Privacy phones, compared
Our four favorites, side by side. Updated October 2026.
How to read this comparison
The table above puts four very different privacy phones next to each other. Each one stands for a different way out of Google’s ecosystem: a Pixel you install a private OS on yourself, a repairable phone that arrives with a degoogled OS, a phone running an independent European OS, and a rugged phone from a small German maker.
Here is what each row measures:
- Operating system: the software the phone runs. GrapheneOS and /e/OS are Android without Google built in. Sailfish OS and Ubuntu Touch are separate mobile Linux systems.
- App compatibility: how many everyday Android apps you can expect to install and run without fuss.
- Banking apps: banks run the strictest security checks of any app, so this row is the best single test of daily usability.
- Updates until: the last year of software updates, as published by the maker or the OS project. “Not published” means we couldn’t find an official end date.
- Camera: a relative ranking within these four phones only, not a score against every phone on the market.
- Repairability: how easy it is to replace the battery, screen and other parts yourself.
- Best for: the buyer each phone suits most.
Prices are the seller’s list prices when we last updated the table (October 2026). Euro prices come from European shops, so add shipping and import costs if you live elsewhere.
The four phones in plain words
Pixel 9a with GrapheneOS
The best overall pick for most people. GrapheneOS is our highest-rated system for privacy, and its optional sandboxed Google Play lets most banking apps work. Software updates run to 2032. You install GrapheneOS yourself, which takes about twenty minutes in a web browser. Follow our twenty-minute GrapheneOS install to do it.
Fairphone (Gen. 6) with /e/OS
The phone to keep for a long time. Fairphone promises software support until 2033, its modular design is the most repairable in this comparison, and Murena sells it in the US with /e/OS already installed, so there’s nothing to flash. /e/OS uses microG for app compatibility, which is why most banking apps work but a few strict ones refuse.
Jolla C2 with Sailfish OS
An independent operating system from Finland, with no Google anywhere in the stack. Android apps run through Jolla’s optional app layer, so many work, but not all. Jolla promises at least five years of Sailfish updates. It’s sold directly by Jolla to buyers in the EU and UK.
Volla X23
The rugged pick. It ships with Volla OS, a Google-free Android, and can also run Ubuntu Touch, so you can choose between Android apps and a true Linux phone. App compatibility is the weakest of the four, and Volla hasn’t published an end date for updates.
Which one should you pick?
If you want the least friction and the strongest privacy, take the Pixel 9a with GrapheneOS. If you never want to flash anything and care about repairs, take the Fairphone from Murena. If you want to leave Android behind completely and accept fewer apps, look at the Jolla C2 or the Volla X23.
Before ordering any of them, check that the phone supports your carrier’s network bands, especially for European models used in the US.
Common questions
Is a Pixel private if Google made the hardware? GrapheneOS replaces all of Google’s software on the phone. No Google services run unless you choose to install sandboxed Google Play. GrapheneOS supports Pixels because they let you relock the bootloader with a custom OS and receive long-term security updates.
Can I buy a Pixel with GrapheneOS already installed? Yes. NitroPhone and Above Phone sell Pixels with GrapheneOS preinstalled. You’ll find both in every degoogled phone we list.
Why isn’t my phone in this table? Only four favorites are compared here. To see whether a phone you already own can run a private OS, test your current phone in ten seconds. To compare the systems themselves rather than the hardware, see the operating systems side by side, and for the scoring behind every number, read how each OS and phone is scored. Prefer something without Android at all? Browse the Sailfish, Ubuntu Touch and PureOS phones.