tails
    redtrillix
    Positive Sep 7, 2022
    4

    Unlike most of the other alternatives to Tails, this is a legitimate alternative to Tails.

    Tails Icon
    Whonix icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Whonix is a great Tails alternative.

    • Whonix is Free and Open SourceTails is also Free and Open Source
    • Whonix is Privacy focusedTails is not according to our users
  3. Kali Linux icon
     271 likes
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    Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing, originally forked from Backtrack Linux by the Offensive Security team.

    20 Kali Linux alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Penetration Testing
    2.  Security Testing
    3.  Linux-based
    4.  Command line interface
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  ARM support
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Real time collaboration
    9.  Based on Debian

    Kali Linux VS Tails

     
    Comments about Kali Linux as an Alternative to Tails
    OAKSIF0
    Negative May 23, 2018
    4

    Kali Linux is a penetration testing Linux distro that does not come out of the box with Tor routing all network traffic - which is the primary feature of Tails. Although Kali Linux has hacking tools it has no tools for privacy or anonymity.

    Tails Icon
    Kali Linux icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Kali Linux is a great Tails alternative.

    • Kali Linux is the most popular Windows alternative to Tails.

    • Kali Linux is Free and Open SourceTails is also Free and Open Source
    • Kali Linux is Privacy focusedTails is not according to our users
  4. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Parrot is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian Testing and designed with Security, Development, and Privacy in mind.

    27 Parrot Security OS alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Security-focused
    3.  Lightweight
    4.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Security Testing
    2.  Penetration Testing
    3.  Vulnerability Assessment
    4.  Real time collaboration
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Cloud Sync
    7.  Command line interface
    8.  Portable
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Rolling Release
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Linux-based

    Parrot Security OS VS Tails

     
    Comments about Parrot Security OS as an Alternative to Tails
    michaelcoxeu
    Positive Jan 24, 2023
    0

    Parrot OS is free from trackers and telemetry "anti-features", and it provides many privacy tools like AnonSurf, Tor Browser, a custom Firefox profile, easy cryptographic tools and much more.

    Tails Icon
    Parrot Security OS icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Parrot Security OS is a great Tails alternative.

    • Parrot Security OS is Free and Open SourceTails is also Free and Open Source
    • Parrot Security OS is Lightweight and Privacy focusedTails is not according to our users
  5. Nobara Linux icon
     23 likes
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    The Nobara Project, to put it simply, is a modified version of Fedora Linux with user-friendly fixes added to it. Fedora is a very good workstation OS, however, anything involving any kind of 3rd party or proprietary packages is usually...

    94 Nobara Linux alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Gaming-focused
    4.  User friendly

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Rolling Release
    4.  Portable
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Based on Fedora
    7. KDE Plasma icon  KDE Plasma integration

    Nobara Linux VS Tails

     
  6. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    ReviOS aspires to re-create what Windows as an operating system should have been - easy and simple.

    69 Revision (ReviOS) alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Rolling Release
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  No registration required

    Revision (ReviOS) VS Tails

     
  7. Haiku icon
     97 likes
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    Haiku is an open-source operating system that specifically targets personal computing. Inspired by the BeOS, Haiku is fast, simple to use, easy to learn and yet very powerful.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • International

    Platforms

    • Haiku

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Multitasking
    2.  Independent
    3.  Native GUI
    4.  Portable
    5.  No Tracking
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Drag and Drop

    Haiku VS Tails

     
  8. Alpine Linux icon
     29 likes
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    Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight Linux distribution based on musl libc and busybox.

    86 Alpine Linux alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Security-focused

    Features

    1.  No Tracking

    Alpine Linux VS Tails

     
  9. Deepin icon
     58 likes
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    Deepin is a reinterpretation to creativity and individuality. It is not only a rebirth to the system appearance, but also a brand-new upgrade to the operating experience! All of this lets deepin become the best partner of your computer.

    188 Deepin alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • CN flagChina

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Intuitive Interface

    Features

    1.  No registration required
    2.  Based on Debian

    Deepin VS Tails

     
9 of 131 Tails alternatives