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Operating system

Tails

Tails Project · FR · since 2009-06

Live OS on a USB stick. Boots into a Tor-only Linux session that leaves nothing on the host machine. Used by journalists, sources, and people in hostile environments. Optional persistent encrypted volume.

Open sourceAuditedE2EEGPL-3.0Free

Pros

  • + Compromised host doesn't compromise you
  • + Trusted by Snowden-era journalists
  • + Free + reproducible builds

Cons

  • USB-only workflow is slow
  • Hardware compatibility quirks
  • Tor latency

Highlights

  • Lives on a USB, leaves no trace
  • All traffic forced through Tor
  • Persistent volume optional

Specs at a glance

License
GPL-3.0
Open source
Yes
E2EE
Yes
Audited
Yes
Self-host
No
HQ
FR
Pricing
free
Platforms
1 platforms