Introducing SoftwareCompare: Objective data to find software that fits your needs!

Hello Privacyguides community, I’m proud to announce a project I have working on for a while, called Software Compare.

You can visit it at: https://softwarecompare.org

What is Software Compare?

*A website for finding objective data of software applications
*Compares different categories of applications, with the four current categories being Browsers, Music Streaming Services, Search Engines and Youtube Frontends
*Open source under the AGPLv3: GitHub - SoftwareCompare/SoftwareCompare: Quickly compare features of different software
*Continuous work in progress, so feel free to open a pull request or a Github issue!

Features
*Many checkmarks have links to verify the source where the information originated
*No tracking
*Minimal Javascript: Used for tooltips and the mobile dropdown menu, but otherwise, the site works works completely without it

Feel free to let me know what you think so I can continue to improve this project!

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Are you doing your own comparisons or just aggregating from other sites like PrivacyTests.org?

If you are doing your own comparisons I would suggest adding some sort of methodology section to the site.

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PrivacyTests.org does perform its own tests and does not aggregate from elsewhere.

Yes. I think you misunderstood my response (tried to edit my response to be more clear). I was asking if OP was aggregating from sites like privacytests.

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I will add new features, applications and categories moving forward!

That feature refers to a button that Piped has that allows user to watch the video on Odysee instead of Piped if it’s available on Odysee, If there’s a way to make this more clear, let me know!

This site is a collection of my own comparisons

What would you recommend I put there that’s not already in the about section?

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stuff like do you just check the software documentation for the info or is there other methods involved? do you verify the info in anyway? do you re-check the info and update the charts? if so, how often?

Thanks for the reply, I’ll add it to the about section. but I’ll answer your questions here too

I use the application to make sure the feature is implemented, then I look for an official source (preferably from the project) to add as a link under the checkmarks

I’m planning on checking myself, but any recommendations for changes on Twitter, Discord or Github will be listened to

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Hey thanks for posting!

Please check out the pinned post in Project Showcase so that we can have this thread re-listed.

edit: relisted, thank you!

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Browser comparisons have been drastically improved and expanded upon in the recent months. The site as a whole has also seen improvements, with new comparison criteria, new categories, new applications and major improvements to the site’s visuals. I’m sure if wanted more from the initial release, you’ll be pleased with where development on the project is currently at.

The site looks really cool, and I look forward to where it’ll go in the future!
Would you consider adding Trivalent and GNOME Epiphany for browsers, and adding desktop operating systems (maybe focusing on PG recommended Linux distros)?

Also, would you be willing to mention that individual script blocking on browsers can be a security concern?

They are definitely on my radar! I’m currently keeping a list of comparisons, catgories, and applications that I could potentially add in the future here. I want to avoid adding new desktop browsers until I implement buttons for hiding and moving applications, since that category is already so crowded on the site. I have spoken to the GrapheneOS team and we agreed to not add Vanadium until it gets a full Android release outside of GrapheneOS.

I also want to add desktop operating systems sometime in the future, but I want to leave the next added category up to a vote in the community. The latest added vpn comparison was voted for on our twitter, and I plan to have more votes like this in the future.

I plan to add more explanatory tool-tips to the site, so I’ll definitely add it to the list!

I have a question regarding Brave, doesn’t this support on device translation (at least partially)

https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/8963107404813-How-do-I-use-Brave-Translate

In a blog post they mentioned keeping it on device depending on platform

whats the deal with the privacy counseling section?

It seems a bit out of place for a site focusing on software comparison run by a university student.

After reviewing the shared link, I can confirm that Brave on desktop only supports querying translations through Linganex. While browser extensions might be able to be used for local translations, I don’t include extensions in my evaluation criteria since they can potentially increase attack surface and make your browser fingerprint more unique.

Interestingly, Brave Translate on iOS appears to leverage Apple’s built-in local translation functionality, though Brave’s documentation is somewhat ambiguous about the implementation. I’ll need to investigate further to provide a more definitive answer regarding the iOS version.

I created Software Compare to give people information on the software they use, with a focus on privacy and security. Offering 1-on-1 privacy counseling sessions seemed like a natural extension of this service since I could offer help to people who wanted to switch to better alternatives or improve their current software setup. Since counseling is not the main focus of the site, I’ve made it unobtrusive by placing its section on the bottom of the homepage. I’m currently working on a page that gives more information about the service, so more context can be found on the site.

While I am a university student, I am truly passionate and knowledgeable about the topics I will cover with my clients. I have researched deeply into how applications specifically protect a user’s privacy (as shown by my creation of Software Compare). I am knowledgeable about best privacy practices since just switching the apps you use can not make someone private online, and I have migrated almost every application I use to an open source alternative. Much of the general public is unknowledgeable about basic privacy protections, so I plan on helping others improve in the same way.

To avoid entering the counseling meeting with a blind spot in my knowledge, the process will be organized in a way where I will have notes on the client before our first meeting, which will allow me to arrive prepared for any concerns my client may have. I am very up-front in the signup process that I am not qualified to offer legal advice, and will deny requests that fall under that category.

I hope that explained the thought process and purpose behind the privacy counseling section on the site.