TrueCrypt
Ranked 4 of 7 disk encryptions by recommenders
Free disk encryption tool people still recommend for hidden volumes and a sense of real secrecy; its project was discontinued and critics consider it insecure.
Free disk encryption tool people still recommend for hidden volumes and a sense of real secrecy; its project was discontinued and critics consider it insecure.
16 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 9
- criticize it
- 7
- approval share
- 56%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 9 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 1.2 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Seen as good, trustworthy software
“Stands on its own merits like Death Note, Bitcoin, or Truecrypt”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “Underrated reasons to be thankful V” “somebody wanted people to move away from the good TrueCrypt”
Comment from 23 Jan 2026 in “Microsoft gave FBI set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects' laptops” “TrueCrypt felt like actual secrecy”
Comment from 4 Feb 2026 in “FBI couldn't get into WaPo reporter's iPhone because Lockdown Mode enabled” Multiple passcodes and alt boot
“something similar to trucrypt / veracrypt, in which multiple passcodes can unlock different sections”
Comment from 20 Oct 2026 in “DHS Claimed It Searched GrapheneOS Phone Wiper for Child Abuse Material. It Lied” “I miss TrueCrypts alt boot option”
Comment from 21 Jul 2026 in “My USB Drive Has a Hidden Encrypted Vault”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Considered insecure or compromised
“they knew truecrypt/veracrypt to be irrepairably compromised”
Comment from 24 Jan 2026 in “Microsoft gave FBI set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects' laptops” “The weakness of truecrypt and veracrypt”
Comment from 27 Jul 2026 in “US citizen charged after GrapheneOS phone wipes during airport search” “Using TrueCrypt is not secure”
Comment from 17 May 2026 in “Security researcher says Microsoft built a Bitlocker backdoor, releases exploit” Distrust of the TrueCrypt brand
“Ever since the TrueCrypt fiasco years ago, I have no trust in that brand.”
Comment from 17 May 2026 in “Security researcher says Microsoft built a Bitlocker backdoor, releases exploit” “I have no trust in TrueCrypt or it's derivatives.”
Comment from 17 May 2026 in “Security researcher says Microsoft built a Bitlocker backdoor, releases exploit”
Other disk encryptions people recommend
The four most recommended other disk encryptions, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VeraCrypt | 45 | 18 | 71% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Microsoft BitLocker | 45 | 115 | 28% | 8 | 10.7 yrs3 owners | — |
| LUKS | 32 | 6 | 84% | 13 | — | Approved |
| TrueCryptThis page | 9 | 7 | 56% | 6 | — | — |
| FileVault | 8 | 9 | 47% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
16 of the 19 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“something similar to trucrypt / veracrypt, in which multiple passcodes can unlock different sections”
“I since moved to TrueCrypt and now onto Vercrypt”
“The weakness of truecrypt and veracrypt”
“if you overwrote the capacity and into the "hidden" data, you'd end up killing the hidden partition”
“I miss TrueCrypts alt boot option”
“It did not find any significant security issues or backdoors.”
“I have no trust in TrueCrypt or it's derivatives.”
“Using TrueCrypt is not secure”
“Ever since the TrueCrypt fiasco years ago, I have no trust in that brand.”
“The software was functional and the authorities had tried to actively crack archives and failed.”
“TrueCrypt felt like actual secrecy”
“suddenly discontinued and users were told they should migrate to BitLocker”
“they knew truecrypt/veracrypt to be irrepairably compromised”
“somebody wanted people to move away from the good TrueCrypt”
“truecrypt is actually very susceptible to evil maid attacks because it doesn't use secureboot/tpm”
“Stands on its own merits like Death Note, Bitcoin, or Truecrypt”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.