UtilitiesSecurity & PrivacyEncryption Software

What are the best file encryption tools?

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Jan 29, 2024

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Updated

VeraCrypt vs GNU Privacy Guard vs Cryptomator

vs 7-zip vs EncFS vs AxCrypt vs gocryptfs vs dm-crypt via LUKS vs PeaZip vs ecryptfs vs Disk Utility vs BitLocker vs picocrypt vs NordLocker vs S.S.E. File Encryptor vs Hidden Disk vs SOPS vs CipherShed vs AES Protect vs TrueCrypt vs Kruptos 2 Professional vs Hider 2 vs Data Vault vs FinalCrypt vs Knox vs Skizzle Email

Specs

Platforms

Windows, Linux, Mac

Open Source

Yes

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Yes

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android

Open Source

Yes

Technology

Java

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows, Linux, BSD, ReactOS

Open Source

Technology

License

LGPL-2.1-or-later

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Android, iOS

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows, Linux, Mac

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Linux

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows, MacOS, Linux, BSD

Open Source

Technology

License

LGPL-3.0-only

User Interface

GUI

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Windows, Linux, Mac

Open Source

Technology

Go, Rust

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser integration

File Size

End-to-end encryption

Free tier

Platforms

Open Source

Technology

License

User Interface

Supported platforms

Browser Extension and Web SDKs, Mac, Windows, Linux

Browser integration

Yes

File Size

100 MB to 1 GB

End-to-end encryption

Yes

Free tier

Yes

Pros + Cons

Pro
On-the-fly encryption

Veracrypt is an on-the-fly encryption tool. Meaning that it decrypts files only when they are needed and that the files are otherwise kept encrypted the rest of the time.

Comment

Pro
Free

This project is free and users are encouraged to donate something to keep the project going.

Comment

Pro
Several encryption cyphers supported

Supports AES, TwoFish and Serpent encryption cyphers.

Comment

The source code is open to review. It has already had a security audit and it did well, with small problems fixed by authors within days of being reported. Its predecessor source, Truecrypt, had a detailed audit that found its capabilities sound, completed (ironically) shortly before the TC folks decided to call it quits. Anyone skeptical or curious about what it does can see how it works, at the gut level.

Comment

Pro
Support for AES code in CPU

Most Intel and AMD (and possibly other) CPUs have AES specific instruction sets, so you needn't task the CPU during the en/de/crypt process when using AES, VC throughput is as if the code were in 'firmware'; you can see the effect if you choose anything but AES as your cipher.

Comment

Pro
Can create containers

It can create containers (like a encrypted folder) which is very useful.

Comment

Pro
Regular updates

Veracrypt is in active development with constant and regular updates and several external audits in the planning stages.

Comment

Pro
Multiplatform

Veracrypt is supported on MacOS, Linux and Windows.

Comment

Pro
Built on top of TrueCrypt

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Easy to use

It's easy to understand and use.

Comment

Con
Can't create volumes on the Mac.

The password used to create the volume doesn't open the volume one minute later. VeraCrypt 1.21/FUSE 3.82/macOS 10.12.6. Recreated on 3 Macs now. Unusable.

Comment

Con
Not plug and play

Requires some tech savvy, so some skill is required, particularly if things go wrong. In the Windows world different UEFI implementations can cause problems in one, not in others, and the solutions are not uniform between issues. For Bitlocker, Microsoft worked out issues with vendors before hand, so if Windows installs and works without bitlocker, it will likely work with it.

Comment

Con
The UI is not compliant with the Mac

This program does not use Mac UI standards. Nevertheless, it is acceptable.

Comment

Con
based on TrueCrypt. TrueCrypt is abandonware. According to the website of TrueCrypt, it has vulnerability

based on TrueCrypt. TrueCrypt is abandonware. According to the website of TrueCrypt, it has vulnerability

Comment

Con
It may be hard to find a GUI frontend that suits your needs

If you decide not to use the CLI version of GPG, it may be hard to find a GPG GUI version that suits your needs simply because of the sheer number of different versions available.

Comment

Pro
Cross-platform

GPG works on OS X, Linux, and Windows with extensive selection of wrappers.

Comment

Pro
Multiple types of encryption algorithms

GPG supports public key cryptography (RSA EIGamal, DSA), symmetrical key algorithms (Blowfish, AES, IDEA, etc), cryptographic hash functions (RIPEMD, SHA), and compression (ZIP, ZLIB, BZIP2).

Comment

Pro
Excellent but...

Open source (the free version of openPgp), other similar products are offered for other platforms (Gpg4win for Windows for example). It is the most secure way to send emails today, close to military encryption. Some negative points: not all mail clients support it and when a key is not only on your hard disk but also on a server (pgp.mit.edu for example), it is complicated to remove it. Last positive point: it can also be used other than for emails, to encrypt and sign documents. Bitcoin releases are signed with the GPG keys of the developers ;)

Comment

Pro
Supports paired keys

Allows for encrypted communication.

Comment

Pro
Volume and individual file encryption

With GPG you can encrypt you whole volume or files individually.

Comment

Pro
Supports expiring signatures

GPG keys by default expire after a set amount of time. The amount can be changed and this feature can be turned off.

Comment

Pro
Both CLI and GUI versions available

GPG can be installed as a command line tool, or you can choose between several different GUI frontends available for it.

Comment

Pro
Open-source and battle-tested

GPG is the oldest and most reliable encryption software available.

Comment

Pro
Free and open source

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Client-side

No accounts. No backdoors.

Comment

Pro
Works with any cloud platform

Works with any cloud-based services, including Dropbox and Google Drive.

Comment

Con
Android version is paid

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Multi-platform

Available for Windows, Mac and Linux on desktop and iOS, Android for mobile.

Comment

Pro
Fast encryption and decryption

[add description]

Comment

Con
Slower speeds

Encypting speeds are slower then regular uploads, larger files particularly video files often cannot complete transfer without errors.

Comment

Con
No camera upload functionality

Cannot automatically back up photos on mobile devices replacing the need for Google drive or iOS fully. User then has to go and either manually select photos for upload or use cloud service and then encrypt defeating the purpose on mobile clients.

Comment

Con
Bugs with deleting of files

Sometimes files cannot be deleted and there is no working solution/fix available yet.

Comment

Pro
Passphrase bruteforce protection (scrypt)

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Virtual hard drive file access

Drag and drop.

Comment

Pro
Transparent encryption

[add description]

Comment

Pro
AES individual file encryption

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Android version is paid which is great for active development

It gives you peace of mind. 10 USD is not too much. It worth this money. PC version is completely free so to let project going on, money should come from somewhere. So paid Android version is good strategy.

Comment

Pro
Lightweight

Starts quickly.

Comment

Pro
Integrates with GNOME's archive manager

If you use GNOME desktop environment, you can extend the archive manager to add 7-zip functionality or depending on the distribution it can already be integrated.

Comment

Pro
Totally free

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Archive container-based encryption

You can choose between archiving in a .zip container, that offers a choice between ZipCrypto and AES-256 encryption, or a .7z container that uses AES-256 and additionally offers the possibility of encrypting file names.

Comment

Con
Does not support data recovery

It's not possible with 7-zip to add data recovery records to the archive which could repair minor integrity errors.

Comment

Pro
Cross-platform

A GUI version of 7-zip is available for Windows and a command line port for Linux/Unix.

Comment

Pro
Explorer right-click menu integration

Makes it easy to open any archive file, or create new archives, without having to go open another program first.

Comment

Pro
Free and open source

7-Zip is free software. You can use it on any computer. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip (including for commercial use). 7-Zip is licensed under GNU LGPL, and the *.7z format has support across all major operating systems. There should be no trouble opening the archives under any operating system, and no need to deal with messages bugging you to register or pay for the app. Source code can be found here.

Comment

Con
The standard encyption method ZipCrypto is unsecure

Be sure to select AES encryption instead of the standard and much less secure ZipCrypto encryption.

Comment

Pro
Unobtrusive

No nag screen.

Comment

Pro
Integrates with GNOME's archive manager

If you use GNOME desktop environment, you can extend the archive manager to add 7-zip functionality or depending on the distribution it can already be integrated.

Comment

Con
Not up to speed with modern cryptography practices

From some audits in the past, EncFS has had some issues with being up-to-date as far as cryptography practices go. For example, it uses the same key for encryption and authentication or file holes not being authenticated.

Comment

Pro
Encrypts on per-file basis

This makes it suitable for using with Dropbox or similar cloud storage platforms.

Comment

Pro
Cross-platform

Works on Linux, OS X and experimentally on Windows.

Comment

Pro
Configuration is stored in the working directory

The configuration for EncFS is in the form of a dotfile (.encfs6.xml) and it's stored in the working directory. This way you only have to remember the passphrase because all the other metadata is stored in the configuration file.

Comment

Pro
Easy to use

Integrates with right-click menu for easy access.

Comment

Pro
Self-extracting archives

AxCrypt can create encrypted archives that extract without requiring AxCrypt on the computer. So you can send a file to someone safely, they just need the password.

Comment

Pro
Easy to share encrypted files

AxCrypt has a build in key sharing.

Comment

Con
Android app is low quality

[add description]

Comment

Con
Supports all major plattforms

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Because it encrypts things as files, it can save them to dropbox or other cloud file backups

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Flexible

Encrypt whole disks, removable media, software RAID, partitions, files and logical volumes.

Comment

Pro
Native Linux support

It offers the best integration and ease of use on Linux.

Comment

Pro
Free and open-source

Open-source for cryptography is a requirement, not just a bonus.

Comment

Pro
Support for multiple keys/passwords

If several people should be able to decrypt a volume, each one can have their own password/key.

Comment

Con
Requires advanced command line knowledge

In order to use dm-crypt you need to have advanced knowledge of Linux and of the command line, as well as the Linux filesystem. However, most distros support easy creation of LUKS-encrypted drives when installing Linux transparently.

Comment

Pro
You can run program in compress format

It create temporary location when you open in compressed format. but some programs doesn't run in compressed format.You may run your encrypted file.

Comment

Con
Needs Linux command line knowledge to create and mount encrypted folders

Instructions on how to do it can be found here.

Comment

Pro
Native to the Linux kernel

Individual folders can be encrypted. It is fast.

Comment

Pro
Encrypt your home directory

The entire user home directory or folder inside can be encrypted and unlocked during login.

Comment

Con
No single file encryption

Can't request a single file be encrypted.

Comment

Pro
Native OS X support

It offers the best integration, ease of use and support with OS X.

Comment

Con
Mac only

Disk Utility is available for OSX only.

Comment

Pro
Disk image and volume encryption

You can create a disk image that requires a password to mount. It can use a different filesystem than OS X, like exFAT, that can be used to move files between Windows and OS X. Additionally, you can encrypt file volumes by right-clicking and selecting encrypt.

Comment

Pro
Native Windows support

It offers the best integration, ease of use and support with Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows 7, and with the Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 8.

Comment

Con
Proprietary

No public audits possible. Microsoft could want or be legally required to puts backdoors without users knowledge.

Comment

Con
Not available on Windows home versions

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Volume-based encryption

BitLocker allows encrypting an entire volume including the OS.

Comment

Pro
Multiple authentication methods

You can use a combination of methods consisting of Trusted Platform Module, PIN, and a passphrase on a USB thumb stick.

Comment

Con
Not intuitive

But it works if you read the instructions.

Comment

Pro
Cross-platform file-encryption

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Choice of strong encryption algorithms

[add description]

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Pro
No need to encrypt an entire disk

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Free version

A free, limited version is available.

Comment

Pro
Built on top of TrueCrypt

CipherShed is built on top of the famous and now abandoned TrueCrypt and it comes with a lot of things that TrueCrypt had.

Comment

Pro
Completely free

CipherShed is completely free and open source.

Comment

Pro
Cross-platform

Available on Windows, OS X and Linux

Comment

Con
Difficult to enhance key derivation

Since CipherShed decided to keep the TrueCrypt compatibility, and stick with that format they also have to stick with TrueCrypt's key derivation which was released in 2004 and understandably does not offer the same security that it did when first released.

Comment

Pro
It is portable

[add description]

Comment

Pro
It doesn't make their mark on file like xyz.aes .Simply you give any name

[add description]

Comment

Pro
His AES Metal provides many types of encryption

If you it download from directorandgeneral.com then it comes with small size portable software that contain AES protect,AES metal,AES command [whole software size 37kb approx].If you want High encrption then AES Metal give random or manual Key of Numbers without Passphrase.

Comment

Pro
It encrypt almost any file

[add description]

Comment

Con
Not available for Android, iOS

[add description]

Comment

Con
Its time to encrypt or decrypt is little bit slow

Approx takes a 500mb file 1 or 2 minutes to encrypt/decrypt.

Comment

Con
If you forget password then there is no way to get it back from software or site

So keep safe your password if you encrypt any important file.

Comment

Con
Abandoned

As of May 28th, TrueCrypt is abandonware. The website warns that using the software might not be secure and suggests moving to BitLocker. The source code is available and there are rumors of an official fork.

Comment

Pro
Can encrypt entire disks

Other than volumes and folders, TrueCrypt can encrypt whole disks too, including the system disk.

Comment

Pro
Hides your data directly from a Finder window

[add description]

Comment

Pro
Easy to use

[add description]

Comment

Con
Only works on Mac

[add description]

Comment

Con
Slower than Disk Encryption

Generating and reading in equally sized keyfiles takes longer to encrypt

Comment

Pro
User-friendly GUI

Graphical user interface designed for easy usage

Comment

Con
Double data capacity required

Unbreakable OTP encryption comes at the expense of equally sized key files for every encrypted file

Comment

Pro
Professional Command-line Interface

Fully functional Command-line Interface allows IT professionals to automate encryption and reporting

Comment

Pro
Spyware Safe

Allows opening individual files unlike Disk Encryption, which is is vulnerable to spyware. By unlocking an encrypted disk all files within the unlocked drive become on the fly decrypted accessible to spyware

Comment

Pro
Non-profit & Open Sourcecode

Idealistic development for protection of privacy. source code available

Comment

Pro
VirusTotal Safety Tested

Every release is tested for malware at VirusTotal to assure non malicious code

Comment

Pro
No filesize limits

Buffered I/O allows processing of unlimited file sizes

Comment

Pro
Encrypt 4 billion files in 1 go

Encrypts multiple items (files and directories)

Comment

Pro
Automatic Key Generator

Manual key creation is no longer necessary

Comment

Pro
Supporting 75 languages

Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Basque, Belarusian, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Castilian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, Flemish, French, Georgian, German, Greek Modern (1453-), Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Hungarian, Icelandic, Igbo, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Javanese, Kannada, Kazakh, Korean, Latvian, Macedonian, Malay, Maltese, Marathi, Moldavian, Moldovan, Mong, Mongolian, Nepali, Norwegian, Panjabi, Pashto, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Pushto, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Sindhi, Sinhala, Sinhalese, Slovenian, Sotho Southern, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Valencian, Vietnamese, Western Frisian, Xhosa, Yoruba, Zulu

Comment