Alternatives to GnuPG
Complete free implementation of the OpenPGP standard. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
GnuPG
Complete free implementation of the OpenPGP standard.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as GnuPG.
Gpg4win
GnuPG packaged for Windows with the Kleopatra key manager, for signing and encrypting files and email.
Gpg4win packages GnuPG for Windows with the Kleopatra key manager and Outlook and Explorer integration, keeping OpenPGP compatibility but limited to Windows.
age
File encryption with one small key, no options to get wrong, and a command you can remember.
age replaces GnuPG file encryption with short keys and no options to misconfigure, accepts SSH keys, but has no keyring, key server or signing features.
Kryptor
Command-line file encryption and signing using modern cryptography.
Kryptor offers file encryption and signing with modern primitives and short public keys, but its own file format means it does not interoperate with OpenPGP users.
GPG Suite
An OpenPGP toolkit for macOS for encrypting, signing and verifying files and email.
GPG Suite brings OpenPGP encryption, signing and the GPG Keychain app to macOS, but it is Mac only and Apple Mail integration needs a paid subscription.
Sequoia PGP
An OpenPGP implementation in Rust with the sq command-line tool for encrypting, signing and managing keys.
Sequoia PGP is an OpenPGP implementation written in memory-safe Rust with the sq command-line tool, but it is listed for Linux only and aimed mostly at developers.
OpenKeychain
An open-source Android app that manages OpenPGP keys and encrypts, decrypts and signs messages and files.
OpenKeychain manages OpenPGP keys and encrypts, decrypts and signs on Android, interoperating with other OpenPGP software and audited by Cure53, but it is Android only.
rage
A Rust implementation of the age file encryption format, with a command-line tool and library.
rage is a Rust implementation of the age format with simple keys and plugin support, but it is not a drop-in replacement for PGP keys or workflows.
Also worth comparing
These listings name GnuPG as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
ccrypt
A command-line utility for encrypting and decrypting files and streams with the Rijndael cipher.
GnuPG provides full OpenPGP public-key encryption and signing across platforms, but its key management and command line are much more complex than ccrypt's three commands.
EncryptPad
A text editor and file encryptor that uses OpenPGP-compatible symmetric encryption.
GnuPG reads the same OpenPGP format and adds public-key encryption and signing, but it has no built-in editor and its command line is harder to learn.
KGpg
A KDE graphical front end for GnuPG that manages keys and encrypts files and text.
GnuPG is the underlying OpenPGP engine used directly from the command line, adding smartcard support but dropping the graphical interface.
Kleopatra
A KDE certificate manager and front end for OpenPGP and S/MIME encryption and signing.
GnuPG provides the same OpenPGP operations from the command line with smartcard support through its agent, but without a graphical certificate manager.
Picocrypt
A tiny, single-purpose file encryption tool using XChaCha20 and Argon2id. Archived by its author, but still working.
GnuPG brings OpenPGP public-key encryption, signing and smartcard support that interoperates widely, but its key management and command line are hard for newcomers.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Mailvelope
Browser extension that adds OpenPGP encryption to webmail.
Mailfence
Encrypted email service from Belgium with OpenPGP support, calendars, contacts and document storage.
Proton Mail
Official Proton Mail apps for reading and sending end-to-end encrypted email on phones, desktops and the web.
OpenSSL
Work with certificates and cryptography using a widely used toolkit.
